I have a long time fascination with crop tops, which is mainly because of my body type; long sweaters and tunics without any waist shaping look dreadful on me. That is why for a long time, I have been modifying designs and generally shortening my top & sweater projects.
I have several ideas and sketches on crop tops and sweaters, and the first one to come into realization is Micci. Micci is a fairly simple summer crop top with some very interesting details. It is worked flat and bottom up, has waist, short row bust shaping and a stunning lace back panel.
The lace is the most particular design feature, because it was specifically created for this design. The idea behind it’s creation lies with Naomi Parkhurst’s ‘Secret Code’ Lace Project. I have been following Naomi’s blog a long while now, and I have been fascinated by her design process. It’s analytical and completely ingenious! How does it work? One takes a word, encodes it, creates a chart and then works out different permutations of increases & decreases. Innovation in lace making!
If you also enjoy Naomi’s work, you can always support her through Patreon with as little as 1$ per month.
It is more a time consuming than complex process, but the end result can be so beautiful, it is definitely worth trying. The code word for this lace, is Micci, which by the way means ‘sunshine’ in Corsican. For it, I have used my own encoding algorithm. A process I found so delightful, as I was able to utilize very basic Computer Science skills! While I was working on it I was bombarded with SO many ideas for new designs, not only in lace. If there is sufficient time in the future (I hope!), I will be creating several more original stitch patterns.
Another delight in this design is the yarn. I really enjoy working with Schachenmayr cotton yarns, they were among the very first I discovered as a new knitter. Among them, Schachenmayr nomotta Cotton Eco Color is particularly striking for it’s pretty colors and dye job. Unfortunately, it has been discontinued (since 2011?) and is no longer available. I first worked with it around 5 years ago and was fortunate to locate it again in the same LYS (one of the advantages of having long-standing local yarn stores = their stock of ‘old’, discontinued yarns).
Fortunately, there are excellent substitutes out there, some of which can produce a very similar colorway effect:
Purchase the yarn for this design with discount on LoveKnitting:
- use coupon code SIXTY for 25% OFF when you spend 60£
- use coupon code FORTY5 for 15% OFF when you spend 45£
- use coupon code THIRTY for 10% OFF when you spend 30£
Offer ends August 9th.
For whatever yarn you choose to use, there is no great quantity of skeins needed. Crop tops are quite economical this way, even for very large sizes. Micci offers 9 sizes in total, from XS to 5X and the maximum number needed is 5 skeins. For smaller sizes it can be a great stash buster, using 3 skeins or less.
In a way, Micci can be an all-season top, as it can be worn over shirts and t-shirts with high-waisted skirts and trousers or over dresses. It can be easily worked with wool and worn as a cropped vest. The possibilities are endless!
Do you enjoy wearing crop tops? How would you work and wear them? I am looking forward to seeing your variations! 🙂
