Before you start your Tipp Top, make sure you master the following basic knitting techniques:

• Cast on stitches
• Knit and purl stitches
• Decrease stitches
• Bind off

You only need a few things to start your top:

• Yarn: for your top you need Line from Sandnes Garn, depending on size 4 to 8 skeins (size XS/S: 4 skeins, size M/L: 5 skeins, size XL: 6 skeins, size 2XL: 7 skeins, size 3XL: 8 skeins)
• Needle: a circular knitting needle size 4 mm, 60 cm long, I recommend bamboo with a swivel joint
• Stitch holder to put stitches on hold
• Tapestry needle 

Here you’ll find the matching knitting kit:

You can easily make stitch markers yourself. You only need a bit of leftover yarn and possibly small wooden beads. Simply make small loops with your leftover yarn that you can hang over your needle at the right spot and carry along. Wooden beads make your markers clearly visible.

Advantage: It’s super comfortable to grip and very cozy.

I have a very popular blog post about my homemade stitch markers, feel free to check it out!

Choose the right size for you. To do this, measure your bust circumference (measure around the widest part with a tape measure). The top is designed with a slight negative ease. This means, for a snug fit, choose a size with a slightly smaller circumference than your measured one.

Example:

For example, if you measure a circumference of 95 cm, you can subtract 5 to 15 cm and get 80 to 90 cm, so in this case, you would knit size M/L with a specified circumference of 86 cm.

Of course, you can also wear the top looser; then choose a size that corresponds to the body measurement.  

Now cast on the specified number of stitches with the yarn and your circular needle.

For size XS/S, cast on 148 stitches.

For size M/L, cast on 166 stitches.

For size XL, cast on 192 stitches.

For size 2XL, cast on 212 stitches.

For size 3XL, cast on 232 stitches.

I recommend using a slip knot cast-on, simply making a loop around your needle.

You knit your top from bottom to top. Next, knit a row of knit stitches back and then join to knit in the round. This means you do not turn your work but continue knitting in the round with your needle.

Attention: place a marker at the beginning of your round. You can simply make a loop with a small leftover yarn and hang it on the needle at the start of the round. Carry the marker along in every round (= BOR, beginning of round).

Knit all stitches knit in the first round.

Now knit 2 rounds all stitches purl.

From here, knit all stitches in every round until you reach a total length of:

for sizes XS/S and M/L - 33 cm

for sizes XL, 2XL, and 3XL - 36 cm

have been reached.

You now divide your work into front and back pieces by knitting armholes on each side of your top. For this, you need to bind off 2 stitches on each side.

Bind off at BOR (= back center)

for size XS/S: 36 stitches knit

for size M/L: 41 stitches knit

for size XL: 47 stitches knit

for size 2XL: 52 stitches knit

for size 3XL: 57 stitches knit

this is your half back piece.

Now bind off 2 stitches by knitting 2 stitches and pulling the back stitch over the front stitch, then knit one stitch and also pull the back stitch over the front stitch.

You now have one stitch left behind the decreased stitches on your right needle. Knit further for your front piece

for size XS/S: 71 stitches knit = a total of 72 stitches front piece

for size M/L: 81 stitches knit = a total of 82 stitches front piece

for size XL: 93 stitches knit = total 94 stitches front piece

for size 2XL: 103 stitches knit = total 104 stitches front piece

for size 3XL: 113 stitches knit = total 114 stitches front piece

Now bind off 2 stitches again for the right armhole by knitting 2 stitches and passing the back stitch over the front stitch, then knit one more stitch and again pass the back stitch over the front stitch.

You now have one stitch left behind the decreased stitches on your right needle. Continue knitting right stitches for your back piece until the BOR (= center back). Continue knitting right stitches until the left armhole. You now have for your back piece:

for size XS/S a total of 72 stitches 

for size M/L a total of 82 stitches 

for size XL a total of 94 stitches 

for size 2XL a total of 104 stitches 

for size 3XL a total of 114 stitches 

are lying on your needle as the back piece.

Now place the stitches of the front piece on hold by slipping them onto a stitch holder and knotting it so you don’t lose any stitches.

If you don’t have a stitch holder, you can also place your stitches on a scrap yarn or another circular needle. Just always make sure your stitches are secure and don’t get lost.

You are now knitting your upper back piece. Since you have separated the work into front and back pieces, you now continue knitting in stockinette stitch in rows. This means you basically knit stitches on the right-side rows and purl stitches on the wrong-side rows.

Attention: always knit the first and last stitch in every row (both right-side and wrong-side rows).

Now begin with the first wrong-side row. So you turn your needle and knit:

1 stitch knitwise, all stitches purlwise until 1 stitch before the end of the row, 1 stitch knitwise

Start the decreases for the armholes in the following right-side row:

1st row (right side):

knit 3 stitches, 1 slip stitch decrease (= slip 1 stitch, knit 1 stitch, then pass the slipped stitch over the knitted stitch), knit all stitches until 5 stitches before the end of the row, knit 2 stitches together, knit 3 stitches (= 2 stitches decreased)

2nd row (wrong side):

knit 1 stitch, purl all stitches until 1 stitch before the end of the row, knit 1 stitch

Repeat these two rows 2 more times; you have now knitted them a total of 3 times.

The decreases for the armholes are now complete.

Now continue knitting your upper back piece in stockinette stitch straight up. Remember to always knit the first and last stitch of every row. This will give you a super simple but nicely firm edge.

Knit to a length measured from the armhole of

for size XS/S from 22 cm

for size M/L from 24 cm

for size XL from 26 cm

for size 2XL from 28 cm

for size 3XL from 30 cm

Now knit the upper edge of your back piece as follows:

Now knit 2 rows in reverse stockinette stitch:

1st row (right side):

1 stitch knitwise, all stitches purlwise until 1 stitch before the end of the row, 1 stitch knitwise

2nd row (wrong side):

knit all stitches

Then knit 2 more rows in stockinette stitch as follows (as usual):

1st row (right side):

knit all stitches

2nd row (wrong side):

1 stitch knitwise, all stitches purlwise until 1 stitch before the end of the row, 1 stitch knitwise

Now knit the straight neckline and hold the stitches for the shoulders.

Knit the following:

for sizes XS/S and M/L 12 stitches knitwise

for sizes XL, 2XL, and 3XL 14 stitches knitwise

(= first shoulder)

bind off the following

for size XS/S 42 stitches

for size M/L 52 stitches

for size XL 60 stitches

for size 2XL 70 stitches

for size 3XL 80 stitches

bind off (= neckline). You bind off the stitches by always pulling the back stitch over the front stitch.

At the end, behind the bound-off stitches, there is still one stitch on your right needle. Knit the following stitches to the end of the row knitwise (= second shoulder).

Transfer these shoulder stitches together onto a stitch holder to hold them. Don’t forget to tie the holder to avoid losing stitches.

Now knit your upper front piece exactly like the upper back piece. So start again at step 4 and knit everything as for the back piece, but now with the stitches of the front piece.

You now still have the shoulder stitches on the needle or on the stitch holder. You are almost finished with your top!

With the remaining stitches, you now knit the shoulder edge of your tip top.

Knit the shoulders individually; start with one side and then make the second shoulder exactly the same.

You join the shoulders of the front and back pieces by knitting 2 stitches together and binding off the resulting stitch immediately. This gives you a neat finish.

Alternatively, you can bind off the shoulder stitches of the front and back pieces separately and sew them together with a seam.

To join by binding off, first start by placing the stitches correctly on your needle in preparation. You have all the stitches held on stitch holders.

You now join your shoulder stitches onto one needle. For this, always alternate picking up one stitch from the front shoulder and one stitch from the back shoulder onto the needle. 

Now you always knit 2 stitches together knitwise and then bind off the stitches immediately. So you start by knitting two stitches together knitwise, knit the next 2 stitches together knitwise as well, and pull the back stitch over the front stitch (= bind off). 

Continue by always knitting two stitches together knitwise and then binding off immediately.

Repeat this until no shoulder stitch remains and only one stitch is left on the needle. 

Now pull the thread through this stitch and cut it off.

Now you finish your knitted piece. It’s almost done—congratulations!

Now you sew in all the threads. For this, take the hanging threads on your sewing needle and sew them securely to the back of your top.

Try to do this as invisibly as possible from the outside. Insert the needle from the back into your knitted piece, pull the thread through the created loop, and pull tight. Repeat several times until the thread is securely sewn.

Before washing, you should try on your top once to see if it should be wider or tighter in any spot.

Wash your top carefully by hand or in the wool program of your machine at a maximum of 30 degrees. 

Now lay your top down and you can block it. Fix it on your blocking mat in the desired shape. Alternatively, you can use a flat surface like a mattress or sofa, preferably protected with a towel.

When your top is dry, you can pick it up and finally wear it!

Have fun with it!