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

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

You only need a few things to get started on your top:

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

Here you will find the matching knitting kit:

You can easily make stitch markers yourself. All you need is a little leftover yarn and, optionally, small wooden beads. Simply make small loops with your leftover yarn that you can hang over your needle in the right place and carry along as you knit. Wooden beads make your markers easy to see.

Advantage: It is very comfortable to hold and use.

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

Choose the right size for you. To do this, measure your bust circumference with a measuring tape around the fullest part. The top is designed with slight negative ease. This means that for a close-fitting style, you should choose a size with a slightly smaller circumference than your measured circumference.

Example:

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

Of course, you can also wear the top more loosely; in that case, choose a size corresponding to the measurement taken around your body.  

Now cast on the specified number of stitches using 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 loop cast-on; simply make a loop around your needle.

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

Attention: place a marker at the beginning of your round. To do this, you can simply make a loop with a small piece of scrap yarn and hang it over the needle at the beginning of the round. Move the marker along in every round (= BOR, beginning of round).

Knit the first round with all stitches knit.

Now knit 2 rounds with all stitches purl.

From here, knit all subsequent rounds with all stitches knit until you reach a total length of:

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

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

you have reached.

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

Knit from BOR (= back center)

for size XS/S: knit 36 stitches

for size M/L: knit 41 stitches

for size XL: knit 47 stitches

for size 2XL: knit 52 stitches

for size 3XL: knit 57 stitches

This is your half back.

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

You now have one stitch remaining behind the decreased stitches on your right needle. Knit the following for your front

for size XS/S: knit 71 stitches = 72 front stitches in total

for size M/L: knit 81 stitches = 82 front stitches in total

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

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

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

Now bind off 2 stitches 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 remaining behind the decreased stitches on your right needle. Continue knitting until the BOR (= back center). Continue knitting until the left armhole. You now have for your back piece:

for size XS/S: 72 stitches in total 

for size M/L: 82 stitches in total 

for size XL: 94 stitches in total 

for size 2XL: 104 stitches in total 

for size 3XL: 114 stitches in total 

on your needle as the back piece.

Now put the front-piece stitches on hold by threading them onto a stitch holder cord and tying the cord so that you do not lose any stitches.

If you do not have a stitch holder cord, you can also place your stitches on scrap yarn or another circular needle. Always make sure that your stitches are secured and do not get lost.

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

注意: In every row (both right- and wrong-side rows), always knit the first and last stitch.

Now begin with the first wrong-side row. Turn your needle and knit:

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

Begin the armhole decreases on the following right-side row:

Row 1 (right-side row):

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

Row 2 (wrong-side row):

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

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

The decreases for the armholes are now complete.

Now continue knitting the upper back piece straight upward in stockinette stitch. Remember to knit the first and last stitch of every row. This creates a super-simple yet nicely firm edge.

Knit to a length measured from the armhole of

for size XS/S: 22 cm

for size M/L: 24 cm

for size XL: 26 cm

for size 2XL: 28 cm

for size 3XL: 30 cm

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

Now knit 2 rows in reverse stockinette stitch:

Row 1 (right-side row):

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

Row 2 (wrong-side row):

knit all stitches

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

Row 1 (right-side row):

knit all stitches

Row 2 (wrong-side row):

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

Now knit the straight neckline and place the shoulder stitches on hold.

Knit as follows:

for sizes XS/S and M/L: 12 knit stitches

for sizes XL, 2XL and 3XL: 14 knit stitches

(= 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

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

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

Move these shoulder stitches together onto a stitch holder cord to keep them safe. Don’t forget to tie a knot in the cord so that no stitches are lost.

Now knit the upper front piece exactly like the upper back piece. Start again at step 4 and knit everything as for the back piece, but now using the front-piece stitches.

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

With the remaining stitches, now knit the shoulder finish of your Tipp Top.

Knit the shoulders separately, starting with one side and then completing the second shoulder in exactly the same way.

You join the shoulders of the front and back pieces by always 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 join them with a seam.

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

You are now joining the shoulder stitches on one needle. To do this, always place one stitch from the front shoulder and one stitch from the back shoulder alternately onto the needle. 

Now knit 2 stitches together and immediately bind off the stitches. In other words, start by knitting two stitches together, knit the next 2 stitches together as well, and pull the back stitch over the front stitch (= bind off). 

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

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

Now pull the yarn through this stitch and cut it.

Now finish your knitted piece. You're almost done—congratulations!

You will now weave in all the ends. To do this, thread the hanging ends onto your tapestry needle and sew them securely to your top from the wrong side.

Try to do this so it is as invisible from the outside as possible. Insert the needle into your knitted piece from the wrong side and pull the yarn through the resulting loop; pull it tight. Repeat this several times until the yarn is securely woven in.

Before washing, try on your top once to see whether any area should be made looser or tighter.

Wash your top carefully by hand or on your machine's wool cycle at a maximum of 30 degrees. 

Now lay your top flat and you can block it. To do this, pin it to your blocking mat in the desired shape. Alternatively, you can use a flat surface such as a mattress or sofa, preferably protected with a towel.

Once your top is dry, you can unpin it and finally put it on!

Have fun with it!