Let's talk about the Flavia top in detail!

I am going to dive pretty deep into the construction, as I believe that once we have a better understanding, the making becomes much simpler! The top is full of thoughtful details, but none of them (except for the shoulders, maybe :) are complex.

And if you ever decide to play with the design and adjust something on your own, I hope it will come in handy!

Inspiration & Stitches

The story of Flavia top started with Limeade shawl! Every time I put it on, I kept thinking how lovely that filet lace looked across the body, so one day it naturally transitioned into a garment.

Everything else in the top is worked in the plain linen stitch.

So here you will find just the basic crochet stitches: chain, single crochet, double crochet, and a little bit of textured stitches, all explained in the pattern.

Construction

The construction in my designs is deeply tied to the stitch patterns. I follow their decrease and increase angles and shape the item (whether it is a garment or a shawl) by gently adapting the construction rather than fighting the stitches.

The simplicity of the stitch patterns in Flavia allowed me to focus on the construction as much as I wanted: gentle neckline curves, smooth shoulders, and body shaping without any pressure.

And the actual construction of this top was my biggest joy. Just look at this seamless puzzle!

The top is worked in different directions at the yoke, then joined at the shoulders. The body is continued in the round, and the sleeves are worked in the round as well.

Start

The top starts at the top, along the pink line in the photo below, and is worked in two directions.

As you can see, this divides the actual yoke (lace and zigzag sections) into two uneven parts. This starting point creates a very smooth and invisible transition between the stitch patterns and directions of work.

Direction of Work

Technically, there is no difference whether you start with the upper section (above pink line) or the lower one (below pink line).

I worked the lower section first (and this is how the pattern is written), because it mainly consists of quick and easy filet lace, it grows fast, and you get a large portion of the top completed before moving on to upper section. For me, this was very satisfying!

And you can stop anywhere, place marker in loop, join a new yarn at the pink line, and work the top in the opposite direction, shaping the neckline and shoulders. And if you get tired of that section, simply switch back to the lower part again.

This is one of my favourite things about this construction, because it suits different ways of working:

• If you are like me, impatient and quickly get tired, you can switch between different parts of the top whenever you like.

• But if you prefer a more structured way of work, you can also crochet it in clear, logical stages: complete the upper shaping first, and then continue from the top down.

Shoulders

All the shaping decreases and shoulder joins are worked seamlessly as you go, with a few little tricks along the way.

The shoulder joining is the only part of the top that really requires extra attention. It is not complex, but this is where a little patience creates the neat, clean shoulder line.

I am not always satisfied with my stitches. Sometimes I work them too loosely (in a hurry), or tighten them without any reason. But stitch tension is something we can control and easily adjust.

For me, this was the place where I took some extra time and reworked that short joining row until the shoulder line looked as I wanted.

Fun Fact ⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠

I just noticed that I accidentally took the cover photo of the top with the wrong side facing: there are no zigzag sections visible (they are on the right side)!

But isn't it a wonderful example of what you would get if you decided to skip textured stitches and work those zigzag sections in plain linen stitch? :) Maybe you'd like this version better!

Additional Shaping

• The back of the top includes extra rows to create a higher neckline.

• The sleeve decreases continue the shoulder shaping: they are worked at the top of the sleeve to help the sleeves fall smoothly instead of sticking out.

• The oversized silhouette is balanced with decrease lines along the body. They do not drastically reduce the circumference, but they help the fabric drape nicely.

P.S. I once promised to write a post about oversized garments and how to make them fit nicely, rather than changing the look of the body in a strange way.

I’ll definitely do that, but here is the main idea: we can shape them with the help of decreases (of any kind: around the hem, vertical darts, or across the back section only), and this way set the direction of the fabric’s drape. So it follows the body lines instead of hanging randomly, but still keeps that comfy oversized feel.

Edging

Originally, I planned to work Maraska's textured edging here, but for me it felt too heavy for this top, so I replaced it with a single filet row.

However, you can absolutely work the textured hem if you like the look! The instructions from Maraska work perfectly here, and no changes are needed.

Name

I named the design after the colorway used for this top: Flavia Sock by Malabrigo. The name is of Latin origin and translates as “golden” or “yellow-haired”, I couldn’t find any other meanings. The colorway itself is very soothing and cool, not sunlit at all, but somehow this name still feels right to me.

I colorized the top in Photoshop in different colors (including yellow) just for inspiration, and I have to say, I really love the golden version!

The pattern is available on my website, Etsy, and Ravelry. It is part of the Linen City collection, along with Soda shawl and Maraska.

All three patterns are 20% off until the end of July. And if you would like to make more than one pattern from the collection, there are various bundle options available with 30% and 40% discounts.

Happy crocheting ♡
~ Lena