The Summer Soul top is here 🖤
Every project begins with an idea. You get inspired; you imagine the stitches, the colors, the shape it will take. But sometimes, the yarn has its own plans.
- Maybe it’s the way it slips through your fingers.
- Maybe the color feels deeper and richer than you expected.
- Maybe it’s just a feeling you can’t explain.
And without even realizing it, you find yourself imagining something different—something you didn’t plan, but suddenly can’t wait to create.
That’s exactly how the Summer Soul Top came to life.
And honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
A design shaped by yarn.
The Summer Soul Top started as a simple idea: a basic tank top to practice top-down knitting. Easy to follow, clear to construct—and, let’s be honest, not particularly chic. Because that’s often what beginner projects are allowed to be.
And right before I started sketching the design and knitting the first sample, a new opportunity came up - I partnered with Hobbii Yarn, and we chose Friends Cotton Silk for the project. It was a yarn I hadn't had the chance to work with before.
When the yarn arrived and I touched it, felt its softness, saw its richness, I knew it deserved more than I had planned.
✨ Check the current discount on the Hobbii website.
So I followed that feeling.
And today, I’m thrilled to share the Summer Soul Top tutorial with you—a design that shows beginner knits can be both elegant and stylish.
🎁 To celebrate the launch, enjoy 50% off the Summer Soul Top with code (ONLY FOR ESENOTES' SUBSCRIBERS) on Etsy and Ravelry.
Valid until Sunday, May 4, 2025.
Features:
The Summer Soul Top is a minimalist knit without tricky shaping or complex stitch patterns.
Every detail was added with a purpose:
- a gently curved boat neckline that runs from collarbone to collarbone,
- armholes shaped for comfort and bra coverage,
- and a relaxed, flattering fit with just enough positive ease to let air move naturally between you and the fabric.
You can knit it two ways:
- in the round, alternating knit and purl rounds if you’d rather skip seaming altogether,
- or flat, working only knit rows and finishing with simple seams.
And if your purl stitches are still a little looser than your knit stitches (creating uneven fabric), working back and forth with only knit rows will help keep the texture even.
I know beginner knitters often try to avoid seaming (and German Short Rows too 😉). But once your confidence grows, you’ll be ready to try — and you’ll see how seams actually help a garment hold its shape over time.
The seam itself is intuitive: connecting opposite stitches — smiles with umbrellas, as you might already know.
Thank you for being here and sharing this moment with me. I’m truly grateful. ♥️
Warm regards,
Julia Piro
Knitwear Designer & Esenotes Curator
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