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Hey now! Here’s my cozy DIY V-neck knit top with long sleeves. It’s a favorite, and I love wearing it in the cooler weather.
I’ve also made the variation with the elbow patches, and that one turned out well too. This is going to be one of my go-to patterns.
Simplicity S8950 Knit Top Pattern
I have a few knit patterns, but I like Simplicity S8950 because of the flattering neckline. I can put this one on without messing up my hair!
It is a loose-fitting, long-sleeve top with a few design variations. You can use contrasting fabric for the sleeves or arm patches.
There’s also a variation with a cinch down the front middle or front side using bias tape or a ribbon.
Materials
Here’s the stuff I used to make this top. The fun part was finding the right fabric.
Fabric: This pink sweater knit is a cotton-rayon blend from Joann. The soft, nice drape feels amazing on the inside.
I also used a gray sweatshirt fabric in a cotton-polyester blend. It’s a heavier weight, and it feels soft inside. The contrasting navy blue patches are from my stash.
I got this fabric and the super soft light blue knit from the fashion district near me. However, I ended up tie-dyeing it.
I wish I could find more of these fabrics in other colors! They’re wonderful!
Some suggested fabrics to use include fleece, minky fleece, tricot, modal knit, bamboo knit, and sweater knit.
Notions: For the variation to cinch the front, you will need bias tape or a ribbon, and D-rings for one of them.
Sewing the Knit Top
I followed the directions, and they were straightforward. For most seams, I used my serger, so it was pretty fast.
And it was such a breeze cutting these fabrics. There were only 5 pieces to cut for the basic pattern.
I cut my usual size for this sewing pattern. Since it’s meant to be a loose fit, I didn’t worry about sizing down.
It has a generous amount of ease around the middle. The arm width and length were perfect on me.
For the basic top, it’s sewing the front, back, sleeves, and neckband. The V-neck might be a little tricky!
I had actually hacked many of my crew neck T-shirts in the past. So I got pretty good at this.
After making my gray knit top, I added the navy blue elbow patches.
They came out very nicely. But this top reminded me of my grade school uniform sweaters I used to wear!
The only change I made was to shorten the length by an inch. I’m tall, and I found this top slightly long.
As I mentioned before, I tie-dyed one of the tops. I just wanted to make it more colorful.
The original fabric was a light blue, and it was pretty too. But I added turquoise dye to it.
This fabric just absorbed the dye so well. It’s different, and I do like the results.
Notes
Knits can pill when washing and drying. I always wash my knit tops with cold water on the ‘delicates’ cycle.
Then I hang them instead of throwing them in the dryer. This way, they stay pill-free.
I’ve made this same top a few times in different fabrics. They’ve held up quite nicely over the years.
It’s a great wardrobe staple, and I like them all. I don’t typically wear sweaters, so this is as close as I get to having one!
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