The Playdate Tee started as a design for my child, but I soon realized it would make a great adult pattern as well. I believe this pullover is going to be your new favorite pattern to make and wear! The eyelet raglan increases are fun and quick, and the slightly boxy fit of the tee is comfy and easy to style.
The purpose of this post is to help you choose your size, yarn, and give you ideas for how to wear your finished tee. You can purchase this pattern on Etsy or Ravelry through the links below.
Click here to purchase the PDF pattern on Ravelry.
Click here to purchase the PDF pattern on Etsy.
Construction
The Adult Playdate Tee is a top-down raglan designed with DK weight yarn, making it a light and airy staple for any warm weather wardrobe, but warm enough to wear in colder temps too, especially if you knit the long sleeve version. You will start by knitting the collar ribbing, then shape the neckline with short rows while beginning the raglan increases. After the neckline is complete, you will continue increasing the yoke before separating the sleeves to knit the body. The sleeves are knitted last. The entire top is knitted in stockinette with 1:1 ribbing on the collar, hem and cuffs, and eyelet increases. This pattern also includes instructions for knitting long sleeves!
Gauge
The gauge for this pattern is 20 sts x 28 rounds = 4×4″ (10x10cm) square. You will want to use your US 6 (4.0mm) needles and knit a swatch that is in the round in stockinette, and blocked.
Making sure your tension matches the designer is sooo crucial for knitting a well fitting garment. A variety of factors can affect your gauge like yarn, types of needles, tension, etc. so it’s better to not assume yours will be exactly the same as mine and just take the extra 15 minutes to knit a swatch. Trust me, it’s better than wasting hours and days knitting a tee that doesn’t fit.
There are many articles for helping you swatch online so I recommend typing “how to knit a gauge swatch” into Google and choosing one that looks the most helpful for you personally.
Happy swatching!
Size
This is the schematic that is found on the last page of the pattern. Your actual chest size (or closest size) is on the left column. Since the tee has positive ease, the rest of the measurements in the table are finished garment sizes. For example, size 3 has a finished chest circumference of 41″. If your actual chest size is 38″, you will have a finished tee with 3″ of extra room (as long as you meet gauge). If your actual chest size is 36″, you will have a finished tee with 5″ of extra room. I personally sized up for my own tee and ended up with 6″ of extra room. If you want an extra oversized fitting tee like mine, size up.
Yarn
The Adult Playdate Tee testers used a variety of yarn! Here is a list is what they recommend.
- Hedgehog Fibres DK
- The Winter Witch Knits DK
- February Fiber Co Silk DK
- Yarn Bee Must Be Merino
- Knomad Prism
- Haus of Wool classic DK
- Madelintosh Tosh DK
- Lion Brand Yarn Coboo
- Rowan Softyak DK
- Magpie Fibers Swanky DK
- BUKU Yarns Super Nova DK
- We Are Knitters The Cotton
- Hobbii Kind Feather
- Yarn Over Floyd DK Cable
- Vinnis Bambini 100% cotton
- Hobbii Winter Glow
- KnitPicks Comfy Worsted
- Berroco Remix Light
- Knitpicks Cotlin
- Katia mohair held double
- Bernat Softee Cotton
- Cascade Hampton
- Organized Chaos Yarns DK
- Sewrella Yarn Silk DK
- A Chick That Knitz DK
- Serendipity Tweed
- Sirdar Haworth Tweed
Style
The Playdate Tee can be styled however you like! I wear mine in the summer with a pair of linen shorts, and in the fall with a pair of jeans. It looks great with sandals, sneakers, and Birkenstocks. Here are some beautiful photos that my testers provided for you to see! I love how the tee looks on a variety of body types and with different amounts of positive ease. I especially love the long sleeved version and can’t wait to make one for myself!
