Plum Blossom Tee

Plum Blossom Tee by Andrea Sanchez

What is Being Made

The Plum Blossom Tee is a lightweight summer knitting project designed by Andrea Sanchez. This garment is a feminine, easy-to-wear tee crafted from a linen blend yarn that provides a cool and crisp fabric ideal for warm weather. The design features lovely drape and versatile styling, making it suitable for both dressed-up and casual occasions. The tee is intended to be worn with little to no positive ease for a fitted silhouette.

Craft and Construction

This is an advanced-level knitting project worked flat from the bottom up. The garment is constructed in separate pieces that are later joined together using mattress stitch, a seaming technique that creates nearly invisible seams on finished knitwear. The construction method allows for precise shaping and control throughout the knitting process.

Stitches and Techniques Used

• Stockinette Stitch — The primary stitch pattern used throughout the garment, worked on both larger and smaller needles depending on the section
• Attached I-Cord — A decorative or functional cord element integrated into the design
• Mattress Stitch — Used to seam the individual pieces together with minimal visibility
• Provisional Cast On — A temporary cast-on method that allows for later pick-up of live stitches
• Short Rows — Shaping technique used to create contours and fit in the garment

Materials and Gauge

The Plum Blossom Tee is knitted using Classic Elite Firefly yarn, a blend of 75% rayon and 25% linen that creates the cool, breathable quality essential for summer wear. The sample shown is worked in the colorway Padua #7719. Yardage requirements range from 155 yards (142 meters) for the smallest size up to larger quantities for extended sizes, with each skein weighing 50 grams.

Two needle sizes are required: US size 4 [3.5 mm] and US size 3 [3.25 mm], both in 40-inch [100 cm] circular needle format. The pattern includes multiple size options ranging from 28¼ inches to 52¼ inches bust measurement. Gauge is worked in Stockinette Stitch, with 22 stitches and 28 rows equaling 4 inches [10 cm] on the larger needles, and 24 stitches and 32 rows equaling 4 inches [10 cm] on the smaller needles.