The Shell Tee is a lightweight t-shirt with a gently scooping neckline and options for a short and a long sleeve. It is a top-down raglan, initially worked flat and then joined in the round once the neckline has been shaped. The Shell Tee can be finished with either rib or i-cord details at the collar, cuffs, and hem.

You will begin by working raglan increases and neckline shaping back and forth in rows, and will then cast on new stitches to connect the right and left halves of the front section of the yoke. You will then continue to work raglan increases, with different increase rates to the sleeve and body sections towards the end of the yoke. Once the yoke is complete, you will work the length of the body. I next recommend applying the collar before finally working the sleeves in turn to your desired length.

The pattern has been tech edited and test knitted. If you require any pattern support, you’re more than welcome to contact me by email.

Materials and Fit

Notions: You will need 2 mm / US 0 (40- and 80-cm / 16- and 32-in cord) and 3 mm / US 2.5 (40-, 60-, and 80-cm / 16-, 24- and 32-in cord circular needles. You will also need at least 9 stitch markers, a darning needle, and either scrap yarn, spare circular needles, or stitch holders for the resting stitches.

Tension: 29 stitches x 38 rows/rounds in Stockinette stitch on 3 mm / US 2.5 needles = 10 x 10 cm / 4 x 4 in.

Sizing and ease: The Shell Tee has a recommended positive ease of 3-8.5 cm / 1.25–3.25 in for Sizes A-H and recommended almost neutral ease of -2.5-3.5 cm / -1-1.25 in for Sizes I-L around the chest (or the widest part of your torso). However, if you wanted less ease, you would be welcome to choose a smaller size relative to your chest measurement and vice versa.

Size: A (B) C (D), E (F) G (H), I (J) K (L)

Chest measurement (cm): 75-80 (80-85) 85-90 (90-95), 95-100 (100-105) 105-110 (110-115), 115-125 (125-135) 135-145 (145-155)
Chest measurement (in): 29.5-31.5 (31.5-33.5) 33.5-35.5 (35.5-37.5), 37.5-39.25 (39.25-41.25) 41.25-43.25 (43.25-45.25), 45.25-49.25 (49.25-53.25) 53.25-57 (57-61)

Actual circumference of garment at chest (cm): 83.5 (87.5) 93 (98.5), 103 (108.5) 112.5 (118), 123.5 (133) 144 (154)
Actual circumference of garment at chest (in): 32.75 (34.5) 36.75 (38.75), 40.5 (42.75) 44.25 (46.5), 48.5 (52.5) 56.75 (60.5)

Armhole depth (cm): 21 (21.5) 22 (22.5), 23 (23) 23.5 (23.5), 24 (25) 26 (27)
Armhole depth (in): 8.25 (8.5) 8.75 (8.75), 9 (9) 9.25 (9.25), 9.5 (10) 10.25 (10.75)

Body length from cast-on edge to hem at centre back (cm): 49.5 (49.5) 50 (50), 50.5 (50.5) 51 (51), 51.5 (52.5) 53 (54)
Body length from cast-on edge to start of hem at centre back (in): 19.5 (19.5) 19.75 (19.75), 20 (20) 20 (20), 20.25 (20.75) 20.75 (21.25)

Sleeve circumference at bicep (cm): 29.5 (30.5) 32 (33.5), 35 (35.5) 37 .5 (39), 39.5 (43) 47 (50.5)
Sleeve circumference at bicep (in): 11.5 (12) 12.75 (13.25), 13.75 (14) 14.75 (15.25), 15.5 (17) 18.5 (20)

Sleeve length (cm): 10 (short sleeve) or 48 (long sleeve)
Sleeve length (in): 4 (short sleeve) or 19 (long sleeve)

The sample garments are all Size C and I have an 89-cm / 35-in full bust.

Yarn: For Sample 1 (short sleeves; ribbed collar, hem, and cuffs), I used Zakami Baby Alpaca, Linen, Silk Fingering (50% Baby Alpaca, 25% Linen, 25% Silk; 100 g = 400 m / 437.5 yds) in the shades Cailleach and Stardust.

For Sample 2 (short sleeves; I-cord cast-off for the collar, hems, and cuffs), I used The Camels Yarn Rustic Fingering (50% Baby Alpaca, 25% Linen, 25% Silk; 100 g = 400 m / 437.5 yds) in the shade Something Blue as my main colour, and the same Zakami Baby Alpaca, Linen, Silk Fingering in the shade Stardust.

For Sample 3 (long sleeves; ribbed collar, hem, and cuffs all with a garter finish, I used Garthenor Organic Preseli (100% Polwarth, Romney and Hebridean wool in various proportions; 50 g = 200 m / 219 yds) in the shades Marble, Paphos, Tilia, Holly, and Poppit.

For the short-sleeve option, I estimate that you will need 420 (440) 460 (490), 510 (530) 560 (580), 610 (660) 720 (780) m / 460 (480) 510 (530), 560 (580) 610 (630), 670 (730) 780 (850) yds of your main colour yarn (i.e., the yarn you’ll use for the collar, cuffs, and hem) and 390 (400) 430 (450), 480 (500) 520 (540), 580 (630) 680 (750) m 420 (440) 470 (490), 520 (540) 570 (590), 630 (690) 750 (810) yds of your contrast colour yarn.

If you are working the long-sleeve option, I estimate that you will need an additional 140 (150) 150 (160), 160 (170) 180 (180), 180 (190) 200 (210) m / 160 (170) 170 (180), 180 (190) 200 (200), 200 (210) 220 (230) yds of both your main colour and your contrast colour yarn.

Any fingering-weight or 4-ply yarn should work well here.

These estimates are generous, and have been rounded up to the nearest 10 m / 10 yds.

Techniques include leaning increases and decreases, working flat and in the round, establishing and maintaining stripes, picking up and knitting stitches, working either a sewn or I-cord cast-off.