Staff Project: Sabai Top in Sandnes Garn Line

Black Sheep Lucy had lost her knitting mojo, nothing had quite taken her fancy for a little while. That was until she found just the thing to reignite her spark. The Sabai top by Susanne Müller! A causual summer vest to be knitted in something lightweight and drapey. Enter the room - Sandnes Garn Line. Lucy had her eye on the Sandnes Garn Line for a while but never found "the" project to knit with it. Let's see what Lucy has to say about her knitting experience. 

Name: Lucy
Pattern name: SABAI Top by Susanne Müller (Ravelry)
Yarn: Sandnes Garn Line
Shade: 4353 Rustic Rose
What size did you make? L (4th size) - I wanted it quite loose fitting.

What attracted you to this design?
To make a sleeveless vest with great finishing details. I was attracted by the boat neck and the ribbed detailing down the sides of the top. Also this is a very popular make on Ravelry and has been in the top ten on and off for a couple of years, so I knew it must be fun.

How did you find the pattern? Did you make any adjustments?
I thoroughly enjoyed it. There are two versions, one with and one without the ribbing at the top; I made the one with ribbing. I enjoyed it so much that I’ll likely make it again in the other version. It was a treat having no sleeves to knit!

One aspect I enjoyed was that you start in-the-round for the neck and then split for front and back, it’s cleverly designed and looks good the way the shoulder shaping emerges. The edges of the arm holes have a lovely ribbed and i-cord finish which elevates the look.

There is no shaping for the back of this top and I didn’t want the front coming up too high and restricting me, so I added a few extra rows into the back. Not sure I needed to though.

Any new techniques used?
No just combining nice finishing techniques to get a beautifully nicely constructed garment.

Have you used this yarn before? How did you find it?
I haven’t used Line before or any linen yarn. I normally make things with ‘woolly’ wool. However, I wanted something to make through the hot 2026 summer and this was ideal. The yarn didn’t make my hands clammy and was soft to use. I put my tension swatch through the washing machine as the pattern says to fully wash the finished top before blocking. It was a little nerve wracking but washed beautifully and this process improved the drape and final fit.

What is your opinion of this yarn?
It’s lovely to use and wear. I wanted a quick-to-make new piece that would be comfortable in the hot weather. I’ve little else in my wardrobe in this colour and I love it. Quality was excellent - hardly any knots, and the stitch definition looks just right for the SABAI Top.

Would you recommend the pattern to someone else?
Yes, I’ve recommended it to a few colleagues already. I wouldn’t bother adding the extra rows that I did. Main advice is to swatch, I did a decent size swatch in-the-round and washed and blocked it to make sure the fabric would be exactly correct. This added a day to the project, but is worth it is you want an excellent fit and finish.

Describe the fit of your finished garment...
I was a little worried that it was coming up small as I was making the top, however after the washing machine and blocking to the measurements, it was exactly what I wanted. I feel it does fit like the pattern pics.

How do you plan to wear your new garment? How will you style it?
In the summer I’ll wear this with wide legged trousers. The brick colour will go with lots of things, I’m picturing denim, cream, pale grey, navy or khaki. In cooler weather I’ll layer over a shirt or long sleeved top or wear under a denim shirt.

What are you making next?
I’ve got the bug for vests now. I’m making, and really enjoying, the Soho Top by Caidree. That’s in Navy King Cole Cottonsoft Dk. After that I’m contemplating yet another vest - it’ll probably be winter by then! That’ll be the viral Dot|top by P1.zip. I want more neutral coloured knitwear so I’m thinking of King Cole Cottonsoft Dk again but in a coffee/cream combination to show off the spots.