The Daybreak Tee. Photos © Destiny Meyer
The Daybreak Tee by Destiny Meyer of Knifty Knittings is a free slightly cropped tee knitting pattern designed with a relaxed, flattering fit and a beautiful lace detail across the upper front.
Worked in soft DK-weight cotton yarn, the tee is knitted mainly in the round from the bottom up before the front and back are separated and worked flat. The pattern includes six sizes from XS through 2X and a detailed step-by-step video tutorial.
Daybreak Tee Pattern Details
- Designer: Destiny Meyer / Knifty Knittings
- Published: May 2019
- Craft: Knitting
- Category: Women's tee / summer top
- Pattern availability: Free on the designer's website
- Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL and 2X
- To fit bust: 28–50 inches (71–127 cm)
- Fit: Approximately 1–3 inches of positive ease
- Yarn: LB Collection Cotton Jeans
- Yarn weight: DK
- Yardage: 457–825 yards (418–755 m), depending on size
- Needles: US 6 (4 mm) and US 7 (4.5 mm)
- Gauge: 18 stitches × 25 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in blocked stockinette stitch
- Construction: Bottom up
- Techniques: Worked in the round and flat
- Features: Cropped fit, lace detail, short sleeves and ribbed edging
- Tutorial: Step-by-step video included by the designer
- Language: English
A Free Summer Tee Knitting Pattern
Daybreak Tee is a great example of how a relatively simple knitted top can become much more interesting with one carefully placed decorative feature.
Most of the garment uses straightforward stockinette stitch, while the lace section across the upper front adds an airy detail that gives the tee its distinctive appearance.
Combined with short sleeves and cotton yarn, the design works especially well as a lightweight knitted top for warmer weather.
Slightly Cropped With Positive Ease
Destiny Meyer designed Daybreak with a slightly cropped silhouette and approximately 1–3 inches of positive ease.
Positive ease means the finished garment circumference is slightly larger than the wearer's actual bust measurement, creating a relaxed rather than skin-tight fit.
The pattern provides both recommended bust measurements and finished garment measurements, making it easier to choose the amount of ease you prefer.
Six Sizes From XS to 2X
The free pattern includes six sizes: XS (S, M, L, XL, 2X).
They are designed to fit bust measurements of approximately:
- XS: 28–30 inches (71–76 cm)
- S: 32–34 inches (81.5–86.5 cm)
- M: 36–38 inches (91.5–96.5 cm)
- L: 40–42 inches (101.5–106.5 cm)
- XL: 44–46 inches (112–117 cm)
- 2X: 48–50 inches (122–127 cm)
The corresponding finished garment circumferences are approximately 31, 35, 39, 43, 47 and 51 inches.
Bottom-Up Construction
The Daybreak Tee begins at the lower edge and is knitted from the bottom up.
After the ribbed hem is complete, the main body is worked in stockinette stitch in the round. This creates the lower body without side seams.
When the work reaches the underarm area, the front and back stitches are separated and the two upper sections are worked flat.
How the Short Sleeves Are Made
One clever feature of Daybreak is that you do not knit two traditional sleeves separately and sew them into armholes.
Instead, additional stitches are cast on at each side when the front and back are separated.
These extra stitches become the short sleeves as the upper front and back are worked toward the shoulders.
This keeps the construction relatively simple and minimizes the amount of finishing required at the end.
Lace Detail Across the Front
The decorative lace appears on the upper front of the tee.
The pattern uses yarn overs and decreases to create two openwork sections around the center of the front.
Because the lower body and back remain relatively simple, the lace becomes a clear focal point without making the entire garment an intricate lace project.
Minimal Seaming
Although Daybreak combines knitting in the round with flat knitting, the finished garment requires relatively little sewing.
The shoulders are joined using a three-needle bind-off, and the remaining finishing includes small seams underneath the short sleeves.
If garment seaming is something you usually try to avoid, this construction provides a useful compromise between completely seamless knitting and a traditionally pieced sweater.
The Original Cotton Yarn
Destiny Meyer designed the tee using LB Collection Cotton Jeans, a DK-weight 100% cotton yarn.
The original yarn contains approximately 218 yards (200 m) per 100 g skein.
The designer used the Grey Fade colorway for the original sample and describes the yarn as soft and drapey, two useful characteristics for a knitted summer top.
How Much Yarn Does the Daybreak Tee Need?
The official pattern gives the following approximate yardage:
- XS: 457 yards (418 m)
- S: 532 yards (487 m)
- M: 599 yards (548 m)
- L: 672 yards (615 m)
- XL: 748 yards (684 m)
- 2X: 825 yards (755 m)
With the original Cotton Jeans yarn, the pattern calls for 3 (3, 3, 4, 4, 4) skeins.
Choosing a Substitute Yarn
If the original yarn is unavailable, look for a DK-weight yarn with good drape that can produce the required gauge.
Cotton or a cotton blend can be a natural choice for a warm-weather version, but the most important factors are gauge, fabric feel and drape.
Remember to compare total yardage rather than simply buying the same number of skeins, because skein sizes vary considerably between yarn brands.
Needles and Gauge
The pattern uses a US 6 (4 mm) circular needle for the ribbing and a US 7 (4.5 mm) circular needle for the main fabric.
The official blocked gauge is: 18 stitches and 25 rows = 4 inches (10 cm) in stockinette stitch using the larger needles.
The designer specifically recommends taking time to check gauge because it directly affects the finished fit.
Choosing Your Size
Before casting on, compare your actual bust measurement with both the recommended body measurements and the finished garment circumference.
The original design is intended to have approximately 1–3 inches of positive ease, but the amount you prefer can depend on how fitted or relaxed you want your tee to look.
A washed and blocked gauge swatch is particularly useful with cotton, because the behavior of the finished fabric matters just as much as the stitch count on the needles.
Adjusting the Length
The body is largely worked in stockinette before the front and back are divided, which gives you a natural opportunity to consider the overall length.
The pattern itself gives target measurements for each size, but you can work toward your preferred underarm length if you want the tee a little longer or shorter.
If you add length, remember that you will need additional yarn beyond the published yardage.
Skills Used in the Daybreak Tee
Useful techniques for this project include:
- Knitting and purling
- 1×1 ribbing
- Stockinette stitch
- Knitting in the round
- Working flat
- Cable cast-on
- Yarn overs
- K2tog and SSK decreases
- Three-needle bind-off
- Basic seaming
- Blocking a finished garment
Is the Daybreak Tee Beginner Friendly?
Destiny Meyer describes Daybreak as a good project for an adventurous beginner.
The main body is straightforward, while the upper portion introduces several useful garment-making skills such as separating the front and back, adding sleeve stitches, working simple lace and joining shoulders.
You don't need to rely on the written instructions alone: the designer also provides a detailed video tutorial demonstrating the construction.
A 45-Minute Step-by-Step Video Tutorial
One of the strongest features of this free pattern is the accompanying approximately 45-minute video tutorial.
Destiny walks through the project step by step, making the tutorial particularly useful if this is one of your first knitted garments.
The video is linked from the original free pattern page, so you can use the written pattern and visual tutorial together.
Why Knit the Daybreak Tee?
Daybreak combines several appealing features in one approachable garment: DK cotton yarn, a slightly cropped silhouette, short sleeves, minimal seaming and just enough lace to make the upper front stand out.
It also offers a useful progression for knitters moving from scarves and shawls into garment knitting. The stockinette body provides plenty of straightforward knitting before you reach the more interesting construction and lace details at the top.
With six sizes from XS to 2X and a full video tutorial, the free version provides considerably more support than many simple summer top patterns.
Get the Free Daybreak Tee Knitting Pattern
The complete Daybreak Tee by Destiny Meyer is currently available free on the designer's official Knifty Knittings website, including the written instructions and step-by-step video tutorial.
Get the Free Daybreak Tee Knitting Pattern →
Pattern availability was checked when this article was updated. Availability and pattern details on external websites may change over time.