unearthed tee :: rhinebeck sale

If you saw my post yesterday, sharing the release of my Allspice Pullover and the start of my annual NY Sheep and Wool Festival (“Rhinebeck”) pattern sale, then you’ll know that I mentioned releasing a second pattern this week! This is the Unearthed Tee.

The Unearthed Tee brings together a couple of fun “firsts” for me: my first time working with a yarn from the Green Mountain Spinnery and my first time adding duplicate stitch to my knitting!

It’s been a loooong time since I designed, or even knit, a garment from the top down in one piece, so the idea of an easy layering top with raglan shaping had been percolating in the back of my mind. I found this beautiful 100% wool DK-weight yarn, Mewesic, in Green Mountain Spinnery’s booth at Rhinebeck last year. The color “Atlantis,” while a bit challenging to capture correctly in photos, is aptly named, as it’s the deepest, watery teal color you can imagine.

I knew that this yarn would knit up into a smooth, soft fabric that could also show off some cabled texture well. So I designed a classic raglan “tee,” perfect for wearing alone in warmer weather or layered over another top when the temperatures drop, that features a bit of cabling in the front and back.

The Unearthed Tee also features a small panel of flattering ribbing at the sides and (optional) rolled edges at the hem, sleeves, and neckband. It’s these considered details that really elevate a wardrobe basic for me.

Most important, however, is the fit of this design. Top-down raglan garments are usually known for being easy to knit and easy to customize, since you can try the garment on as you knit to make sure you like the fit. But these garments can also suffer from a few flaws. If there isn’t any shaping at the front neck, then the garment may sit too high at the front. If the raglan increases are only worked on every other row/round, then the armholes may end up being too shallow or too deep, resulting in an uncomfortable fit under the arms.

With the Unearthed Tee, you start by knitting flat, which allows you to lower the front neck for a more flattering fit while you start shaping the raglans. This design also features “compound raglan” shaping, so that the armholes are proportionately the right depth for a given chest size, again resulting in a more flattering and comfortable fit. The pattern includes detailed stitch counts at every step of this process to make sure you never lose your way!

But enough about the construction. How about the fun I had with duplicate stitch? I’d never used this technique before, which is essentially a very simple embroidery on top of your knitting to add color and details. The simple hourglass cables on the front and back of this design were the perfect canvas for adding a splash of extra color.

Because I knit the tee in a DK-weight yarn, I chose another DK-weight yarn in a lighter green hue from my existing stash so that the duplicate stitches would be the same size as the underlying stitches. Below are some fun before and after photos of what a difference this simple, but effective, technique made to this design!

The pattern includes tips on how to work the duplicate stitch. The technique is completely optional and can be worked over any of the cable stitches in the design that you choose. I think that stitching just a few of the cables really made all of them sing!

This fully-edited pattern features 10 different sizes covering a range of finished chest circumferences between 37 and 73 inches. The body is knit from the top down. At first, the body is worked flat while the front neckline is shaped, then the body is joined in the round to continue shaping the raglans until the base of the armholes. The sleeves are separated from the lower body, and the lower body is knit in the round to the bottom hem. The sleeves are also knit in the round to the cuff. The bottom hem, sleeve cuffs, and neckband include optional rolled edges.

I would suggest choosing a size that gives you 4-5″ extra inches of ease in the chest for comfort and layering purposes. This tee will look amazing over a collared shirt in the cooler months!

You can find the Unearthed Tee pattern here at DCD or here on Ravelry.

And don’t forget the best news of all: my Rhinebeck pattern sale. From now until midnight EDT on Sunday 10/18/2026, ALL of my self-published patterns, including Unearthed and Allspice, are 25% off with NO code needed! 

And if you’re curious, here’s just a sampling of the 80+ other designs that are included in the sale:

Happy knitting!
xoxo Danielle