Introducing the Hazel Top – A Knitted Tribute to Confidence and Ease

Hazel Top is for every body, every style, every occasion.

There are some knits that become wardrobe staples, and there are others that carry stories in every stitch. The Hazel Top is both.

Designed in soft fingering weight yarn and knit from the top down in a flowing half brioche rib, this piece is everything I want in a summer-to-fall knit: light, textured, easy to layer, and full of movement. But more than that, it’s inspired by someone who had always lived life with quiet strength and unmistakable flair, my Great Aunt Hazel.

Hazel lived for many years alone on her farm into her 90s. She took care of everything; chickens, land, home...and did it all with a spark in her eye. I was lucky enough to spend time with her and my Great Uncle Howard, before his passing, throughout my life. As a young girl visiting with family for fishing trips, hayrides and peach picking and later, as an adult on business trips when I’d crash at her place for a night of good food, belly laughs, and chasing hens at sundown.

Bedtime for the hens!

She was spunky and grounded. The kind of woman who wore what made her feel good, no matter where she was going. That’s exactly the spirit I wanted to capture in this design.

The Hazel Top begins with a clean top-down construction, starting at the back, then working the front shoulders before joining in the round under the arms. From there, it flows with an easy, meditative rhythm. The half brioche rib adds depth and stretch without heaviness. Clean i-cord edges finish the neckline, hem, and sleeves for a polished, minimal look.

This is a piece you can toss over a sundress, pair with high-waisted jeans, or tuck into a skirt. It’s the throw-on, throw-over knit that’s ready for whatever kind of day you’re having...just like Aunt Hazel would have loved.

Whether you wear it out for margaritas or while wandering through a flea market, I hope this top makes you feel free, comfortable, and confident in your own skin. Because sometimes, the best designs aren’t just what we wear. They’re who we remember.

The Hazel Top Pattern is available HERE.

Great Aunt Hazel next to one of her brand new gates just installed at her parent's farmstead. She was a spunky 92 when this was taken and we had just returned from a day of visiting the Arabia Steamboat Museum and shopping in Kansas City, MO.