In 2013, I went to Hoi An, Vietnam with my then boyfriend on a 8 week Southeast Asia backpacking trip. The town continues to be one of my favorite in Vietnam. The old section was a mix of history and beauty. The beach was such a relief in the oppressive heat. We rented bikes for $1 and had the time of our lives. One of my favorite memories was sitting at a local restaurant, while it rained, watching life go by with a “fresh beer” (beer from a keg) and a bowl of rose dumplings. Hoi An holds a very special place in my heart.

When I came across Hoi An Top I knew I had to make it. A beautiful lace tank that was inspired by the lanterns of Hoi An? Pattern sold ✅.

Sandra from Nomad Stitches made a well laid out pattern that included different colors for the different sizing options. My gauge was slightly different so I went with the large sizing. The lace chart is easy to work with and eventually I had it memorized. I repeated the chart four times as I wanted a shirt length top rather than cropped. The part of this pattern that dragged out for me was the I-cord bind off for the armholes and neckline. This is not my favorite bind-off method, but in this case I went with the designer’s judgement.


This was my first experience with Rosários 4 Alfama Eco Friendly 100% linen. The color of the yarn is such a lovely lilac. This yarn was easy to work with, but it did shed. I had to be careful about knitting prior to work so I didn’t end up a linty mess. Like any linen yarn there was a loss of fiber flexibility while knitting so I made sure to keep my weaving ends on the longer side. I used about 3 skeins for this project. Originally, I thought of making a tunic length so I overbought on yarn. Midway through the project I decided to keep it simple. I have several skeins leftover so I may make a mini version for the baby if I can get the math figured out.
The Hoi An Top was a rewarding garment to create. The construction was interesting and the lacework was right up my alley. Only order of business now is to find a nice occasion to wear it outside of the house.
Until Next Time,
