Temperature Tee – Free Knitting Pattern!

Meet the Temperature Tee; a light and flowy t-shirt is as easy to knit as it is to wear. Knit on one side, purl on the other.

It's just TWO rectangles! 

Seriously, it's that easy to knit yourself a garment.

By knitting a yarn that's a little thinner on a needle that's a little larger, the fabric we create is light and flexible allowing it to shape itself a little bit. That's how it creates that little sleeve cap and swoop at the neckline.

Just a couple of side seams and the quick shoulder seams turn those two rectangles into something you'll LOVE to wear!

Temperature Tee is perfect with jeans. Add a tank underneath or wear it all on its own through the late spring and into summer.

Designed with lightweight, sport-weight yarn, the fabric of the Temperature Tee is open and airy after blocking. 

Simple knits and purls come together in the best easy, breezy knit you’ll ever make!

I made mine in the color Iris Blossom but it looks great in any shade! Meaghan knit hers in Black Licorice and she says she can't wear it often enough. (Also, can I come wine tasting?)

Choose your favorite color of Ewe So Sporty merino yarn and get to knitting! 

We have 25 colors to choose from and they're all in stock. My friend Angela knit herself one in that buttery Lemon Chiffon on the left and it's so cute! Which is your favorite shade?

Sized from child through adult, there are 13 roomy sizes to choose from. 

Oh, and because we go from kid to adult... maybe you know just the pair for an adorable mommy/daughter look!

How to choose the right size for the Temperature Tee

Because the Temperature Tee is a light and airy knit, that means it has positive ease. 

What is ease? It's easy! Positive ease (+) is when a garment is larger than the body's measurements making the garment loose-fitting. Negative ease (-) is when the garment measures smaller than the body giving it a tight fit, like Spandex. Negative ease is used for garments with stretch. Lastly there's no ease (=), that's when a garment is designed the same size as the body part its meant to fit.

For adults, the Temperature Tee is designed to be worn with 6-12” (15-30.5 cm) of positive ease. This generous ease allows for that light and open fit I keep talking about!

Here's an example: The Temperature Tee I am wearing in the photos on this blog post is a size 3 with a fit range of 45-52" (113-132 cm). Around the widest part of my bust while wearing a bra, I measure 40” (101.5 cm). I chose that size to give me a finished fit of about 8” (20.5 cm) of positive ease.

If you have a question about which size is right for you, leave a comment below and we'll talk it though!

To get the right size for you, measure your full bust measurement and choose a size range with a measurement between 6 and 12” (15 and 30.5 cm) larger. 

Similarly for the Child and Youth sizing, we have some extra room. If you're knitting this project for a kid, measure around the chest and choose a size with 4-8” (10-20 cm) larger than their full measurement. 

How do I make the sweater longer?

Adjusting the sweater length is easily done by knitting each piece to the desired length.

I have some tips on how to know what's the best way to choose your shirt length. 

• Go to your closet and find your favorite shirt of a similar style.
• Lay the shirt flat on a table. Smooth it out.
• Measure from the top of the shoulder to the bottom of shirt at the hip.
• Write down that measurement on your Temperature Tee pattern.
• Knit and block your Temperature Tee according to that measurement!

Keep in mind, additional yarn may be required if you add length. Plus, you may need to seem a bit more up the side of the garment to maintain the armhole depth as designed.

One last thing to be mindful of when knitting the Temperature Tee is that because of the bouncy nature of the Ewe So Sporty yarn, and the open fabric we create, the finished measurements are approximate. We recommend knitting a gauge swatch that is worked for the pre-blocked gauge (we give you both before and after gauges in the pattern!). Then you'll be able to adjust your needle size as necessary to match gauge and get the best results! 

Have a question about gauge? Ask in the comments below and we'll figure it out together!

Child/Youth Sizes and Yarn Amounts:

Child/Youth Sizes: A {B, C, D, E, F}

Child/Youth Finished Measurements:

• Chest circumference: 26-31 {28-33, 30-35, 32-37, 34-39, 36-41}” / 43-68 {46-73, 48-77, 51-81, 54-86, 56-90} cm after blocking

• Length from shoulder to hem: 13 {15, 16, 17, 18, 18}” / 33 (38, 40.5, 43, 45.5, 45.5} cm

Child/Youth Sizes Yarn Amounts: 2 {2, 3, 3, 3, 3} skeins of Ewe So Sporty yarn

Adult Sizes and Yarn Amounts:

Adult Sizes: 1 (2, 3, 4)[5, 6, 7]

Adult Sizes Finished Measurements:

• 38-44 (41-48, 45-52, 48-56)[51-60, 55-64, 58-68]” /96-112 (105-122, 113-132, 122-142)[131-152, 139-163, 148-173] cm chest circumference after blocking

• Length from shoulder to hem: 18 (19, 20, 20)[20, 21, 21]” / 45.5 (48.5, 51, 51)[51, 53.5, 53.5] cm

Adult Sizes Yarn Amounts: 4 (4, 5, 5) 5, 6, 6 skeins of Ewe So Sporty yarn

The Temperature Tee really is quick and easy to make. It's one of my favorite sweaters to throw on all year round!

If you have any questions about any aspect of this project, please leave a comment on this post and we'll figure it out together!

Temperature Tee is a free knitting pattern and it's a fun and fast project to cast on today!

How do I get the supplies to make the Temperature Tee?

Now: Download the Free Pattern – Temperature Tee free knitting pattern.

Now: Shop the Yarn – Ewe So Sporty merino from Ewe Ewe Yarns!

OR! Check out our pre-sized yarn kits in select colors >