Lilies of the valley—those delicate white bells—are more than just a spring bloom. In France, they’re a beloved symbol of affection and are traditionally gifted on May Day to bring good luck.
My newest pattern, Summer Lilies Sleeveless Top, has just dropped (and it's free this weekend only!). This summery top features a gently winding lace motif along the back, inspired by its floral namesake. It’s knit flat and seamed at the sides for structure, with a round neckline, a European shoulder line, and modified drop-shoulder construction. A simple reverse-stockinette edge finishes the neckline and armholes for a clean, modern look.
Get the pattern, free through 8/25, at
👉 https://sweetmeadowknits.com/pages/free-pattern 👉
And as for those good luck wishes? The pattern will be free for a limited time, exclusively for email insiders... so sign up for emails in the footer and keep an eye on your inbox! When it comes to your knitting, however, a bit of thoughtful construction can do more for your knitting success than luck ever could. So let’s talk about modified drop shoulders.
What Is a Modified Drop Shoulder?
You might think of it as a midpoint between a traditional drop shoulder and a classic set-in sleeve. A true drop shoulder has no shaping at the armhole—the body is essentially a rectangle (shown by the orange line in the diagram below). A set-in sleeve, on the other hand (purple line), includes binding off and shaping so that the shoulder seam sits above the shoulder bone.
The modified drop shoulder lives somewhere in between. It includes an armhole bind-off and a bit of shaping, which removes the excess fabric created by drop-shoulder shaping, while maintaining the ease and comfort of a drop shoulder. The degree of shaping (along with the ease in the garment body) determines how far the shoulder seam will extend down the arm.
The diagram below shows a corresponding sleeve. The gray line represents a modified drop sleeve, and can be drawn anywhere between the orange line (a drop sleeve with no shaping) to a full set in sleeve shaping shown by the purple line.
Making Modifications
Once you understand the shaping, you can adjust both the ease in the body and the armhole shaping to suit your shoulder width or style preference.
[pic of Elle]
Example:
Elle is wearing a size Medium with a finished cross-back width of 18". Her actual shoulder width is 16", so the garment falls about 1" past her shoulder bone on each side.
To see how your version will fit:
-
Measure your shoulder-to-shoulder width.
-
Subtract it from the finished cross-back width in the schematic.
-
Divide the difference by 2—that’s how far the shoulder will drop off your shoulder.
Adjustments to Consider
If you’d like more shoulder drop:
-
Add extra ease to the body (cast on more stitches, using an even number), and re-center the lace panel.
-
Reduce the underarm shaping (but keep the bind-off section to maintain structure).
If you’d prefer a set-in sleeve look:
-
Add more shaping to the underarm decreases after the bind-off.
-
Aim for a finished cross-back measurement at least 1" narrower than your actual shoulder width (to allow for trim).
-
Don’t forget to reassess the overall ease— more ease in the body may require additional shaping at the underarm.
One of the loveliest things about a modified drop shoulder is its forgiving fit. In most cases, you can simply choose the size that suits your chest measurement, and the shoulder will fall into place just as it should. Whether you decide to fine-tune the shaping or let the pattern flow as written, I wish you joy in every stitch.
Happy knitting!
