Monday, July 09, 2007

"Seaweed" Tank top Finished.



It's hot and I wanted something new to wear. So here is the latest of my own designs. I really like the way it turned out. It's comfy & cool and got lots of compliments when I've worn it. For me I find that it's always "gamie" till that first washing. No matter how careful I am with washing some of my hand knitted garment's sometimes turn out terrible after the first washing.

The newness, the sheen sometimes is gone it's stretching which ever way sometimes it needs to be flat dried but some do better in the dryer. I'm going to try and wear this one a few times and not dig ditches while wearing it or work up any kind of sweat and maybe I can wear it in it's "virgin" state a few more times. Some just never recover that "virgin" state.


Here is the pattern:

Seaweed tank top, machine knit, hand knit and crochet.

Yarn I used was a silk and viscose boucle I got ten balls of from Yarns Unlimited they were having a summer sale 50% off @ 2.50 a ball so this project cost me about 30 dollars. The label did not have yardage printed on it and it was too delicate to drag through my yardage counter so I'm estimating about 90 yards per ball and it took 4 balls to make this top.

The rest of the yarn will be used to knit a shawl to go with the top, similar to this project.

The gauge worked out to be 35 sts = 11” with a T10 on the machine or size 10 needle. Crochet hook H.

I made it on the machine but this pattern could be translated to hand knitting.

Cast on 105 sts, every other needle on the machine.

Row 1 knit

Row 2 pull out all the needles to working position

RC 8 hang the hem
RC 12 full fashion decrease one at each end with the 3 prong tool
RC 16 –1 --> -1 (repeat to RC 64)
RC 24
RC 32
RC 40
RC 48
RC 56
RC 64

RC 72 decrease with the two prong tool 2 at each end and repeat to RC 84
RC 76
RC 80
RC 84 remove sts from the machine onto a size 10 addi needle (82 sts)

Hand knit: Purl 1 row
K 1, k2tog, k1, across the row
Purl
K 1, k2tog, k1, across the row
Purl
Knit
Purl row crochet off with an H hook

Crochet Single chain across for 2 rows and add the straps. 6” = 25 chains and 22 double chain back, and one more row of 22 double chains.

Finishing 14” side seam which leaves a 9” armhole.

Notes for hand knitting,

I have "hung" a hem and the way I've done it is to cast on purl one row and the next row is *k1,k2tog,yo* across the row.

Then knit about 8 rows depending how much of a hem you want and pick up and knit tog the yarn over "holes "

This may make sense to some but I'm sure I'm not explaining it correctly. I'll try and put some pictures up sometimes.

4 comments:

Ellen Bloom said...

Great-looking top, Ana! Very cool and comfy. Nice work.

Ang said...

that's a lovely top, thank you for sharing the pattern.

ChelleC said...

Lovely top! I love your tank! If I can, I'll try to translate to hand knitting lingo. Would like to make it sometime. Chelle

Mary, Mary... said...

I love the Seaweed top and the cruise sounded like great fun. I don't think my dh would ever 'get' the idea of a knitting cruise, works for me!