- Pattern: by Fiona Ellis, from Twist Collective Summer 09
- Yarn: Valley Yarns Longmeadow (60 cotton/ 40 microfiber), 4.5 balls
- Size/Gauge: 34.5″, 5.8 spi on US 4
- Time to knit: 10 weeks (to complete twice) in between other projects
Here’s my latest, for which I went stash diving just minutes after the summer edition of Twist was published online. The pattern is really fun. Just enough lace and cables to keep me interested, but with enough stockinette to be a very quick knit.
My mods were adding waist shaping- 3 dec rows, 3 inc rows, also I started the front chart on an earlier row to make the neck slightly higher. The neckline adjustment probably wasn’t necessary, as the final tank fits closely enough. I knit the 35″ size at slightly smaller gauge, to obtain a size with minimal positive ease and a bit shorter, as well.
I love the yarn, it’s soft and plush, and durable through the knitting, seaming, wearing, frogging, knitting again, seaming again. However, it does have a tendency to stretch both horizontally and vertically, so I’d definitely opt for smaller needles to minimize that. I used very little yarn in the end- only about 525 yards. According to my new scale, the tank weighs only 213 g…. less than 0.5 pounds!
The first try (on US 6 needles) was a disaster, it just didn’t fit. Though I swatched and got gauge, the 35″ tank somehow wound up 38″ after blocking and wearing. All the extra fabric made me look fat (especially from the side), the neckline was low enough (and loose enough) that bending over would not be advised. Also, it was pretty long for a tank. I learned a few valuable lessons here- if it looks too big, then it will be, and don’t knit low neck garments with positive ease!
I love the details on this tank and the pattern does remind me an arched window in a cathedral. The blue color, a bit darker in real life, feels regal. I’m quite happy with this project, even though I had to make it twice!
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