girls just want to have tank tops



knit-along of Pagan tank from Rowan #27

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In addition to Gina and Shannon's newly finished ChicKamis, there's been a lot of other action going on in the summer knitalongs of late. Both Bonne Marie and Steph just presented their finished Smooches today! Deb finally finished her Pagan tank after having so much trouble with it (hooray!) and Marrije finished hers (impeccable, like all of her knitting!). And there's more: Sandy has started her wannabe sweater and Clémence is kicking off the other Phildar knitalong. Woo hoo!

Can I just stop and say how much fun it has been this summer hosting these knitalongs and following everyone's progress. I've gotten to know so many new knitbloggers and blogs and it's been fascinating to see how so many people can work on the same project but have it turn out so differently each time. Thanks everyone for making it such a great time and keep on knittin' along!

Since all knitting was cancelled until this morning due to illness, I don't have too much knitting to report. Well, there is a little something...

Hey, I only had the borders left to do (plus I'm cheating here a bit as the ends from the neck border are still hanging around on the inside)! I'm so glad that Kerstin encouraged me to try the edgings as written. I do like how they look and they did a good job flattening out the top part of the tank so it's not too revealing in the bra area. I also cast off fairly snugly to take in more of the roominess there. Now it fits perfectly! The neck edging is indeed rolling (as others had reported) both in front and in back, which is why I haven't sewn the ends in yet. I'm considering reworking the picked up stitches somehow or maybe weaving in the ends such that they tack the edge down. I'm simultaneously trying to convince myself to just leave it, because I'm really very happy with the overall finished tank (can't you tell?!) and am especially pleased at how those stripes came out. And since I can't get enough of stripes....

Okay, Becky wannabes, get out those knitting needles and start your stripey Phildar sweaters!

Thanks to all your help yesterday, I now have a plan about how to tackle the borders on Pagan. First, I hadn't realized that the bind off was supposed to be on the wrong side (thanks to Kerstin for mentioning it). Now that I think about it, Rowan seems to always have you knitting edgings and stuff flat and I always just ignore that and do it in the round. Usually it doesn't make a difference, but here it would. And upon further examination of the pattern picture, the edgings do look like the purl side of stockinette, which would match what you see at the bottom where the tank rolls up (Becky mentioned this last week, but I hadn't gotten that far on the tank and missed that detail). I think I can live with a standard bind off if the loops curl to the inside. But if I don't like it I'll give Zimmerman's sewn cast off another try with the same picked up stitches. And when I'm still unsatisfied, I'll break out, um, buy, a crochet hook and try the crab stitch. I have yet to be initiated into the whole world of crochet, but it may be time to change that.

In case you're worried that I sat around all day yesterday obsessing about Pagan, it will reassure you to know that I did knit a bit of smooch to keep my spirits up: the lace pattern. The directions for this part are very clear and it comes out looking like a dream. I love when that happens. You just follow the instructions unquestioningly and it works. It's like being a beginner all over again.

Like Deb, my Pagan tank is all done except for the borders around the armholes and neck, which I haven't done yet because I'm too annoyed by them. From looking at the picture, I thought that there might be something different going on at the edges that made them look a little more like a cast on edge than the typical bind off. But after reading the pattern (yes, I know I should have read first!), I see it's just regular old bind off, which I frankly don't like very much. So I'm in search of a way to get what I was picturing before, something that looks more like the yarn just wrapped slanted around the edge. There's got to be neater ways to finish off a neck/armhole.

Those of you who are done, what did you do? Did you like it? Any one else have any thoughts?? I don't crochet, so anything too crochet-y would be too hard for me, I fear. What is a tank girl to do (on the edges of her handknit tank)?

The purple tank has been scolded for tempting me away from my knitalong and was put on hold so I could make some significant progress on Pagan. But just because I've rededicated myself to finishing Pagan, doesn't mean that I can't think (or blog) about the purple tank. Here's the pattern I'm using, from Rebecca magazine #23. I really like the pattern since it looks like I might be able to wear it as a tank or a vest. I had been thinking of using it for the leftovers vest that I started planning a while ago. We'll see how the pattern works out. So far I'm enjoying it very much. I like the half fisherman's rib at the bottom. It's so soft and fluffy. I hadn't ever done that stitch before and was pleasantly surprised at the fabric it produced.

In Pagan news, I am amazed at how fast everyone has been knitting away. Of course Linda and Kerrie are all done, and now Kerstin says she should be done this weekend and both Nora and Deb have finished all the knitting already! I'm not quite so far along, having only knit the back completely. I still have the front top half left to do (and please don't say the words weaving or ends, thanks). Since I knit it in the round, what I've finished kinda looks like a halter top. Makes me think about squeezing in this pattern in the summer of tanks.

And yet I am determined to start my next knitalong (Smooch) next week, once I finish Pagan or the purple tank. I know that Johanna has already begun hers. I hope to be able to post a progress picture of hers for you on Monday. For those of you joining in on the knitalong, feel free to start now, later, whenever. I'd love to know when you begin though, so I can note it in the sidebar and people know to look for your progress. And don't worry about me rushing through Smooch like the crazy tank girls did with Pagan, I'll have to stop halfway through so I can order enough yarn to complete it. But I can't help starting now - can't you hear the yarn calling to me?

Thanks to Becky for the awesome button!

Everyone's tank sounds and looks really great. It's exciting watching everyone knit away on the same project. Since we're only a virtual knitting group, we can't really have a group picture, but what do you all think about sending me a pic of your finished tank and I post them all together here?

This weekend I was overcome by the need to knit up the purpley Cotton Ease (I'm doing the rest of the top, yes tank girl #3, in some purple all seasons cotton) and so didn't make quite as much progress on Pagan as others have, but I did finish all the increases and decreases of the waist shaping. I made a little boo-boo in one spot, shifting the increases over a stitch, but with all that stripeyness going on, I don't think it's noticeable. I'm loving this project so much that I don't want to go back to fidget with one little stitch. Plus, I can't wait to wear it!

From reading the comments yesterday and following the posts on other tank girls' blogs, it seems that the third set of decreases is the place to be. Okay, here I am. I'm really excited about the stripes. I don't like random stripes and I don't trust myself to come up with a cool stripe pattern on my own, so I swiped this pattern from one of the designs in the latest Rebecca magazine. I've decided that since I'm doing stripes, I want to make the crew neck version instead of the v-neck. I don't like breaking up stripes too much, plus the Smooch tank (another knitalong!) is v-neck and a solid color so no need to do that twice. Another thought about stripes: too many ends to weave in when knitted flat. So I'm knitting Pagan in the round, at least until the armholes.

I'd love to hear the details on everyone else's tank. Anyone else working in the round, like me, Linda, and Morgan? Anyone else subbing with Cotton Ease like Deb and Lynette? Are Kerrie and I the only ones doing stripes? What about intarsia patterns like Nora's doing? How many of you are doing the v-neck version? Cap sleeves anyone?

tank girls, start your tanks....

alison
Nora
Deb
Kerrie
LoobyLou
Kerstin
Becky
Morgan
Stonering
Swatchy
Lynette

Anyone else? And to anyone out there who wants to knit along but doesn't have a blog, you're more than welcome to join us. I could even post a picture here of your progress. Just let me know.

Paris silk! Harry's tweed!
There's only one thing I need...
Got my tweed crest
Got my best vest
All I need now is the tank
Got my stripes eyed
Got my hopes high
Got the time and the place
And I got rhythm
Now all I need is the tank to go with them

No progress pictures today. I am sorry to say that my digital camera is no more. It only manages to turn on and take black pictures now. I guess I ran the thing into the ground. Or perhaps I let it fall on the ground a few times too many! What ever the reason, it's a goner. Now I've got to contend with no internet connection and no camera for the knitalongs. Poop.

Despite not being able to photographically record my progress or get to the computer to blog about it, I have been knitting. I finished the body of sweetness up to the yoke and did the side seams for my husband's vest. Maybe I can finish one of these two by next week before the knitalongs begin. I'm in no rush though. I've decided to relax through the summer knitting. The yarn won't go bad if I don't get something done. I can make it next year. And the pressure's really off to start on the boys' summer shirts, since I can only get giant short-sleeved t-shirts over B's cast!

To do by next Thursday:

• Figure out how to use video camera to take knitting pictures.


• Call in miracle and get RCN to install our phone/cable/modem. (That's right, we've also got no phone or access to Nick Jr!)


• Finish either brown butter or sweetness (ugh, all those ends!)


• Decide on stripes for Pagan and do some swatching already.


• Find time in day to at least check blogs of fellow knit-alongers!

Have a good weekend everyone. And if I don't get a chance to blog before then, happy mothers day to all you moms out there!

For a summer knitalong!

Tank girl has decided to make Pagan from Rowan #27 and this summer top from Phildar's les essentiels mode catalog. And she wants some company! Pagan calls for Rowan all season's cotton and the other top uses Phildar's fingering weight lambswool. Anyone have these patterns and/or yarn and want to join in? Tank girl wants to get started knitting in a couple of weeks, but has so many other projects that she'll be knitting pretty slow (yikes, fingering weight yarn!), so you can join in anytime.

Come on. Knit along. It'll be fun!

Tank girl wants more tanks. Please help her decide from this list of lovelies....

Very cherry

From the latest Knitty. My top pick so far.

Sweetness

Another great pattern from this season's Knitty. I'd make it with short sleeves of course.

Pagan from Rowan #27. The only one on the list actually designed for all season's cotton, so no need to do any pattern modification here. I'd probably add some stripes to make it more interesting.

More stripes! I've wanted to make this striped sweater from Rebecca #17 for a long time. Not sure if I'd have enough or the right colors to make the stripes look as pretty as in the picture, though.

After seeing Carolyn's new halter, I've been thinking about something similar. Strech marks prevent me from doing the exposed navel thing, but this little top from Rebecca # 24 seems like a good compromise.

Maggie from Rowan #31. I love this top! Lengthening it should be no problem, but would it work in the all season's cotton?

Shells also from Rowan #31. Simple, but classy. And I can see it working well in the all season's cotton.

I think this racerback tank from Interweave Knits Fall 2002 is totally cool. I had been considering it for some cotton glace odds and ends though.

Ha, ha!