My second summer knit this year is something I have no doubt I will wear like crazy. The
Harnett Tank by
Allyson Dykhuizen is a classic. This tank is knit bottom- up, in the round, and has stripes.
Ignore the slightly rumpled effect because I didn't block before taking these photos.
The things I like best about it are that racerback (obviously), the smooth, clean finish of the arm and neck shaping in seed stitch, and the way it fits true to size. I made a 29.25" and it fits exactly like I'd want a tank to fit. Oh, and did I mention the stripes?
The fact that it makes for excellent tv knitting is a bonus. (I finally gave in and watched the newest Dr. Who episodes. I had to get used to the idea of no David and no Donna.) This was one of the sweaters that made me want
Vintage Inspired Baseball Knits. Besides all of the ideas for team colorways, I love vintage sports clothes. Baseball tees, shirttail hems, and stripes are the kinds of things I put on in the morning without even thinking. I grew up in the early eighties wearing baseball-style tees and painter pants. This is so up my alley.
My notes:
I normally wear a 32" - 34" but I knit the 29.25" because this Stroll Tonal yarn has some spring to it and I find knitting a size down is almost always the key to a better fit, and this does fit perfect. It's not tight but still covers any stray straps and feels very light in summer heat. There's no sagging or rolling at the neckline or bottom band (thanks to the seed stitch) and the racerback is in just the right place to not have to wear another tank top underneath. I probably will layer this when I wear it out just because it is so hot and I chose a wool yarn, but I like that at a different time of year, I don't have to.
One of my modifications was to try for jogless stripes by slipping the first stitch of the second row in a new color then knitting as usual.
For example, when I am switching to blue stripes:
Round 1: knit around
Round 2: sl 1 stitch, k around
Knit the next two rounds as normal, then repeat this process for the white stripes, etc.
These jogless stripes made it necessary for me to change the increase and decrease rounds a bit so the stitches were nice and neat. I, basically, added a plain knit stitch on either side of each marker between the decrease or increase stitches.
For increases: * k1, kfb, k to 2 sts before marker, kfb, k1, sm* repeat from * once.
For decreases: *k1, k2 together, k to 3 sts before marker, skp, k1, sm* repeat from * once more.
Considering this was tonal yarn, I think the jog issue turned out fine. If I'd been using a solid color, I think it would have been an invisible tranisition.
I also stopped knitting the front straps at 8", rather than 8.5" just in case it stretched a little with wear.
A note about the
Stroll Tonal: It's not something I would normally choose for a summer-weight project, but I wanted to try tonal stripes so I bought some on sale. I love it. It's lightweight and doesn't itch against my skin at all. I can wear this indoors at any time this summer and even outdoors when it's not too hellish. In Gulf Coast Texas summers, I look wilted, oily, and frizzy within seconds of walking outdoors. Every woman I know faces the day armed with a Chi. Those were normal curls on my head when I went out to take project photos, but by the time I finished these few shots, they were slowly becoming a brown clown wig. Now, when camping in Utah this tank can be worn all day and I won't be a sweathog.
I actually have some more Tonal to combine with
Gynx sock yarn for a fingering weight version of the
Knickerbocker Tee from this same book. Then, I want to do another one in our school's football colors because.. well, this is Texas.