periwinkle top

It seems I have a Passion (or Perhaps just a Penchant) for Producing Purple tank top Patterns with yarns whose color names have a Plethora of P's, such as Prosperous Plum or Pastoral Peri Premiere.

(okay, enough of that...)



pattern: my own
yarn: 4 hanks Classic Elite Premiere (50% pima cotton, 50% tencel / 108 yds per 50 g) in color 2407 (Pastoral Peri)
needles: Inox size 7 29" circular
gauge: 22 sts x 28 rows / 4"
date finished: September 17, 2006

This top was a huge learning experience for me, both the knitting and the designing. And the end result is, in a word: Perfect.

I discovered that the best natural light in my room occurs first thing in the morning, when I barely look awake, so the modelled shots are headless. And yes, I am wearing pajama pants. Just look at the tank top and ignore everything else...



I've discussed a lot of the details in previous posts so I won't bore you with them again. The general recipe was: 1) knit cable band until it fits under bust, 2) graft ends together, 3) pick up stitches for the top and work in seed stitch, with short rows for bust shaping, 4) pick up stitches for the bottom and work in stockinette with lace insets and fake seams, 5) after a few inches, increase for hip room, 6) finish off with beaded applied i-cord.

My favorite detail is the edging along the straps. They are worked in seed stitch with the first stitch slipped to give a chain edge. For the transition to the straps in the front, instead of trying to decrease in pattern, I got rid of the extra stitches by using the method for curved bind-off edges. This made a perfectly smooth switch from the neckline bindoffs to the chain edge along the strap. It's incredibly difficult to photograph but I tried in the 4th shot.



I have a feeling I'll be wearing this as a vest more than a tanktop, because the weather is starting to change. I think it will work well over a plain white button-down - maybe I'll wear it that way to the Boston Knit-Out this weekend. Between the cables and the lace and the beads, it's much fancier than the clothes I usually wear, but it makes a great dressy piece. I have some concerns over how long it will last, since I've heard that the yarn pills very quickly, but I plan on treating it as delicately as possible. I'm not sure if I'd use the yarn again, only because of the pilling issue... it is so soft, with great drape and stitch definition. It just glides through your fingers. But... it leaves a good deal of fuzz behind as it glides. Let's just say I am a little weary. This is kind of the cotton equivalent of Malabrigo - really great to work with, but you get the feeling it will pill and look fuzzy and matted if you turn your back for a second.

Either way, I think it worked well for this top, and I couldn't be happier with the results.