Yarnologue

I finished my Simple Tank Top from the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Debbie Bliss Magazine.

Mine was made using Debbie Bliss Rialto 4 Ply yarn, a soft 100% ExtraFine Merino with approximately 198 yards per 50g, in #27-Silver, #22 – Fuschia, and #28 – Tangerine. Those are the colors from the magazine, but I thought they were charming and have been receiving lots of compliments. I think it would also look good with blue and green stripes.

There are enough colors of Rialto 4 ply to make a different top for every day of the week!

Here is a picture of the front:

And here is a picture of the back:

Don’t you love it when your finished sweater actually fits properly?

I made the smallest size, which gives me about 2″ inches of ease.

It’s a good idea to take your measurements regularly so you know for sure which size to make. With all the images we are bombarded with in the media our perception of our bodies might not be in line with reality. By ensuring you’re making the right size to start with you’ll avoid disappointment down the line.

The Craft Yarn Council has a handy guide online that shows you how and where to measure yourself.

Another good idea is to really pay attention to the fit of the clothes you enjoy wearing and try to replicate it in the garments you knit or crochet for yourself. If you like close fitting store bought clothes, then don’t make a big over sized sweater. The opposite is also true. If you like some breathing room, don’t make that sweater that is supposed to be worn with negative ease.

Of course, these principles also apply to the garments you make for other people. If you want the things you make to be worn and used make things you like!

Oh, dear! I’ll get off my soapbox now and get back to my pretty new top. LOL!

What am I going to do with all these ends?

I started the Simple Tank in April and didn’t finish it until mid-July, but the hands-on knitting time wasn’t really that long. I moved house at the beginning of June and the need to pack, move, and unpack threw my knitting off schedule.

And I always drop the ball on the finishing. In fact, I must have dragged my feet for a week when the tank was all knit and it was time to pick up around the arm holes to knit the trim.

I always want quiet and a good hour to work when faced with the prospect of picking up stitches evenly across a section of sweater. I used the trick of dividing the armhole into smaller sections placing stitch markers at the half way point, then dividing the half in half, etc. It is easier to pick up a small number of stitches over a small section than it is to pick up a large number of stitches across a great expanse.

Ta-da! All woven in.

When I realized I would never have a finished project if I kept avoiding it I went to my local yarn store to get in the right mind-set. It was so nice to hang out at the table, picking up stitches, and chatting with the other knitters passing through. (I might have bought a couple new magazines as well!)

Have you noticed that magical effect yarn stores have on your knitting or crocheting? And if you do get stuck there are people around to ask for advice!

You can't even tell from the outside.

The trim around the neck and arms is very simple, but many people have commented on how nice it is.

Once the trim was knit, it was a simple matter of seaming the sides and weaving in the ends. I’m glad I carried the colors up the sides without cutting them. That greatly reduced the number of ends I had to weave in.

I always feel such a sense of accomplishment when I finish a project. And it’s an even better feeling when I wear a new top for the first time and can tell people who compliment it, “Thanks! I made it!”