This weekend marks the traditional beginning of the Canadian summer. Victoria Day is the traditional open your cottage, bbq in the backyard and drink beer in the garden weekend. It is also Toronto’s safe planting date, the risk of frost is past. (This celebratory weekend was of course the planets opportunity to have a good laugh by besetting us with rain of biblical proportions and coming as close as possible to frost without actually having a frost.) Despite the nasty weather today is a National Holiday, and we are celebrating with a new tank top.
What you can see in this picture is that it’s just about exactly what I wanted. The armholes armseye armscye armholes are perfection, and the decolletage is good. My bra straps don’t show (as an aside, I want you all to know that I went on a special hunt for it, just for this picture) and it fits really nicely. The only thing that I wish I had done differently was to put a little more shaping in the waist. I don’t know why I persist in thinking I’m shaped like a tree trunk. Admittedly, my 30-something, post-3-baby body isn’t what it used to be, but I could take a waist measurement instead of somehow assuming that I go straight from hip to bust.
What you can’t see in this picture is that I am wearing an uncomfortably clammy, damp tank top, (in the cold) since I couldn’t wait for it to dry to get a blog picture. (Must feed the blog…must not come empty to the blog) This could have something to do with why I look so miserable despite my sincere and enduring love for the tank top. Oh..and for those of you who asked why my stitches are so lovely and even despite knitting with a foul ribbon yarn, I give you these choices, you can pick which you think it is:
1. Miami is not the flattest of ribbons. This slight roundishness may improve stitch evenness.
2. I am knitting at a slightly tighter gauge than suggested. This firm fabric leaves stitches less room to screw around.
3. These are pretty crappy pictures. The stitches are just as twisty and annoying as any other ribbon.
4. I am a knitting goddess. I have magic powers of non-twistyness over ribbon yarn and never suffer as other knitters do.
Despite having a bizarre amount of work to do (really…like 50 hour weeks) plus the kids and the house (and my blog mistress) as well as having promised two sweaters for gifts, I somehow decided that what I should really do with my evening last night was start a new tank.
This yarn (cotton twist) is driving me nuts. It’s a pretty thing, but it’s beauty may not be enough to convince me to look the other way about it’s evil splitting ways.
This yarn and I may be splitsville.
Yarn Harlot
Hi Stephanie! Beautiful tank. I’ve never knit with ribbon yarn, so I can’t accurately choose an option, but for fun, I choose #4.
I also wanted to let you know I have a blog of my own now. A birthday present from my hubby. I would have emailed you privately, but I couldn’t find an email address anywhere. Let me know if I’m blind. So I’m rudely inviting you to come to my blog on your comments page. Sorry. http://www.poormissfinch.com.
I love your blog. My husband and I come and visit everyday. Why don’t you try knitting a tank in a nice melon color or something?
Steph,
The tank looks great! And I love your choice of next tank pattern. I have lusted after that graceful cabled tank myself.
BTW, I see nothing wrong with you starting this new tank, despite all the other distractions vying for your time. It’s SPRING, after all. You must fill up the wardrobe with all things cool and summery, or you might have nothing to wear all summer! Wouldn’t that be horrible?
Of course you should start a new tank!
(Says she who just began a Turkish sock while already in the middle of a shawl, a sweater, and another pair of socks, and still not having begun a sweater promised over three years ago…)
if you can endure the splity-ness of cotton twist while knitting, the reward is great. i love their colors; the rayon wrap gives it such a pretty shine. i’ve made a few baby sweaters with it, at a tighter gauge, and they are just lovely. i enjoy your blog and especially the circled tiny heads of your children at their various events. 🙂
Looks lovely! I especially link the edging along the neckline and arms. Next weekend (Memorial Day) is traditional planting time in New England.
I knit your baby sweater from Knitty! Will post about it soon.
Splendid tank. You made it loose deliberately so it wouldn’t stick to your skin in the heat? (Does it get hot in Toronto?)
Of course you started a new tank. It is a reflex. I just started a(nother) pair of socks, and I have an important exam on Friday. After all I will need something to do on the bus on my way to the examination site …..
Elizabeth in Norway
I’ve never doubted for a moment that you are a knitting goddess. The question, however, is: Do you knit for good or evil?
Really like the new tank you’ve got in the works. I’m a sucker for cables. They peek out at me & I get weak at the knees. Please share – which mag is that in?
Duh. It’s No. 4!
Beautiful tank, despite your setbacks & the new one looks yummy…
You always make me smile…
I agree you just did a blue tank what is up doing another one??? Try some variety in life …how about red???
Steph, the new tank is gorgeous, and the one from Vogue that you want to start next has been on my list for a long time — or rather the short-sleeved version on the previous/next page has been! Some day… I also REALLY like the white tank top in t he Spring issue of Knitters.
Unless you wholeheartedly embrace splitty yarn as your metier, your cross to bear, you might want to reconsider your brief lust after Microspun.
Although my lime whups the ass of your blue, blue blue.
watches the gauntlet fall to the ground…..
Good Luck with the Cotton Twist… I have heard that it is not the most fun stuff with which to knit (http://purljam.typepad.com/purl_jam/2004/04/seems_so_simple.html). But the end results have been loverly thus far.
Of course, since you have the power of non-twistyness (I never doubted for a moment that you didn’t) I am sure that non-splityness is just waiting to manifest!
Please let me know if you need a test knitter for the tank pattern (hint! hint!)
Your tank came out great! I like that white tank too…hmmmm maybe I’ll add that to my list… although it’s more a book now than a list.
I am not certain why you persist on thinking that you are shaped like a tree trunk. Under all that tank, you’ve got a waist. Show it off, baby!
Stephanie, I’m so pleased that you got the results you wanted (doubtless an inevitable result of your magic powers as a knitting goddess). The tank looks beautiful on you, and I’m sure you will enjoy it all summer long.
Start new things whenever you want. It is a sad day indeed when you begin to think only of wrapping up the loose ends of life. Many happy beginnings to you, and congratulations on the rapid and successful result.
Tank looks great. What talent to whip that thing together. I volunteer to test drive that pattern too.
My stupid computer is of course not wanting to show me your pictures at the moment, but apparently this year Victoria Day fell on my baby brother’s fourteenth birthday! How delightful!
The tank is beautiful! Great job on the design. It looks lovely on you. Happy beginning of summer. What a perfect way to celebrate!
Hearty congratulation on your design and how great it looks on you. I share your sentiments about straps and chest exposure and tree trunkedness, so I am cheered to see that out there in the tank infinitum there exists a design for the meek of skin.
Whoa…I’ve been lurking here for a minute,and I love to watch the progress of your work. You often complain of the same knitting issues I have. And the tank is lovely. Very, very pretty.
It’s just that you look so much like me in that photo that we could be sisters. Bizarre.
I have a Cotton Twist tank in progress myself. It’s gorgeous after it’s knit, but the vigilance required to not knit through split stitches does get a bit tiring after a bit. I formed a theory as I was knitting it – my theory was that it was a bad yarn for a picker. I’d be curious to hear from people who throw – did you have problems with it splitting, too?
Steph, you definitely should be participating in the Tankalong!
http://nathaniaapple.typepad.com/tank_time_tankalong/