Tanks, Buddy...

Or, The Frankentank.

Who knew it would be so hard to choose a tank pattern that is not (a) designed for a mosquito-bitten coathanger or (b) something my mother would say is sensible and tastefully feminine, not because it has shaping, but because it DOESN'T have shaping and YET that picot lace edging is very nice, don't you think, Lee Ann?

My apologies to my mother, whom I love, but whom I do not wish to emulate in the wardrobe department. Apologies also to mosquito-bitten coathangers. I don't really hate you. Much. I just can't wear your clothes.

Since I can't find what I'm looking for, I'm going to make a Frankentank of sorts...which will include the circular shaping I want from here and the edge with an interesting triangle and column effect I want from here, which also happens to meld nicely with the neck opening detail on this:

From Phildar Printemps 2004, Modèle 30. No, Mom, it is not too "scoopy." In fact, it covers the rack quite well compared to some things I wear. Yes, I did indeed say "rack." Here's a napkin for your coffee, Mom...mind you don't spray the keyboard....

On the Phildar tank, I don't like the little bit of rib at the bottom. It looks too accidental and not very functional. Also, what you can't see in this photo is the 3 x 2 (or is it 2 x 3...) ribbing all the way up the back of the tank. The idea of having the back completely ribbed and the front stockinette with a lace panel at the neck seems a little too patchwork to me. It's almost like a halter without the halter straps. But the neck is cool...and the lace trim I found for the bottom really echoes this neck element. My Frankentank will be ribbed all the way up, back and front, but it is a ribbing that is part of the trim pattern I chose. The shaping is going to be a bit funky on the sides, given that it will be a ribbed pattern, but I'm going to try to hide the decreases and increases inside the ribs.

I would love to make the Goddess tank, but right now I don't have that issue of Vogue Knitting, and while I can get it from Vogue as a one-off, it will take them bloody forever, I'm sure. I would also like to try some short-row shaping, but in the interest of quickly finding a shapely tank which does not have three-inch wide straps that will make me look like a tank, I'm putting that on hold.

I have Micro in my stash. A gorgeous blue. It cries out to be something shapely and fun. (It is acrylic, but it's a NICE acrylic...ohhh, have you ever put this stuff against your face? I nearly got kicked out of the store for overfondling the Micro....)

I need to make this now. I need some instant gratification. I need a sure thing.Oh, yeah, Lee Ann, tossing together three different decorative elements, combining two different patterns, using a differently gauged yarn, trying circular knitting for the first time, and trying lace for the first time too—that would be a sure thing, alright. Damn. Anyway, I'm going to need some all-night knitting soon, so it's got to be relatively simple. And knitting in the round in mostly rib except for the tricky bits, that's simple, right? Here's my little start:

I wanna be an Arbor Lace Ranger, I wanna live a life of danger...

But today, I am stuck at home while Norma and Cassie whoop it up with the Yarn Harlot at Kaleidoscope in Vermont. It's a two hour drive for me. I have a class tonight. So I can't even be a decently horrible mother and take my kid out of kindergarten to drive two hours across the border to play with yarn and meet a bunch of really cool people who think I'm nearly normal (horrible is in the eye of the kindergarten teacher if I pull a move like that. My kid, on the other hand, would be quite happy to take a road trip if it involves alpaca and cool people at the other end...well-trained, no?). I am so unhappy about this. But the Frankentank is sticking it out with me, whether it likes it or not. Otherwise, I pull the wool. Heuuu...the Micro. It's good to be the creator....

May 12, 2005 11:11 PM  | Permalink  | Comments (7)  | Print