Problem

See how the 1st gauge sample, worked back and forth in stockinette stitch, washed and dried flat but not blocked, leans to the right.

I estimate the offset is about 3 stitches every 10 rows.

The 2nd gauge swatch, worked back & forth in garter stitch doesn’t lean.

As I wanted to knit myself a little top in this beautiful red to match a little short I own, and I wanted it to be in stockinette, I knew that I never could follow a shaping pattern neither try to make something straight…

“Solution”

I decided to let the yarn lean as it wanted and to simply make a tube.

I would wear the tube over my breast and under my armpits in a Hi-low fashion so that I don’t need to shape anything…

So I worked bottom/up, beginning with dents-de-chat,
then 1 garter ridge
then 2 rounds off eyelets
then 1 garter ridge
than stockinette all around for 35 cm

I finished with an applied 3 sts i-cord

Then I picked up 10 stitches from the i-cord to make straps:
worked in moss st for 22cm and sewed to the back of the tube with mattress st.

At this point I realized that if the knitting could be straight in moss st for straps it could also be straight for a regular top.

I frogged my straps and used this pattern: 138 - Top ajouré which has the same gauge & stitch count to to finish

Ended with an applied I-cord around neckline