Notes about pattern:

• There is plenty of ease written into the pattern. I was 2-3 stitches under on my gauge but after blocking & wear it is spot on. Even if you wash & block your swatch it will not provide an accurate gauge. The weight of the top will pull the gauge out even farther so keep that in mind when choosing needles for gauge or sizing. If you’re a few stitches under gauge, go with it ESPECIALLY if you’re using a cotton and/or linen yarn! This WILL GROW. If you’re in between sizes, go with the smaller one unless you want an oversized top (which is cool if that’s the look you want).

• Don’t skip the bind off at the back. It is a structural element that will keep the top from creeping apart across your back & sagging down past your shoulders. It seems like a minor detail & a pain in the patootey but it is worth the extra few minutes of work.

6/15 - I stopped by Fancy Tiger after picking up Devon from Comic Con so we could show off his costume & they took our picture to post on Instagram! :)

~ Saw this pattern in the new KnitScene at Knitted Peace & decided I need this top for summer. It’s perfect! I picked out a really bright purple color in Firefly so it should be awesome, slightly shiny from the linen & viscose, soft, cool & drapey. I have ALWAYS wanted to make a top with Firefly but never really found the right color or pattern. The colors were always nice but not quite right for my wardrobe. I think there are so many yarns that are gorgeous colors, but I just couldn’t wear them. This is the first colorway I’ve seen that really caught my attention & looked wearable so I’m ready to give it a go. Definitely need to bust this one out in time for the warm weather, ironic because the day I picked out the pattern & yarn we had a spring snow storm (not a warm weather day!) so I must be longing for the start of spring. ~

4/4 - I realized this is sport weight yarn but the pattern calls for fingering. It should be compatible as the ball band suggests a size 5 needle. I’ll make it work, just like every other pattern I tried to follow but ended up making my own! LOL Swatched on size 6 needles. Without any manipulation I got 22 stitches. I started pulling on it & after blocking I think it will be about right. I know anything with linen in it GROWS so I am ok with this gauge. Cast on for the third size, finished bust of 48”.

4/6 - Ok, THAT was unexpected! I knit the entire body over the weekend. Yes, I knit 15.5” in less than 48 hours. I laid on the couch & knit through three entire balls of yarn before going to bed last night. I measured this morning & was at about 14”. In comparison to my other tops that fit like I want this one to, I think 15” should be fine. I know this will grow & I always forget to account for that. I split for the top & started working on the front. I got completely through the first half of the decreases on the front & knit through almost another full ball! LOVE the open rib, since I’m always a sucker for brioche. <3

4/7 - Finished fourth ball half way up front ribbing(probably won’t need seven skeins, I calculated 5.5 from pattern yardage & put six in my basket but Molly & Rachel talked me into buying as seventh as backup, probably a good idea since I can return if it goes unused & I’ve been REALLY bad about running out of yarn lately!!!).

4/8 - Finished all the front decreases. Measured & found out my sleeves are already 8”! I’m going to immediately start the short rows. I’ve done some sizing & I think I will be ok with the longer sleeves, as long as the lowest point of the mesh doesn’t fall down below my bust. I don’t want my tank top showing through the mesh (or I guess I could make sure to get a cute colored tank top that matches).

4/10 - Finished up the front. Moved the stitches on the back from the holder to the needles & started up the back! In the home stretch now.

4/11 - Finished the back stocking section & on to the FINAL mesh rows!!!

4/13 - SO CLOSE. The mesh takes F.O.R.E.V.E.R…. I think I have four more rows to do to finish the back. I’m going to leave this home tomorrow instead of taking it to work on during the day since it need special finishing attention.

4/15 - Finished up the mesh last night & seamed the sleeves this morning. I had to redo the sleeve seams. I started binding them off normally but realized I wanted longer sleeves so I redid the shoulder seams with a VERY loose bind off. It resulted in an extra inch in length to the cap sleeve. I also knit the collar edge, but added an extra row of ribbing. I bound the neck off with a sewn bind off to keep it stretchy enough to fit around my enormous head. Now all that’s left is to finish the sleeve edges & weave in ends!!! I tried it on & it looks really nice. I am very happy with this project. :)

4/16 - Wore it today to see how it feels before completing the finishing. Before washing it was slightly itchy. I like the fit. The body has good ease, it hangs well down around my hips but isn’t too baggy around the bust. The sleeves are a tiny bit too short for my taste but again, I didn’t finish them. The armhole is also a little too deep so I’ll close it up some when I finish the sleeves tonight. I may do something to add a little length tonight plus aggressively block them out. After wearing it all day I gave it a good soak & let it dry to see how it hangs without blocking. Then will make minor adjustments if needed. Overall, SUPER CUTE!!!

Note on yardage: Did NOT need the seventh skein. I barely broke into the sixth (needed 850 yards).

Note on wear: After wearing this three times & a good washing, it has grown OUT but not down. It’s very weird. I mean it did lengthen a few inches but not nearly as much as it’s gotten wider. Also the stitches are more see through, probably because of the stretching not enough wear to make it bloom. Still, it’s SUPER cute & is perfect for warm weather. I read a comment by one lady about how she didn’t want 12” extra around her during the summer but I have to admit, having the lovely fabric drape around me is heavenly when it’s warm & the last thing I want in 90-100° weather is something pressing up against my skin, just to offer an alternate viewpoint, the extra ease is very comfortable! (One more follow up, I wore it again, spilled toothpaste dribble ALL over the front, washed in the washer one more time & COMPLETELY dried in the dryer & it popped right back into shape & bloomed beautifully. It is now back to the right size, still slightly looser than before but SO soft now).