Slip Stitches Add Fun to This Tank Top Knitting Pattern

I make no apologies for the fact that I’m going to be sharing a lot of tank top knitting patterns here for a while. Where I live we went from the cool and rainy part of spring straight into 90 degree days and it is not OK.

I am feeling the need to knit and sew a bunch of new summer tops so I’m taking you along for the ride.

First up is the Cosmic Ray tank from Gabriella Knits. I love this one because it uses four colors of DK weight yarn, so it’s great for stash busting, and the stripes are made with slipped stitches, so it’s super easy and fast to knit up.

The design is worked in one piece in the round from the top down and is offered in 8 sizes up to a 61.25 inch bust.

You can grab the pattern (which is on sale as I write this, though I don’t know how long it will be) from Ravelry.

[Photo: Ariel Tarr © Gabrielle Vézina]

It’s a common complaint among women and femme dressing folk that our clothes do not include enough (and enough useful) pockets. And even if your clothes do have good pockets, there’s always a chance that you’d rather have another pocket to put some essentials in rather than having to carry a whole bag.

But because we are knitters, we can take this problem into our own needles and knit ourselves some auxiliary pockets.

Beatrice Mase did just that, with a kind of fancy toolbelt pocket accessory that they call VELVET Pockets.

The stitch pattern has a plush, sort of velvet effect, thus the name, but it’s worked with regular fingering/sock weight yarn. (The sample uses wool, but you could experiment with other fibers, too.) It calls for 776 yards of 710 meters, which you might just have in your sock yarn stash.

The pattern includes several pockets of different sizes, with the main body of the pocket worked flat in one piece and the exterior pockets sewn on at the end. You also have the option of adding screw rivets and a coordinating clasp that make it look even more toolbelt chic.

The design is worked with a loop of knit fabric at the top so it can slide onto a belt. The pattern includes explanatory diagrams, photo and video tutorials and is adjustable to fit different sizes of belts.

It’s almost enough to make me want to start wearing belts again, even though I haven’t for years. Because who wouldn’t want a few extra little pockets to hold things when you don’t have enough to really justify carrying a bag around?

The pattern is available in English and French on Ravelry and you can also buy a kit complete with the yarn, rivets and clasp (the pattern is not included in the kit) direct on Etsy.

[Photo: Beatrice Mase]

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