Knitting

 Over the past few weeks I have been working on a hand knitted tank top for me to wear and a few days ago, I finally finished it. 

As I was working without a pattern I guessed on how wide it needed to be by measuring  my stitches to a t-shirt, which came out to about 60 stitches. A friend kindly gave me some stitch counters so I used those to mark every 10 stitches. This is important later for forming the V-neck and it helps you with dropped stitches. 

I started knitting the front half first and tried a new stitch (ribbing 2x2) for the edges of the tank top so it wouldn't curl up as stockinette stitch often does. With the help of a youtube video explaining how to make it and a few re tries I got the new stitch under my hands and successfully made the hem. The next challenge was how to transition out of the ribbed stitch into the stockinette stitch, the way you do this is by slip stitching all of the knit stitches and make the purl stitches knit ones. 

After I had transitioned out of the ribbed stitches, all that was left was the knitting. I would guess it took about 120 rows to get to the bottom of the V-neck, which I had no idea on how to make. 

After some careful consideration, I realised that I could make the V-neck the same way I did the legs on small toys. I found the middle of the row and cast off one stitch, then got a third needle so I can knit with two and then use the other to hold the other stitches.

    I then knitted normally but at the end of every row I casted off another stitch until I had 20 stitches, using the stitch counters to keep track. I then knitted a few more rows for the shoulders and transitioned into ribbed stitch for the edges of the shoulders.

I then did the same thing on the other side of the to make the other shoulder, but accidentally made it slightly too short. However I corrected this mistake when I made the back .

Mercifully I had learnt enough from doing the front that the back of the vest was uneventful. Once I got to the point of doing the shoulders I made one longer than the other so the shorter shoulder in the front would even out the look. All that was left was to sew up the sides, leaving holes for the arms and the shoulders.

I am quite pleased with the final look. I think the next thing I am going to knit is a jumper, with sleeves this was my first proper article of clothing I've made and so the next thing I make would probably go smoother. I am very proud of the tank top and had a lot of fun making it.