Happy March! It’s so thrilling we are nearing the end of winter! Spring and summer are just around the corner, and I am more than ready for all the warmer weather knits!
Don’t get me wrong, winter knits are awesome too, but I barely leave the house in winter, so there’s no dressing up in them or anything! Now spring and summer, I am all about being outside again. Soaking up the sun rays that you can actually feel, enjoying strolls with an iced coffee in hand, evenings on the patio. It’s heaven.
I also have a couple florida trips coming up and this tank top is going right into my suitcase! I can’t wait to wear it in the evenings after enjoying the beach and adventuring all day. It’s a perfect evening out top!
This pattern is suitable for beginners as long as you have basic knitting skills! The only thing that’s a little extra is picking up stitches. Otherwise, you totally got this! Materials wise, you’re only needing 2 skeins of “the cotton” from We Are Knitters (I used about 1.25 skeins) and then two accent colors for some edging on the shoulder. Needles are size 5mm (US 8) and roughly 16″ length. But they can def be shorter as well. And that’s about it!
I’ve finally gotten around to getting my first little tutorial video up on YouTube! I can’t count the amount of times over the years that people have asked me how I do the twisted rib stitch in my patterns.
It seems that a lot of the videos you guys find instruct how to work it in different ways and there’s a little confusion on how I do it.
I haven’t actually ever searched it myself, but learned to do it from a wool and the gang pattern I did when I first started knitting.
It is a very simple stitch. You’ll just be knitting and purling through the back loops. That’s it! For 1×1 twisted rib, you’ll knit and purl from the back loops, alternating knit and purl. For 2×2 twisted rib, you’ll do the same thing except work two knit stitches through the back loops, followed by two purl stitches through the back loops.
I use twisted rib stitch in nearly all of my patterns! My winter magic sweater pattern is worked in all twisted rib, with different needle sizes for the waistband, wrists, and turtleneck part. It’s a fun one to do if you want to get better with working twisted rib!
You’ll want to make sure that you’re knitting the knit stitches and purling the purl stitches for each row of twisted ribbing. Otherwise you will end up with what looks like almost a twisted moss stitch. Which actually looks pretty cool! Someone had accidentally done that and sent me a photo of it.
If you’re knitting and purling through the back loops, you’re doing it right!:)
I just returned from a quick little spur of the moment trip to visit my family in Minnesota and had a much appreciated break! I managed to get in a coffee with my bestie, lots of laughs and just an all around good time. The kids had fun, I had fun, and now I’m feeling excited and rejuvenated to get back to business. I’ve got some YouTube videos in the works for you all, a new tank coming along, amongst some other exciting spring things!
I had brought along a purple skein of We Are Knitters “the cotton” to Minnesota and hadn’t thought much of it for the first couple days I was there. Too busy doing Target and coffee runs tbh. But then I booked a Florida trip because ticket prices were insanely low, which led to searching for some clothes for the trip, which led to casting on stitches for a purple tank top.
It seems whenever I start getting the urge to design a new project, but don’t know what to do, I just take a step back. I don’t force it. I’ll go about my regular days for a bit and be snapping photos of whatever and doing whatever. Then it always seems once the “aha!” moment hits, I’ll look back through my camera roll and have a whole vibe going that I didn’t realize. And it’s usually a color vibe. So I think subconsciously I’m drawn to a certain color first. I feel like my color choices are always a current mood. I’ve been buying everything purple right now and it’s just making me happy. So this new project was just destined to be purple.
Then I envision wearing a piece knit with the color. Just a quick like, getting coffee in a cute Floridian coffee shop, what are you wearing? Knit purple tank, denim shorts, gold necklace, some rings and a bracelet, ankle wrap sandals. Got it.
Now that I have the color and basic stitch planned, I’ll have more ideas come to mind as I’m knitting the piece. It never fails. I always go in with one idea and come out with the idea plus extra. Also, I’m not going to describe what this new tank design is because I love having it be a surprise! It wont take long!
I think the design process is so different for each designer. I even often just sit and stare at my yarn, for an embarrassingly long time, testing ideas in my head. My kids will walk by and be like “what are you doing?” But it works really well for me! And as a bonus, it’s almost like meditation too.
I hope your week has been off to a great start! Don’t forget to do those little things that make your life happy and looking forward to every day! ❤️
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