A tank top grows in Brooklyn
I’m eight rounds or so away from the raglan decreases on the Millifili Fine Chickami and, like Claudia, I’m wondering why I’m knitting another tank, when I didn’t wear the one I made last year more than once. Maybe not even once; I can’t quite remember. I mostly wear t-shirts and cotton (non-knitted) tanks in the summer. The few (ok, two) knit shells I have are in such a fine gauge I’d need to knit on zeros to recreate the lightness and drape in a hand-knitted garment. So why did I take the small gauge Millifili Fine and double-strand it to make the latest Chickami? Because I’m a lazy knitter. I thought about the time it would take to make it on twos or threes and immediately doubled it up. I’ve got the Polka Purl Dots on size four needles, the ribbed jacket on fours, socks on twos… I guess I just didn’t want another small-gauge project. But why choose to knit something I know I’m not going to wear much because it will be too heavy, too chunky for the season it’s intended for? Dunno. Anyway, I’m going to see it through; I mean, it’s so close to done already. Then I’ll take the Lara I have from Elann and knit it single-stranded in the small gauge it was intended. Maybe I’ll make Arabella, or something like it. Maybe I’ll make a little cotton cardi. Dunno. But no more of this allegedly summer stuff using cool-weather gauges. Here’s the Chickami in question. I do love this yarn. Looks like it would make for good camouflage in a burning forest, no? The color is Bronze Flames. I also bought six balls of the Sun Fire colorway. I’m a sucker for any color that has a reference to fire in the name. What can I say–I’m a leo.
Rob recently outed me on a somewhat hefty sock yarn purchase, so in the interest of full disclosure (yeah right) I present to you the latest Threadbear purchase.
That’s all yummy delicious Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock. Three pairs are for gift socks, and one pair is for me. From the left that’s Blackwatch for my friend John (from the MFA program. Great writer. Great person. Loves his mom and all that.); Tuscany for the mighty and wonderful MC (our fearless leader in the MFA program and he certainly doesn’t need me vouching for his writing abilities); Icehouse for my friend Lon (yes, yes, from the MFA program; I recently read an early draft of his novel. You will be hearing great things about him out in the world if there’s any justice in the universe and in publishing [having worked in publishing for the last nine years I suspect, alas, that the latter is a bit of a stretch]; he also loves his mom and his apartment recently burned down so think good thoughts for him–he’s having a rough summer); and on the end there is Motherlode, which is for my own little feet. For the menfolk I’m looking at two size thirteens and an eleven. No, I won’t tell who’s who!
Any idea how long the foot should be for socks to fit those two shoe sizes?
They’re all getting Lorna’s because it was Lorna’s that first got them wanting handknit socks. At the end of the semester I was working on the Lorna’s Laces Flames socks for my mom (soon, Mom, soon) and all three of them saw it and wanted socks of their own. And since I adore all three, they shall have socks.
As soon as I finish this friggin tank top, that is. And my mom’s sweater, which was started something like a year and a half ago. I need to finish that up before fall. Please don’t let me put that one aside again! Seriously…ask about it from time to time. I need to get that one done for the little mama.
Well, here’s a site that has length for each shoe size, but sorry, no width:
http://www.knittinganyway.com/socks/sizechart.htm
And this has cuff width, heel flap length, and foot length for limited sizes (no 13s):
http://www.machine-knit.com/Helps/socksize.htm
SockWizard can apparently take a shoe size and convert it to a sock pattern, but I don’t have it, so don’t really know, and I imagine that there is a actually quite a variation in feet width even within the same shoe size, as different manufacturers cut to different lasts.
Good luck!
Posted by: spaazlicious
I’ve been ghosting your blog for ages now (you’re such an entertaining writer!) and finally I have something useful to contribute. My finacee’s feet are a wide size 10 1/2, and his foot measurements are, exactly 11.75″ long heel to toe and 10″ circumference (around the ball of the foot). Stephen’s foot is very wide though, so the breadth would probably go around even a ‘regular’ size thirteen. Hope that this helps 🙂
Posted by: Danielle
And the really sad part is that we WANT to make the tanks. Oh yes we do. Do you think putting cap sleeves on would increase the wearability of these tanks???
Posted by: claudia
I just finished my Colinette Wigwam tank. I wore it for ten minutes. Wonder if I’ll wear it again….
It ocurred to me that the only tanks I own are cotton, seen-running-down-the-street-on-COPS type. So what made me want to knit tanks? Dunno. But- I’ll use my bamboo yarn for one more, and dive into my new Kersti. Yummmmmmmmm.
Posted by: Iris
Why? Because we like working with beautiful things. And that yarn is beautiful. The tank will be great for those chillier nights when you can throw a little sweater over it. Whenever we get chillier nights again, that is.
I keep knitting tanks in the hopes that it will motivate me to get my upper arms in tank shape. Ha! Hahahahahaha. Right.
Posted by: Em
Three pairs of enormous gift socks! I’d say you’re ambitious, not lazy at all. And very, very generous. (I love the Tuscany — that’s what I used for my feather & fan.)
Posted by: alison
It’s all about the process, right? I have pulled out the Rowan Summer Tweed tank a couple times this summer just to justify the time and expense in making it. Despite the fact that it is a little more revealing than I’d like and that it’s, in fact, too big. Your tank is beautiful. The color is fabulous! Can’t wait to see those Lorna’s knit up into socks for everyone!
Posted by: Nathania
Well, here’s a site that has length for each shoe size, but sorry, no width:
http://www.knittinganyway.com/socks/sizechart.htm
And this has cuff width, heel flap length, and foot length for limited sizes (no 13s):
http://www.machine-knit.com/Helps/socksize.htm
SockWizard can apparently take a shoe size and convert it to a sock pattern, but I don’t have it, so don’t really know, and I imagine that there is a actually quite a variation in feet width even within the same shoe size, as different manufacturers cut to different lasts.
Good luck!
Posted by: spaazlicious
I’ve been ghosting your blog for ages now (you’re such an entertaining writer!) and finally I have something useful to contribute. My finacee’s feet are a wide size 10 1/2, and his foot measurements are, exactly 11.75″ long heel to toe and 10″ circumference (around the ball of the foot). Stephen’s foot is very wide though, so the breadth would probably go around even a ‘regular’ size thirteen. Hope that this helps 🙂
Posted by: Danielle
And the really sad part is that we WANT to make the tanks. Oh yes we do. Do you think putting cap sleeves on would increase the wearability of these tanks???
Posted by: claudia
I just finished my Colinette Wigwam tank. I wore it for ten minutes. Wonder if I’ll wear it again….
It ocurred to me that the only tanks I own are cotton, seen-running-down-the-street-on-COPS type. So what made me want to knit tanks? Dunno. But- I’ll use my bamboo yarn for one more, and dive into my new Kersti. Yummmmmmmmm.
Posted by: Iris
Why? Because we like working with beautiful things. And that yarn is beautiful. The tank will be great for those chillier nights when you can throw a little sweater over it. Whenever we get chillier nights again, that is.
I keep knitting tanks in the hopes that it will motivate me to get my upper arms in tank shape. Ha! Hahahahahaha. Right.
Posted by: Em
Three pairs of enormous gift socks! I’d say you’re ambitious, not lazy at all. And very, very generous. (I love the Tuscany — that’s what I used for my feather & fan.)
Posted by: alison
It’s all about the process, right? I have pulled out the Rowan Summer Tweed tank a couple times this summer just to justify the time and expense in making it. Despite the fact that it is a little more revealing than I’d like and that it’s, in fact, too big. Your tank is beautiful. The color is fabulous! Can’t wait to see those Lorna’s knit up into socks for everyone!
Posted by: Nathania