summer beach wear – tank top & floppy hat!

Hello everyone!  Seems like it’s been a while, but I was on vacation in Pensacola, FL and didn’t do much at all (and it was so nice)!  There are a couple of FOs I have to share with you; first up are the Fun Shine Sun Hat (a paid crochet pattern that features a thin wire that runs through the last row of sc stitches to add some stability to the brim) & the Split Back Tank (a free knitting pattern that works up quick & is nice & breezy):

The Fun Shine Sun Hat won out over the Floppy Brimmed Victoria Hat, which I also made; the Victoria hat wouldn’t quite stay in the desired shape & was also thicker (read: warmer) because it uses 2 yarns at once so I tried the Fun Shine hat & loved it.  For the hat I used Lily Sugar & Cream Super Size in Ecru (worsted, 100% cotton); I haven’t measured how much yarn I used yet but it was a good bit since I added some rows (see here for the specific pattern mods I made).

The Split Back Tank is the first knitted garment (not accessory) that I’ve ever completed, and I love it!  It works up big using fingering weight yarn (I used the suggested Lindy Chain from Knit Picks, a linen/cotton blend) and US 9 needles (5.5 mm), but it shrinks when you wash and dry it in the machine (which it’s supposed to do).  It’s worked flat since the back is split all the way up, and it’s connected/finished off with a row of sc around the arm holes & the neck; mine’s not the finest because I haven’t really practiced crocheting into the sides of curved knitted items and thus some holes appeared, lending a sloppy appearance when viewed close up.  It fits great though and is comfy, despite the rather rough feel of the linen while knitting.

I’ve still got plenty of WIPs but no significant progress has been made to warrant update photos; hopefully I’ll get busy this week (my brain still feels like it’s gone, in one way or another).

That’s all for today then, thanks for stopping by!  See you soon!