Web-Letter, Issue 41 – Not-Yellow Crochet Top-Down Tank Crochet isn’t ‘home’ to me in the way that knitting is. Nonetheless, I enjoy the occasional switch to a hook and the challenge of creating something using a different fabric-making technique. Art Director Kristen TenDyke’s pretty tank top in CEY’s Sundance would make a great project for a novice like me. It uses two easy-to-work crochet stitches—a filled-in stitch for the empire bodice and a more open stitch for the ‘skirt.’ For those of us who love lacy things, the many openwork crochet stitches offer a wealth of opportunities.
The Story: On a recent Friday, I brought home a ball of Sundance in yellow. I intended to swatch crochet stitches for a dress design that I envisioned. Because I was expecting to receive a last-minute tech-editing project, I didn’t anticipate having time to work up more than a swatch. Unfortunately (or fortunately?), said project did not arrive which left my weekend open for yarn play. The swatch took me very little time, and once it was completed, I was totally ITCHING to hook up the dress for myself! To satisfy the itch, I got started on the pattern, but I ran into a problem and absolutely HAD to pull out some yarn and a hook to wrap my head around the concept.  Initially, I tried working the dress in miniature to save time, but no—I needed the full stitch count to figure things out. So after hemming and hawing about making this dress in YELLOW (my first choice), I gave in and pulled out some white Sundance from my stash and got started. After a few days, I decided that I didn’t really want a white dress, so I turned my dress into a simple tank. Since then, I've worn this top many times. In cool weather, I wear it as a vest, and I often wear it inside out—it’s reversible!—one of the many perks of crocheting in the round. The Yarn: Sundance — 50% cotton, 50% microfiber Sundance is a machine washable blend of cotton and acrylic microfiber. Cotton is a wonderful natural fiber that feels cool against the skin and breathes well—it allows body heat to escape and cool air to penetrate. But 100% knitted cotton garments can be heavy and their weight can pull them into long, stretched-out shapes. Adding microfiber eliminates some of the weight in cotton yarns and helps garments to maintain their shape. Sundance has a soft, smooth hand and a subtle sheen. It works up quickly without splitting and has great stitch definition, which makes it wonderful for use not only in knitted garments, but in crochet projects as well. And another perk; it’s machine washable! The Stitches: Kristen's tank is crocheted from the top down, making it easy to try on and customize as it's being made. It's also worked in the round to avoid having to do any seaming—yay! As mentioned above, it can also be worn with either side showing depending on your preference. Learn more about crocheting in the round.	more photos The Pattern: Here is the free downloadable Not-Yellow Crochet Top-Down Tank pattern.
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