Debbie Bliss Myanna Tank Knitting Pattern

Debbie Bliss Myanna Tank

What is Being Made

The Myanna Tank is a sleeveless knitted waistcoat designed for children aged 2-3, 4-5, and 6-7 years. This garment features a classic tank silhouette with finished chest measurements of 66cm (26in), 73cm (28¾in), and 82cm (32¼in) respectively, and lengths to shoulder of 36cm (14¼in), 40cm (15¾in), and 45cm (17¾in) depending on size. The tank is constructed with button closures along the front, making it a practical layering piece for children's wardrobes.

Techniques Used

The Myanna Tank is worked using several key knitting techniques appropriate for an intermediate-level knitter:

• Bottom-up construction: The garment is knitted from the cast-on edge upward, beginning with the back and front pieces worked separately before assembly.
• Worked flat: Both the back and front panels are knitted on straight needles in flat rows rather than in the round, allowing for seamed construction.
• Buttonholes: Strategic buttonhole placement is incorporated into the front piece, with five pairs of buttons positioned along the front opening. The buttonholes are created using yarn forward (yf) and decrease techniques to form eyelet openings.
• Seamed construction: The back and front pieces are seamed together at the sides and shoulders after individual completion, creating a finished garment with defined seams.
• Shaping: Shoulder shaping is achieved through sequential cast-offs over multiple rows, creating a properly fitted neckline and shoulder area.

Stitches Used

The Myanna Tank employs fundamental knitting stitches combined with textural elements:

• Knit stitch (k): Forms the primary fabric structure throughout the garment.
• Purl stitch (p): Creates textural contrast within the stitch pattern, used selectively within the patterned sections.
• Garter stitch: Four stitches in garter stitch are maintained at the sides of the back piece, providing a decorative and stable edge detail.
• Make one (m1): Used for increases during the transition from ribbed cuff sections to the main pattern, creating evenly distributed shaping.
• Knit two together (k2tog) and slip, knit, pass slipped stitch over (skpo): Decrease stitches used in buttonhole construction and shoulder shaping to maintain stitch counts.
• Yarn forward (yf): Creates the eyelet openings necessary for buttonholes, allowing decorative and functional gaps in the fabric.

Materials

The Myanna Tank is designed to be knitted with specific materials that ensure proper drape and durability for a children's garment:

• Yarn: Five (5, 6) balls of 50g Debbie Bliss Rialto DK in Navy, providing approximately 250-300 grams of yarn depending on size. Rialto DK is a double-knit weight yarn that offers a smooth finish suitable for children's wear.
• Needles: Three pairs of knitting needles in different sizes are required: 3.25mm (US 3), 3.75mm (US 5), and 4mm (US 6). The smaller needles are used for the initial ribbed sections to create elasticity, while the 4mm needles accommodate the main stitch pattern.
• Notions: Ten buttons are required for the front closures, with five pairs positioned strategically along the front opening for secure fastening.
• Gauge: The pattern is worked to a gauge of 24 stitches and 34 rows over a 10cm (4in) square using 4mm (US 6) needles over the stitch pattern, ensuring proper fit and drape.

Pattern Overview

The Myanna Tank follows a structured construction method beginning with the back piece. The back is cast on with 72-90 stitches depending on size, worked in ribbed sections using smaller needles, then increased to 84-104 stitches before transitioning to the main stitch pattern on 4mm needles. The piece continues straight until reaching the specified length, at which point shoulder shaping is executed through sequential cast-offs.

The front piece