Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Astor Place Tank Knitting Pattern

Stacy Charles Fine Yarns Astor Place Tank

What Is Being Made

The Astor Place Tank is a sleeveless knitted sweater designed by Irina Poludnenko. This garment is a fitted tank top available in four sizes: Small (bust 34½"), Medium (bust 38"), Large (bust 42½"), and XL (bust 46"). The finished lengths range from 19½" for the smallest size to 24" for the largest, making it a versatile layering piece or warm-weather garment suitable for various body types and style preferences.

Techniques Used

The Astor Place Tank employs several key knitting techniques to create its structure and visual interest:

• Bottom-Up Construction: The garment is knitted from the bottom edge upward, beginning with a cast-on at the lower edge and progressing toward the neckline. This method allows for easy adjustments to length and straightforward finishing.
• Worked Flat: Pieces are knitted flat on straight needles rather than in the round, creating distinct front and back panels that are later seamed together.
• Lace Patterning: An openwork pattern featuring yarn overs and decreases creates decorative eyelet details throughout the garment, adding visual texture and breathability.
• Seamed Construction: After individual pieces are completed, they are blocked to measurements and then sewn together at the shoulders and sides, ensuring a polished, professional finish.

Stitches Used

The pattern utilizes fundamental and decorative knitting stitches to achieve its finished appearance:

• Stockinette Stitch: The primary stitch structure, created by alternating knit rows on the right side with purl rows on the wrong side. This stitch creates a smooth, classic fabric base.
• Openwork Pattern: A repeating lace motif worked over a multiple of 4 stitches plus 2 edge stitches. The pattern alternates between a right-side row featuring k2tog (knit 2 together) decreases paired with double yarn overs, and ssk (slip, slip, knit) decreases, followed by a purl row that incorporates the double yarn overs as individual stitches (p1, k1 into each double yo). This creates symmetrical eyelet holes that characterize the tank's decorative appeal.
• K2tog (Knit 2 Together): A right-leaning decrease that combines two stitches into one, used both in the lace pattern and for shaping.
• Ssk (Slip, Slip, Knit): A left-leaning decrease created by slipping two stitches individually knitwise to the right-hand needle, returning them to the left-hand needle in turned position, then knitting them together through the back loops. This decrease pairs with k2tog in the openwork pattern for balanced, symmetrical decreases.
• Yarn Over (yo): An increase that creates the eyelet holes characteristic of lace knitting, formed by wrapping yarn around the needle between stitches.

Materials

The Astor Place Tank pattern specifies the following materials for construction:

• Yarn: S. Charles Collezione CRYSTAL, a blend of 85% polyester and 15% cotton. This fiber composition creates a lightweight, breathable fabric ideal for a sleeveless tank. The yarn is provided in 0.88 ounce (25 gram) balls, each containing 144 yards (131 meters). Yardage requirements vary by size: Small requires 3 balls (approximately 432 yards), Medium requires 4 balls (576 yards), Large requires 5 balls (720 yards), and XL requires 6 balls (864 yards). The specified color is #56 amethyst, a purple shade.
• Needles: One pair of size 7 (4.5mm) straight needles, or the size necessary to achieve the correct gauge for proper fit and drape.
• Notions: Stitch markers for tracking pattern repeats and shaping points, and a yarn needle for weaving in ends and seaming pieces together.

Gauge and Fit

Achieving proper gauge is essential for this pattern. Two gauges are specified: 16 stitches and 24 rows equal 4 inches (10 centimeters) in Stockinette stitch, and 18 stitches and 28 rows equal 4 inches in the Openwork Pattern. The pattern emphasizes checking gauge