Here’s a balmy bit of knitting for a hot day… I just finished this camisole from this Japanese knitting and crochet book, and since it’s the first time I’ve managed to finish any knitted garment that’s not a hat or a scarf, I feel pretty accomplished! I used some light pink Bollicine Dolly that I picked up at The Little Knittery in Silverlake.
This would be the perfect piece of cute, summery knitting were it not for the fact that I’d made it of wool. I went to my lys hoping to find a nice light cotton or silky bamboo DK, but there was none to be had. Me, stubbornly wanting to start knitting today, settled for wool. In a different yarn, the fabric might have worked up more drapey than fluffy and structural, but I suppose this will keep me warm and cozy come Autumn. In the meantime, I can just pretend that it’s summery…
I’m fairly familiar with reading Japanese crochet patterns, but this was my first time reading a Japanese knitting pattern. I aimed to start with the simplest pattern in the book, which I think was this one. It’s basically two lace rectangles with some garter stitch straps at the top. I had to take out one lace pattern repeat because I was afraid that I was running out of yarn, but otherwise the pattern worked up just fine!
I absolutely adore the book that the pattern came from (you can buy it here, but I just got it at Kinokuniya Bookstore in Little Tokyo). The model is so freakin’ cute that I want to make every garment in the book so I can aspire to that level of cuteness. (I secretly wish I could live life like it is in Japanese craft books… is that wrong?)
[project page on ravelry here]
[...] get tired of doing lace sometimes. After finishing that camisole, I was itching to do something big, mindless, and garter stitch. So with some bright blue Moda [...]
I love this top I want to make one for myself but I am a bigger lady so Ill need to make it to fit me can you help me
Monica from Utah
Hi Monica,
I would suggest making a fairly large swatch so you can estimate how many stitches you will need to cast on. The pattern is basically a big rectangle of lace fabric for the front and a bigger one for the back, both with garter stitch on the top and bottom. Then you stitch the sides together up to armpit level and add some garter stitch straps to the top.
I recommend using a nice drapey yarn (like bamboo?) instead of wool.
I think the lace pattern is something similar to the one in the pattern below:
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/lacy-diamonds-dishcloth-2