What I've been up to...

For the most part I've been working my day job and completing submissions. I sent one design to Knitty yesterday, and decided to hold onto another one and re-work it some more before submitting it anywhere. I'm very excited about both designs, but the second one has taken on a real life of its own and is turning into something I love, so I'm going to take my time with it. I've also been working on yet a third design that I will either send to IK or save for the fall Knitty, depending on when I'm done and what kind of flavor it has in the end.

The downside of designing is that it takes a lot of time, and I've ended up having things on the needles rather than completed for a LONG while. I've been aching to complete something. You may have noticed a new knit-along button on my sidebar and wondered what the heck I was up to with so many things started. Well, this is what I was up to:

[Somebody get me a bra - Quick!]

It's one of three, yes three(!), tanks that I'm making for Nathania's Tank-Along.

I was working at my favorite LA LYS, the Knit Cafe, on Thursday night, and Libby came in with a fabulous Daring Tank from Knitting Pretty. Libby is a new knitter, so she made a few mistakes - her ribbing turned into the pattern you see along the bottom edge and she knit through the back loops. In my humble opinion, these little glitches were a cool variation on the original rahter than a problem. The tank was really cute, and only used 2 skeins of All Seasons Cotton (The color above is True Blue), so I had to have one. Since it was something that I thought I could make in a weekend it was doubly appealing. I could experience completion. Ah! What a sensation it is!

My tank is a variation on a variation. I changed the shaping at the bottom, added an extra set of straps to the bottom section, and used Libby's ribbing. I also opted for a single strand of ACS, rather than doubling a yarn, though that looks great, too. It's really cute, but it is daring. I'm thinking of re-naming it the "I'm Naked! Tank" - one false move and I will be (hence the extra straps!) Still, it's great. And - it's done!

For more pictures, click here and here. For a back shot, click here. For a close up, click here. [Yes, I am kind of flirting, but the camera man and I have a close personal relationship.]

For the Tank-Along I will also be doing Pia (kinda cheating, since we all know that all I have left to do is rip back and re-do a bit, but it's a way to find motivation!), and IK's Chevron Tank - in the original, fabulous Blue Sky Alpaca Organic Cotton (also obtained at the Knit Cafe).

Before I start either of those, however, I will be turning my attention to my one remaining design, and to my own Knit-Alongs, Anouk and Charlotte. Look for posts on those two fabulous projects in the coming weeks.