by Kt Baldassaro

I love the way a wrap top flatters a figure, but I hate having to readjust the side tie as it slips with wear throughout the day.

Imagine yourself on a hot summer day, walking across a river stone by stone. You don't want to have to worry about your wrap top shifting, or untying as you move, but you still want to wear something lacy and put-together. With that in mind, I created the following: like most wrap tops it has two overlapping front pieces, but don't hesitate to skip in this tank- the fronts are attached to the back and set in place permanently.

Easy to wear, simply slip on this top for a different and functional look!

SIZE
S [M, L, XL, 2X, 3X] (shown in size M)

FINISHED MEASUREMENTS

MATERIALS
Yarn
Feza Yarns Alp Natura [40% cotton, 40% viscose, 10% silk, 10% linen; 231 yd/211 m per 100g skein]; color: #712 Lt Blue ; 3[4, 4, 5, 5, 6] skeins

Recommended needle size
[always use a needle size that gives you the gauge listed below -- every knitter's gauge is unique]
1 set US #9/5.5mm needles
1 set US #8/5mm needles
1 US G-6/4.25mm crochet hook

Notions
yarn needle

GAUGE

PATTERN NOTES
[Knitty's list of standard abbreviations and techniques can be found here.]

Maintain lace pattern wherever possible when working shaping, being careful not to decrease or increase more stitches than necessary. When stitches cannot be worked in lace pattern, simply work them in stockinette stitch.

Peephole Lace Pattern Stitch [multiple of 4 sts]
Row 1 [RS]: Knit across.

Row 2 [WS]: P2, *p2tog tbl, yo, p2tog, rep from * to last 2 sts, p2.

Row 3: K3, *[k1, p1] into the yarn over from the previous row, k2, rep from * to last st, k1.

Row 4: Purl across.

Row 5: *K2tog, yo, ssk, rep from * to end of row.

Row 6: *P1, [k1, p1] into the yarn over from the previous row, p1, rep from * to end of row.

Repeat Rows 1 - 6 for pattern.

Note: Always complete a lace repeat after Rows 1, 3, 4, or 6 before beginning to work Stockinette Stitch for armhole, neck and shoulder shaping.

DIRECTIONS
RIGHT FRONT
Using larger needles, CO 68[76, 84, 92, 100, 108] sts.
Row 1 [RS]: Knit across.
Row 2 [WS]: Purl across.
           
Begin to work pattern stitch and continue to work even in patt until piece measures approx. 13.5[13.5, 12.5, 12.5, 11.25, 11.25] inches from CO edge, ending on Row 6 of pattern.

Note: Read ahead! Neck and Armhole are shaped at the same time.

***Shape Neck:
Dec Row [RS]: [SSK] four times, patt to end of row. 64[72, 80, 88, 96, 104] sts
Work 3 rows even in patt.
Repeat the last 4 rows 11[12, 13, 15, 16, 17] times more.

AT THE SAME TIME, when piece measures approx. 17[17, 17, 18, 18, 18] inches from cast on edge, ending on a RS row, begin armhole shaping as follows:

Shape Armhole:
BO Row [WS]: BO 2[3, 3, 4, 5, 6] sts, work in est patt to end.

Row 1 [RS]: Work in est patt to last 4 sts, [k2tog] twice.

Row 2: Work even in est patt.
Rep last 2 rows 1[1, 2, 2, 3, 4] times more.

Next Row [RS]: Work in est patt to last 2 sts, k2tog.

Next Row: Work even in est patt.
Rep last 2 rows 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 4] times more.

Work even in patt, cont neck shaping as est, until piece measures 6.5[7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9] inches from armhole bind off, ending after a RS row.

Shape Shoulders and Neck:
11[13, 15, 13, 14, 15] sts remain on the needle.

Switch to smaller needles: Working in St st, BO 6[7, 8, 7, 7, 8] sts at the beginning of the next WS row, then BO 5[6, 7, 6, 7, 7] sts at the beginning of the next WS row.

LEFT FRONT
Work as for Right Front to ***.

Note: Read ahead! Neck and Armhole are shaped at the same time.

Shape Neck:
Dec Row [RS]: Work in est patt to the last 8 sts, [k2tog] four times. 64[72, 80, 88, 96, 104] sts
Work 3 rows even in patt.
Repeat the last 4 rows  11[12, 13, 15, 16, 17] times more. 

AT THE SAME TIME, when piece measures approx. 17[17, 17, 18, 18, 18] inches from cast on edge edge, ending on a WS row, begin armhole shaping as follows:

Next Row [WS]: Work in est patt to last 2 sts, p2tog.

Next Row: Work even in est patt.

Rep last 2 rows 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 4] times more.

Work even in patt, cont neck shaping as est, until piece measures 6.5[7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9] inches from armhole bind off, ending after a WS row.    

Shape Shoulders and Neck:
11 [13, 15, 13, 14, 15] sts remain on the needle.

Switch to smaller needles: Working in St st, BO 6[7, 8, 7, 7, 8] sts at the beginning of the next RS row, then BO 5[6, 7, 6, 7, 7] sts at the beginning of the next RS row.

BACK
Work as for Right Front to ***, then continue to work even in patt until piece measures approx. 17[17, 17, 18, 18, 18] inches from CO edge, ending with a WS row.

Shape Armhole:
Row 1 [RS]: BO 2[3, 3, 4, 5, 6] sts, work in est patt to end.
Row 2 [WS]: BO 2 [3, 3, 4, 5, 6] sts, work in est patt to end.
Row 3: [Ssk] twice, work in est patt to last 4 sts, [k2tog] twice.
Row 4: Work even in est patt.
Rep last 2 rows 1[1, 2, 2, 3, 4] times more. 56[62, 66, 72, 74, 76] sts rem.

Next Row [RS]: Ssk, work in est patt to last 2 sts, k2tog.
Next Row: Work even in est patt.

Rep last 2 rows 2[3, 3, 4, 4, 4] times more. 50[54, 58, 62, 64, 66] sts rem.

Work even in patt until piece measures 6.5[7, 7.5, 8, 8.5, 9] inches from armhole bind off, ending after a WS row.

Shape Shoulders and Neck:
Switch to smaller needles. Working in St st, BO 6[7, 8, 7, 7, 8] sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows, BO 5[6, 7, 6, 7, 7] sts at the beginning of the next 2 rows, then BO 7[6, 6, 9, 8, 8] sts at the beginning of the foll 2 rows. BO 14[16, 16, 18, 20, 20] remaining sts.

FINISHING
Block pieces to match measurements shown in schematic.

Using tapestry needle, attach Left Front to Back along shoulder and left side seam, then attach Right Front to Back along shoulder and right side seam.

Attach Left Front to Right Front by sewing along the side seam that attaches the Right Front to the Back, so that the Left Front is on top of the Right Front, then attach Right Front to Left Front by sewing along the side seam that attaches the Left Front to the Back so that the Right Front is behind the Left Front.

Hem Edging:
With crochet hook and starting at the bottom right edge, single crochet evenly around the bottom outer edge (don't crochet along the bottom edge of the Right Front).

Next Round: Work 1 sc into each sc in the previous round. Slip st into the first stitch of the round. Cut yarn and fasten off.

Armholes Edging:
With crochet hook and starting at the center seam of the left armhole, single crochet evenly around armhole. Slip st into first stitch made. Cut yarn and fasten off. Repeat process on right armhole.

Neck Edging:
With crochet hook and starting at the bottom edge of the neckline on the Right Front (where the initial decreases for the neckline shaping begin; this will be behind the Left Front), single crochet evenly up the neck to the shoulder, across the back neck, and then down the neck of the Left Front to the side seam. Cut yarn and fasten off.

Weave in all loose ends.

Kt Baldassaro is currently a freelance designer. Until recently she worked as the Head of Design and Communication for Feza Yarns, publishing several individual patterns as well as a book, Feza Bella. She attributes everything she knows about design and knitting to her mother. It was her passion, or shared obsession, to teach her daughter the basics at a very young age, thus Kt has been knitting for over twenty years.

You may also know Kt from live theatre, her independent film work, modeling career...maybe you met at the bank once. All you really need to know is her simple goal: to combine a love of hating zombies with an affinity for yarn in a way that maims the smallest number of people.

She has a website here, tweets here, and you can see more of her work on Ravelry.