This is the tank top version of the Tenorite Waistcoat and came about because of a request from a gardener. They loved the waistcoat but wanted a tank top version for working in their garden, so they could have their arms free to dig while keeping their body at just the right temperature.

Wool is amazing for this. It keeps you warm when you feel chilly at the start of your session, but as you warm up it helps to keep you cool, so you don’t have to keep taking layers on and off. It’s why sportspeople in the old days, in the early 20th century and probably before that, wore wool when playing sports – it helped regulate their temperature. It’s why wool is so amazing!

This tank top doesn’t have any stitches to pick up for the neck edging or armholes – it’s all included in the pattern. Once you’ve cast off your last stitch, you only have to sew up the sides and the back neck.

The seams give the tank top structure, and I use mattress stitch to join them together. I love mattress stitch – it’s a relaxing way to finish your knitting and gives a lovely, smooth look.

The tank top is knitted in chunky yarn, so with no stitches to pick up it’s a quick knit for experienced knitters and a great first project for beginners.

I became addicted to knitting this tank top and played around with holding one strand each of Purl &Jane Yorkshire Yarn Bluefaced Leicester Aran and Jamieson’s Spindrift together to create a chunky weight. I love this look! I used Ecru in the Aran and a dark shade in the Spindrift.

Read all about the Tenorite Tank Top design journey on the Purl &Jane blog, click here for the blog.

CONSTRUCTION
The back and front are knitted flat from the bottom up in seperate pieces and joined together. The neck and armhole edges are knitted at the same time as when knitting the back and front so no stitches to pick up.

TECHNIQUES USED
Cast on, knit, purl, decreasing at neck shaping, cast off. Joining seams. Optional but recommended to create a joy of joining your pieces: mattress stitch and three needle cast off.

YARN
4(4:5:5:6) 100g hanks of Donegal Soft Chunky.
100% Merino Wool, 125m/136yds per 100g

YARN ALTERNATIVES
If casting on in another shade, the above is need with:
One 100g hank of Donegal Soft Chunky in shade B

If casting on with two strands, the following is needed:
3(3:4:4:5) 100g hanks of P&J Yorkshire Yarn Bluefaced Leicester Aran
100% Bluefaced Leicester Wool, 175m/191yds per 100g
AND 4(4:5:5:6) 25g balls of Jamieson’s Spindrift
100% Shetland Wool, 105m/114yds per 25g

SUGGESTED KNITTING NEEDLES
6mm

GAUGE (tension)
14 stitches and 20 rows to 10cm/4ins square over stocking stitch. I obtained this gauge with 6mm needles.
It is important to obtain the correct gauge so do work a swatch before you start the pattern and change your needle size to achieve the correct gauge if you need to.

FINISHED MEASUREMENT
I recommend a positive ease of 2-6”/5-15cm at the chest.

Size
1, (2, 3, 4, 5)

Chest circumference
92, (104, 110, 122, 134)cms/36¼, (41, 43¼, 48, 52¾)ins

Length from top of shoulder to cast on edge
52, (54, 56, 60, 62)cm/20½, (21¾, 22, 26½, 24½)ins

NEED HELP?
I am here for you! Pop into the Skipton studio, send an email, or check out the Purl &Jane YouTube channel for tips, inspiration and guidance including handy resources like gauge (tension) guides
and how to tutorials.