This tunic top was very easy and fast to do, skinny yarn, open stitches, and a size H hook makes for a lacy appearance. (Yes my tank tag is hangin’ out, c’est la vie.)
Beginning, and the tunic neck -For this top, I made a chain (which was the neck hole), holding it up to myself to get the right measurement and taking into account that I wanted a big V dip (mark where you want that to be with waste yarn tied on). For the neck I did random double crochets and chains (doing the same thing for a whole row, but varying row by row). To turn the corners to make the V, I did what is basically the corners of granny squares – more stitches and 2 chains between them in the same hole or something similar will make a corner. Just use logic here, if it turns the corner, its all good. To make the square area in front, on the 5th row in, I did increasing sizes of stitches down to where it would be mostly straight across (a few double crochet, a few triple, a few quadruple, then quintuple -just wrap more times). Then I chained across the bottom, and when I got to the opposite side, did the opposite order going up so it would be a mirror image. Then a did a little border around that to help shape it better on the 6th row with more double crochets and spaces of chain, and double crochets in the chain I made in the bottom of the front square area. You can vary this and do it however you like it best.
Then you want to start working the body, I used honeycomb stitch (reference below). I threw it over me and started about half way down the front of the arms, went back and forth, keeping the armhole a straight line, and connected a second end of the yarn to the other side and went back and forth to keep them even. Then connected a third yarn on the back to work the back (also back and forth) at the same time so I could throw it over myself and see where I wanted the armholes to stop. (You don’t have to do all of those at once if its easier not to and too many yarns is annoying.) Make sure to throw it over you often, if you make it too tight, you won’t want to wear it because it’ll pull too much, better to check. End of armholes -At that point, (whenever you decide the armholes are big enough), I connected the front and back and just did the body in the round, continuing with honeycomb. Stop when its as long as you want it. Be sure to throw it over you a row or two after starting the body to make sure its not too tight. If you need to fudge for increasing or decreasing for size, do it on the seams under the arms so it’ll be more hidden.
Honeycomb stitch is from: The Crochet Stitch Bible. Betty Barnden, Krause Publications, a Quarto book, 2004. Page 90.
Yarn: Phildar Ysatis 427 (this is a yarn from europe, made in West Germany) not sure what to call the color, perhaps 500 427 006.
ilovesocks 