Deveraux Tank

I had the best summers growing up, and I love to reminisce and think about those hot sticky days when the non-existent phrase of my current lifestyle "I'm bored" was so easily tossed around. How wonderful it would be to be bored again. To pass the time, we would fill up our super soaker water guns and the wars would commence! Truces would be declared at the first sound of the ice-cream truck on our street. We would hurry to beg Mawmaw for ice-cream money, and then run as fast as we could to catch him before the music faded. Mawmaw and I would always get the fudgsicles, and I would happily sit drenched from our water gun fights and eat my cool delicious treat. Some days, Mawmaw and Pawpaw would bring us to our aunt's house, and we would swim until dusk only breaking for sustenance and the reapplication of our sunscreen. Other days, we would go fishing at various ponds and rivers and lakes, and Pawpaw taught us how to properly bait a hook with crickets and worms. You have to do it just so, or the bait will squirm off or the fish will nibble it right off your hook before you get the chance to set it. We would have fish fries in the afternoon with our day's bounty, and if we happened to not catch enough to feed the family, Mawmaw would run to the local Winn-Dixie to buy more. We had many lazy wonderful summer days, and I have mainly my grandparents to thank for that. So this design is dedicated to them, and all the wonderful summer memories they gave me. 

The Deveraux Tank is a sweet airy top made with Purl Soho's Linen Quill yarn. Linen Quill is a new Purl yarn, and I must admit, I was infatuated as soon as I saw it. I hurriedly purchased three skeins to experiment with, and this tank is what resulted. It was such a pleasure to work with, and has a wonderful drape about it with an ever so slight halo. And OH THE COLORS. So many beautiful colors to pick from (which they just so happen to have restocked!). 

Deveraux is worked in single crochet stitches with a split ribbed hem. The bust and straps are worked first, then the yarn is reattached to the bottom, and the piece is finished working down to the ribbed hem. The tank is worked in the round, so the only seaming is a few stitches to connect the straps at the top. I love the fit of the tank and how the fiber gets softer and more comfortable with each wear.

The approximate size of this tank is a medium (36-38" bust), however if you need to make it larger or smaller, simply adjust the foundation chain row by about 20 chains per size. You can find this pattern on Ravelry here.  I really hope you enjoy making and wearing this piece often. As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions! Also, a huge thanks to my beautiful dear friend Elizabeth for modeling.  

DEVERAUX TANK
Designed by Ashlyn Holmes

YARN

Purl Soho Linen Quill

50% Fine Highland Wool, 35% Alpaca, and 15% Linen

439 yards / 410 meters per 100 gram skein

2-3 skeins

FINISHED GAUGE

28 stitches and 22 rows = 4” in single crochet stitch

HOOK

·         3.5 mm

NOTIONS

·         tapestry needle

·         scissors

FINISHING

Weave in ends, and wet block 

PATTERN                

Bust

Chain (ch) 200 and join your yarn to the first ch made with a slip stitch (ss) being careful not to twist. Single crochet (sc) in each ch around. Sc into the first sc made, do not join. Continue to sc around until piece measures 9.5 inches long.

Straps (worked in rows)

Row 1: With your yarn still attached to the bust piece, sc in the next 20 stitches. Turn and ch1.

Rows 2-9: Sc in each sc across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 10: sc decrease (dec) in next 2 sc. Sc across to last 2 sc. Sc dec in last 2 sc. Turn and ch 1. (18 stitches)

Rows 11-13: Sc in each sc aross. Turn and ch 1.

Row 14: Repeat row 10. (16 stitches)

Rows 15-17: Sc in each sc across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 18: Repeat row 10. (14 stitches)

Rows 19-21: Sc in each sc across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 22: Repeat row 10. (12 stitches)

Rows 23-25: Sc in each sc across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 26: Repeat row 10. (10 stitches)

Rows 27-39: Sc in each sc across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 40: Repeat row 10. (8 stitches)

Rows 41-54: Sc in each sc across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 55: Sc in each sc across. Fasten off and weave in end.

Attach yarn 34 stitches over from the end of the first strap and repeat rows 1-55.

Attach yarn 26 stitches over from the end of the second strap and repeat rows 1-55.

Attach yarn 34 stitches over from the third strap and repeat rows 1-55.

Line up the tops of your straps and seam together. 

Attach yarn to any stitch on the neckband of the tank top, and sc around 3 times, doing a sc dec at the corners of the neckband each round to round out the neckband.

Attach yarn to any stitch on one armhole and sc around 3 times, doing a sc dc at the corners where the straps and tank meet to round it out. Repeat on other armhole. 

Waist

Attach your yarn to any ch stitch at the bottom of your tank. Sc in first ch stitch and in each around. Do not join. sc around making two sc increases (inc) in each round until you have added 20 additional stitches to your tank.  

Once the increases have been completed, continue to sc in the round without joining until your tank top length measures 23 inches, or your desired length. 

Hem (worked in rows)

Row 1: With your yarn still attached, half-double crochet (hdc) in the next 110 stitches. Turn and ch 1.

Row 2: (Front-post hdc (fphdc) into the next hdc, back-post hdc (bphdc) into the next hdc) repeat across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 3: (bphdc into the next hdc, fphdc into the next hdc) repeat around. Turn and ch 1.

Rows 4-6: Repeat rows 2 and 3. Fasten off and weave in end.

Attach yarn to the sc stitch directly next to the end of the front hem row with the right side facing.

Row 1: Hdc in the next 110 stitches. Turn and ch 1.

Row 2: (Fphdc into the next hdc, bphdc into the next hdc) repeat across. Turn and ch 1.

Row 3: (Bphdc into the next hdc, fphdc into the next hdc) repeat around. Turn and ch 1.

Rows 4-10: Repeat rows 2 and 3. Fasten off and weave in end.