Have you joined the Beach Tank knitalong yet? I’m so thrilled by the enormous response on Instagram, and have already seen a few new tanks on the needles. But if you’ve grabbed the pattern and stopped there – trying to choose which yarns to use – this post is for you.

But before we talk about yarn, let’s talk about gauge and the importance of knitting a swatch before you cast on – even if you’re using the same yarn called for in the pattern. Gauge is your friend! It helps you make sure that your project is going to turn out exactly like the garment in the pattern. So, what’s gauge? It’s the number of stitches per inch in the pattern you’re referencing. Some people knit tighter, and some people knit looser. We all knit differently, and the gauge in the pattern isn’t some official metric from some official knitting company – it’s the number of stitches per inch that the pattern designer (that’s me) knitted when designing the pattern. Without knitting a gauge swatch, you’re taking a big gamble that your knitting style is exactly like the knitting designer and that you’re garment will turn out exactly the right size.

If you’re a beginning knitter, getting gauge for accessories isn’t so important (who cares if your scarf is a little bit wider or longer than the pattern?), but once you start making clothes, you want them to fit well. Since you’re already investing a lot of time in knitting a handmade garment, do yourself a kindness and take an extra 1-2 hours to knit a gauge swatch before starting your project. Still aren’t convinced? Listen to my podcast episode with Marlee about how and why to knit a gauge swatch, and let this be a warning to you:

A photo posted by marlee grace (@havecompany) on Sep 11, 2015 at 7:27am PDT

To knit a gauge swatch for the Beach Tank, use the needles in the size called for in the pattern (size 9, 24″ circulars) – make sure these are the exact needles you will use in the actual project –cast on 20 stitches with the yarn you want to use. Knit in stockinette (knit on the right side, purl on the wrong side) until your swatch measures 4 inches long. Cast off, then block your swatch.

Blocking is easy, and the description of how to do it is in the pattern. This is how you’ll “finish” your completed Beach Tank – it “sets” your stitches in their new formation and makes a cohesive, smooth fabric without any weird rolls or bumps. Blocking your swatch ensures that you’re treating your test knit exactly how you’ll treat your finished garment, so your measurements will be accurate. To block a swatch, fill up a basin or large bowl with cold water and a drop of wool soap or gentle detergent. Slowly immerse your swatch in the water until it is completely saturated. Let it soak for 30 minutes or more, then carefully drain the basin and press the water out of the tank, being careful not to twist or agitate it (to avoid felting). Press out excess water with a towel – don’t wring it! Lay your swatch flat to dry completely.

Next, measure your swatch. Lay it flat and use a ruler to determine how many stitches are in your swatch across 4 inches. The gauge for this pattern is 14.5 stitches per 4 inches. Don’t fudge it! If you get 15 stitches, or 14 stitches – those differences matter. Think about it – once you multiply those differences across the entire tank, it could make a difference of a couple inches, which means your final tank is too tight or way too big. If you had more than 14.5 stitches per 4″ in your swatch, you’re knitting tighter than the pattern – try going up one or two needle sizes to get gauge. If you had less than 14.5 stitches per 4″ in your swatch, you’re knitting looser than the pattern – try going down one or two needle sizes to get gauge.

Now that we’ve covered gauge, let’s talk about yarn. The Beach Tank is a bulky knit. The resulting fabric is loose and breathable, with lots of drape, but dense enough to hold its structure and fully opaque (so, ya know, you can go braless if you want to). You want to choose a combination of yarns (or a single yarn) that will create this same effect. You’ll notice that with the yarn choices below, I’m holding together a chunky weight cotton with a fingering weight wool. This ensures some elasticity and lightness in the fabric (from the wool) but the breathability of cotton.

Here are the yarns I’m using for my two Beach Tanks for the KAL:

For a solid cream-colored version, I’m holding together Wool and the Gang’s Shiny Happy Cotton in Ivory White – a 100% pima cotton from Peru – and Shibui’s Staccato in Ivory – a superwash merino and silk blend. I really can’t wait to cast on with these two! Reminder, use the code BEACHTANKKAL to get 15% off your order of Shiny Happy Cotton from our KAL sponsor, Fancy Tiger Crafts. Thank you, Jaime and Amber!

For my second tank, which I’m already halfway through, I’m using Wool and the Gang’s Shiny Happy Cotton in Naked Blue and some yarn from my stash – Madelinetosh’s Tosh Merino Light in colorway Dr. Zhivago’s Sky. The resulting fabric looks like the ocean.

As for the pattern itself, I held together Sublime’s Organic Cotton DK, since discontinued, and Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico in colorway Flint. The Metalico adds a lovely shimmery effect to the fabric that I just love. (Sorry, no extras in my stash to photograph here!)

So, what yarns are you choosing and why? Remember to tag your knits with #BeachTankKAL on Instagram. xo