Hey friends! It’s been a minute. I’ve taken a hiatus from my blog for awhile, mostly because life, being life, gets busy and this blog – one of my main creative outlets for over five years – started to feel more like a responsibility and less like an inspiration. But I never wanted to turn off the switch for good, just in case a time ever came that I wanted to revisit this space – like today.

If you’ve been following along on Instagram, you’ll know that I’ve dedicated more energy into my knitting and painting than ever before. Late last August, I published my first (and to-date, only) knitting pattern, the Beach Tank. I designed the tank during my artist residency at Have Company in Grand Rapids, Michigan, knitting it up during mornings laying on the shore of Lake Michigan, on sleepy afternoons hanging out on the couch in the store, and at night in bed while watching the movie Wild and listening to Cheryl Strayed audiobooks. Marlee, the woman (the force!) behind Have Company, will gladly profess that her favorite color is beige, and I sense that her aesthetic and weekly ritual of visiting the beach – “Beach Mondays,” as she calls them – likely influenced this design by proxy. I knit it up with some stash yarn I’d brought along in my suitcase, holding together both a wool and cotton yarn together to create a fabric that’s light, breathable and slightly elastic. Since knitting the tank, it’s become my go-to top for whenever I’m looking for something easy and loose to wear – date night, by the beach, whatever.

And many of you have loved it too! I’ve seen beach tanks pop up on Ravelry and Instagram, knit in a variety of colors and yarns. I especially love this one by Anna of Tolt Yarn and Wool, which she knit during her vacation in Maui; and my friend Carmen’s marled denim version. It’s been truly wonderful to see how so many knitters have re-imagined this simple construction to suit their tastes and styles. But I always thought that the timing of the pattern release was a bit off – starting to knit a “beach tank” at the start of fall (in the Northern hemisphere, at least) seemed unfortunate. So, to celebrate the coming of summer beach time, I’m hosting a Beach Tank Knitalong (KAL)!

THE DETAILS:

The pattern: The pattern is my own, Beach Tank, available for purchase and download on Ravelry.

The finished top is loose and effortlessly comfortable. It’s a great pattern for a beginner looking to flex her muscles, or for more seasoned knitters looking for a quick summer knit. Dress it up with a pair of black skinny jeans and clog sandals, or throw it over a bathing suit with long skirt as a beach cover-up.

The tank has a high neck but deep armholes and a cropped cut, allowing a little skin and belly to show through. It’s intended to be slightly oversized with a bit of drape, but you could modify it to be tighter fitting or a bit longer to lose the cropped look. I’ve seen this knit and worn by women of all shapes and sizes, and I have to say – it looks good on EVERYONE.

Timing: The Beach Tank KAL kicks off now-ish and runs through Memorial Day weekend, which falls on May 30. Memorial Day usually heralds the first big beach weekend of the summer (at least here, by the Eastern Shore), so this month seemed like a good time to knit up something for some time by the beach! To participate, knit a beach tank during the month of May or any time after – this is a veryyyy low-pressure knitalong.

How to participate: Pick up the pattern, pick your yarn, and start knitting! Really, that’s it. There’s no sign-up form or Ravelry group or anything. If you want to share your progress with the internet knitting community, share your in-progress photos in finished garments on Instagram with the hashtag, #BeachTankKAL. To get inspiration from others who’ve knit the beach tank, also check out hashtags #BeachTank and #KnitBeachTank. This KAL also coincides quite nicely with Very Shannon’s Tops, Tanks, and Tees Knit Along. The hashtag for that one is #TTTKAL16.

Yarn choices and discounts: Fancy Tiger Crafts is graciously sponsoring this KAL and is offering a 15% discount on all purchases of WATG Shiny Happy Cotton yarn from now through July 1 with the code, BEACHTANKKAL (all-caps). This is a perfect cotton yarn to use in replacement of the discontinued Sublime Yarns Organic Cotton DK that I used in my prototype, and I highly recommend it! It’s the yarn I’m using in the two beach tanks I’m knitting during the KAL (in colors Naked Blue and Ivory White). Thank you to Jaime and Amber for sponsoring!

For the prototype pattern, I knit my tank in yarn from my stash – Blue Sky Alpacas Metalico in Flint colorway and undyed Sublime Yarns Organic Cotton DK, since discontinued. The combination of cotton and wool make it light, breathable, and slightly elastic (cotton alone can stretch out quickly), and also make it an excellent layering piece for transitional seasons. In addition, holding the two yarns together created a subtle marled effect, which you could replicate easily with other color combinations. You could also try a solid-colored tank or a more dramatic contrast, such as a black and white.

Make sure that the yarns you hold together create an opaque, but flexible, fabric. I don’t recommend holding together two strands of Shiny Happy Cotton together, as the resulting fabric will be too dense and stiff. If you go for the cotton, I recommend picking a Sport weight wool companion to complement it.

Tips and tricks: I’ll be posting a few blog posts here throughout the month with tips on modifying the pattern to suit your tastes, so check back here for more on that soon. But if you run into questions while knitting, feel free to post those on Instagram with the #BeachTankKAL hashtag – there are lots of helpful knitters who might be able to help (myself included!).

Prizes: Yes, there will be prizes! We Are Knitters is the second sponsor for this KAL, and is generously offering prizes to three knitters who knit up some of the most creative, beautiful, ambitious beach tanks out there! Be sure to tag your knitting with #BeachTankKAL for the chance to win.

That’s it, for now! Happy knitting, beach babes!