Doris Chan Top
Originally uploaded by plainsight.

On Monday night, I was teaching a crochet class and one of the students wanted to make this top (The Abydos Vest from Amazing Crochet Lace: New Fashions Inspired by Old-Fashioned Lace), so I thought I’d try it out too. I bought a ball of Lana Grossa Millenweit sock yarn (which happened to be on sale), and got the whole thing out of one ball. It was a quick and fun crochet, and I love how the garment was worked down from the shoulders. I may try another tunic with this construction style using a slightly less open pattern (but of course, that would use more yarn!). Also, if I were to do this particular one again, I’d probably add waist shaping–but I’ve tried adding a belt to the top as is, and I like that too.

The sock yarn has so much “memory” that it was pretty scrunchy before a vigorous steam blocking, but now it drapes and swings just fine. Actually, that “memory” would be useful for other types of garments that I didn’t want to drape so much. Sock yarn is the perfect weight for crocheted garments, and even the so called “self-striping” varieties end up with nice random bits of color when crocheted.

Doris Chan Top