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| Original Image from Lion Brand Yarns |
Okay, this project may be cheating just a little bit. Yes, the pin is on pinterest, but... well, I'm the one who pinned it via the pinmarklet. But it has been in one of my craft pinboards for quite a while now, and since this is my blog, I get to make the rules, and I say it counts. So there. Feel free to debate me in the comments section if you have a complaint!
A while back I ordered some brown sport weight yarn, Bernat Cool Crochet, from Herrschnerrs. Unfortunately for me, they sent me a yarn called "Hippie Shades" which was definitely not the color I was looking for, or what I had ordered. They corrected the error right away and sent out the right yarn, and told me to go ahead and keep the other stuff. So it sat in my stash basket for about a year, until I could find just the right project for it.
Then I came across the pattern for this beautiful crocheted top. The pattern is from Lion Brand yarns, and was designed for one of their pretty, sparkly yarns. Well, this yarn wasn't exactly sparkly, but it did have a thin gold thread that ran through it, and something about this pattern really called to me, so my mind was made up.This is actually a super easy pattern for even beginners at crochet. The top is worked up in alternating rows of single crochet, and the skirt is a simple shell pattern using double crochet and chain stitch. The increases are simple to work in, and sewing it together takes only a few minutes.
I was bound and determined to wear this on my birthday, so I stayed up til quite late to finish it. I didn't complete the drawstring, mainly because I want to use a solid colour for it, and I have to find something that matches (I will likely go with white or yellow, based on the colours of the base yarn, in a sport weight). I didn't have anything handy, but it will make the top much nicer to have that little inward tuck at the empire waist.Note that when you are sewing the skirt portion to the top portion that the skirt is quite a bit wider, and so will have to be eased to fit. To make that easier on myself, I basted along the top of the skirt with a single length of yarn, tightened it until it was the same size as the top, then got to work sewing it together. This makes it much easier to be sure that you're distributing the excess material evenly, and gives it a pretty, gathered look.
I also added six rows to the bottom of the skirt area. I had quite a bit of yarn left over, and love the look of tunic type tops, so figured why not? I simply added increases in the same manner as previous rows and continued the pattern. I wound up with a garment that would work as a summer swimsuit cover up as well as a top, which is pretty cool!As for wearing this, the bottom is very see-through. I wore a white tank top underneath for modesty's sake when we went out to lunch and shopping, but if you're brave, or among good friends, or feeling a bit naughty, you can forgo the tank and just wear a bra beneath - the top gives plenty of coverage over a bra and in this way, it would be fabulous for really hot summer days when you don't feel like wearing a midriff-baring shirt as it gives you a little more cover with the shells.
Wearing this lovely flowy top just makes you feel super feminine and pretty, and the finished project is incredibly beautiful for day or evening wear - I recommend this pattern highly!
