Teresa's Finished Basalt Tank

The good. The bad.

The front.


The back.


The details.
Pattern: Basalt Tank from Knitting Nature
Designer: Norah Gaughan
Yarn: Cotton Fleece
Color: Mauve
Needles: size 4

Cast on: April 28, 2007
Finished: May 27, 2007

The explanation.

Let's talk about what I don't like about Basalt first:

1) It's too long.
I could kick myself for not making mine like Susan did - basically making the "teen" version and adding the half hexagons on each side. I kept saying it was going to be tunic length and it is, but knitted stuff that ends up being set on doesn't tend to look real pretty once you get up...you know? Damn.

2) I wish I had not used Cotton Fleece.
Don't get me wrong. This is the first time I've knit with Cotton Fleece and as a yarn - I **loved** it. But it ended up being a bit too heavy for this FO. It's probably not Cotton Fleece's fault...I'm sure it's because of how long the tank ended up being. But, if I were to make this again, I'd think really hard about what yarn to use. Right now, I think Calmer would be a nice choice.

3) I screwed up and got impatient when I washed Basalt for blocking.
It looked beautiful when I took it out of the gentle wash, but it was SO HEAVY. So I spun it again and then put it in the dryer on air. After about 15 minutes I took it out and it looked really nice but was still pretty wet and heavy. So I thought a little heat wouldn't hurt it. In fact maybe it would shrink in length a little. Ugh! I know better. 80% cotton and 20% wool. I KNOW better!! But, for some reason I couldn't help myself. It bloomed. It's fuzzy. UGH!

You live. You learn. (**Hopefully** you learn.)

So. The good:
I LOVED knitting the hexagons and the construction of this garment.

I’ll be knitting another one - the teen version - for my granddaughter. She tripped me up and asked that I knit it in white instead of pink. So I ordered some while Sonota this week from Elann. Their delivery is so fast, I'm sure I'll be casting on Corynna's Basalt early next week.

I'm also pretty sure I'll make another Basalt for me sometime. Maybe next spring.

In the mean time, my Cotton Fleece Basalt might make for a nice winter vest.