It is a very rare occasion when I knit something that has had so little “face” time on this blog.  The Pintuck Tee has been steadily growing over the last few weeks, and on Friday night, I looked at it and knew that I could finish it soon.  So, once I set my mind to it…

Pattern: Pintuck Tee [rav link]
Yarn: Schulana Sojabama (bamboo/soy blend)
Source: The Loop in Halifax, NS
Needles: Size US 3 / 3.25mm

You may recall that I purchased this yarn in Nova Scotia.  Mimi made a beautiful Wyvern Wrap [rav] out of it, and when I talked to her at the shop in Halifax, I decided to take the plunge and try the 55/45 bamboo soy blend.  This pattern had recently come to my attention on Ravelry, and right there in the shop, we did the math, and I walked out with 7 balls of yarn specifically for this project. Beautiful gray with blue and purple flecks.  I should have picked up another ball (hindsight is 20/20, don’t you know) so that I could have added sleeves.  Honestly, I don’t wear too many tanks because… well, I don’t like my arms.  But, this one will get worn.  Maybe with a shrug on some occasions

Other than the sleeve, I also omitted the buttons on the little “bib” portion, favoring the open neckline more.

[More photos of Pintuck here]

This pattern was well-written, and the designer, Lien Ngo, incorporates some great techniques to keep the shaping and inserts interesting.  I really liked the short rows; they provided a crisp look on the armholes and neckline.

I have a feeling that the yarn is going to grow - I have heard that about bamboo and soy yarns.  That is why I chose the 37″ size, hoping that it would relax a little with wear.  I think it may get a little longer too.  Have you had this experience with these fibers?

It is nice to have such a timely knit - it is soft and cool to the touch and will be perfect for the hot summer days.

I unpacked my new yarn from The Loop in Halifax, only to pack it up again to head to the beach for a long weekend. What can I say? (I will be staying put for awhile… well, a few weeks, at least). The Schulana Sojabama first caught my eye when I saw Mimi’s Wyvern Wrap (Ravelry link), and it didn’t take much for her to talk me into it when I visited her shop. I did go in with a plan, however… the yarn was perfect for the Pintuck Tee that I had added to my queue only a week before…

The bamboo/soy blend is going to be perfect for this summer tee. I am thinking about modifying the sleeves on this one, but it all depends on how much yarn I have left. The yarn appears to be a great gray, but if you look a little closer in natural light, it is actually quite multi-tonal: lavender, blue, and maybe a little pink too. Quite lovely.

(beaded stitch marker compliments of dear Coleen)

It’s a small gauge knit in the round - worked on size 3 needles with hundreds of stitches per round. Perfect kind of knitting for lazy days at the beach ~ well, at the beach house, as I only venture to the actual beach after the sun sets and there is smaller risk of my skin turning red

Every year, we head over to Assateague Island to see the wild ponies.

This year, we had a pretty close encounter.