The Babydoll Tank
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I’m obsessed with this tank not going to lie to you dearest reader! Made to measure to fit anyone any way you like! And you can use any yarn with any gauge. That being said I’d recommend a thinner yarn so that the top doesn’t get too heavy. I used (kindly gifted) Sirdar Snuggly 100% Merino 4 ply. A super thin and lightweight yarn and honestly perfect for this top. I used the shades powder, coconut white, and storm. And let me tell you the pink is absolutely the PERFECT ballerina pink which is what I was going for with this design.
Skill Level
I think this is great for a more advanced beginner. As it is made to measure it’s best if you’re more confident in your skills and being able to make calculations and decisions on your own. However, there are very detailed instructions on how to make those calculations and apply them to your top.
Techniques Used
Treble crochet
Double crochet
Increase (this will depend on your own measurements)
Decrease
Chain
Slip stitch
Single crochet
How it fits
The bottom part of the top is meant to be loose and flowy, and the top part is meant to fit exactly to your bust measurement. We will add a tie to cinch at the under bust.
Construction
We’ll start at the bottom working back and forth in the round in treble crochet. Once we reach the under bust we’ll switch to double crochet, and increase or decrease if necessary, continuing back and forth in the round. Once you’ve reached your desired length from under arm to bottom, we’ll start decreasing to shape the front at the top. Then we’ll work the straps! It is all one piece.
Notes
This pattern is written in American Terms
The turning chain (ch 2 or ch 3 at the end of the row) does not count as a stitch
We are working back and forth in the round. Explained further below.
Materials
I used Sirdar Snuggly 100% Merino 4 ply and a 4.5 mm hook, and Stylecraft Special DK with a 5mm hook. Use a bigger hook than the yarn calls for. The Sirdar yarn calls for a 3.25 mm hook, so my hook was 1.25 mm bigger. I’d recommend a thinner yarn, but anything will work. You will also need a measuring tape, darning needle, and stitch markers.
Stitches and Abbreviations (US terms)
Ch – chain
Dc – double crochet
Dc2tog – Double crochet 2 together (decrease)
Sl st – slip stitch
St – stitch
Tc – treble crochet
2dc – increase (dc 2 in the same st)
Working back and forth in the round
We will be working the majority of the top in the round. However we won’t continue in the same direction for the entire time. Once you’ve finished a row, you’ll sl st into the first st in the row, ch 2 or 3, and turn. Then go back the other way for the next row. This will keep the seam straight, as usually when continuing in the same direction in the round the seam will move. This also allows us to keep everything as one piece and we do not have to sew anything together!
Step 1: Gauge swatches
You will need to make 2 gauge swatches. Make a chain that is about 6 inches long without stretching, then tc however many rows it takes to get to 6 inches tall. Remember to chain 3 and turn at the end of each row, the ch 3 does not count as a st. Next, make another square the same way, but this time with dc. Remember to ch 2 and turn at the end of each row, the ch 2 does not count as a st.
Once you have both, measure the how many stitches and rows are in about 4 inches, remember do not include the ends of your rows when measuring width, and do not include the first few rows when measuring height.
Write down how many stitches you have in 4 inches, and how many rows you have in 4 inches for each swatch. Then using this, you will calculate your gauge at sts/inch and rows/inch. Here is mine for example:
Tc – 4″ = 12 sts, 5″ = 7 rows. (I measured the rows in 5 inches as that gave me an exact row count).
To calculate your sts/inch – Sts ÷ inches, and rows ÷ inches.
This makes my gauge 3 sts per inch, and 1.4 rows per inch.
You will use your calculations from both your tc swatch and dc swatch to calculate your stitch and row counts once you take your body measurements.
Step 2: Measurements – see image below
M1: Using your measuring tape, measure around your under bust or your waist, and use whichever measurement is bigger. This is your M1
M2: Measure around your bust, then subtract about 3-4 inches. You want this section of your top to have negative ease so that it fits snuggly. If you want a looser fit, subtract a smaller number. If you are using a less stretchy yarn, subtract a smaller number. This is your M2
M3: Measure across your chest, finding the width you want at the top. This is your M3
Lengths
Next, figure out what you want your top length to be, finding all the lengths as shown in the image below.
L1: The length of the entire top, measured in the middle from top to bottom, over the bust
L2: The length of your top, measured from where you want your top to reach at your underarm to the bottom.
L3: The length from the bottom to your underbust, this will be the bottom section, and all tc rows.
L4: Length of underbust to underarm. can be found by calculating L2 minus L3.
L5: Decrease section of top portion, can be found by calculating L1 minus L4.
Step 3: Calculations and Stitch and Row counts
Section 1 – using tc gauge and M1
Multiply your M1 by 1.25. If you want the bottom part to be looser/flowyer multiply by a bigger number, I’d recommend not going up too much though. If you want it less flowy, multiply by a smaller number.
ST1: Using the number you get from above, multiply that by your tc stitch gauge.
For example:
My M1 is 29″. 29×1.25=36.25. 36.25×3=108.75. I’ve chosen to round down to 108 sts.
This is how many stitches you need for the bottom section of the tank top.
R1 (Also sec 1 as shown above): To find the number of rows for the bottom section, calculate L3 multiplied by your tc row gauge. You can also just crochet rows until you’ve reached the right length.
Section 2 – using dc gauge, M2
ST2: Multiply M2 by your dc stitch gauge. This will give you the number of sts you need for the top section when going all the way around.
R2 (Also sec 2 as shown above): Multiply L4 by your dc row gauge.
ST3: Multiply M3 by your dc row gauge.
R3 (Also sec 3 as shown above): Multiply L5 by your dc row gauge.
Let’s get started! – Section 1
To begin, chain the number of sts you calculated for ST1. Once you’ve done that, without twisting your chain, bring the beginning around to the end and sl st into the first ch.
Ch 3 and starting in that same ch, tc in each ch around. Once you’ve reached the end, sl st into the first st. Ch 3 and turn. Repeat this step of tc in each st around, sl st into the 1st st, ch 3 and turn until you have your desired length (L3/R1). Remember, if you want a different coloured row for the underbust, change colours for that last row.
To change colours, do a regular tc, but use your new colour for the last yarn over and pull through. If you are using your original colour again for the bust section, just leave the strand at the beginning and you can pick it back up again at the end of the row (demonstrated in video)
Bust section/Section 2
We now begin the dc and bust section of the top. If your ST1 and ST2 numbers are different, calculate how many stitches you either need to increase or decrease.
For example, my ST1 is 108, and my ST2 is 98. 108-98=10. I need to decrease 10 sts in this first bust row. Any changes you need to make to the st count, whether that be increases or decreases, is going to be split evenly on each side, and evenly on the front and the back. For example, I am going to decrease 5 on each side of my top (left and right), and within that, 5 on the front and 5 on the back.
Place a st marker at the halfway point of your round. When you lay your top flat, the beginning of the round and where your st marker is are the two ends/sides of the top.
I need to decrease 5 sts on each side, and equally on the front and back. Because the start of our round is in the middle of the front and the back, I am going to decrease 3 sts at the beginning of this row, and then 2 sts on the other side before my st marker. I am going to decrease 3 sts after my st marker, and then the last 2 sts before the end of the round. This way, we’ve decreased evenly on the front and the back as well as each side.
If you need to increase or decrease an odd number, just do one extra on whichever side you choose to make it as even as possible. Also note – increase and decrease by counts of one, meaning only dc 2 in one st to increase, dont dc 3, or only dc2tog, do not dc3tog. As well, remember that it takes two stitches to make 1 decrease, so if you need to do 3 decreases before a stitch marker, you will start when you have 6 stitches left before that stitch marker.
Once you finish your first round of dc, sl st into the first st, ch 2 and turn. Continue with regular dc back and forth in the round until you’ve completed L4/R2. After that, ch 1 and turn.
Section 3
Once you’ve turned your work, the direction we are starting in will be the back of the top. Grab 3 st markers. Using two of them, mark where you want the back straps to be. Measure how wide your M3 is, and then I’d suggest marking your back straps a little bit narrower/closer together than your front straps (which will be on either end of your M3).
With the other st marker, mark the halfway point in the round, to distinguish between the front and the back of the top. Starting in the first st, sc until you reach your st marker. Remove the st marker and sc in that st. Then ch however long you want your strap to be. Keep in mind it will shorten a bit in the next step, so make it slightly longer than you want it.
Once you’ve chained your desired amount, we are going to go back down to the top. Starting in the second ch from the hook, sl st into the back loop of the chain.
Continue with sl st in the back loop of each ch until you’ve reached the end. Sc into the next st, and into each st until you reach your st marker. Sc in the last st before your second st marker, and then make the second back strap exactly like before. Once you’ve finished the second strap, remove the st marker, and into each st until your 3rd st marker/until you reach the front section of the top.
Now we are starting on the front and shaping the underarm section. You will need to calculate how many decreases you need and where to decrease. Calculate ST2-ST3 to get the number of decreases you need in total, then divide by 2 to get the number of decreases you will do on each side. The number of rows for this section is R3.
If you have more decreases (on one side) than rows – starting on the 1st/bottom row of this section, give each row 1 decrease. Once you’ve run out of rows but still have decreases, go back to the bottom and continue giving each row a decrease until you’ve run out. When decreasing 2 sts beside each other, please do 2 dc2tog, do not dc3tog.
For example – you need to do 9 decreases on each side and have 5 rows to do them. Below, each I is a decrease, this is showing for one side only, you would do this on both sides.
Row 1 – I I
Row 2 – I I
Row 3 – I I
Row 4 – I I
Row 5 – I
The same goes if you have less decreases than rows, Give each row 1 decrease until you can give every other row 1 decrease ending with a decrease on the last row. For example if you need to do 5 decreases on each side and have 7 rows (an X indicates no decreases). Again, shown for one side only, you would do this on both sides.
Row 1 – I
Row 2 – I
Row 3 – I
Row 4 – X
Row 5 – I
Row 6 – X
Row 7 – I
Whenever you do a decrease, it will start in the first two stitches of the row. Continue to do more if you have multiple decreases beside one another. Remember to do the same decreases at the end of each row, and also remember that it takes 2 sts to do a decrease, so if you need to do 2 decreases at the end of a row, start decreasing when there are 4 sts left.
How to dc2tog: yarn over, insert your hook, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through 2. That’s half of a dc st. Instead of finishing it, yarn over and insert your hook into the next st. Yarn over and pull up a loop, yarn over pull through 2, yarn over pull through the remaining 3.
Once you’ve completed this top section you are going to chain your first front strap. Lay your top down flat and make sure the chain for the front strap is just a little bit longer than the back strap when lined up. Do not measure them from base to base, and the front strap starts higher. Again, the strap will shorten a bit when we do the sl st, so make it a bit longer than you need.
Starting in the second ch from the hook, sl st along the entire chain in the back loop. Once you’ve reached the bottom, sc2tog starting in the 1st st of the row.
How to sc2tog: insert your hook, yarn over and pull up a loop. Insert your hook into the next section, yarn over and pull up a loop. Yarn over and pull through the 3 loops on your hook.
Sc across until there are 2 sts left. Sc2tog, then make the other strap. Once you’ve completed the second strap, sl st into the last st and fasten off.
To make the tie for the under bust, simply make a chain that is the length you’d like, and weave through your under bust row at even intervals.
Weave in ends and you are done! Tag me when posting on social media so I can see what you’ve made!
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