RACER BACK TOP
Racer backs are the new “IN” thing, and
obviously, I must make one of these at least .. in my repertoire.. don’t you
agree. Obviously you think so too.. so
thanks for joining me once again as we work on and discover this new pattern
together. J
Do check my long Pinterest link for all the free
patterns I’ve written up over the years right at the bottom of this blog.
And inspired by this photo, here are my pattern notes as
I work on my project.
Materials used : Today I’ve
used ~ 150 gms of Indian Red Rose knitting cotton with a 2.5 mm crochet hook
For Indians : Our lovely
Indian Anchor knitting cotton and White rose knitting cotton yarns are a good
substitute. I’d also suggest Alize
cotton yarn – and you can get all of this with a easy mouse click on the top
right hand side of this blog (read : Click here to buy yarns Online)
For Non-Indians : The other
international yarns I’ve used of this thickness are Milford Soft knitting
cotton, DMC Petra knitting cotton, Aunt Lydia Cotton 10 and Hilaza Rustica
Eclat knitting cottons. Technically the
yarn I’ve used would use a 2 – 2.5 mm crochet hook but I like the extra stretch
that a larger hook gives a yarn.
Difficulty level
: Intermediate Skill level.
Stitches used :
fsc : Foundation Single Crochet
: To refresh your skill on the fsc, please view this superb video by Tamara
Kelly at the link http://www.mooglyblog.com/foundation-single-crochet-fsc/
Chainless dc start :
Instead of the usual dc row start with ch 2 or ch 3, I’d like to introduce this
lovely new way of starting a dc row. Do take a look at this self explanatory
video at http://www.mooglyblog.com/chainless-starting-double-crochet/ . In case you are unhappy with this
start, do continue with the usual ch 2 or ch 3 start. However, all instructions are given assuming
that you’re using this chainless dc start.
Here is a sizing chart for general
sizing https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279837597366/ and https://in.pinterest.com/pin/470063279837560772/
How to join
with single crochet : Check the links below :
How to join
with whip stich : Check the links below :
Abbreviations used : Using U.S Terminology
fsdc : Foundation double crochet ch
: Chain
dc : Double crochet sp(s) : Space(s)
st(s) : Stitch(es) hk
: Hook
lp : Loop(s) yo
: Yarn Over
sk : Skip sc
: Single crochet
Instructions : (Using U.S Terminology)
The pattern is not my own. I have used the free pattern from DMC and
this is the link.
My notes
are only because of the difference in yarn and hook.
This
pattern is worked from the bottom up.
I find that the stitch count for this pattern is 22.
I have
started with 220 stitches (per pattern) and I have a first round of 39”.
(Edited to
add : I hope that using the stitch count repeat will work. Please do tell if you are adventurous enough
to try, so that we can help others for whom the start of 220 does not work.
Thanks)
By Round
8, after a few decreases (per pattern), I have a round of 33”
Round 10
seems to have a typo. We are working in
sets of 9-sts each, so the repeats would need to be in sets of 9. Hence 2 sc in the next dc and dc in the next
9 dc will not work. I worked 2 sc in
the next dc and then dc in the next 8 dc.
Round 12
again I think has a slight error.
In Round
11, we’ve got an 18-st set, so in Round 12, we should work in the 9th
and 18th sts, I think.
So rather
than ch 6, sk 9 (I sk 8 and worked in the 9th st) ; and then
I found that the next part worked (i.e ch 6, sk 8 and sl-st into the next st).
I guess if
we marked the centre of each set and then worked in that, it would work
too.
I am not
sure if I did it all right, as I am not happy that the 2nd set of
triangles did not come in the centre, nor that the waves were properly
aligned. I know though, that when worn,
this may not show – but .. hmmm
Front
(from waist to shoulders)
I
worked the instructions per designer, using only the centre 81 sts. It did not work for me. The shape is really good but I felt that
there was too much shoulder and chest that would show through.
I
therefore ripped out and started again.
This time around, I have put in a template for the front and am going to
map this, keeping the pattern in mind…(something I should have done from the
start! Live n learn HAH!). Basically I
just re-attached my yarn further up the back and that way with the decreases it
seemed to work better.
As I
am starting wider off on the first row, I am changing the sc to hdc in the
pattern for the front.
I
also worked a dc 2-tog at the start and end of the dc row in between the 3 hdc
(or sc) rows. I think that is a minor
typo as well… and the designer has worked a decrease on both the dc row as well
as the middle sc rows.
Border (around armhole) :
There
is a border running around the armhole & straps all around. The pattern reads 6 dc shell border, but I
couldn’t see an explanation for it. So
here’s what I have done.
I
first ran a round of ch-2 sps evenly around ensuring I had an even number of
spaces around.
I
worked 2 dc in the 1st ch-2 sp and sc in the next sp. Work this sequence all around and join with a
sl-st.
Border (around the bottom) :
There
is a lovely shelled border that we work after we finish the top, and we work
this in a round. I started with 220
(like the pattern said). Now the stitch
repeat given her is in multiples of 3.. and 220/3 is not an even number.
So I
worked the shell stitch every 5 sts which gives me an even end result.
Skipping
3 sts and working a shell in the 4th st also gives an even number of
shells, but I found that the shells were too close – so chose the 5th
st instead.
This is just a small thing – but if you want an even number of shells, please check that you get an even number when you divide the number of stitches you start with and the number of stitches you are skipping.
This
means that if you work shell in one st, and sk 4, you will work one shell every
5 sts. So 5 is your stitch count. Got
it?
In
the final round of shells, I have opted to work 7 dc (as against 10 dc) in each
ch-sp.. oh and I worked a ch-5 sp all around (as against a ch-7 sp).
I am
thrilled that I got my first racer back done.. now to find a model to get this
onto social media ;)
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Have a great day and see you soon. J
Here are some of my older creations.
Have fun with these free patterns too
