purlJam

# Classic Worsted Tank Top
### A beginner-friendly, seamed tank with a round neck

A timeless, easy-to-wear tank top worked flat in two pieces and seamed. With simple armhole and neckline shaping plus tidy ribbed borders, it's an ideal first garment for layering or wearing solo. Written for Size M, with notes for adjusting.

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## SIZING

Sample shown in **Size M**.
- **To fit bust:** 96–102 cm (38–40")
- **Finished bust:** approx. 111 cm (44") — includes ~2–4" standard ease
- **Total length:** approx. 56 cm (22")

> *This pattern is written primarily for one size (M) to keep it beginner-friendly. To size up or down, add/remove stitches in multiples of 4 to keep the ribbing even — roughly 8–10 sts per size.*

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## MATERIALS

- **Yarn:** Worsted weight (Aran/4) wool, acrylic, or wool-blend
  - Approx. **350–400 m / 380–440 yds** (around 200 g)
- **Needles:**
  - **4.5 mm (US 7)** straight or circular needles — main body
  - **4.0 mm (US 6)** needles — ribbed borders (optional, for neater edges)
- **Notions:**
  - Stitch holders or waste yarn
  - Yarn needle for seaming
  - Stitch markers

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## TENSION (GAUGE)

**18 sts × 24 rows = 10 cm (4")** in stocking stitch on 4.5 mm needles, after blocking.

> *Always knit a tension swatch. If you have too many stitches per 10 cm, try a larger needle; too few, try a smaller one. Correct tension ensures the finished measurements match.*

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## ABBREVIATIONS (UK)

- **k** – knit
- **p** – purl
- **st(s)** – stitch(es)
- **RS / WS** – right side / wrong side
- **st st** – stocking stitch (k on RS, p on WS)
- **k2tog** – knit 2 together (decrease)
- **ssk** – slip, slip, knit (decrease)
- **rep** – repeat
- **beg** – beginning

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## CONSTRUCTION NOTES

The tank is worked flat in two pieces (Back and Front), then seamed at the shoulders and sides. Borders are added last by picking up stitches around the armholes and neckline. Stocking stitch curls naturally — blocking and the ribbed borders keep everything flat.

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## BACK

With 4.0 mm needles, **cast on 100 sts**.

**Ribbing:**
- **Row 1 (RS):** *k2, p2; rep from * to end.
- **Row 2 (WS):** *k2, p2; rep from * to end.
- Rep these 2 rows until ribbing measures **4 cm (1½")**, ending with a WS row.

Change to 4.5 mm needles.

**Body:**
- Work in st st (k on RS, p on WS) until piece measures **34 cm (13½")** from cast-on edge, ending with a WS row.

> *Checkpoint: you should still have **100 sts**.*

### Shape Armholes
- **Next row (RS):** Bind off 4 sts, knit to end. *(96 sts)*
- **Next row (WS):** Bind off 4 sts, purl to end. *(92 sts)*
- **Decrease row (RS):** k1, ssk, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1. *(2 sts decreased)*
- **Next row (WS):** purl.
- Rep the last 2 rows **5 more times**. *(6 decrease rows total: 92 − 12 = 80 sts)*

> *Checkpoint: **80 sts** remain.*

**Work even** in st st until armhole measures **21.5 cm (8½")** from the start of the armhole shaping, ending with a WS row.

### Shape Shoulders
- **Row 1 (RS):** Bind off 8 sts, knit to end. *(72 sts)*
- **Row 2 (WS):** Bind off 8 sts, purl to end. *(64 sts)*
- **Row 3:** Bind off 8 sts, knit to end. *(56 sts)*
- **Row 4:** Bind off 8 sts, purl to end. *(48 sts)*
- **Row 5:** Bind off 8 sts, knit to end. *(40 sts)*
- **Row 6:** Bind off 8 sts, purl to end. *(32 sts)*

> *Each shoulder = 24 sts bound off in three steps of 8. Back neck = 32 sts remaining.*

**Bind off remaining 32 sts** for the back neck.

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## FRONT

Work exactly as for the Back through the armhole shaping, **until 80 sts remain** after the armhole decreases.

**Work even** in st st until armhole measures **12 cm (4¾")**, ending with a WS row.

### Shape Neck
We will divide the work and shape each side of the neck separately. The centre 16 sts form the base of the round neck.

- **Next row (RS):** k32, then place the next 16 sts on a stitch holder (centre neck), join a second ball of yarn, k32. *(32 sts each side; both sides now worked at the same time)*

**Working both sides at once with separate yarn balls:**

- **Decrease row (RS):** On the first (left) side, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1; on the second (right) side, k1, ssk, knit to end. *(1 st decreased each neck edge)*
- **Next row (WS):** purl both sides.
- Rep the last 2 rows **7 more times**. *(8 neck decrease rows total: 32 − 8 = 24 sts each side)*

> *Checkpoint: **24 sts** on each shoulder — this matches the Back shoulder count.*

**Work even** on both sides until the armhole measures the same as the Back (**21.5 cm / 8½"** from start of armhole shaping), ending with a WS row.

### Shape Shoulders
Work each shoulder to match the Back, binding off at the armhole edges:

**Right shoulder (armhole edge at RS start):**
- **RS:** Bind off 8 sts, knit to end. *(16 sts)*
- **WS:** purl.
- **RS:** Bind off 8 sts, knit to end. *(8 sts)*
- **WS:** purl.
- **RS:** Bind off remaining 8 sts.

**Left shoulder (armhole edge at WS start):**
- **WS:** Bind off 8 sts, purl to end. *(16 sts)*
- **RS:** knit.
- **WS:** Bind off 8 sts, purl to end. *(8 sts)*
- **RS:** knit.
- **WS:** Bind off remaining 8 sts.

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## FINISHING

### Block
Pin both pieces to their finished measurements and block (wet or steam, per yarn label). This relaxes the curl and evens the stitches.

### Seam Shoulders
With RS together (or using mattress stitch on RS), seam both shoulder seams, matching the 24 bound-off shoulder stitches on Front and Back.

### Neckband
With 4.0 mm needles and RS facing, beginning at one shoulder seam, pick up and knit stitches around the neckline as follows:
- Across the Back neck: **32 sts**
- Down the left front neck edge: approx. **16 sts**
- The 16 held centre sts: **16 sts**
- Up the right front neck edge: approx. **16 sts**

Total ≈ **80 sts**. *(Adjust to a multiple of 4 if needed for the ribbing.)*

- Join to work in the round (if using circular needles), place marker at the start.
- **Work k2, p2 ribbing** for **2.5 cm (1")**.
- Bind off loosely in pattern.

> *If working flat with straight needles, pick up and work the band in rows, then seam the short edge at the shoulder.*

### Armhole Bands
With 4.0 mm needles and RS facing, beginning at the underarm side seam area, pick up and knit approx. **88 sts** evenly around each armhole edge (a multiple of 4).
- Work **k2, p2 ribbing** for **2 cm (¾")**.
- Bind off loosely in pattern.

### Side Seams
With RS together or using mattress stitch, seam the side seams from the underarm down to the cast-on edge, matching the ribbing.

### Weave In Ends
Weave in all loose ends on the WS. Give a final light block if desired.

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## FINISHED MEASUREMENTS RECAP (Size M)

| Measurement | cm | inches |
|---|---|---|
| Finished bust (around) | ~111 cm | ~44" |
| Total length | ~56 cm | ~22" |
| Armhole depth | ~21.5 cm | ~8½" |
| Shoulder width (each) | ~13 cm | ~5" |

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## MATH VALIDATION (for your confidence)

- **Cast-on:** 100 sts ÷ 18 sts per 10 cm × 10 = **55.5 cm** flat width → ×2 pieces = 111 cm finished bust. ✓
- **Armhole stitches:** 100 − 8 (bind-offs) − 12 (decreases over 6 RS rows) = **80 sts**. ✓
- **Back shoulders:** (80 − 32 back neck) ÷ 2 = **24 sts each**, bound off as 8+8+8. ✓
- **Front neck:** 80 sts → 16 held centre + 32 each side; 32 − 8 decreases = **24 sts each shoulder**, matching Back. ✓
- **Ribbing rows:** k2/p2 over 100 sts (multiple of 4) works evenly. ✓

Enjoy your finished tank top! 🧶