When I was seeking out summer tops I fell in love with a few and bundled them in my Ravelry favorites. I was attracted to Astonish Top because it’s made from linen and cotton (it’s freaking hot in Arkansas), and also has a relaxed and breezy look. It also appears that it does not require an additional tank top underneath from the photos, which is a big plus, because so many of my spring summer tops do require that additional layer.

I decided to use the recommended Knit Picks Lindy Chain yarn because it seems similar to Shibui Knits Linen, which I adore, and the price point is ridiculously cheap. It’s a cotton/linen blend. The colors are gosling for the main color and navy for the contrast. However, even with using the recommended yarn I could not get gauge. My horizontal gauge is too big and the vertical gauge is pretty close. I tried to get gauge on a size 2 (the recommended size) and it wasn’t quite right, so I tried a 1. The vertical gauge on the 1 was waaaaaay off, and the horizontal gauge was barely closer, so I decided to go with the 2 and make adjustments as needed. This is knit on the bias, so I’m thinking of it as one big experiment. The pattern seems to be more focused on knitting until said piece measures so many inches, so I think it will work out.

I’m carrying the navy yarn up the side to avoid weaving in 1,000 ends. I was hoping to get a couple of tops finished before I visit Denver this month. This one probably won’t make it to FO status, but it’s fun to try!

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