Let me start by saying what a joy Athens was to knit. Athens was the first piece I knit with our new linen yarn, Reed, and I loved every minute. I will be perfectly honest with you and tell you that I was not one of the biggest fans of our previous Linen yarn. But I love Reed. Most 100% linen yarns can have a pretty crisp hand, as our Linen did, but Reed starts off with a much softer hand and flows easily over your needles. If you haven’t knit with Reed yet, you owe it to yourself to do so.
At first glance, Athens appears to be a very simple piece, but there is actually quite a bit going on. Reed is held double while you knit the seed stitch hem, to add a little extra weight and help the hemline swing. The seed stitch is continued along the vent edges and there is side shaping to give a slight A-line shape. Athens is obviously primarily Stockinette Stitch, which some of you may find boring to knit. Sometimes I do too, but not with this piece. I found it very meditative and so enjoyable while working with Reed. My hope is Athens will be a piece you knit multiple times will be a go-to piece in your wardrobe.
I have written the pattern to include two armhole depths. If you choose to primarily wear Athens as a tank, you would knit the shorter armhole version, and if you choose to layer it over a sleeved top, you would want to knit the longer or “layering” version.
DESIGN ELEMENTS:
- Weighted seed stitch hem, seed stitch vent edging
- Slight A-Line shaping
- Two armhole depth options
TECHNIQUES
- German Short Rows – shoulder shaping
- Binding of in the Center of a Row – neck shaping
- 3-Needle Bind-Off – shoulders
- Sloped Bind-Off – neck shaping
- Slipped stitch edging – armholes
- Lengthening or shortening option
You might consider pairing Athens with Getty. Athens works great as a layering piece under the cropped Getty. I intend to have at least two Athens in my wardrobe, possibly more if time allows.
Knit on!
Shellie
s h e l Designs 