Belcourt Tank in Tahki Yarns Tiburon - Downloadable PDF

Belcourt Tank in Tahki Yarns Tiburon — Pattern Summary

About This Design

The Belcourt Tank is a sleeveless pullover tank top designed by Rosemary Drysdale and published as a downloadable PDF pattern by Tahki Yarns. Rated Easy, it is an excellent project for beginner knitters who want to build confidence with shaping and seaming while producing a polished, wearable garment. The tank is available in seven sizes ranging from XS to 3X, with finished bust measurements spanning 34¼ inches to 54¾ inches and lengths from 22 to 27 inches, making it an inclusive, versatile wardrobe staple suited to a wide range of body types.

Construction Method

The Belcourt Tank uses an interesting and somewhat unconventional bottom-up, seamed construction. Notably, the lower back and lower front panels are each worked from side seam to side seam — that is, horizontally — rather than from the bottom hem upward. Once these lower sections are complete, stitches are picked up along both the lower edges (for the border edging) and the upper edges, and the upper back and upper front are then worked upward toward the shoulders in the more traditional vertical direction. This combination of directions gives the finished tank its distinctive textural interest and structured silhouette. The front and back are seamed together at the sides and shoulders to finish the garment.

Techniques Used

• Bottom-up construction — the garment is worked from the lower body upward to the shoulders
• Seamed construction — front and back pieces are knitted separately and joined with seams
• Side-to-side horizontal knitting — the lower front and lower back panels are cast on and worked from one side seam to the other
• Picking up and knitting stitches — stitches are picked up along both the lower and upper edges of the completed panels to work the border and upper body sections
• Front neck shaping — the upper front includes shaping rows to create the neckline
• Binding off in pattern — used throughout to maintain stitch texture at edges
• Circular needle used for edging — a short circular needle is employed for picking up border stitches

Stitches Used

• Ridge Stitch — the primary stitch pattern used throughout the lower back and lower front panels. It is worked over a 12-row repeat: Rows 1–10 alternate knit on the right side and purl on the wrong side (standard Stockinette), while Rows 11 and 12 are both knitted, creating a raised horizontal ridge. This subtle textural detail adds visual interest without complexity.
• Stockinette Stitch — embedded within the Ridge Stitch pattern as the base fabric, and referenced in the gauge swatch
• Seed Stitch — worked over a multiple of 2 stitches plus 1, with every row worked as K1, *P1, K1; repeat from * to end. Seed Stitch is used for the lower border edging, the upper back, and the upper front sections, providing a neat, non-curling, reversible fabric with a classic pebbly texture. It contrasts beautifully with the Ridge Stitch of the lower body.

Materials and Yarn

The pattern is written specifically for Tahki Yarns Tiburon, a DK weight yarn with a luxurious fiber blend of 50% Organic Cotton and 50% Lyocell. Each ball weighs 1.75 oz / 50g and contains approximately 110 yards / 100 meters. The sample shown uses color #04 Sage. Depending on size, the pattern calls for 5 to 10 balls, making it a relatively economical project. The organic cotton and lyocell blend gives the fabric a soft, breathable drape that is ideal for a warm-weather tank top.

Needles and Notions

• One pair of size 6 (4mm) straight knitting needles — or size needed to obtain gauge