This has been a test...

...there will be no actual wearing -- by this writer, at any rate!

In my continuing quest to attain crochet shaping skills I decided to try this pattern. I already had one of the recommended yarns on hand, so off we go!

In the past I've had difficulties with following written crochet instructions, but this pattern is very clearly written and has numerous photos. I especially appreciated the inclusion of a stitch count for every row -- no getting lost when you know exactly how many stitches you should end up with. Sizing for this model is determined by cup size -- since my dress form is well endowed I went with a C cup sample. Although for purposes of this exercise I only made the top, looking through the directions for the bikini bottom it would appear to be equally well written.

The yarn used was Elann's Esprit -- a cotton/elastic blend that has 186 yards (stretched) or 100 yards unstretched. When using yarns of this type I always try not to add additional stretch when working with them. It molded over curves very nicely, but I did notice quite a lot of waviness in the ties. I think this was due to the nature of the yarn, rather than how I worked with it.

If I had been making this to wear myself I think I might have tried replacing the neck ties with a one-piece halter strap. The ties are quite long, and I would expect that they could be a bit annoying when lying down while sunbathing. Could you swim in it? Well, just how brave are you? In any event, for those who are looking for a well-written bikini pattern, this could be the pattern for you.