Voluminous Tank by Ashlea Schumaker: A Complete Guide to This Gorgeous Knitting Pattern

If you’ve been scrolling through knitting communities lately, chances are you’ve come across the Voluminous Tank by Ashlea Schumaker. This stunning pattern has captured the hearts of knitters everywhere, and for good reason. With its effortlessly chic silhouette, satisfying construction, and wearable style, the Voluminous Tank has earned its place as one of the most beloved modern knitting patterns in recent years. Whether you’re new to garment knitting or a seasoned maker looking for your next project, this guide covers everything you need to know before casting on.

What Is the Voluminous Tank by Ashlea Schumaker?

The Voluminous Tank is an oversized, sleeveless top designed by independent knitwear designer Ashlea Schumaker. True to its name, the tank features a beautifully relaxed, voluminous fit that drapes elegantly over the body. It’s the kind of garment that looks equally at home tucked into high-waisted jeans for a casual weekend look or layered over a long-sleeve shirt for transitional-season dressing.

Ashlea Schumaker is known for designing garments that are approachable for intermediate knitters while still offering enough technique and visual interest to keep the process engaging. The Voluminous Tank is no exception. It uses straightforward shaping methods, clean lines, and just enough construction detail to make the finished object feel truly special.

The pattern is available on Ravelry and through Ashlea Schumaker’s own design platforms, making it easy to access no matter where you prefer to purchase your patterns.

Who Is This Pattern For?

The Voluminous Tank is generally listed as an intermediate-level pattern, though confident beginners who have completed at least one sweater or garment project could absolutely take it on with a bit of patience. If you’re comfortable with the following skills, you’re in great shape to start:

Working in the round or flat knitting (depending on how you approach the construction), basic increases and decreases, picking up and knitting stitches for finishing, and reading a multi-size pattern with ease. You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to be willing to read the pattern carefully and take your time with gauge.

Understanding the Gauge and Yarn Weight

As with any garment pattern, gauge is everything with the Voluminous Tank. Getting gauge wrong can mean the difference between a beautifully fitting top and something that ends up too large or too snug. Ashlea Schumaker designs with specific gauge recommendations in mind, so it’s worth spending the time to knit a proper swatch before diving into the full project.

The Voluminous Tank is typically worked in a bulky or super bulky weight yarn, which is one of the reasons it knits up so quickly and achieves that signature voluminous look. Thicker yarns give the fabric body and drape simultaneously, especially when paired with a larger needle size that allows the fabric to relax and flow.

When swatching, knit a piece that’s larger than your target gauge square — usually at least six inches by six inches — so you can measure the center of the swatch away from the edges, which tend to curl and distort. Wash and block your swatch before measuring, because the finished fabric can change considerably after wet blocking, particularly with natural fibers.

If your gauge is off, adjust your needle size. Going up a needle size will loosen your gauge, and going down will tighten it. Don’t be surprised if you need to try two or three needle sizes before landing on the right one. That’s completely normal and part of the garment-knitting process.

Choosing the Right Yarn

One of the most exciting parts of any new project is choosing yarn, and the Voluminous Tank opens up some truly beautiful possibilities. Because the pattern calls for a chunkier weight, you’ll want a yarn that has good stitch definition (so the simple construction reads beautifully) and enough drape to achieve the relaxed, oversized look the design is known for.

Some popular yarn choices among knitters who have made the Voluminous Tank include:

Single-ply or loosely plied wools tend to give that soft, airy quality that suits the pattern well. Yarns like Malabrigo Rasta, Wool and the Gang’s Crazy Sexy Wool, or similar chunky singles give the fabric a lovely organic texture.

Merino blends are another excellent option. They’re soft against the skin (important for a tank worn close to the body), have a beautiful sheen that makes the finished garment look polished, and they block beautifully. Brands like Brooklyn Tweed, Quince & Co., and Cascade offer chunky merino options that would be stunning for this project.

Cotton or linen blends can work beautifully too, especially if you plan to wear the tank in warmer weather. Keep in mind that plant-based fibers have less stretch than wool, so swatching becomes even more important to nail down your gauge accurately.

Alpaca blends bring incredible softness and a gorgeous halo effect to the project. Alpaca has excellent drape, which suits the voluminous silhouette perfectly. Just be aware that alpaca-heavy yarns can grow significantly after washing, so swatch carefully and perhaps even knit a size down.

Whatever yarn you choose, make sure to calculate your yardage carefully before purchasing. It’s always better to buy an extra skein than to run out partway through your project, especially with hand-dyed yarns where dye lots can vary. The Voluminous Tank is not a small-yardage project, so plan accordingly.

Sizing and Fit

The Voluminous Tank is designed with positive ease in mind, meaning the finished measurements are larger than your actual body measurements. This is intentional — the oversized, drapey fit is central to the aesthetic of the design. When choosing your size, pay close attention to the finished garment measurements rather than just selecting your typical clothing size.

Ashlea Schumaker generally provides a generous size range to accommodate a wide variety of bodies, which is one of the things knitters appreciate about her patterns. Look at the finished bust measurement and choose a size that has the amount of positive ease you prefer. Many knitters who make this top choose somewhere between four and eight inches of positive ease for a relaxed but not exaggerated look.

If you fall between sizes, consider your yarn and gauge as factors. A denser fabric will have less drape and may feel smaller on the body, while a more open fabric will drape and stretch. Your body shape matters too — if you carry more volume in the hips or bust, you may want to go up a size even if your measurements technically land you in a smaller one.

Construction Overview

Without giving away the full pattern (since you’ll want to purchase it directly from Ashlea Schumaker to support her work as an independent designer), here’s a general sense of how garments like the Voluminous Tank tend to be constructed.

Most tops in this style are worked in pieces — a front and a back — that are seamed together at the shoulders and sides. This construction method is actually great for newer garment knitters because it gives you something familiar and manageable to work with. Flat knitting lets you clearly see your shaping as you go, and seaming at the end gives the garment structure and stability.

The armholes and neckline are typically shaped with simple decreases, creating clean curves that look polished in the finished object. After the main pieces are complete, you’ll usually pick up stitches around the armholes and neckline to work a tidy ribbed or garter edging that keeps everything neat and prevents rolling.

The simplicity of the construction is part of the appeal. This isn’t a technically complicated pattern, but the design choices — the proportions, the ease, the yarn weight — all come together to create something that looks far more sophisticated than the knitting behind it.

Tips for Success

Even with a relatively straightforward pattern, there are always a few things that can make the knitting experience smoother. Here are some practical tips for getting the best results from your Voluminous Tank.

Read through the entire pattern before you cast on. This sounds obvious, but it’s one of the most valuable things you can do. Understanding where the pattern is headed helps you catch any confusing steps before you’re in the middle of them, and it helps you see how all the pieces connect.

Make a real swatch. We mentioned this above, but it bears repeating. Knitting a proper swatch — in the round if the pattern is knit in the round, washed and blocked before measuring — is the single most important step for garment success. Skipping the swatch is the fastest route to frustration.

Use stitch markers generously. Marking your shaping points makes it much easier to keep track of where your increases and decreases happen, especially when you’re working on a lazy afternoon with a podcast in your ears.

Try the garment on as you go. With flat knitting, it’s easy to hold the pieces up to your body periodically to check that your measurements match the schematic. Catching a sizing problem early means you can frog back a few rows rather than the whole thing.

Block your finished pieces before seaming. Blocking the front and back flat before you seam them together makes the seaming much easier and produces a tidier, more professional result. Wet blocking is generally recommended for wool — soak the piece in cool water, gently squeeze out excess moisture, and lay flat to dry in the correct dimensions.

Take your time with seaming. Mattress stitch is the most common seaming method for a reason — it produces an almost invisible seam when done carefully. Go slowly, keep your tension even, and you’ll end up with a garment that looks like it was knit seamlessly.

Styling the Voluminous Tank

Once you’ve finished your tank and woven in all your ends (the least glamorous but essential final step), the real fun begins. The Voluminous Tank is remarkably versatile for a handknit garment.

In warmer months, wear it over a simple bralette or bandeau, tucked into wide-leg linen trousers or flowing midi skirts. The chunky knit against flowing fabric creates a beautiful contrast in texture and silhouette. A pair of sandals or simple sneakers completes the look effortlessly.

As the weather cools, the Voluminous Tank layers beautifully. Try it over a fitted long-sleeve shirt or a thin turtleneck for a cozy, textural look. Throw a blazer over everything and you’ve got an outfit that transitions easily from a farmers market to a casual dinner out.

The tank also makes a great layering piece under overalls or dungarees, where just a bit of the chunky knit peeks out at the neckline and armholes for a playful, artsy vibe.

Because the pattern is designed with such a relaxed silhouette, it suits a wide range of body types and personal aesthetics. Whether you lean toward minimalist dressing or more eclectic style, the Voluminous Tank adapts.

Why Knitters Love This Pattern

The Voluminous Tank has accumulated thousands of project pages on Ravelry, and the comments and photographs speak for themselves. Knitters love it for a number of reasons that go beyond just the aesthetic of the finished object.

The pattern is a relatively quick knit for a garment. Working with bulky yarn and larger needles means you’re not staring down endless rows of fingering weight fabric. Many knitters finish the tank in a long weekend or over the course of a couple of weeks of casual evening knitting.

The simplicity of the construction makes it satisfying rather than stressful. There are no complex cable panels or intricate colorwork to worry about. The pattern lets the yarn and the proportions do the work, which is a refreshing approach.

The finished garment is genuinely wearable and flattering. Many handknit projects end up sitting in a drawer or decorating a shelf because they’re beautiful but impractical. The Voluminous Tank is the opposite — it’s the kind of thing you reach for again and again because it actually fits into your wardrobe and life.

And perhaps most meaningfully, finishing a garment — especially one that you wear in public and receive compliments on — is one of the most satisfying experiences in all of crafting. The Voluminous Tank delivers that satisfaction in a way that feels accessible and achievable rather than intimidating.

Supporting Independent Designers

Purchasing the Voluminous Tank pattern directly from Ashlea Schumaker means you’re supporting an independent knitwear designer who pours time, creativity, and expertise into her work. Independent designers are the backbone of the modern knitting community. They bring fresh perspectives, diverse aesthetics, and thoughtful construction techniques to a craft with a rich history, and they deserve to be compensated fairly for that work.

When you purchase a pattern, you’re not just buying instructions — you’re investing in someone’s livelihood and encouraging them to keep designing the things that make our knitting lives richer. Take a look at the rest of Ashlea Schumaker’s pattern catalog while you’re there. You might just find your next project waiting for you.

Final Thoughts

The Voluminous Tank by Ashlea Schumaker is exactly the kind of pattern the knitting world needs more of: beautiful, wearable, accessible, and rewarding. Whether you’re a beginner stretching into your first garment or an experienced knitter looking for a satisfying, relatively quick project, this tank delivers on every front.

Take the time to swatch carefully, choose a yarn you love, and approach the construction with patience. The result will be a handmade garment that you’ll reach for season after season — and that never fails to earn the best compliment a handknitter can receive: “Did you make that yourself?”

Happy knitting.