Like a lot knitters, I feel most inspired to hit the needles when fall and winter roll around. I love flipping through magazine pages to see lofty sweaters and sitting on the sofa knitting something nice and woolly.
But what do I do here in the South when there’s no chance of the temperature sinking below 70 degrees between March and November? I plan, and I learn to start liking [gasp] summer knits.
I know. It seems contrary to what I love most about knitting (warm, squishy yarn!), and it’s a big adjustment, but I think it’s the only way I’ll make it through this time of year without pining for cooler days.
So here’s a look at the patterns I’ve got my eye on this June. I can’t help but laugh when I look at a lot of knit patterns tagged as “spring/summer,” because if you wore most of those patterns here in the South, you’d have heat stroke in less than 5 minutes. You won’t see any of that here. Just light, breezy knits that I can actually wear in the South. Hopefully I’ll cast on something soon or get inspired to create my own summer knit pattern!
Strathcona by Jane Richmond
I’m a sucker for a quick knit. And Strathcona could be just that for me. A stash-busting project, and one that could dress up a tank in summer or a long sleeve tee in the fall. I love how the ends of the scarf are solid and the mesh knit fills in the space between the two. I love all of Jane Richmond‘s patterns that I’ve made before, so I know it’d be a fun project. Plus it features bias knitting, which would be a new technique for me!
Allonge Tee by Bristol Ivy
I’ve yet to make a knitted tee, and I think I would get a lot of use out of it, especially one like this. What most appeals to me about Bristol Ivy‘s Allonge Tee is how the back and color block detail takes a simple design and turns it into something that I can’t take my eyes off of. I think the beauty of the butter yellow yarn and its varying colors has a lot to do with it, but I’m curious to see how I can make this look with some yarn I have stashed away. I can see myself wearing this to work a lot throughout the summer.
Ouverte Tee by Emily Ringelman
I started knitting a tee like this a few seasons ago, but didn’t quite calculate the right amount of yarn I needed, so I stopped. I may pick that one up again (with different yarn) or start fresh with this Ouverte Tee by Emily Ringelman. I like the vertical chevron look of the knitting and think it would hold its shape well over time with the right yarn.
Axil by Norah Gaughan
I’ve really wanted to try one of Norah Gaughan‘s unique construction pieces (especially after her Brooklyn Tweed pattern Chainlink). And I want a nice summer tank, so this could be a good fit! Only thing I would seriously consider changing is the yarn — I don’t see myself enjoying a summer tank made of 50/50 alpaca/wool, so I’ll be on the lookout for a good substitute yarn (probably a linen or cotton mix).
So what do you think? Ready to place a bet on what I’ll cast on first?
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