A Great Striped Sweater for Summer

It might be about the time of year in the northern part of the world where we need to start thinking about transitional pieces (in the south, too, though they are transitioning the other way).

Boxy sweaters in wool blend yarns are great transition pieces because they are easy to use for layering on top of T-shirts or summer dresses and they look great on everyone.

The Super Simple Summer Sweater by Joji Locatelli is a great summer sweater that will suit you well into the next season and beyond. The original is worked in a cotton and wool blend, but all cotton or all wool would be great, too, depending on how you like your sweaters.

It has a large circular yoke and stripes and is worked from the top down in a relaxed shape that’s easy to knit and to wear. There’s also a knitalong going on right now if you’re into that sort of thing.

Grab the pattern on Ravelry for $6.50.

[Photo: Joji Locatelli.]

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There’s always room for more stitch dictionaries on your shelf, but Andrea Rangel’s Knitovation Stitch Dictionary is unlike those stitch pattern books you might already own. That’s because this one is full of colorwork stitch patterns rather than textured stitches, lace or cables, so the designs are ripe for adding to hats, sweaters and other projects with a stockinette stitch background.

The book starts with a quick introduction to knitting colorwork that’s also unlike what you’ve probably seen before, because it’s less about the colors themselves and more about the kinds of fibers you choose, how the yarn is prepared and the gauge you’re working at and how those things all change the look of a design.

Most of the book is filled with motif designs and swatches. The motifs were designed and named by Andrea’s husband Sean, who is an artist and brings a bit of whimsy to the designs.

You’ll find some classic looking leaves and flowers, mosaics and waves, but also rubber ducks, penguins, puzzle pieces, cherries and cows, snails and teapots, eyeballs and chess pieces, to name a few. Many of the designs also have funny names, like a fish named toilet bound, or cats in suits called corporate fat cat.

Of course you can use the designs in any way you want on any project you like, but there are also three patterns in the book — for a hat, a sweater and a pair of fingerless gloves — plus discussion of how the motifs were added, adjusting patterns for a different size or gauge, and adding your own motifs.

If you like adding a bit of colorwork to otherwise plain projects that other people have designed, or you’re ready to start making your own designs with fun motifs, this book is a great place to start. The fun and funny motifs are sure to inspire you to want to pick up your needles and add a little more color to your projects.

About the book: 160 pages, hardcover, 150+ motifs and three knitting patterns. Published 2023 by Interweave, suggested retail $28.

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