A Knit Vest to Get You Ready for Summer

I know that my posts can be read at different times of year and in different years by different people, but as I write this we’re on teh cusp of summer. And I know a lot of people don’t knit as much, and certainly don’t wear a lot of knits in the summer, but I want to encourage you to make and to wear your makes no matter the temperature.

To introduce you to the joys of summer garment knitting, I offer the Tied Vest from Lion Brand Yarn.

This easy project is great to make and wear throughout the year but it’s especially good for summer. It’s worked flat in one piece from the bottom up, mostly in stockinette stitch with a seed stitch edging. The I-cord ties are worked directly onto the garment so you don’t have to sew them on.

The project uses worsted weight yarn, and calls for a blend of cotton and hemp that’s great for warm weather.

There are eight size options, ranging from a finished chest measurement of 35 to 62.5 inches, or 89 to 159 cm. That makes it sound like it should be worn with at least a few inches of positive ease, but the pattern doesn’t specify.

The ties at the front give it a casual look and make it great to wear over a tank top or T-shirt when the weather is warm.

I also think this one would be good to knit in wool or a warmer fiber, too, to make a version you could wear more comfortably in the winter months, too. Though of course you could layer the summer version over a long-sleeved shirt and wear it throughout the year, too.

The tied vest is a free pattern available from Lion Brand. You can also purchase a kit that includes the yarn and optional needles and stitch markers if you need them.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

Knit an Easy Hooded Vest

Knit Vests to Help Transition to Warmer Weather

Even more than normal this year I’ve been trying to use yarn that I already have. I’m doing lots of odd ball projects, scrappy things and small projects, but it’s also nice sometimes to be able to use a whole skein, and just a single skein, on a project for yourself or for a gift.

The Sunburst Shawl by Jem Arrowsmith is a great option if you have a single skein of sock yarn (100 grams or 400-425 meters, which is around 437 to 465 yards) that you don’t want to make socks out of.

The design includes a section of stockinette with blocks of simple lace mesh offset to make a zig-zag design across the shawl that looks sort of like the rays on a drawing of the sun.

The lace is just yarn over, knit 2 together repeating, so this would be a great first lace knitting project if you haven’t tried that before. The designer also has a video tutorial on their website if you need more help with the technique.

You can use any sock yarn you have on hand, but this one is especially fun with the brightly colored, variegated, speckly and sparkly yarns that you might not otherwise know what to do with. The solid section lets the colors play uninterrupted, while the lace part adds a bit of texture and gives a different look to the yarn.

This asymmetrical triangle shawl measures about 73 inches or 185 cm in wingspan and is 18 inches/45.5 cm deep.

There are several completed projects on Ravelry already so you can see who the design looks in different colors and types of yarn, from self stripping to more solid and tonal options.

The pattern is available for free on Ravelry (note: on the designer’s website it says the pattern is free through Aug. 31, 2026, so I’m not sure if it will be free after that on Ravelry), and if you don’t happen to have the perfect skein of yarn to make this project, the designer also offers kits on their website that include the yarn, pattern and a stitch marker.

[Photo: Jem Arrowsmith]

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