A Weightless Sweater to Knit for Summer

I know it can be hard to think of sweaters as being a summer knitting project, whether just knitting them or actually wearing them. But it is possible to make a sweater that’s perfect for wearing when the weather is hot.

The Islet Raglan by Leila Raven does it by being worked in light fingering weight yarn on a larger than expected needle and including a lace pattern. All of this combines to make for a very lightweight garment that’s great to slip on over tank tops or summer dresses.

The boat neck top is worked in the round from the top down and features raglan shaping on the sleeves. You can make the sleeves short, three-quarter or full length as you like.

The pattern is meant to be worked with two different kinds of yarn, a smoother yarn contrasted with a fuzzier one. The fuzzy yarn is used to work solid stripes, while the smoother yarn is used to make the lace pattern. You can also use different colors for the different kinds of yarn or use the same color for more subtle contrast.

This is a time when swatching can give you a lot of good information because you can play with different yarns, colors and textures to see what combination you like best for your sweater.

There are 10 sizes available, with an actual chest measurement ranging from 33 to 73 inches, or 84 to 185.5 cm. It’s intended to be worn with 3 to 6 inches/7.5 to 15 cm of positive ease.

This pattern can be purchased individually or there is an option to buy both this one and the Islet Drop, which is sort of the opposite pattern, worked from the bottom up with a dropped sleeve for a more relaxed look and fit.

You can learn more about both patterns on Ravelry.

[Photo: Leila Raven]

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Magical Woodland Knits by Clare Garland is a few years old as I write this, but it’s such a fun book I couldn’t resist sharing it. Step into a magical forest full of realistic woodland creatures including rabbit, deer and squirrel, birds and mice, to name a few.

In all there are 12 creatures, and though they are rather small (the wolf is the largest at 14.5 inches/37 cm tall and 18.5 inches/47 cm long), they are so detailed these are definitely not projects for new knitters.

One of the smaller projects, for example, is the robin, at 5/5 inches/14 cm long. It calls for nine different kinds of yarn. Sometimes some are held together, while others are worked with on their own. This pattern only includes three pages of instructions, but the print is rather small and in that time there are six different sets of short rows. None of this makes it too difficult for a knitter with experience reading detailed patterns, working short rows and working with multiple strands of yarn at once, but it’s worth knowing going in that even for small projects you’ll need a lot of supplies and time to work on them.

These are also not meant to be children’s toys, as they can include wires and other supports that could be a danger to little ones.

The process photos often look like taxidermy on a tiny scale, with little animal pelts stretched out and tons of stitch markers showing where and how things go together.

The finished animals are so pretty it’s certainly worth the effort to stitch up these creatures. You might be tempted to make all 12 and set up your own forest scene or use them to decorate your Christmas tree. You can check out all the patterns on Ravelry.

Along the way you’ll also find a little folklore about the animals, charming drawings and pretty photos of the finished animals, too. In the back you’ll find some helpful techniques like picking up stitches, making I-cord and working short rows.

About the book: 128 pages, paperback, 12 patterns. Published 2020 by David & Charles. Suggested retail price $24.99.

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