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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The other day I saw a post from Pinterest about trends for summer and it said one of them was “cultivating whimsy.”

Well, I don’t know where Pinterest has been all this time, but we’ve been cultivating whimsy here at Craft Gossip for a long time. I love sharing projects that are a little different, things that make you smile when you see them, and will make you smile when you knit them and wear them or use them.

Such it is with the Tutti Frutti tee knitting pattern from Bea Creative Knits.

This cute little baby tee is worked top down in the round with contiguous shoulder construction to shape the sleeve caps. There are short rows for the neckline and folded hems with picot edging at the hemline, neckline and edges of the sleeves.

All of this would be great on its own, but then there’s the addition of a super cute fruit icon, which is added with duplicate stitch. There are a lot of options, including strawberry, banana, orange, cherries, watermelon, lemon, blueberries, kiwi, peach, dragon fruit, apple and pear, so it’s likely you can add on your favorite fruit.

It is offered in eight sizes, to fit a bust measurement ranging from 28-30 inches (71-76 cm) to 56-58 inches (142-147 cm). The design is meant to be worn with around 6.3 inches/16 cm of negative ease, but you can choose the fit you prefer. There’s also optional bust and waist shaping included in the pattern if you want to make it even curvier.

This is considered an advanced beginner or intermediate project because of all the skills involved, but it’s sure to be a lot of fun even if some of these techniques are new to you.

Grab a copy of the pattern for yourself form Bea Creative Knits on Etsy.

[Photo: Bea Creative Knits]

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