An Easy Sleeve for Summer Sweaters

I enjoy knitting sweaters and tops, but I will admit that I’m not a huge fan of knitting sleeves. For one thing, I always seem to knit one a few rows longer than the other, even when I’m counting carefully. For another, getting the sleeve to fit into the armhole is not always an easy feat.

Lately I’ve been knitting top-down style sleeves on just about everything. You pick up stitches all the way around but then work short rows across progressively longer sections of the top of the sleeve to form the cap that goes over the shoulder. Then you join in the round and work the rest of the sleeve down as long as you need it to go.

But this idea from Jordana Paige is also intriguing. She calls it the Magic Sleeve and says it works for drop shoulder, modified drop shoulder and set in sleeve patterns. It starts with picking up stitches and knitting flat for half the armhole width, and then is worked in the round for the remainder. You have to sew up the underarm seam when you’re done but it’s pretty simple and makes a nice little casual sleeve for a summery top.

Looking for more summer top knitting patterns? Check these out.

How do you deal with sleeves? I’d love to hear your favorite methods.

[Photo via Jordana Paige.]

If you have a little one in your life, Knits for Little Ones by Lotte Rahbek is full of sweet patterns for kids ages 0-2 inspired by nature and the sea.

Rahbek is a designer of Nordic inspired knits and these projects include lots of simple but nice details like stripes, cables, ruffles and eyelets.

There are no knitting instructions in the book and one page that includes descriptions of a few techniques like raglan shaping, picking up stitches and German short rows, so it’s good if you have some knitting knowledge under your belt before you pick up this book. There is a little chart that shows some of the skills required in different projects such as I-cord, picking up stitches or cable and lace patterns.

The skill levels are described as beginner, somewhat experienced and experienced. Of the 22 patterns, 6 are rated for beginners, 7 for somewhat experienced and 9 for experienced knitters. I’m not entirely sure I agree with her ratings, which put anything with cables or lace in the experienced section, including a baby blanket that’s worked flat and mostly garter stitch with easy cabled stripes.

The patterns for beginners include socks worked on double pointed needles, which I wouldn’t consider a beginner skill. Others are a bottom up raglan worked in garter stitch with stripes, a colorblocked raglan worked from the bottom up, a pair of shorts with stripes and a drawstring waistband, top down leggings with an elastic waistband and a little knit collar with a ruffle.

Other projects include that pointed bonnet featured on the cover, a twirly dress, bloomers, a romper, cardigans and a ruffled vest, to name a few.

She leans heavily on ruffles and little cables and embellishments, which feels a little repetitive but does make the collection feel cohesive. I’d have loved to see more colorwork, but that’s clearly not what she was going for.

The photographs of kids of various ages on the beach are darling and will make you wish you had a baby and a beach to re-create some of these scenes.

If you like simple designs with a few fun details and have a kiddo under 2 to knit for, this collection is lovely and will result in pieces you are sure to treasure.

About the book: 176 pages, 22 patterns. Published 2025 by Penguin UK. Suggested retail price $16.99.

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