Knitting

Free Patterns, Tutorials and Project Ideas

Book Review: Knits for Summer

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Summer isn’t really known as prime knitting season, but the truth is there are a lot of great things you can knit — and wear — when the weather is warm.

Knits for Summer by Kristi Simpson is a booklet with 10 ideas for knit accessories you can use in the summertime. The projects include:

  • barefoot sandals
  • seaside coasters
  • lacy cape
  • rose headband
  • scoop neck top
  • anchor pillow
  • striped tote bag
  • long vest with eyelets (my favorite!)
  • allover eyelet tunic
  • lace wrap with fringe

You can check out all the patterns on the Leisure Arts website.

This is a fun little booklet for those who live in warmer climates or like to have something fun and seasonally appropriate to knit in the summer. All the patterns are rated easy, which makes it a good choice for newer knitters who want to venture into a little bit of lace, colorwork or simple garments.

About the book: 32 pages, paperback, 10 projects. Published 2017 by Leisure Arts, suggested retail price $9.99.

Have you read?

Learn a Flower Bobble Technique to Knit a Fun Shawl

Generally I like knitting patterns where I feel like you can use whatever yarn you have (because my stash is big enough and I want to use it, thanks) and make a successful project. This is one of those times when a special yarn makes the process that much easier. 

The Floral Bouquet Shawl from Xandy Peters uses a specific extended color pooling yarn from Feisty Fibers, which allows you to place the bobble flowers with increasing frequency as you knit the project. 

It starts with a solid color yarn, then the two color yarn is added in, and you make a bobble whenever you encounter the color pops. This would be hard to replicate with other yarn that doesn’t have the extended color pooling built in.

The background of the shawl is ribbed, making the project reversible. 

The shawl uses fingering/sock yarn and comes out to be an asymmetrical triangle that’s 54 inches/137 cm long and 36 inches/ 90 cm deep and 60 inches/150 cm across the top edge. 

Xandy says the pattern is for intermediate to advanced knitters. Knowing how to work traditional bobbles would probably help, but there’s a great video tutorial for how to work the floral bobbles so you can practice on other yarn or even incorporate the bobbles into other projects. 

The bobbles are five-petaled flowers but they also kind of look like starfish to me, which could be fun on a child’s cardigan or other pattern. They’d also be fun on the leg of a sock or around the brim of a hat for extra whimsy. 

The pattern includes photo and video tutorials, and written and charted instructions. It also includes tips on what to look for if you choose to use different yarn for the project, and instructions on how to dye your own yarn to use in the project. 

If you want to give it a try, you can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

[Photo: Xandy Peters]