Drop Stitch Pattern is Perfect for a Summer Top

I have been feeling a desire to knit a lot of summer tops this season, but it can be a tricky thing because yarn is sometimes heavy even though the size of the yarn in question isn’t large.

Using drop stitches in simple summer top design is one way to combat heavy summer garments. Gina Michele used a cotton and bamboo blend in her drop stitch sweater, which is just two rectangles worked identically and seamed together at the sides.

This is a great pattern for newer knitters or anyone who wants a chic summer garment off their needles in a hurry. This one is great with a simple tank top underneath, or wear with your swimsuit at the beach.

Grab the free pattern from her website.

[Photo: Gina Michele.]

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I happen to live in the Northern Hemisphere, but I know we have a lot of Southern Hemisphere friends, too, who are heading into the cooler months as we are warming up. Whichever one of the seasons you’re in, you might want to stitch up this sweet little hood.

This pattern by saskie&co is called snug hood and it uses two colors of yarn to make a close-fitting pixie style hood (almost a balaclava but it doesn’t cover your face, though there is a neck covering portion to keep you a little warmer). You can use the fingering weight wool and mohair held together that are called for in the pattern, or use a single strand of DK weight yarn.

The neck portion and the edging around the face are worked in ribbing in a single color, while the body of the hat includes an allover colorwork flower pattern. The project is worked both flat and in the round and there is colorwork that is knit flat, which means you’ll have to purl in colorwork (which some people don’t like; also, you can’t see what you’re doing as well on the back of the work).

The pattern comes in one size and the colorwork is charted. Testers noted this is a quick and easy project and a great way to learn some new skills (chart reading, working stranded colorwork flat) if you’ve never tried those things before. They noted the hood is cute, comfortable and warm, and a few said it didn’t take as much yarn as the pattern suggests, so bear that in mind if you’re trying to use stash.

Speaking of the pattern notes, check out all the cute color variations in the projects on Ravelry. From pink and red to blue and white to gray and cream, there are lots of great options to think about.

You can buy this pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: saskie&co]

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