Free Pattern: Heat Wave Necklaces

Speaking of simple projects to jazz up your wardrobe, it doesn’t get much easier than knitting I-cord into a simple circle you can wear singly or stacked.

The Heat Wave Necklaces from the Fibre Company (designed by Kate Gagnon Osborn) are a great way to use up a bit of stash. You can change colors whenever you like or use the stripe sequence and repeats suggested in one of the two variations.

As knit the patterns use six different colors of Canopy Fingering, a fine alpaca/wool/viscose from bamboo blend, and size 2 US (2.75 mm) double-pointed needles.

One thing that’s kind of fun about this project is that it uses a provisional cast on and grafting to make a perfect circle where you can’t see the beginning or end. If you can’t stand kitchener, go ahead and cast on and bind off as normal, then sew the cast on and bind off edges together. Maybe sew a decorative button on top and no one will ever know.

[Photo by The Fibre Company.]

Next Pattern:

I know knitting a dress sounds like a major time commitment. And that’s before I even tell you that this particular dress, the Sixth Ave Skater Dress by Briana Luppino, is worked in light fingering weight yarn.

But would you just take a moment to look at it and tell me if it doesn’t look like it would be worth all the time you would spend knitting it? And it’s miles of stockinette stitch so it’s actually beginner friendly and a great semi-mindless knit you can take with you on your travels this summer and wear when it is done.

The dress is worked from the top down with tank straps, a scoop neck, waist shaping and a flowy skirt for a fun and comfortable fit.

The pattern has 10 sizes, with finished bust measurements ranging from 28 to 64 inches, or 71.5 to 163 cm. The sample shown was worked with 4 inches/10 cm of negative ease at the bust, and the designer says most people like between 2 and 6 inches/5 to 15 cm of negative ease in the bust and around 10 inches/25.4 cm positive ease in the hips.

(To refresh your memory, negative ease means the measurement of the garment is smaller than your actual body measurement, while positive ease is bigger than your body.)

To pick a size you’d work from the bust measurement because you can always add more or fewer decreases as you need to get your desired fit at the waist and hips. And because it’s worked from the top down you can try it on as often as you like to make sure it’s the perfect fit.

The I-cord edgings give the dress a super casual feel, and I think this would be a great one to add to your summer rotation. (Yes, even with a wool blend yarn.)

You can see lots of cute finished versions and grab a copy of the pattern for yourself on Ravelry.

[Photo: Briana Luppino]

Book Review – Knitted Tanks and Tunics

How to Knit a Simple Sweater Dress

Next Pattern:

Have you read?