Knit Summer Tops with Fun Necklines

June 22, 2026 by Sarah White

I mentioned the other day that there are, or at least it feels like there are, a lot more options for knitting garments to wear in the summer, and I want to share as many of them as I can, but it’s sometimes hard to classify them in a way that makes sense. Thus the collection of knit summer tops with fun necklines. Enjoy.

For example, the Kyoto keyhole top from madebyrosh. This cute little top is made from the top down mostly in the round with a keyhole opening for the neckline and cap sleeves. It’s a made to measure pattern so you can use whatever yarn and gauge you like to make a top that fits just the way you want. The pattern, which is available on Ravelry, includes a PDF lookbook so you can see a bunch of different options for how to stitch up your top.

Una Gil’s Miu Top has a wide boatneck and is worked with a sport weight yarn and a mohair yarn held together. It has a ribbed waist for a cinched look and a more relaxed, drapey upper body. The boatneck can be worn off one shoulder or both, or you can wear it as a classic boatneck. The pattern is on Ravelry and is available in five sizes.

The Anna Top from Lea at kisskiss.rhinestones can be styled two different ways: as a sort of standard looking sleeveless turtleneck or with the hook and eye closures worn at the front. This is more of an option for those with smaller busts, but you can give it a try regardless. There’s also some optional bust shaping in the pattern, which would no longer make it reversible. There are nine size options and the pattern uses sport weight yarn. You can find it on Ravelry.

Ekaterina Filippova-Blanchard has the XOXO Tank pattern, which has a deep V-neck with a wide crossed stitch border at the neckline and the hem. This one uses DK weight yarn and would be a great piece to transition into fall because you can wear it like a vest. There are eight size options and you can find the pattern on Ravelry.

Have you read?

Knit Little Fish to Use Your Yarn Scraps

I rarely understand why something becomes a trend in crafting. Gnomes and geese are both cute I guess, but I never thought we’d be making them for all seasons. (See, for example, this collection of gnome knitting patterns, or these knit geese.)

Another one I don’t totally understand is sardines or little fish more generally. Sure, they’re cute, and the shape is fun, but I had no idea when I was sharing this pattern for a fish-shaped pouch last year that it would become a hugely popular pattern that people are still searching for on the site. It is pretty cute, though, so if you weren’t around then or don’t remember you should got check it out.

Recently another fishy knitting pattern crossed my monitor: the little knit fish from Classical Songbird Designs.

Just as the name suggests, these fish are little, about 4.5 inches or 11 cm from end to end. They look like little sardines and take about 12 yards of sock yarn to make.

You can even make a two-tone fish and use just 6 yards of each color.

This sounds to me like just about the perfect use for the yarn that’s left over after knitting a pair of socks, or a mini skein or several that have been sitting around unused in your stash.

The fish are knit flat in one piece, which makes it easy to stitch on the eyes with more yarn or embroidery floss before stuffing, and you can stitch up the sides while you stuff (though it’s not a very big piece so you could probably stitch and then stuff, finishing with the end of the tail).

Because I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one wondering, I measured an Altoids box and as the pattern is written the fish are a little too big to fit in it (the box is about 4 inches/10 cm long). But you could make the fish a little smaller if you want to make a box of them. Or just make a fishy bag to put them in!

You can grab the free pattern for the little knit fish at Classical Songbird Designs.

[Photo: Classical Songbird Designs.]