More Summer Top Knitting Patterns to Finish Out the Season

August 10, 2023 by Sarah White Leave a Comment

Whether it feels like summer is never going to end where you live or like it’s never going to come, we’re all wrong, but the season change probably isn’t coming as fast as we might hope.

If you’re clinging to the end of summer or can’t wait for it to get started, now’s a great time to cast on a summer top (I just started a Boho Shell the other day — you can get the pattern by Annie Lupton on Ravelry). Here are a few that have caught my eye this season.

Have a festival or concert on your calendar? You’ll want to stitch up the Summer Bandana top, a free pattern from We Are Knitters. Designed by Erica Gabriella Studio, this is basically just a big triangle with straps, so you can customize it to fit you easily. (Free registration required to download pattern.)

I want to believe that knitting the Arewena short sleeve top from Handmade by Kunbi will make me as happy as she looks in the pictures. It’s worth a shot, right? Who wouldn’t be delighted to wear this pretty top, with an allover lace pattern worked from the top down in DK weight yarn. It comes in nine sizes and you can grab your copy on Etsy.

The Dawning Top by Ainur Berkimbayeva is a great little A-line tank top with eyelets for extra airflow coupled with spokes that emphasize the shape. It’s worked in sport weight yarn and has 12 size options, and you can get it on Ravelry.

Take yourself on a little knitting adventure with the Adventure Tank from Disturbing the Fleece. Originally done as a knitalong, the pattern is now available for purchase. I like that this one has wide straps (almost but not quite cap sleeves) and because it’s worked from the top down you can make it as long as you like. It also has 12 sizes and you’ll find it on Etsy.

The Muse Tee by Amanda Solomon is a simple cropped scoop neck worked from the top down and uses three strands of yarn — a DK and two fingering weight — to make a worsted weight yarn. Hello, stash busting! But it’s worked on size 13 US needles (9 mm) for a open fabric that’s perfect for layering throughout the year. It comes in nine sizes up to a 65 inch chest circumference and you can grab a copy on Ravelry.

The Slightly Sassy V from Aimee Sher is another one that can span seasons because you can work this fingering weight, top down, raglan V-neck with short or long sleeves. It uses a super simple and sleek I-cord edging, and has options for adding bust darts for a more custom fit if needed. You can get this pattern on Ravelry.

Book Review ‘Summer Knitting for Little Sweethearts

Book Review-; Easy Knit Summer Tops: 15 Warm Weather Knits

Easy Tops to Knit for Spring and Summer

Knit Lounge Shorts Perfect for Summer

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Book Review: Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit & Crochet Blankets

Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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