More Summer Top Knitting Patterns to Finish Out the Season

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.

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We’re a big Studio Ghibli household, and while they are sometimes very protective of their copyrights (as evidenced by the number of patterns on Ravelry that were removed from the service when it received a takedown notice back in 2021), there are still a fair number of Totoro knitting patterns (as well as other designs I’m sure we’ll get to someday). Let’s check them out!

Yaya Labs has a cute plush Totoro that looks like it might stand up on its own. The pattern is available on LoveCrafts, and it calls for DK or light worsted weight yarn in four colors. The pattern is considered advanced but it does include a photo tutorial. It stands 10.6 inches or 27 cm tall.

A similar pattern can be found a Shino Craft, which doesn’t have the leaf hat but does include little hands, and the legs aren’t as separate from the body. This one calls for sport weight yarn and is knit flat on two needles.

All Made Here has a Totoro pouch that is super cute and looks pretty easy to knit. It measures 14 by 18 cm and is rated for advanced beginners. You can get the pattern when you subscribe to updates or follow the designer on Instagram.

Stitch Totoro on a sweater with the Totorogenseren sweater from Anna-Sofia Vintersol. This free download on Ravelry uses worsted/aran weight yarn in two or three colors. The pattern comes in nine sizes, with a chest measurement ranging from 77 to 149 cm.

The Forest Spirit Fair Isle Jumper from Kraft with Kindrex features a row of Totoros on the circular yoke, along with other little colorwork designs. The design includes three sizes, with chest measurements ranging from 91 to 101 cm. It calls for 4 ply (that’s fingering/sock weight in other parts of the world).

Or you can stitch Totoro as part of a project with more Ghibli characters, as on the Magical Anime Knit Sweater (a longtime bucket list item for me) from The Bearded Sewist. This on has a circular yoke and rows of different characters including Totoro, Ponyo, soot sprites, Calcifer and more. The pattern comes in four sizes and is rated intermediate/advanced. It calls for DK weight yarn and you can grab a copy on Ravelry.

Or try Katharina Kuntz’s Anime Scarf, also on Ravelry. This one is a double knit scarf worked in fingering weight yarn in two colors, with allover designs from Studio Ghibli movies. She started by knitting the movies in chronological order but gave that up after she realized all her favorites would be in the middle and therefore not visible when worn. You can probably rearrange the motifs further somewhat if you want to showcase your favorites.

Have you read?