Knitting

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Sweet Cardigans to Knit for Summer

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cardigan knitting patternsI’m on a bit of a cardigan kick right now. I stitched up but haven’t yet sewn together the Quickie Cardigan by Amy Gunderson, which I think will be perfect for summer thanks to the shorter sleeves and allover eyelet patterning. I also pulled out my Spoked Cardigan (designed by Carol Feller) recently, which I’ve been working on intermittently for about three years, and which is about 30 rows away from being done if I would just do it.

Cardigans are great for spring and summer because they’re easy to throw on over whatever you’re wearing when you get chilled, and just as easy to toss aside or into your bag when you get warm. They can also be a little more forgiving than pullovers if you choose one without closures that doesn’t have to fit your chest perfectly.

If you’re a summer cardigan fan, here are a few options that have crossed my computer screen lately.

Berroco’s textured Ametrine, designed by Emily Nora O’Neil, is one of those cardigans that hangs open, making it easy to knit and to wear. It’s pieced and uses an allover textured rib pattern that’s easy to memorize and calls for a yarn that’s a shiny blend of alpaca and rayon for warmth and drape.

I also like Watson from Berroco, designed by Amy Christoffers. This one is a cotton yarn cardi covered with cables and a textured rib. They call it a classic New England summer sweater, but it’s great everywhere.

Yarnspirations has lots of great cardigan patterns, but some of my favorites are the three-quarter sleeved Walk in the Park Cardi, which has just enough colorwork to make it fun; the simple Bright and Breezy Kimono, with its blocky shape and easy eyelet pattern; and Cardi Gras, a pretty little A-line cardigan with three-quarter sleeves that only buttons at the top.

Another really cool collection of sweaters comes from DROPS, which has a whole set of patterns you can knit either as a cardigan or a pullover. It’s so interesting to see how the projects look different when worked as a cardigan or a pullover. One of my favorites in this collection is the Fox Jacket, a round yoked lace cardigan worked with fuzzy and sparkly yarns to make a really fun and fabulous project.

Do you have a favorite cardigan you’ve knit for the summer months? I’d love to hear about it!

Looking for knitting patterns for knitted Cardigans? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

Looking for pullover and sweater patterns? Check these books out.

Comments

  1. LOVE these cardigans. Walk in the Park is already on my knitting list and I’m thinking about my color choices. Thanks, as always, for sharing these great patterns!

Have you read?

Beyond Basic Pumpkin Knitting Patterns

Over the years I have shared a lot of pumpkin knitting patterns, and I’ve knit and crocheted a lot of pumpkins myself. But it feels like there are always more fun things to try with knit pumpkins, so this year I wanted to look a little more beyond basic stockinette or ribbed pumpkins and share some pumpkin patterns with cables, bobbles and colorwork. 

In the cable collection we’ve got these cute little basic cable and ribbed pumpkins from Elly Bear Knits. There are two sizes that make a wide, flat pumpkin and a taller round pumpkin. Both are worked in the round as a tube that’s cinched top and bottom when you’re done, and they use bulky weight yarn. 

Another cute cable pumpkin knitting pattern comes from Gray Bear Akswokrat. This one is knit flat and it looks like a chunky yarn but you could use other weights to make pumpkins of different sizes. This one also has an I-cord stem and uses yarn to cinch up the sections of the pumpkin, giving it a more natural look. 

Add some bobbles to your pumpkins with this design from Autumn Shelter Makes. Also worked in the round in a tube, it features a repeating pattern of bobbles and uses yarn wrapped around the outside to make segments. This one looks like worsted weight yarn to me. 

Of course there’s nothing that says your pumpkin has to be a single color, so let’s throw in some colorwork. I love the look of the Cozy Fall Pumpkin knitting pattern from South Stitch Girls. The little leather loop adds a rustic touch but you could also just add a stick. These pumpkins have five colorwork options and are worked in worsted weight yarn in the round. 

There’s also the Autumn Fair Isle Trio pumpkins pattern from Equestriann Style, which has three different sizes of pumpkins with four colorwork designs. They are worked in super bulky yarn in the round and look good with high contrast or more muted color combinations.