Tips for Knitting at the Beach

It must be summer because I’m seeing a spike in the search term knitting at the beach, so let’s talk about it!

For several years my family went to the beach for our vacations (our teen has since declared she doesn’t like the beach, which is pretty sad for the rest of us) and I have always knit at the beach, as well as in our condo and in the car or airplane on the way there and back. So I have a few ideas on what makes a good beach knitting project.

In general the tips I use for any travel knitting are good for knitting at the beach, too: pack a couple of different projects, generally small, easy to pick up and put down, often something that uses smaller yarn because you get more yardage that takes up less space in your travel bag.

I like socks for beach knitting, though I’ve been known to knit a shawl at the beach, too.

The key for literally knitting at the beach instead of just on a vacation near the beach is that your projects be washable. It’s very likely despite your best efforts that you’ll get sand in your project so you want to be able to wash it when you’re done knitting. (Though shaking it well when you’re leaving the beach will help to get a lot of the sand off, too.)

You might also want to stick to more summery fibers like cotton, linen, bamboo and hemp, both because they’re more easily washable and because they’re not as hot to work with when it’s hot outside. I’m OK with a wool blend sock yarn because it’s not heavy, but this is not the time for knitting a big wool sweater.

Another key is to have a way to protect your yarn as you knit. A small project bag that you can feed your yarn out of is a great idea. A big plastic cup or a zip bag mostly closed will also do in a pinch (and a plastic bag has the benefit of being water resistant).

Finally, when you’re packing your travel knitting kit, make sure you’re not bringing along your most precious supplies. Even if you’re not worried about the question of whether you can knit on an airplane, there’s always a chance with knitting on the beach that something will get lost, stained, bent, broken or left behind, so this is not the time to use your favorite, most expensive needles and notions. Pack things you wouldn’t be too sad to lose and you’ll enjoy knitting on the beach that much more.

Have you ever knit on the beach? I’d love to hear your suggestions!

Next Pattern:

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.

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

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