May. It’s the perfect time of year to start those summer knitting projects. The days are just starting to get longer, and it may even be warm enough to spend a night on your patio with your favorite WIP! Not only that, but if you start your project now, you may even be able to finish it in time to put it to good use (unless you’re a mega procrasti-knitter, like me, haha!).
To help inspire your next summer knitting project, I’ve selected a few of the prettiest patterns for summer that I’ve found floating around on the internet. There are a few beautiful light and airy tops, some gorgeous lace paneled socks, and a couple of stunning shawls for you to choose from. And if you are looking for even more summer knitting inspiration and ideas, make sure to check out my other post, 5 Gorgeous Tops to Knit this Summer!
Battersea Top by knitbug (Free!)
The Battersea Top is a beautiful (and free) knitting pattern designed by Valerie of knitbug! I love the beautiful gansey inspired details along the upper half. This looks like the perfect top that could be worn year-round, by itself in the summer and underneath a cozy cardigan in the winter!
Silken Straw Summer Sweater by Purl Soho (free)
Purl Soho is pretty much my go-to place when I’m looking for easy to follow, beautiful (and free) knitting patterns. This Silken Straw Summer Sweater is no exception. Knit using 100% silk, this tee is knit entirely in stockinette stitch, meaning you’ll be able to knit this up in no time at all (and by “no time” I mean that this will probably take you somewhere between 20-40 hours, depending on knitting speed and a number of other factors” 😉 ).
Gemini by Jane Richmond (free)
Another beautiful and free knitting pattern from Jane Richmond. Jane describes the tee shirt as follows:
“This tee shirt is knit using a cotton linen blend at a loose gauge. The result is an elastic fabric that works up quickly and fits beautifully. The top half of the yoke features a lace panel covering the shoulders and back.
Named after the duality of the Gemini, this pullover can be worn with the lace to the back for a more casual look or with the lace facing forward for a dressier look.”
I feel like this would be a very satisfying knitting pattern for me to try out. I still have yet to knit myself an actual garment, and my fingers are just itching to get a hold of enough yarn to knit something bigger than my typical knitting project (which is most often some type of accessory: hat, scarf, socks, etc.).
Villiviini Socks by Tiina Kuu(free)
Oh, Villiviini sock pattern, let me count the ways I love thee …
- The color combo of bright green on grey looks amazing.
- Interesting and unique construction with that lace panel.
- It’s free!
I’ll stop there, unless you want me to write an entire post on the reasons I love this pattern. It is definitely getting added to my sock bucket list, which just keeps growing longer and longer of all the things I wish I could knit if I had the time!
Darlene by Isabell Kraemer
Here is another very beautifully understated knit tee, this time from Isabell Kraemer for Quince and Co. I’d love to see it knit in two contrasting colours (maybe even in that intriguing grey and green colour combo we saw above?).
I feel like this pattern would also be very easy to customize to your liking. Which reminds me, have you guys checked out Fringe Association‘s latest Sloper KAL? She walks you through how to fully customize your own sleeveless sweater patter, how cool is that!
It’s very cool, my friends.
Very, very cool.
Tokonatsu Pullover by yamagara
Tokonatsu means ‘everlasting summer’ in Japanese, which is more than fitting for this pullover! Its knit up in 100% silk, and has a wonderful drapiness to it. Thank you @kirstirogne for putting this one on my radar!
Boardwalk by Heidi Kirrmaier
And … surprise, another knit tee! I guess tees are just very good garments to knit for summer, because I have been seeing them pop up all over Ravelry lately. This pattern appealed to me in particular because of the very beautiful but subtle stitch detailing by the neckline. I’m such a sucker for those little details …
Find Your Fade Shawl by Andrea Mowry
Chances are, if you at all pay attention to the news of the knitting world, you’ve already seen this shawl more than once. It already has over 3600 projects on Ravelry. Which is quite a lot, when you think of it. But what’s not to love? It is a gorgeous shawl that is easy enough to knit up quickly, using mainly garter stitch and lace. It also teaches you the art of ‘color-melting’, so you can use up all of those single skeins of yarn in your stash that you have no idea what to do with.
Beach Tank by Jess Schreibstein
I just love the look of this tank. There is nothing overly complicated about it – it’s just a simple knit tank, and yet it’s super stylish. It is also seems to be fairly rare to find knitting patterns that fit well. So many of them seem to be in a loose, or boxy shape. And while that is fine some of the time, it is nice to also have a few knit items that hug your body a bit better, like this one!
Avana by Annie Rowden
This is a very pretty and stylish cardigan. I could definitely see this worn over a cute summer dress after the sun goes down. It’s very versatile, and can even be worn two different ways: when folded in half it serves as a shawlette or scarf, and using the armholes can be worn as a shrug!
Waiting for Rain by Sylvia McFadden
Last but not least, is the Waiting for Rain pattern by Sylvia McFadden! This pattern provides a bit more of a challenge, but the end result is definitely worth it. Just looking at the intricate pattern makes me curious to try my hand at this, and Sylvia’s passion for her craft is apparent on her Ravelry pattern page. She can explain it better than I can, so here is a section of the pattern description:
I’d love to hear which patterns are your favorites are in the comments below!
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