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Chapter 9: It's Summertime, and the Knitting is Easy

Posted by Marisa Veri on

It might not be common to live for summer when you are a knitter, crocheter and yarn shop owner, yet here I am!  To me there is nothing better than grabbing a project bag and heading out on a day trip, or grabbing an ice cold drink (or a warm one given this year's weather so far) and sitting outside knitting.  But there is a caveat to all this crafting in the sunshine - it must be summer crafting!  I'm sure we all have a different definition of that but to me it includes a few different options.  It means socks or lightweight shawls being made up on the patio.  Mandatory mindless projects for knitting while watching my kids play sports.  Working on small winter accessories inside the air conditioning.  Fashioning something summery to wear for a change.  And wheel or spindle spinning when it's too sticky to hold a project in your lap.  

Falling into the mindless category, my latest obsession has been my Duotone Cowl in Sweet Paprika Minuet.  This project defines "potato chip knitting".  Every time I sit down, I need to finish "just one more stripe" and then another and then another...  In fact, if you have visited me at any of the markets or festivals so far, you will have seen me knitting away on it.  It's straight stockinette in the round, so I don't even need to look at my work, but the stripes keep it interesting enough that I don't feel bored, and it really shows Minuet's beautiful colour variation off to a tee.  

Of course, even with an addictive project on the needles, I've got wandering eyes and keep fantasizing about the next project.  

Truth be told, I haven't knit a pair of socks since 2012 when I embarked on a two-at-a-time, magic loop, size 000 needle disaster.  The abbreviated tale of these is that I got to the heel turn only to realize that they are truly bulletproof and stand up without any feet in them at all, so I cursed and stomped, and put them in the time-out drawer to be frogged some day when all those tiny stitches didn't seem so painstaking. Recently I've dabbled with the idea of forgiving socks at large for their aforementioned wrong-doings and allowing them a place in my knitting again, and when I start them I think I will try the Not Another Broken Rib socks for their clean design and stretch factor.     

Not Another Broken Rib Copyright SnowyOwlCrafts

Back in the mindless category, the Daisy Chain Shawl looks like it checks all the boxes.  Bold stripes with sweet daisy stitches in between would make a perfect use for a couple of sets of our Crescendo gradients, or I bet it would be fantastic to use up some odds and ends from stash.   

Daisy Chain Copyright SnowyOwlCrafts

Of course if you have the excuse to, there's always baby knitting for quick lightweight knits, and while I took a quick gander for something adorable I ran into the Five-Hour Baby Jacket (Franklin Variation) which uses some very simple embroidery that I am simply dying to try.  I love the idea of colour blocking like that with some scraps from past projects. 

Five-Hour Baby Jacket (Franklin Variation) Copyright Franklin Habit

Last but not least, is the Thousand Tulips shawl.  Quite simply it is calling my name and it's taking all I have not to cast it on immediately.  Evidently I'm into stripes of some sort or another just now, but the almost architectural textural rhythm in this one has my heart swooning.  (So much so, that it has inspired my  next tattoo.) Besides, knitting something that begins it's life on the needles looking like a bikini bottom, must fit into the summer knitting category.  

Thousand Tulips Copyright Martina Behm

So now you have an idea of what is going to land on my needles if I can knit quickly enough this summer.  Next month I will do another pattern round-up for some summer crochet beauties.  Happy Crafting!


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  • I’m with you on living for summer! I’m so happy it’s finally starting to warm up. My summer go-to is socks and for some reason I always seem to crochet a lot more in the summer months as well.

    Elizabeth on

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