I've just come home from the Sock Summit in Portland (my review will be on Knitting Daily next Wednesday!), and although socks took center stage, the crowd was a sea of knitted lace shawls, scarves, and tee shirts. I didn't have a shawl, but I sure wished I did! One of the gals sitting next to me said, "They like to keep the air conditioning on 'meat locker' in here!" I loved that, and it was so true.
That air-conditioning-to-outdoor-oven transition that we make several times a day all summer is hard to manage, but after last weekend I think the solution is knitted lace. Aside from being useful to cover up or cool down, it's also fun to knit and lightweight so there's not a pile of heavy wool on your lap when it's 90 degrees out! Although if you like the air conditioning set at "meat locker," you might like to work on sweater projects during the summer!
Below are some fun summer lace projects that will keep you cool outdoors and warm indoors!
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| Tourmaline Shawl |
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Emily Shawl |
Laura Nelkin's easy lace shawl is worked from
the bottom up and requires an understanding of lace and charts. Worked in a shawlette size,
you can wear this shawl as a scarf or wrap.
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Mandy Moore's shawlette is very wearable; the side-to-side pattern is unusual, and the easy charts require a basic understanding of lace repeats. A great first shawl project! |
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| Bonita Shirt |
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Lace Vest |
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Lutea Lace Shell |
| Mercedes Tarasovich-Clark's delicate embroidery follows the simple lace pattern in this summer tee that's worked in comfy mercerized cotton. |
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Teva Durham designed this
vest with an intricate lace pattern that's deceptively simple. The Lace Vest has great fashion impact and it's fast to knit. |
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Angela Hahn used a simple lace pattern on the shoulders of her summer shell, which is lovely paired with the simple stockinette stitch body.
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The shawls will work for any season and you can make any of the tee or vest projects before summer is over. My favorite is the Lutea Lace Shell. It's so cute, and since it's knit on size 8 needles, it's as close to instant gratification as it gets.
I hope you'll try one of these lace patterns. And check out the Knitting Daily Shop for even more summer knitting patterns!
Cheers,
