Heat, Light, and Lace

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Today, it reached 86 degrees Fahrenheit upstairs in my house. With temperatures like that, it’s no wonder that I, like many knitters, put away my crafts during the hotter months. Heavily cabled sweaters and wool blankets just don’t mesh, in my opinion, with the summer heat. However, in recent years, I’ve learned that I love summer lace knitting, particularly if I can combine it with a light, airy fiber.

The open-work nature of lace means that the finished product will be both ethereally beautiful and breathable, perfect for hotter weather.

In that spirit, I decided to round up some of our most popular summer lace knitting patterns. This is only a small sampling: If you have a favorite lace pattern, feel free to drop it in the comments below! We’d love to hear about it.

Squall Line Shawl

The Squall Line Shawl, from Interweave Knits Fall 2015, is a deliciously cuddly oversized shawl that’s perfect for summer lace knitting. Designer Rosemary (Romi) Hill used a heavier-weight yarn for the pattern so that the shawl practically flies off your needles. The body is worked back and forth from the bottom up. If you’re looking for your first lace pattern, this might be an excellent place to start! You can also check out our Knitting Lace for Beginners workshop, which covers all the basics you need to get started.

Hornbill Tee

The Hornbill Tee by Kristen TenDyke is a lot simpler than it first appears. The all-over lace pattern looks complicated; however, the tee has no shaping, making it extremely easy to fall into the lace pattern. This tee, from Interweave Knits Summer 2020, is worked in the round from the bottom up to the underarms before separating to work the upper front and back separately. Knitted in a blend of cotton and just a hint of wool, this tee can work in multiple seasons.

Puck’s Tunic

Named for the mischievous sprite from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Puck’s Tunic, from Interweave Knits Summer 2017, is the perfect top for summer heat. Knitted in a DK-weight blend of cotton and linen, this top is worked in pieces and seamed. Designer Susanna IC gave it a lacy panel on both the front and the back that is both beautiful and airy. I’m extremely partial to this top for the #aesthetic—I love Shakespeare—but this is also a great project if you, as I, haven’t knitted very many garments before! The construction is simple and elegant, making it a perfect summer lace knitting project.

Geranium Shawl

One of the delights of lace knitting is that the more you do it, the more comfortable you’ll become with the trappings of it. As with anything, lace charts and lace instructions become easier and easier with every project. The Geranium Shawl by designer Anne Jones, is a great opportunity to grow your lace-knitting experience. This lovely piece, from Interweave Knits Spring 2019, has a repeating geometric pattern that creates a lovely open-work shawl that’s breathable and beautiful.

Monterey Tee

One great thing about lacy tees is that although they’re perfect for summer lace knitting, you could also layer them over a long-sleeved shirt for fall and winter. I can certainly imagine this with the Monterey Tee by designer Kate Gagnon Osborn. Designed for Wool Studio Vol. 2, this lovely top has an allover twisted-rib lace motif that allows you to fall into lace completely. It is knitted in pieces from the bottom up and seamed. Make sure to block it so that the lace really shines!

BONUS: Golden Tamarin Tee

What? I couldn’t not include this one. The Golden Tamarin Tee by designer Rachel Brockman is one of my favorites from our Interweave Knits Summer 2020 issue. This top is all business in front, all party in the back. The deliciously beautiful lace back is echoed along the lower hem. Knitting editor Hannah Baker wrote a post about knitting this up in a black yarn, which just goes to show that not every summer garment has to be in light colors.

I hope you can find some lace knitting this season. After all, despite the heat, summer is a wonderful time to learn new skills. If you haven’t tried lace knitting before or if you’re thinking of trying something more intense—Estonian lace, perhaps—I hope this post serves as inspiration. And, as always, let me know what your favorite summer lace knitting patterns are in the comments.

Yours, in stitches,

Julia

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Main Photo by Caleb Dane Young. Originally published 6/22/2020. Updated 6/28/2021.

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Explore more summer lace knitting opportunities!