Summer is here and as the temperatures are rising so is my urge to cast on something new. I'm dreaming up lightweight, cool against hot skin, quick knits that can be finished before the season has passed. Temperatures and knitting urges are sadly not the only thing rising these days, the cost of living has reached new levels, and even though knitting soothes the soul and makes the everyday breathing easier, it is by many of us regarded as a luxury in our day to day lives - and often the first thing to go when tough choices and hard prioritising has to be made. I do tell myself that what I am paying for is not the price of the finished garment, after all we can get clothes to wear at a fraction of the price. What I am paying for is hours and hours of entertainment, tactility, the satisfaction that comes with making, a good conscience knowing where my raw materials come from, and then of course the quality of the finished piece. In the end though, it really doesn't matter what I say to myself trying to justify my spend, we are all definitely feeling the pinch these days, so what I've tried to do is to find those projects that will fill my spirit with joy (priceless), that will be classic summer favourites for years to come (pennies saved in each wear), and that are on the lower end of costings coming to both yarn choices but also quantities needed. I've gathered my findings below and I hope you'll enjoy these discoveries too.

Why Knot? by Unwind Knitwear

Why Knot? from Unwind Knitwear is the first design in Rachel Illsley's Macramé Collection, a series of lightweight, warmer-weather designs inspired by the shapes and textures of macramé art. 
It is a lightweight, drapey tee featuring lateral braids, dropped stitch textures and seed stitch pattern, combined to create an airy addition to your warmer weather wardrobe. I would choose the Vivacious 4ply for this design, it is a lightweight 100% Merino with a high twist that would make those braids and stitch textures pop. I can totally picture myself wearing Why Knot in a warm Burnished, or even Sea Glass for a proper cool look.

The pattern comes in sizes XS (S, M, L, XL) (2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL), recommended positive ease is 4-10” / 10-25cm, giving 34.25 (38.25, 41.75, 45.75, 50) (54.25, 57.5, 61.75, 65)“ / 85.5 (96, 104, 114.5, 125) (135.5, 144, 154, 162.5) cm. as finished garment measurements at the bust. Vivacious 4ply quantities would be: 2 (3, 3, 3, 3) (3, 4, 4, 4). Total cost for a size M is £32.30. You'll find the Why Knot pattern on Rachel's Ravelry page.

Why Knot Tee

Everyday Attitude Tee by Susanne Sommer

Designed for us and originally published in our 10-Year Anniversary Collection, the Everyday Attitude Tee is a loose-fitting striped T-shirt, the ultimate staple garment. Paired with the crisp texture of linen that gets softer with every touch, this might just be the perfect summer T-shirt. The two contrasting colours of the natural fibre get accentuated through the striped design, and the unusual top-down construction adds a chevron detail to the shoulders which I personally adore. The Everyday Attitude Tee is made using our Växbo Lingarn.

The pattern is graded for 9 sizes, recommended positive ease is 7-12” / 18-30 cm, which gives finished garment measurements of 101 (112, 122, 133, 140) [153, 162, 172, 185] cm / 40 (44, 48, 52 ½, 55) [60, 64, 67 ½, 73]” at the bust. We have made up yarn kits for the Everyday Attitude Tee in our favourite colour combinations, and the cost for the mid-range sizes is £42.

Everyday Attitude Tee

Camisole No. 5 by My Favourite Things

Camisole No. 5 is a classic singlet style top. It is worked using ribbing throughout, with strategically placed increases a unique and beautiful neckline is shaped. This top is body hugging in all the right places and has a very flattering fit. For a touch of luxury and a top that will be smooth and cool against the skin I would definitely choose Scrumptious 4ply for this design, it is a 55% Merino / 45% Silk blend and with such a high silk content the sheen that comes with is an added bonus. I would probably play it safe and choose a colour like Blue Steel for my dream version, unless I have a proper colour craze and change my mind last minute, then it would definitely be Persimmon or Key Lime.

The pattern comes in 6 sizes, recommended negative ease is approx. 5-8 cm / 2-3", giving 74 (80) 86 (91) 94 (103) cm / 29 (31.5) 34 (35.75) 37 (40.5)" as finished garment measurements at the bust. Scrumptious 4ply quantities would be: 2 (2) 3 (3) 3 (3) hanks, so total cost for most sizes is £53.40. You'll find the pattern on the My Favourite Things website.

Camisole No.5

Vellichor by Andrea Mowry

Vellichor (n): the strange wistfulness of used bookshops. Andrea found inspiration for this design name wearing this sweet sweater while discovering all of the amazing used bookshops in Portland, ME. The cropped tee is perfect for layering through all the seasons! A loose relaxed fit bear promise of lazy summer evenings, the stitch pattern is just engaging enough so that you don’t want to set it down - you'll have this tee whipped up in no time! For me the obvious choice for Vellichor would be G-uld No. 4 those naturally dyed gorgeous semi-solid shades will make this project shine. There are so many colours to choose from, like Andrea, you could go both light and cheerful or even dark and more moody.

The pattern comes in 9 sizes, recommended positive ease is 8-12” / 20.5 -30.5 cm, giving 38.5 (44, 46.75, 52.25, 55)(60.5, 63.25, 68.75, 71.5)”  / 98 (112, 119, 133, 140)(154, 161, 175, 182) cm as finished garment measurements at the bust. No. 4 quantities would be: MC No. 4 100g 1 (1, 2, 2, 2)(2, 2, 2, 2) hanks, CC1 No. 4 100g 1 hank for all sizes, CC2 No. 4 25g 1 hank for all sizes. Total cost for most sizes is then £79. You'll find the pattern on Andrea's Ravelry Page.

Vellichor Top

Jenny Flower Tee by Julie Knits in Paris

The Jenny Flower Tee is a much loved design here at Knit with attitude, it has turned out to be one of our classics, a go-to favourite for an airy light as a feather summer knit. Jenny Flower is a light, bright Summer Tee. In a satisfying striped knit, its yoke eyelets and deliciously drapey fabric will put you in the mood for sunny day shenanigans! I choose Gleem Lace for this one, in a BFL/silk blend its shine and crisp stitch definition will properly show off the beauty of this design.

The pattern is graded in 9 sizes, recommended positive ease is 30 - 40cm / 11 - 15", with finished garment measurements being 110 (120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, 180, 190) cm / 43 (47, 51, 55, 59, 63, 67, 71, 75)" at the bust. For this specific design you can get much bang for your bucks, our kits are 2 hanks of the Gleem Lace and this is enough to finish the largest sizes, and to even make two tees in the smaller sizes. Kit price is £38.

Jenny Flower Tee

Outline Tee by Jessie Maed

I simply adore how the swayed dropped stitches create such a lovely effect framing the edges of the Outline Tee, and I think that the neckline is super flattering. For this design I actually have two yarn options in mind. For a boxy shaped, flowing and draped fit I would go for the Växbo Lingarn in 100% linen, but for a more fitted version I would absolutely love to see this one made up in Socks Yeah! I can absolutely picture this one in a bold neon for sure!

The pattern comes in sizes XS (S, M, L, XL) (2XL, 3XL, 4XL, 5XL), giving 40 (44, 48, 52, 56){60, 64, 68, 72}“ / 101.5 (112, 122, 132, 142){152.5, 162.5, 172.5, 183} cm as finished garment measurements at the bust. Quantities in Växbo Lingarn are: 2 (2, 2, 2, 3)(3, 3, 3, 4) hanks Total cost for a size M is £28. Quantities needed for Socks Yeah! are: 3 (4, 4, 4, 5)(5, 6, 6, 7) hanks, making the cost of a size M £25. You'll find the pattern on Jessie Maed's Ravelry Page.

Outline Tee