Summer Knit Top – Knitting In Cotton

Knitting is a hobby I usually tend to pick up when days are getting darker and colder in the fall. There is something so cozy with knitting and I have always knitted mostly in wool.

But during the last couple of years I have tried a few projects in cotton as well. I think it was Kutovakika actually that sparked my interest in knitting in cotton yarn and that opened up this whole new world of knitting garments that aren’t only meant for winter.

If you are looking for knitting inspiration a good tip is to subscribe to Kutovakika on YouTube. Here is a link to her channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Kutovakika

Right now I am knitting tops for me and my daughters for this coming summer. I almost finished my top but as with everything you knit for the first time, it’s hard to get it to be exactly how you imagined it.

I like how it turned out in general but I have tried two different ways to finish the neckline and I still haven’t found a nice way to do it. I tried I-cord edging and a ribbed knit but didn’t really like any of them. So maybe I will just follow the knitting pattern as it is.

Summer Knit Top – FREE Knitting Patterns

Finding knitting patterns for your summer projects isn’t that hard. But finding the exact knitting pattern that you are imagining in your head that you want to knit can be harder.

If you want to knit a top there are so many knitting patterns to choose from. A couple of months ago I mentioned a website where I find knitting patterns for almost every project and that is Drops Design. Here is a link to that website: https://www.garnstudio.com/search.php?action=search&lang=en

This is also the place where I found the knitting pattern for the summer tops I am knitting right now. Here is the link to the knitting pattern I use: https://www.garnstudio.com/pattern.php?id=8011&cid=19

The knitting pattern on this top is for women so for my daughters I just adjusted everything to their measures. That step takes some counting but it was not that hard to adjust the pattern for them.

Things To Think About When Knitting In Cotton

Compared to sweaters, tops are much faster to knit. Also, t-shirts are quite fast to knit and you avoid the whole second sleeve problem. Always knitting the second sleeve or the second sock seems to take a lot of patience. At least for me.

But these summer tops are really fast to knit. That is always nice! Knitting in cotton is also a little different from knitting in wool.

• Cotton Yarn Is Slippery

Something I have learned is that cotton feels more slippery than yarn made out of wool. This means that knitting color work for example is very different when you use cotton yarn. When you knit in wool, it feels like the different yarns and colors in your color work project kind of hook into each other.

Cotton yarn is more slippery. That doesn’t mean you can’t use it for color work projects, the result will just be a little different if you are used to knitting in wool.

• Cotton Yarn is Heavier

Projects knitted with cotton can easily feel a little heavy. For a top that won’t be a problem but if you would be thinking of maybe knitting a sweater in cotton this can be a good thing to think about.

• Choose your cotton yarn with care

Some cotton yarns I have used have had the tendency for the strings to unfold so that the different strings that are twisted separate when I knit.

That might not be a big problem but for me it’s annoying so I have learned to choose the cotton yarns that hold together better. It is quite easy to see that in the store. Mostly the cheaper cotton yarn seems to already start unfolding as it is in the store but if you choose a yarn of a little better quality I think you will enjoy knitting more.

There Is Always More To Learn

So these are some of the things that I have learned as I have tried knitting in cotton yarn. Now I have finished a few projects and as with anything creative, there is always more to learn.

I hope you too have a really good summer and that you will find some really fun summer projects to knit.

We post new blog posts regularly so hope to see you again soon!

Many blessings from us