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Take 5: Allyson Dykhuizen's Favorite Summer Knitting Trends

Welcome back to the Take 5 Blog Series, where I ask my fellow designer, bloggers and other fiber folks to share their top five lists - completely unfiltered! Today, the editor of Holla Knits (and blogger/designer extraordinaire) Allyson Dykhuizen shares some of her favorite knitting trends for this summer. This post is also part of the Holla Knits Blog Tour which kicked off last month and lasts through June 9th. I hope this inspires you to keep knitting all summer long, and don't forget to click here to get caught up on past Take 5 blog posts!

Summer knitting is upon us, and while some knitters abandon their needles for lighter, more summery crafts, I reach for my needles even more during summer! There are so many fun trends that pop up in summer that I can’t wait to make a knit version of.

So when Stefanie asked me to write about some knitting trends I love, I thought I’d write about what I’m excited about this summer, and share my styling tips, as well as some great knit versions of these styles. Fashion forward summer knits? Let’s do this!


  1. Crop Tops

When you think crop top, you might think about something like this:
photo source: http://dleesweets.com/

But it really doesn’t have to be that way! Crop top doesn’t have to mean showing more skin if you don’t want it to.

I love this colorwork pullover by Sarah Hurwitz that just came out in the Knitscene Summer 2015. Here it’s styled over a tank and with high waisted pants. How cute would that be over a button down with a skirt?
photo source: http://www.styleoholic.com/

If you’ve got a button down shirt in your closet, you can throw any accidentally too short or on purpose short sweater on over that!

Crop tops also go great with skirts and dresses! You’ve already got full coverage, so throw over your favorite crop top over a maxi dress in the summer or even for more warmth in the winter.

And if you want to show a little skin but not TOO much skin, you can go a little cropped with the high low hem trend - cropped in the front but long in the back. Here this fun tee from Alexandra Tavel, the High Tide Low Tide Tee, and it’s is styled over a bikini top, but any tank or tee would also work underneath.

  1. Mesh

Just like the crop top, mesh knits get ignored because they take a bit more styling, but if you get a couple of the right basics these are easy to wear as well! You can follow the same rules of the crop top - throw them over a button down, over a dress, or show a little skin by wearing them over a bikini top or small tee.

Again from the latest Knitscene, Emily Ringelman’s Ouverte Tee is an all over mesh and styled over a sports bra with a lot of coverage for a sporty but super cute feel.

Emma Welford’s Just Beachy from the 2013 Spring/Summer Holla Knits collection uses a cabled panel in the front and back to give a little more coverage, with mesh panels on the sides. Styled here with a full skirt and matching tank, the mesh and cropped knit tee totally works!

  1. Kimono Cardigans

Kimono style cardigans are everywhere this summer. You’ll see the big floral print light fabric kimono cardigans styled as jackets, like this.

But they’re also starting to pop up as beautiful knit cardigans as well!
photo source: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/stowe-3

Liv by Michele Wang for BT Winter 2013 has large open fronts and oversized sleeves, which is all it takes to make a kimono style cardigan! A perfect jacket for a cool summer evening that you can take with you into fall, or keep at your desk with the AC is kicking.

Another beautiful version of a kimono cardigan comes from Carrie Bostick Hoge. Liv was part of Carrie’s Madder Anthology 2 that came out in January.

These knit kimono cardigans will keep you much warmer than their light fabric counterparts, and are the cardigan shape you’ll be seeing this fall.

  1. Bandana Cowls

The look and feel of a triangular shawl with the ease of a cowl, the bandana cowl is popping up everywhere!

As usual, Purl Soho was ahead of it’s time with this simple cozy stockinette stitch bandana cowl, released in late 2011. Simple and classic, this no fuss shape could also work for the man in your life - OR just knit yourself one in every color.

And if you’re looking for something for summer, this polkadot eyelet cowl by *ahem* ME! is in cotton and a great summer accessory.

  1. Knit Picks Comfy Worsted

Speaking of cotton yarn, I absolutely love Knit Picks Comfy worsted for all your crop tops, mesh tees and tanks, kimono cardigans, and bandana cowls.
photo source: http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Comfy_Worsted_Yarn__D5420171.html

Soft and light with a ton of great colors and impossibly affordable, Comfy Worsted is my go-to quick knit cotton yarn. The Knit Picks Comfy line comes in Fingering as well, if you need something thinner, and is just as soft and light.

So go forth and knit for summer! A huge thank you to Stefanie for asking me to be a part of her fun Take 5 series. I had a great time putting this together!

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