Article by: Jenn DiMaria for Jenn Likes Yarn
Raise your hand if your crochet mojo has been depleted thanks to Mother Nature and her insane heat waves this summer.
If you’re anything like me, most days are spent sitting in front of a fan that’s in front of an air conditioner. It’s hot, it’s humid, and I stick to my furniture – attractive, I know. So needless to say, picking up yarn has been one of the last things on my mind these past few weeks.
But just because the weather is out to melt us doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy the craft we love. We just need to shift our focus to less “heavy” projects.
Here are some ideas (and links) of what to look for in a fun and quick summer project:
Make it light: One of the worst summer projects (in my opinion, anyway) is a huge blanket. I mean, what’s more miserable than resting a half-completed blanket on your lap in the middle of summer? I guess there are worse things, but that’s pretty awful.
If you’re still in the mood to make a blanket, stick to baby blankets or other baby items. They give us the gratification we need of working something up (whether it be a blanket, sweater, etc) without the hassle of, well, heat stroke.
Make it portable: Yes, I did just say that making blankets in the summer is one of my least favorite things. But that’s what granny squares are for. If you don’t need to meet any deadlines, you can crochet all the pieces now and wait for cooler weather to sew them together.
The other great thing about granny squares? They’re portable. The beauty of summer is that weekends tend to get booked for you around February, so you’re always on the go. Grannies are the perfect take-along project for car rides, picnics, and just general visiting with friends. Throw your three favorite colors in a project bag and you’re good to go. When all is said and done, you’ll have a great afghan for yourself – or maybe even as a gift.
Make it different: People tend to think that crochet is limited to clothing and amigurumi, but that’s simply not true. You can actually make some beautiful (and fast – and easy) jewelry with your hook and some lightweight crochet thread. Even better, you don’t have to wait for the fall to enjoy wearing your creations.
Make it summery: Other projects that you can make and enjoy in the summer are some really cute headband accessories. This blue headband with crocheted bow is a perfect example of what I’m talking about: it’s small, but it packs some punch by adding the adorable little bow. Plus, it stops your hair from sticking to your face in the heat (am I the only one with such maladies?) Make them in cotton and you’ll be able to wash and wear them for several seasons.
Make it open-weaved: Okay, if you absolutely must make a big project, a great tip is to make sure it’s open-weaved. You can get by with making blankets, shawls, tops, and pretty much anything else without suffocation as long as it has an open weave.
Maybe try experimenting with crocheted lace (pineapple lace is a staple for every stitcher) or whip up this cute mesh beret. An added bonus of open-weave patterns? They tend to be super fast, too.
Also, remember that you can always use this time to brush up on your skills. Is there a new stitch you’ve always wanted to try? This jumbo fan pattern could be something fun to learn and store in your memory bank. Pick out some yarn and start making that swatch book you’ve been meaning to get around to.
Those are my suggestions for beating the summer heat without sacrificing your love for yarn.
Let us know what you’re working on this summer and if you’ve found any great ideas for keeping cool!
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Just made a couple pair of baby booties out of left over ww yarn. They are a portable project, small and can easily be made out of those small, leftover balls of yarn.
Been making hats for newborns & preemies at the local hospitals. Even made a few newborn cacoons & layette sacks.
I like to make open weave market bags during the summer…
I made Christmas ornaments out of crochet thread. Cool, light weight, and very portable. Never too early to start on Christmas projects!
Dishcloths are good, portable projects for summer as well. I’ve been trying to improve my thread work, primarily by making bookmarks. Both have the added benefit of making great gifts!
It has been 110 degrees out for the last ten days here in Texas, so I chose to crochet a baby blanket for my soon to be both niece, a baby cowboy hat for my 3 month old cousin and a cowboy hat for my 4yr old daughter 🙂 its been fun!!
Wow! You all have some great ideas. I totally forgot about dishcloths when I was writing my post, but they’re great for many reasons: practicing stitches, prepping for the holidays, etc. Like Diane said, it really is never too early to start Christmas projects 🙂
Thanks for all your suggestions. There are a lot of people who will benefit from your creativity.