It has been HOT in this part of the country. High 90s, which is not typical. I can take high 80s, but this heat lately has been too much, especially without central air. So what have I been doing? Knitting! 

My knitting usually slows down in the summer; I use my free time to garden and do other outdoor activities. But lately, I've been holed up in my cool basement knitting up a storm.

Here's a sneak peak of a free pattern I'm working on for you!

I've noticed, during my basement knitting extravaganza, that I really enjoy summertime knitting. Here are ten reasons why!

Kathleen's Top 10 Reasons to Knit (or crochet!) in the Summer

1. Summer binge-worthy TV and knitting go so well together. I can't get enough of The Great British Baking Show, and I just got caught up on Broadchurch. I'm loving Brit TV and knitting.

2. It gives me something to do in the car. I don't know about you, be we take lots of car trips in the summer. Whether it's four hours or four days in the car, my knitting keeps me occupied. If you're looking for a great car pattern, try my Let's Get Away Scarf, a free pattern knit from sock yarn. Check out the gorgeous sock yarn we have in the shop!

3. Tackle a lace project. Lace is holey. Holes let air in. You see where I'm going with this. Summer is lace-knitting weather! Practice those yarnovers and decreases and make a beautiful project that doesn't make you sweat. 

4. Get a head start on Christmas projects! I love to give knitted accessories for the holiday, and hats are my favorite. Check out the super-cute Tayberry hat knitting pattern, a free pattern knit with Kenzie yarn. You'll love the mix of merino, angora, alpaca, and silk, with a bit of nylon thrown in to help the yarn hold its shape beautifully.Something to do at the beach

5. Try some lightweight yarn. Scratchy wool isn't the best yarn for summer knitting, (although, see number 10), and I have a hard time knitting with 100 percent cotton yarns. It's hard on my aging hands. So, I look for blends that include silk or bamboo. One of my favorite summer yarns are CoBaSi and Bamboo Pop. CoBaSi is a blend of 55% Cotton, 16% Bamboo, 8% Silk, 21% Elastic Nylon. You get that cotton that's quintessentially summer, but the other fibers add a little stretch while knitting (and wearing), which makes it easier on the hands. 

6. Crochet a swimsuit! Everyone's doing it ... not really. We joke in my knitting group that you can only join the group after you crochet a swimsuit. 

7. Sock knitting takes a front seat. I'm not much of a sock knitter, but I do cast them on in the summer. They're so quick and portable! I've got a pair of shortie-socks on the needles right now—the Rainbow Short Stack socks—and they're so quick to knit. These call for two skeins of yarn, one solid and one variegated, to make the rainbow stripe, but I'm using just one color, and they're turning out great.

8. Knit market bags. We love Bamboo Pop for so many reasons, but one of the great patterns for this is a market bag. We like the Grrlfriend Market Bag by Laura Spradlin, which is free on Ravelry. These make great gifts! Bamboo Pop's blend of 50% cotton and 50% bamboo is really strong, so it's perfect for market bags. It's also super soft with a beautiful drape, so it's great for summer tops, too.

9. Learn a new technique. Summer is great for small projects, and swatches are pretty small. Search on YouTube for double-knitting tutorials and then try our free scarf pattern, From My Heart. It makes such a sweet gift for someone heading to college (or coming home for the holidays!), if you can bear to give it away, that is. We recommend two beautiful colors of Madelinetosh DK for this project. 

10. Knit a sweater! I know, I've been going on and on about how hot it is. But we all like a new sweater for fall, and sometimes you have to knit through the summer to get it. I admit I've put down the sweaters for the summer, but many of the gals in my knitting group are soldiering on with their wool sweaters, and I admire them. I'm going to pick up my sweater project again soon. I miss my Malabrigo Rios yarn. So soft; it slides effortlessly through my hands and onto the needles. If you haven't worked with this yarn, you must.

Well, those are my top 10 reasons to knit or crochet in the summertime. Leave a comment and tell me your favorite thing to knit during the heat!

Cheers,