Welcome to the last summer pattern round-up of 2024. Compact, cool, light and fun: this is the side-pocket-of-your-rucksack challenge – trains, planes and automobile-friendly patterns. We’ve been on the hunt for projects that will work on a beach, in the park and in pyjamas during those really slow holiday breakfasts. So if that long-suffering unfinished sweater won’t fit in with your sunscreen, maybe consider one of these instead..
Pelica by Rosa Pomar
Summer travel knitting doesn’t get much better than this. Obviously the garter stitch makes it a breeze, but the genius construction with all those icord edges will carry on tickling you all the way through. And we haven’t even got to just what a great waistcoat it is yet. My advice is don’t cast on before you leave – you may finish it too soon!
I’m using Brusca (as Rosa suggests) for mine and already planning one in Soft Donegal, but honestly any DK or Worsted would work.
Ashfork by Aude Martin
..While we’re still on waistcoats, here’s another one that’s ticking all our summer knitting boxes – leaning in a slightly more mid-century elegant direction, this one has a texture which will suit knitters who’ve got more of a stitch-itch to scratch while on holiday. And with the first 5 sizes coming in at 1000m or less, it’s super-packable too. Go with a nice toothy DK like Vovó or make it even lighter with an airy sport like Cautiva or Ulysse.
Summerhouse by Dawn Barker
This ingenious little shawlette has your yarn leading the way, pattern-wise. Grab yourself a single skein of one of The Wool Kitchen’s Zip Yarns (the ones where the colour appears to all sit at one end of the skein – but is in fact a little ‘zip’ that comes around again and again), and off you go! Just follow the simple shape of the shawl and every time you get to a colour patch in the yarn, do the funky cluster stitch.
Weekend Shorty Socks by Summer Lee
Kind of like a summer salad in sock form, these are the socks your leftovers have been waiting for – cutie, finishable and so much fun. And plus the pattern is free, so I’m thinking they could even work as the reserve project you have in case you finish the main one before the train home. Yarnwise it’s sock obvs, so any of our faves here will work but my money’s on the 50g balls (Onion, Exmoor, Snowdonia, WK Minis) so you can mix things up a bit.
Punkt by Julie Wilkens
4 balls of mohair means super-light and super-packable, but with enough knitting and space for your own creativity along the way that you’ll have fun with it your whole trip long. JW’s playful use of intarsia shapes of solid colour on the sheer mohair silk background makes me think this is probably the knitting project Joan Miró would have taken on his inter-rail trip if that had been a thing in those days.
For the mohair, choose a solid from Gepard or The Town Dyer. And for the rest it’s just tiny scraps of 4ply/fingering left overs.
Knit and Purl Wash Cloth by Purl Soho
Because sometimes, just plain knit and purl is all you’re up for and cotton is all you can handle in the heat, plus imagine coming home at the end of the holiday with a pile of lovely new flannels. Plus plus if you’re on holiday with some would-be half-pint or fully-grown knitters, this is a perfect first knitting project that you can get everyone on board with.
R4 For Nature Cotton in all its glorious colours would be great, left-overs from old projects would be even better!
Drevo by Teti Lutsak
OK, I hear you. You want some real proper sweater knitting to get your needles into when you’re on holiday. It’s the one time in the year that you’ve got some time and space to focus. Well here you go then.. This brilliant modular knit will take you on a knitting ride of curiosities and intrigue with constructions and stitches you never knew you didn’t know but will delight in learning.
Written for RP’s Vovó, but would also work in the Brusca, and be absolutely beautiful in Laxton’s Sheepsoft, or the WYS BFL.
Dumpling bag by Jeanie Lee
This is the one you can knit, finish and then use on the way home. JL’s perfectly sized and formed dumpling bag is made from linen, but other planty fibres will work well too. Our Kalinka Linen would be perfect if you hold it double, or for just as nice and half the price, choose the Damasco cotton linen blend. And if you finish it too quickly, make another one! You know everyone else will want one too when they see yours 🙂.
Emotional Support Chicklette by Annette Corsino with miniturising notes by Tinythingsbyjuie.
This travel-sized iteration of AC’s celebrated magical comfort chicken maybe so great for your mental health that it makes it’s way onto the NHS social prescribing list. The full sized version is great too, but ohmygoodnessme those tiny ones are adoreable. And can you imagine the look on the face of the bloke in the seat opposite as it starts to take shape on your needles. Pure Gold!