I’m so excited to finally share my latest release: the Water’s Edge mini collection, a trio of designs inspired by the waterfront here in Freeport, Maine, perfect for summer knitting and wearing. The three patterns are available to purchase individually, or together as a collection (for a discounted price).
Before I tell you about each piece, I have a confession…I’m not really a big “Summer person”. It’s just not my favorite season here in Maine. And not because of the crowds we get this time of year. I actually kind of enjoy that change of pace after the quieter Winter months. It’s more about dealing with the heat and humidity and all that comes with it. I know it’s an unpopular opinion, but I’ll take 45 degrees over 85 degrees any day!
On top of that, Summer clothing has never really felt like “me.” I love layers and texture, boots and scarves…I could go on and on! So every year, designing for Summer feels like a fun challenge. I always find myself asking, “Can I create warm-weather pieces that I would genuinely be excited to wear?” That’s really the starting point for this collection.
Even though I don’t love the heat, I absolutely love being near the water, so that’s where I turned for inspiration. I live on the inland side of town, but thankfully there are plenty of public spots along the waterfront where everyone can enjoy the coastline. The rocky shoreline, changing tidelines, weathered dock planks and colorful buoys at the town landing all found their way into these designs in one way or another.
Each design pulls from a different piece of that inspiration – learn more about each below!
On the Ocean
On the Ocean is my version of the perfect Summer pullover: relaxed, drapey and easy to throw on.
I wanted something oversized with a super relaxed shoulder line that felt both modern and classic at the same time. The bracelet-length sleeves give a little coverage while still feeling seasonally appropriate, and the neckline sits somewhere between a boat neck and a crew neck. One knitter called it a “canoe neck,” which I thought was perfect.
I knit mine in Plymouth Sea Isle (I purchased mine at Wool & Co who is fully stocked in it right now!), a cotton/merino blend that creates such a lightweight fabric. The subtle stripes were inspired by shoreline textures and weathered wood, but this piece works beautifully in a single color too.
Below are some photos of the one color version I made where I also turned the ‘canoe-neck’ into a ‘mock-neck’, in case anyone wanted a bit more neck coverage (and the pattern tells you how to make this neckline swap if you prefer!).
Tideline Tank
Tideline started with an idea from an older design of mine, but I wanted to completely rethink it for this collection.
This version is worked from the top down and designed to be flexible and easy to customize. I knit my sample in Sandnes Garn Line and utilized simple color blocking because I love how it look sin such a clean silhouette like this. Plus this yarn has such a gorgeous palette of colors, so it’s perfect for pairing two hues together.
I also designed this tank the way I personally wear tanks: with good shoulder coverage and a shape that layers easily under an open linen shirt or lightweight layer. There’s also an optional A-line version, which is what I’m wearing in the photos (quite helpful when your hips are much larger than your bust like me!).
Buoy Kerchief
I always love a small layering accessory, but what does that look like in Summer? That question led to the Buoy Kerchief.
I wanted a lightweight small scarf designed specifically for cotton yarn, and after a lot of swatching and prototypes, I landed on a shape that drapes nicely without losing structure.
The bold stripes were inspired by the colorful lobster buoys you see all over the Maine coast. If you’re local, you may recognize the buoy wall near the town landing in Freeport that helped spark the idea.
I knit this sample in Berroco Pima 100 and the best part is that it only uses one skein of each color.
I hope you’ve enjoyed getting a little behind-the-scenes look at these three designs! And like all of my designs, each piece has its own “tips pages” on my website (the link to each can be found in each pattern’s PDF) which is full of tips and tutorials to help you with every step of making each piece.
If you’re interested in purchasing all three of the patterns, you can get the collection on Ravelry here or on my website here.
So if you’re anything like me and tend to struggle with Summer dressing, maybe one of these pieces will make the season feel just a little more fun to knit for. But I also think all of these pieces are so easy to wear in Fall as well, so you can enjoy knitting them in Summer and wearing in early Fall!
