switchgrass

the second installment of our grand ensemble summer lace KAL is here—switchgrass skirt in deliciously cool hempshaugh fingering yarn. i chose the kasha colorway for my sample knit—it coordinates well with any color top from black to pale lavender. this project is the perfect next piece for your summer knitting because the stitches are easy to work, it has no seams (i.e., very little finishing), and makes for terrific travel knitting; you can take it on vacation and wear it home!

and when you’re done, you’ve got a go-anywhere staple for weekend travel or a full day of summer fun away from home. pull it on in the morning over a swimsuit when heading to the beach and tuck a cute top into your bag to pair later for lunch on the pier or dinner in a swank seaside nightspot. we’ve put it together with the sleeveless version of our violet cardigan, knit in hempshaugh lace, color millet, but it can be dressed up further with a slinky, strappy top and wrap. you may decide you’ll need two of them!

hempshaugh has quickly become my go-to summer yarn for a multitude of reasons—shall i fill you in?
first (and most importantly for the knitter) unlike many hemp yarns, this one is super soft and pleasant to knit with. you might see hemp and think “oof, ropy and rough“, but not so with this blend; it has a measure of smoothing, soothing silk and a dose of merino to add some bounce and lightness. secondly, it is soft, cool, and dry to wear, no matter how muggy the day becomes; it always has a wrinkle free, freshly-washed look. it packs and unpacks endlessly without crumpling, even if your “suitcase” is a large sling bag tossed over your shoulder. and third, it responds well to gentle machine washing, reshapes easily, and air dries in no time. it behaves like an up-to-the-minute tech fabric AND a soft vintage linen at the same time.

let’s talk design details: this breezy skirt in nine sizes from XS to 5X has a drawstring waistband and is knit from the top down in the round. the fabric is solid through the hip and semi-fitted, opening up in eyelet ribs as the shape flares to a swishy mesh-patterned hem. it hugs the high hips just enough to stay put all day, but the overall feeling is loose and light.

the sample shown here in knit in size small to fit someone approximately size 4 to 6, depending on body type (it’s always best to choose a size by measurements rather than your “store bought” size). when a relaxed cast on is used, the waist will stretch well beyond the stated finished size to pull over the hips.

while i’ve knit mine in my favorite hemp blend yarn, the gauge will work well for our dreamy deco fingering yarn or chebris lace yarn as well, for a couple of dressier alternatives. or if you have a wooly, fall/winter version in mind, it would be fantastic in stone soup fingering yarn.

david has put together a kit for those of you who like to grab and go—with choice of BNWs deco or hempshaugh; click here to see details and purchase.  this might be your chance to try our deco blend in the new color, bronze.

click here to view pattern details and other yarn options in the knitspot yarn and pattern shop OR purchase pattern alone on ravelry by clicking here (please purchase on ravelry if you’d like the pattern in your rav library).

pattern details are included on each product page.

enjoy your summer; i’ll be back VERY soon with a blog update (i know i owe you big time).