5 Summer Tops to Keep You Cool

A summer top is the perfect project to bridge the gap between your love of knitting and the rising temperature. By choosing natural fibers like cotton and linen, you create a fabric that is breathable, moisture-wicking, and cool in your hands as you work.

These five designs celebrate simple silhouettes and elegant drape, offering just enough interest to keep your needles moving, yet easy enough to knit on the go!

Outline Tee by Jessie Maed Designs

The Outline Tee is a masterclass in effortless summer style, featuring a deep V-neck and a modern cropped waist. It makes clever use of dropped stitches to create flattering vertical lines that add "airiness" to the fabric without the complexity of lace.

• The Build: Worked from the bottom up, this is a great project for those who enjoy the stability of a joined shoulder via a three-needle bind-off.
• The Yarn: Isager Palet (a 100% matte-finish cotton ribbon) provides a unique, woven texture that stays crisp and won't sag with wear.

Saltkråkan Tee by Sari Nordlund

The Saltkråkan Tee brings a tailored, feminine touch to a casual staple. With its elegant round yoke and refined hems at the sleeves and waist, it feels more like a "boutique find" than a standard knit.

• The Build: Because it is worked from the top down, you can easily customize the length of the body and sleeves to hit at your most flattering point.
• The Yarn: We recommend Isager Trio 2. The blend of linen, cotton, and lyocell results in a light, breathable fabric with a subtle sheen that elevates the simple stockinette stitch. Our sample, pictured here, is made with colors Camel and Blush. 

SABAI Top by Susanne Müller

The SABAI Top is for anyone who loves a clean, boat-necked silhouette. Its sleeveless design and modern lines make it a versatile layering piece that works as well under a blazer as it does at the beach.

• The Build: A seamless top-down construction lets you try it on as you go, ensuring the armholes and neckline fit exactly to your preferences.
• The Yarn: Sandnes Garn Line offers the perfect summer trifecta: the coolness of cotton, the strength of linen, and the fluid drape of viscose. It creates a fabric that is soft against the skin but has enough weight to hang beautifully.

Anker’s Summer Shirt by PetiteKnit

A modern classic, Anker’s Summer Shirt is defined by its signature ribbed yoke segments. This detail provides structure and a touch of "architectural" style while keeping the rest of the knit simple and meditative.

• The Build: This is an excellent choice for a first summer garment; the yoke increases are intuitive, and the lack of complex shaping makes it a relaxing "social knit."
• The Yarn: Knit in Sandnes Garn Line, this shirt becomes a durable, everyday staple that actually gets softer and more comfortable with every wash. For our sample shown above we used a shade that's been discontinued, but Powder Rose and Rose Lavender have a similar feel. 

Shore Tee by Anne Ventzel

The Shore Tee is the choice for the knitter who loves detail. Featuring a delicate lace motif, it offers a more romantic aesthetic while remaining sophisticated and wearable.

• The Build: Worked in the round from the top down, the lace pattern provides a rhythmic challenge that makes the project fly off the needles.
• The Yarn: By holding Isager Alpaca 1 and Trio 2 together, you create a sophisticated fabric with a gentle "halo." The alpaca adds a soft depth of color, while the Trio 2 keeps the garment breathable and cool.