Summer tops are a great break for sweater lovers to tackle. You can get some lace action in your knitting, and you get to leave the sleeves off. There are a lot of things to love about these easy knitting patterns for summer. Knits like the Rosy Cotton Top (p. 11) will make elegant additions to your wardrobe.  A basic construction means that you won’t be puzzling out how to piece this top together, and ensures lots of room for a breeze.   The patterns in Knitting Free Patterns for Summer are sure to become warm weather favorites.  Simple, wearable, and suitable for knitters of all skill levels, these patterns will make your summer vacations extra special.

For the nights when it gets a little chilly, we’ve included a couple of stellar knit sweater patterns and a knit shawl or two.  If you love color, the Desert Lace Shawl (p. 9) will be a great garment to throw around your shoulders whenever you need to warm yourself up.  These free knitting patterns will make your summer memorable and enjoyable.  Knitting Free Patterns for Summer: 7 Sizzling Knit Tops, Knit Sweater Patterns & More  is a fabulous free eBook, so why wait?  Download your copy today!

What’s your favorite thing to knit during the summer?

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Whether you choose to hand dye your own, already created projects or if you’re dyeing yarn before you create, we’ve pulled together easy tutorials to help guide you along the way.  And since summer is only a few weeks away, we can’t think of a better time to start knitting and crocheting with bold bursts of color!

4 Tie-Dye Yarn Projects + Tutorials

1. Tie-Dyeing Yarn Projects: If you’ve knit up a project that could use a little color, consider this free tutorial and try your hand at tie-dyeing.  As long as the project was created with 100 percent (or mostly) animal fiber, you’ll be able to transform your once-bland project into a colorful masterpiece.

2. How to Tie-Dye Yarn: Do you have 100 percent cotton yarn that you’ve just been dying to color?  Use this easy tutorial to show you just how simple dyeing your own yarn can be.  Don’t be afraid to get messy; this is your chance to act like a kid again, mixing colors creatively and without restraint, just like a happy child playing with finger paint.

3. Flower Power Coaster: Channel your inner 70s child with this colorful coaster that’s perfect for summer.  Imagine how quaint these coasters will look resting on your picnic table while holding sweet, cool lemonade.

4. Tie-Dyed Circles Throw: This grown up version of the tie-dye technique is just your living room decor has been craving.  Throw this afghan that features swirls of color framed with attractive white stitches on your sofa for an instant pick me up.

Tell us: When was the last time you tie-dyed?

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Super Powers For Super Heroes:

Super Hero Mask and Cape – Any little boy or girl would love to run around with their arms in the air as if they’re flying to save the world. This is the perfect crochet pattern to have around on those summer days when the kids are home from school.

Spiderman Hero Hat – The kids will love playing dress up in this spidey hat; they can also sport it as part of a Halloween costume. If the girls don’t like the red and blue colors, you can easily alter them with pink and purple.

Spidey Senses Scarf – Being a fan of super heroes has never been cooler! This scarf will match perfectly with the Spiderman hat listed above. Wearing the scarf and hat combo will surely make you want to climb walls and shoot your web to catch the bad guys (or your naughty kids).

Captain America Cozy – Calling all super heroes! If you don’t have the power to light things on fire or keep things cool, then let these cozies do the trick for you. Who needs a light saver in their hands when they have these cool cozies?

Captain America Gloves – Even though you’re already your child’s super hero, you’ll be even cooler when you work up a pair of these gloves. They’ll want to save the world right away, after they give you a big hug, first.

Kids’ Batman Hat – Are you ready to protect Gotham City? Shine your Batman light in the sky and lurk around in this Batman hat until you find the villain. Your kids will have so much fun being the super heroes they’ve always wanted to be.

Wonder Woman Headband – Let’s not forget all the ladies out there, too! Gain all the super powers you need while wearing this Wonder Woman Headband. This can be worn by kids or adults, for playtime or workout time.

Turtle Cup Cozy – I definitely watched Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles when I was a little girl, and I would have loved to have one of these cozies to drink my juice out of. Change the crochet colors of the mask for any one of the turtles.

Which super hero is your favorite?

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If you missed this segment on Monday, don’t worry! We have the video clip right here for you to enjoy. Check it out below to see some exclusive footage of Vanna’s visit to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (including the actual presentation of their $1 million donation to St. Jude Children’s Hospital, based on sales of Vanna’s signature yarns), and to learn a little bit more about why this cause is so near and dear to her heart. There’s even a clip of Vanna crocheting with the kids and demonstrating her amazing crochet skills. Watch the clip of it below, or visit the Lion Brand Yarn blog.

Read more about Lion Brand’s incredible donation here. Together, Dean Blumenthal (EVP/COO, Lion Brand), David Blumenthal (President/CEO, Lion Brand), and Vanna presented a check to St. Jude Children’s Hospital representing donations of $1 million.

Plus, find out how AllFreeCrochet has helped give back to the community through our love of crochet, and find out how you can help crochet and/or knit for charity.

Have you ever made anything for charity? Leave a comment below and tell us about it!

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Tatting is an old art, but it’s definitely something to try. Now that it’s easy to purchase pre-made lace, the art of tatting could use some love. If you crochet or knit already, you should really learn how to tat too! Handy Hands also has a few free patterns to help you get started. Try something new this summer and try your hand at tatting. And hey, the Lizbeth Thread Holder can help.

This thread holder is so easy to use and it protects your thread from dust, spills, and curious pets. Since it’s made of durable poly carbonate plastic, it’s easy to just throw into your craft bag when you need to craft on the go. Each one of these holders includes a free ball of Lizbeth Thread. This holder comes with Purple Marble- 173, size 20 thread. These thread holders make great gifts!

So whether you crochet with thread, knit, or tat, this holder is versatile and easy to use (I want to keep it for myself!) So be sure to enter today for your chance to win this nifty Lizbeth Thread Holder.

Do you know how to tat?

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You can felt practically any item, but felting works especially well for crocheted bags and warm winter patterns because the finished result is a thick, dense fabric that’s great for the chilly winter months.

If you’ve never felted before, check out our guide of How to Felt Crochet here. You’ll find a variety of free crochet felt patterns to choose from including crochet bag patterns, home decor items, felted crochet flowers, and more. For a special sneak peek, find our favorite felted crochet patterns below:

Free Felted Crochet Patterns:

Peacock Tea Cozy
Pretty Little Felted Purse
Striped Felted Purse
Felted Mittens
Mini iPad Case
Felted Flowers
Whimsical Felted Flowers
Cute as Button Felted Flower
Fabulous Felted Slippers
Sunflower Felted Purse

If you liked these free felted crochet patterns, then be sure to check out the full collection of 24 Free Crochet Felt Patterns right here.

Have you ever felted crochet before? Leave a comment and tell us about it!

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I know, I know… the LAST thing you need is to buy even more yarn. If you’re like me, your yarn stash is already totally out of control. Lucky for you, we are giving away 4 skeins of this great yarn to one lucky winner. Enter here to win! The contest ends June 19th.

Cotton Ease yarn works well for a number of different projects, but it’s especially ideal for baby patterns including crochet afghans, cocoons, and more. It’s a durable, yet super soft yarn that’s easy to care for and reasonably priced.

Our friend and blogger Phyllis Serbes of Many Creative Gifts has also written a fabulous review of what it’s like to crochet with this yarn. Read her review of Lion Brand Cotton Ease yarn here. Plus, find two of her original crochet patterns below that she made with this yarn.

Free Crochet Patterns To Make With This Yarn:

Radiance Lap Throw  (right) 
Crochet Baby Hoodie Sack

AllFreeCrochet’s contest to win four skeins of Lion Brand Cotton Ease yarn ends June 19. Enter here for your chance to win!

What would you make with this yarn? Leave a comment and let us know!

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Like the other yarns from Darn Good Yarn, this responsibly sourced, recycled silk is an environmentally friendly yarn that you can really feel good about.  A hat or pair of gloves knit with this yarn would look fantastic.

There is better news to come: two skeins of this yarn could be yours, just enter our contest by June 26 for a chance to win!  Who wouldn’t want to take this wonderful yarn home?

Enter for your chance to win today!

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How this works:

Show us your favorite crocheted hats or crocheted blankets blog post, or work up a pattern and write it up just for the occasion! We want to see those hats and blankets that are perfect for all seasons. I bet you even embellish the hats with appliques and do-dads!

As we’ve been doing, we’re going to feature the winner in a newsletter! We’ll show off your beautiful hat or blanket pattern and link directly to your blog as a way of thanking you for contributing! This person will also receive a beautiful set of fancy threads. Included in this set is 29 skeins of Kreinik Metallic, Silk and Iron-On Threads. The sparkly shimmers of this thread will turn any project into something elegant, fun and fancy. It can be the perfect addition to your crochet pattern.

The linky list will be open for eight days, until Thursday June 20 at 11:59 PM. Get your links in by then for a chance to be featured. The winner will also be announced here on the Stitch and Unwind Blog and on Facebook.

How to Participate:

Create or find a blog post on your own site that showcases your hat crochet patterns or crochet afghan patterns. In the post, you can talk about the thought process, write up a tutorial, or merely show off the finished project.

Add your link to this post by clicking on “Add your link” at the bottom of the screen and following the instructions. Make sure you link to your specific blog post, not your homepage, and give it a caption as to what the project is.

Remember to copy the AllFreeCrochet Stitch & Share button from below and paste it into your blog post, linked to this AllFreeCrochet Stitch & Share post, so that everyone who reads your blog can see that you’ve been featured on Stitch and Unwind!

The Link List will close at 11:59 PM CST on June 20, at which point no new links can be entered.

Enter your favorite crochet hat pattern or crochet afghan pattern, below! You do not need a blog, site, or URL to enter. Just enter your name and email address then click next to upload a photo of your fabulous project.

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Adorkable Monster

Monsters are coming out to play in celebration of the new Disney Pixar movie, Monsters University. Last week, I brought you an array of cute monsters that you can make. If you missed it, be sure to check out Monster Crafts: Cuddly Monster Patterns. These little guys are just waiting to be knit and crocheted and then loved!

I feel as time goes by, monsters are gaining more acceptance in today’s society. There’s been a flourish of cute monster movies and books throughout the years. Several years ago, Where the Wild Things  (an excellent book from 1963) was turned into a live-action movie, which helped increase monster popularity. Crazy creatures don’t have to be feared. And more and more often, I’m noticing monsters pop up in children’s toys, decorations, and clothes. Let’s embrace these loveable creations by making some fun wearable accessories.

Monster Hats

Check out fun and quirky monster hats through AllFreeCrochet and AllFreeKnitting. These beanies and caps are perfect for kids and those who are young at heart. Keep your noggin covered with the crazy knit Brainmonster Hat. And make an impression with the Crochet Monster Hat. This one even has horns! Try crafting a very simple monster hat with the Monster Beanie pattern. I think the little nubs on top are reminiscent of Shrek.

A little extra tip: A monster’s personality can be create just by your choice of eyes. Go goofy with googly eyes. Create a gentle or wild look with crocheted or knit to your liking. Or stitch eyes straight onto your monster.

 Monster Booties and Slippers

Kids will love having monster feet! No, not stinky gigantic real monster feet. Give them warm fuzzy monster feet with these fun patterns. Designer Needly has created patterns for Knit Monster Baby Booties, as well as Crocheted Monster Baby Booties. Little ones can put their best (monster) foot forward when they are at home or out and about in the world. For babies and toddlers you can create Abominable Baby Slippers. These furry slippers will keep their feet warm as they run wild.

What monster crafts have you made or are thinking of creating?

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