Pattern Debut: Urraca

Designs are often seasonal, and it's not always about long vs short sleeves, or the fiber content. Squishy cables seem so wintery, airy lace is for spring, but summer--summer is about slowing down, relaxing, enjoying the sun, playing with the kids. Casual. 

A few months ago, Dami of Magpie Fibers sent me some mini sample skeins of her new yarn, Solstice, and I knew right away that the yarn was made for a summer tee. Blending merino, cotton and silk, it's soft, slightly textured and just comfortable. It's a yarn that shines on its own and doesn't need a lot of cables and lace getting in the way. 

So I set out to create a summer tee--nothing over-the-top, complicated, showy; something with just a few special details to hold your interest while working and take a plain tee up a few notches.

Urraca is the result. This top-down raglan is an easy, breezy knit--the most complicated part are the few short rows used to raise the back neck just a hair (and honestly, you could just skip them if you wanted).

Graduated stripes around the yoke are dotted with eyelets along the raglan lines. The eyelets are then carried down the sides, ending at the split high/low hem. Knitting at a slightly looser gauge for DK weight (5 sts/inch) gives the tee fantastic drape--it's relaxed and comfortable, just like a summer tee should be. 

Find all the pattern specs on the pattern page, and grab your copy of the pattern on Ravelry, Love Knitting and Craftsy. Newsletter subscribers, of course, get a special coupon code, so check your inbox! 

And maybe you'll see Urraca on the road this summer--I'll be delivering the sample to Dami when she gets back from her Girls' Road Trip, and she'll be taking it with her to some summer shows, including the Frederick Fiber Fest in June!