Before I went to the beach this summer, I dreamed of the perfect beach cover-up. It would be all cotton and a light color for high temperatures on the coast of South Carolina in June. It would be mini-skirt length and have kicky vents on the sides to show off my legs and for freedom of movement when I went on one of my long and meditative walks on the beach. It would cover my shoulders and prevent sunburn. It would have a rounded but modest neckline. It would feel loose and free and fit me perfectly.
Alas, I looked and looked through umpteen pattern books and magazines but found nothing even close to what I wanted. So, I designed my own. I’ve been knitting since I was a teenager, usually easy patterns that allow me to watch TV or just sit and think while I knit. I don’t go for anything complicated or patterns that have me glued to an incomprehensible piece of paper or that gives me eye strain.
Much to my surprise, for my first beach cover-up design, I came up with an incredibly simple pattern that fits me perfectly, covers my shoulders, and is flowy and comfortable to wear. Here’s the pattern (such as it is – it’s in plain English, no abbreviations, challenging techniques, or anything a moderately experienced knitter couldn’t pull off):
The “Cindy” Beach Cover-Up
General Concept:Knit two large rectangles and a drawstring. Knit holes below the bustline to insert the drawstring. Adjust measurements to fit yourself. (I’m 5’4” and wear US dress sizes 10-12.)
Materials:
–Bernat Handicrafter Cotton Yarn(Two 12 ounce skeins, you’ll have lots left over)
-Size 9 circular needles
-stitch holder for neckline
Front:
-Cast on 84 stitches (more or less if you’re bigger or smaller)
-Knit until you’ve got 21 inches (again, adjust if your waistline if longer or shorter)
-Put in holes in the next row. (I used a pattern of knit two + yarnovers to accomplish this)
-Knit until you’ve got a total of 30” (more or less, adjusting for your size)
-To make a simple rounded neckline, bind off about 20 stitches in the middle of the garment, decrease on each side of the neckline until you have about 22 stitches on each side
-Bind off each side
Back:
-Cast on 84 stitches (or same number you cast on for the front)
-Knit until you’ve got 21 inches (or same length to drawstring row as the front)
-Put in a row of holes for the drawstring (Knit Two + yarnovers)
-Knit until you’ve got a total of 31” (more or less depending on depth of back neckline)
-Cast off about 20 stitches, decrease each side until you’ve got 22 stitches on each side
-Bind off each side
Drawstring:
-Cast on 3 stitches, make an I-cord (look online for how to do this; use double pointed needles or circular needles – it’s easy)
-Make the drawstring as long as you want it (I’d make it 70” to 80”, depending on your waistline)
-Cast off
Construction:
-attach the front to the back by putting seams on each side between the drawstring row and about 8-10” from the bottom (leaving vents for ease of movement)
-if neckline is floppy, crochet one row around it to cinch it up a bit
-sting the drawstring through the holes and cinch for comfort
Extras: (These are what I did to personalize my own beach cover-up)
-for a cooler garment, make rows of holes (simple knit two + yarnover pattern) along the bottom few rows
-to add texture to the bottom of the garment, I used this pattern: Knit rows 1, 3, & 4; purl row 2
-to add texture to the top of the garment, I used this pattern: on reverse side, purl two, yarnover, purl 2 more, pull yarnover stitch over the last two purls (I added this pattern about every 4 rows)
For more info on basic stitches and construction of garments, I highly recommend the new Vogue Knitting book. It’s a huge book that covers it all. If you had to buy one book on knitting, this would be the one. Available at: https://amzn.to/2sImZ7W
If you like to design your own projects, a good comprehensive stitch dictionary is invaluable. You might try Debbie Tomkies’ Knit Stitch Dictionary: 250 Essential Knit Stitches, available affordably in both paperback and Kindle editions at: https://amzn.to/2JzCJjS
Blessings, Cindy
Copyright 2018 Cynthia Coe. All rights reserved!
Sycamore Cove Knitting 