Last Knitting Project This Summer: Lightweight Sweater Pattern

Late summer always makes me want to finish something — one last project before the air turns cooler and evenings start to feel different. This year, that “one last thing” was a lightweight sweater I’d been meaning to cast on for weeks. It wasn’t planned as a big finish to the season, but that’s how it turned out. Two versions came to life: a sleeveless mauve dress for my daughter and a short-sleeve ivory sweater for me. Both were made with a cotton-linen blend, soft enough for warm days yet sturdy enough to carry into early fall.

Project Info (Quick Facts)

Duration: August 5 – September 22
Pattern: Bosong Knit “Lilac Sweater” (Summer Version)
Yarn: DROPS Belle in Ivory and Mauve (Cotton + Linen + Viscose blend)
Needles: Lantern Moon Interchangeable Needles in 4.5 mm
Sizes: XS (child dress), S (adult sweater)
Method: Top-down raglan construction

This lightweight summer sweater was the last thing I finished before fall officially arrived. The pattern comes from Bosong Knit’s “Lilac Sweater – Summer Version,” and I made two: one in Mauve for my daughter as a sleeveless dress, and one in Ivory for myself as a short-sleeve top. It turned into a project full of small decisions, from yarn substitution to needle size, but it ended up being a memorable finish to the season.

Why I Chose This Pattern and Yarn

The original pattern calls for Sandnes Garn Tynn Line, but I simply couldn’t get enough skeins in the same dye lot. I searched for something with a similar texture and fiber composition – light, cool, and slightly rustic – and settled on DROPS Belle, a cotton-linen-viscose blend that behaves beautifully in warm weather. The price point was also a plus, and both the Ivory and Mauve shades felt versatile and easy to match.

My goal was to make something simple but refined – a piece I could wear on late-summer days, and a matching one for my child who loves when we dress alike. Originally, I planned two tops, but as soon as she saw the swatch, she insisted on a dress. I hesitated, since I’d never modified a sweater pattern into a dress before, but the idea of her actually enjoying something I made was reason enough to try.

Adjusting the Pattern and Gauge

The pattern is written for 5 mm needles, but my gauge swatch with that size turned out loose, and the stitch pattern looked slightly distorted. After blocking, it didn’t improve much – the fabric felt thin, and the motif lost its shape. Switching to 4.5 mm instantly gave the stitches better definition and cleaner texture, though the gauge no longer matched the pattern.

I originally planned to make the medium size, but using smaller needles meant the overall measurement would shrink. So I decided to follow the small size instructions instead and see how the child version turned out first. If her dress came out close to the target size, I would keep the same approach for mine. It felt like a safe way to test both yarn and tension before committing to the larger piece.

Knitting the Child Dress (XS)

From the beginning, I planned to turn the pattern into a sleeveless dress for my daughter — she had been asking for a “spinning dress” all along. I kept the bodice as written down to the waist and finished the armholes for a sleeveless look. Then, instead of working a hem or ribbing, I switched to increases: on the waist round I worked KFB into every stitch (yes, every stitch) to create a gathered, full skirt. The stitch count exploded, and the rest of the knitting turned into a meditative stockinette marathon.

The good thing is that the stitch pattern up top is simple and rhythmic, so once you get past the raglan increases, it’s mostly smooth sailing. I stopped when the dress reached her mid-calf, which took about seven skeins in total. The neckline, armholes, and hem were all finished with a single row of purl stitches for a clean edge.

When I finally bound off and let her try it on, the dress was a bit big – more of a “next-summer fit.” But she twirled around the living room and refused to take it off even in warm weather. Hearing her say, “I don’t want to take off Mommy’s dress!” was worth every late night I spent knitting it.

Knitting My Own Sweater (S)

After finishing hers, I took a week off before casting on my own. I used the Ivory yarn, planning to make the small size but keeping the same 4.5 mm needles. The body worked up quickly, but the sleeves slowed me down. I kept dropping stitches near the join, probably from fatigue, and had to re-pick the stitches several times.

Still, there’s something deeply satisfying about knitting something for yourself after making one for someone else. I could memorize the chart by then, so the yoke went smoothly, and the fabric came out denser and cleaner than my first swatch. The entire project took about three weeks of relaxed knitting time.

After blocking, though, the sweater stretched slightly, landing somewhere between S and M. It still fits nicely, just with a slightly looser silhouette after washing. The relaxed fit actually makes it more comfortable to wear day to day. The yarn softened considerably after washing, losing that initial crispness but staying structured enough to hold shape.

Fabric, Fit, and Comfort

DROPS Belle isn’t the softest yarn right off the skein, but it behaves well. The linen adds a subtle drape and coolness, while cotton and viscose keep it breathable. At first, I thought it might feel scratchy against bare skin, yet after a gentle soak and dry flat, it turned out perfectly fine – no itch, no stiffness.

The texture does make small stitch details less visible. The pattern has a modest decorative motif that doesn’t stand out strongly in this yarn, but I actually like the understated look. It makes the sweater more wearable day-to-day rather than purely decorative.

Lessons Learned from This Raglan

If there’s one part that tested my patience, it was the underarm pickup. I always struggle to make that transition look neat – no matter how careful I am, there’s always one small gap that annoys me. The key, I’ve learned, is to pick up more stitches than you think you need and then decrease them cleanly on the next round.

Another lesson: smaller needles can save a pattern. Even though it threw off the gauge, the 4.5 mm needles gave the texture the right density, especially for a summer knit. The slightly tighter fabric also prevented over-stretching after wash.

And finally, knitting the same pattern twice in a row teaches you patience. The first time, you focus on understanding the instructions; the second time, you start paying attention to your own habits – how you hold tension, how consistent your stitches are, when you get distracted.

Final Thoughts

This was officially my last knitting project of the summer, and it felt like the perfect way to wrap up the season. I love that one pattern turned into two completely different pieces: a sleeveless child dress and a lightweight adult sweater. Both are airy, wearable, and easy to layer – a win in my book.

There’s a kind of calm that comes with finishing a project just before seasons change. You put down your needles, fold the piece, and realize how many quiet moments are stitched into it – days when it was too hot to think, evenings when you promised yourself “just one more row.”

I’m planning to share a short review of the Lantern Moon needles I used for this project soon – they were new to me, and definitely worth talking about. But for now, I’ll simply enjoy seeing my daughter spin in her mauve dress while I wear my ivory top, both born from the same pattern.