Tan and Tipsy Top” by Knitting Tipsy

Y’all know I’ve always been a fan of summer knitting. First to get through the scorching Oklahoma summers, and in the beachy Florida scene year-round! 🌞

So when I saw that Season 8 Knit Star Chelsea (@knittingtipsy) and Bri (@thelittlewolfknits) were starting up their popular Hot Stitch Makealong again, I decided this was my year to jump in!

Besides being beachy, four things about this particular makealong really spoke to me…
1. There are no rules
2. There’s no deadline
3. There are cocktails (and mocktails)
4. There are prizes!

I zoomed with Chelsea this week and we talked all about our mutual love for summer making…

“When you think of knitting and crochet, lots of people think blankets or cozy sweaters or hats, and those are all amazing,” Chelsea said. “But as somebody who lives in a warm climate, I want to wear my things all year – not just save them for trips to cold places…”

“Making summer handmades is a way to take charge of your summer wardrobe,” she said. “Being able to choose the fiber you want, to get the drape that you want, in the colors you want, to ensure you feel comfortable and beautiful and empowered in your own clothing.”

“You don’t have to be a crop top person to make summer clothes – there are so many gorgeous t-shirt patterns, tunics, light cardigans…”

“Caladium Hexagon Coverup” by Briana K Designs

“Lotus Skirt” by Namaste and Crochet

“Plus there’s less project to work on! In the same time it would take to make a sweater, you can bust out three tank tops. No sleeve island!” Chelsea laughed.

Lakeside Beach Wrap” by upcoming Season 9 Star, Knitatude!

“And you don’t have to limit yourself to ‘summer yarns,’ Chelsea added. “Merino is great for summertime! It’s moisture-wicking. You can make t-shirts and crop tops and wear your handmades entirely year-round.”

“I made a Jessie Maed ‘Breeze Racerback’ in fingering weight merino, because we were going hiking in South America and all the blogs said to get merino socks and underwear. It’s antimicrobial and wicks the sweat from your body so it doesn’t stink. And I put that to the test. I went in July to a Disney Park in the Florida heat, and I still had the boob sweat and stuff, but it took it away – I smelled fresh as a daisy!”

“Twisted Tea Shirt” by Briana Luppino @thelittlewolfknits

“Tendril Wrap” by Montana Crochet

“You can also make a merino shawl and wear it as a sarong! I just made the ‘Tendril Wrap’ by @montana.crochet but I called it ‘Chaos on the Hips’ because instead of doing an actual fade, my husband would just close his eyes and pick a color from my collection of minis and I would go with that next.”

To participate in The Hot Stitch Makealong, just be sure you’re following @knittingtipsy and @thelittlewolfknits (it helps to click the little bell to turn on notifications for when they post). Each week, one of them posts a prize post that you can comment on. Then at the end of the week, they award a prize to a random commenter. That’s it!

“If you have a WIP that’s been in your closet for years…it counts!” Chelsea said. “You don’t have to start or finish it on any deadline. There are basically no rules. No policing. Just follow along, comment, and make at your own pace. If you want to make a bright winter sweater and you consider it summer because it’s bright pink, no problem!”

“After the make-along ends August 6, we’ll probably do a share-out of people’s projects, and maybe a live wrap-up party.”

Next, Chelsea is “working on a scrappy version of my “Tan and Tipsy Top.” It was my first design I put out years ago, as ‘baby designer Chelsea.’ And I laugh because there are some things I would do differently now as a designer, but there’s something kind of fun in just going with it as written. I’m loving it!”

Chelsea also puts out a couple of great newsletters per month, and includes mental health tips, great freebies (like her recent “Swim Cover Up Pattern Roundup”), and cocktail recipes, too! To subscribe to her newsletter, click here.

And I’m excited to announce that Chelsea will be our featured guest inside our Yarniverse membership for June! Plus we are doing something unprecedented…Chelsea, her husband Steve, and their dog, Rudy, are driving over to hang out in Santa Rosa Beach with me this weekend. So our June Yarniverse content will be extra fun and extra beachy!

If you’re not part of the Yarniverse yet, you can join the fun here.

xoxo,

Talking with Chelsea got me super pumped to cast on a beachy knit! I’m debating between two cast-ons… First, there’s the “North Cap Cardiana” by Murphy Made Crochet (it’s been a minute since I crocheted anything, so that would be fun…plus I think this would make such a cute layering piece in the winter, too!)

“North Cap Cardiana” by Murphy Made Crochet

“Mimosa Coverup” by OneDogWoof

Chelsea’s Tomato Tortellini 

Chelsea is known for sharing great, beachy cocktail recipes, so for this newsletter, I asked if she has a favorite food recipe to go with all those cocktails…and of course she does!

Her “recipe” for Tomato Tortellini Pasta is so simple, it can be shared in a single paragraph. My favorite kind! When a recipe is this easy, you have lots more time for beach knitting 🙂

“Chop up 7-8 tomatoes off the vine and put them in a pan with a dash of olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste, then add crushed red pepper until your ancestors tell you to stop (she really likes it spicy!). Let tomatoes soften up, then add crushed garlic and cook a bit more. Add a package of cheese tortellini (fresh not frozen), cook a couple minutes in the sauce. Add a couple of handfuls of fresh spinach, a handful of fresh, torn basil, and fresh parmesan. Annnd serve! We make this at least once a week. In fact, I think we’ll make it tonight!” – Chelsea, @knittingtipsy