Why should I be thinking about Summer now?
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance! Beginning the Summer crochet planning process now allows for space to seek out quality patterns; decide on fibers (& maybe find some on sale because it’s still cold!); test the patterns you find for ease of use & adjustment; set pricing based on the time it takes you to complete; create themes (clients love themes!); set financial goals that are achievable; create ‘fair-ready’ items ahead of time to free you up for custom orders, or other equally critical tasks related to your crochet endeavors. As you can see, the 5P’s of success will set you up for a productive, money-making summer. Now, let’s get into the meat & potatoes of this thing and explore summer crochet projects.
What kind of crochet can I make for summer?
Head to Toe! Get yourself a diagram of a body & spend a bit of time going from head to toe, making a note of the types of items you can make for each part of the body. What do you already have patterns for? What do you already know how to make? Are you able to create themes (sets) around the body? These are important to consider when creating summer crochet projects.
For example, how would clients respond to Littlejohn’s “Easy Floppy Brim Hat,” “15 minute Crochet Choker,” Posh Panache’s Anastasia Swimsuit coverup, paired with some crochet earrings & a sweet pair of barefoot crochet sandals? Building a color scheme around this idea & executing it right could have you busy long before summer even begins!
Once you’ve completed your wearable inventory check, take a look around the house. Are there items people would be interested in switching out to brighter, summer friendly, energizing colors? How long & labor intensive is it for you to create loofahs? How about 100% cotton bath mats? Perhaps kitchen accessory sets? A few other crochet household ideas include throw pillows, coasters, baskets, curtains, spa kits (free Yarnspirations pattern here) floor poufs, mason jar cozies, planter covers, and so much more!
Finally, there is always the option of using the summer months to create holiday themed items, mastering new stitches & stocking for the colder months. The summer is an ideal time to get ahead of the curve for the season to come. Holiday sales in the summer can prove to be extremely profitable to those who plan properly & strategically.
What is the best yarn to use for summer garments?
The 1st thing that should be noted before any discussion of this most sensitive topic amongst hookers is breached is that there is NO ‘rule’ to be found & followed bar none. The simple, unavoidable fact is that EACH & EVERY new garment project approached needs to have the correct combination of circumstances to ensure a desirable result that doesn’t leave you feeling like you just wasted a vast amount of time you can’t get back!
Whew! Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, there are various factors & variables that alter the answer to this question from one hooker to the next. What type of garment are you making? What type of stitch will be used? How much time do you have to create? What price-point are you looking to sell your pieces for? What type of budget do you have earmarked for materials?
If money is no object for what you’re willing to spend on materials & you have no issues with charging higher prices for garments made with expensive fibers, then the answer is quite simple; plant-based fibers. Made even simpler if you have an endless amount of time, mercerized cotton thread! We delve a bit more into other, larger plant-based fibers because the vast majority of yarnies do NOT have the latter in 2020.
Some examples of plant-based fibers include bamboo, linen, hemp, rayon, & of course cotton. Some reasons these fibers are no-brainers is their tendency towards being breathable, lightweight, absorbent, & smooth (as opposed to fuzzy). However, the price tag for these fibers, especially enough to create wearables, can become quite considerable quite quickly.
Addressing the Dilemma…
As artisans, we must consider this up-front cost on the back end in terms of our pricing for our clients. Therefore, this discussion is incredibly essential for us as crocheters. We want to always provide quality finished garments to our clients, but how do we do that & still turn a reasonable profit?
To answer this inquiry, we should acknowledge that there aren’t any yarns explicitly a ‘NO’ for summer garments. Instead, there are things incredibly important to keep in mind when choosing the fiber that’ll lead to referrals as opposed to warnings & not so pleasant reviews.
This leads to undoubtedly the biggest summer garment fiber question of all – is acrylic ok for summer items? Stay tuned for an entire post dedicated to JUST that question!
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What are some good Spring and Summer patterns?
In the meantime, let’s talk a bit about some good spring & summer crochet patterns. A fairly good mix of crochet summer patterns will include 2-3 crochet summer top patterns in various sizes, 1-2 crochet swimsuit coverup patterns, a few short patterns, & several summer crochet accessories patterns, such as earrings, sandals, hats, etc..
Why the multiples Belinda? Sheesh! Well, the greater the offerings you have readily available to your clients, the more likely it is you’ll receive not only orders, but referrals! Referrals are what you want ultimately; think of it as residual marketing. If you present yourself as a one-trick pony, that’s what you’ll be seen & treated as.
You’ll thank me later
Belinda is the founder of Posh Panache Crochet, crochet pattern designer, teacher, writer & crochet entrepreneur.
Summer Crochet Projects
3. Floral Halter
