Inside Crochet - 44, August 2013

As soon as the temperature rises a few degrees over freezing, the Brits like to get outdoors. Sunshine or no sunshine, we all like to enjoy the (slightly) warmer weather. Summer is the perfect time for festivals, camping, fetes and yarn fairs, and a even a little bit of rain won’t spoil our fun – we just pull on the wellies, pop on a waterproof and carry on regardless.

This issue, we celebrate the great outdoors with projects that are perfect for the open air. This month’s cover project, Joanne Scrace’s pretty poncho, is a versatile lace version of this often more wintery wrap, turning it into the perfect example of a summery cover up. Throw it over a vest or dress and it will carry you from day to evening, while worn over a lightweight coat or jumper it will be a wardrobe staple through to autumn.

We also have patterns for picnic blankets, bags and accessories, all perfect for using outdoors and even making en plein air. Portable projects to take with you to the beach, park or even just the garden are key here. They should be light, small and not too warm in your hands while working in the heat. Socks, jewellery and flowers all fit into this category and we have plenty of these for you this month, and the floral theme continues into our Laura Ashley feature on page 38. Lindsey Harrad takes a look at the lasting legacy of the designer’s famous fl oral prints in the brand’s 60th anniversary year.

Finally, hairpin crochet produces the perfect lace fabric for warmer weather garments and accessories. If you are unfamiliar with how to create hairpin fabric, take a look at our guide to the technique on page 84 and try out you new skills with Birgit Tüchsen’s stunning Navajo wrap on page 44.

View a selection of this issue's patterns here.

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