Hello again readers!  We had an odd little backslide into cool nights and rainy mornings here in Phoenix and the temperatures have not yet returned to the usual melting heat. It’s been strange, but other than that load of laundry I left out on the drying rack overnight, pretty delightful.

This sort of weather is actually perfect for the next item in my backlog of finished objects, the Mermaid Crop Top:

This design is by a new-to-me designer, Rebecca McKenzie.  I discovered Rebecca’s work through Heidi of booksandcables.  Rebecca designs both garments and accessories, with a focus on wearable pieces for every body.  When I saw this little top, I instantly knew I needed to knit one to go with a flounced and silky wine-red skirt that I’d never been able to style the way I wanted.  You see documented here yet another day where I was kicking around in high-waisted jeans but I solemnly swear that I paired the top and its skirt together for a friend date at the theater and it was perfectly elegant. I’ve gotten to the point that if I haven’t been mauled with the baby’s lunch and have a captive audience–I mean, a willing photographer!–with me, the trip becomes a photo shoot.  Thanks Mooty!

(Aside: check out Heidi’s Instagram Story highlights spotlighting designers of color, and support her work via her ko-fi if you are able).

The Mermaid Crop Top is really straightforward and I had so much fun knitting it.  I made a couple of mods, mostly to address my oddly narrow arms (details on my Ravelry project page).  At one point I had a question, and Rebecca responded super quickly, which was so generous.

I highly recommend this pattern! How can you not love a top that works up fast in DK and has sleeves that are a breezy inch long?! Rebecca just released an updated version of both the cropped and long versions of the Mermaid Top (yep, if you’re still not won over by crop tops there’s a full length version), which is really exciting because on Local Yarn Store Day I picked out some cotton to make a summer version. After many years wondering why none of my clothes go together I have accepted that I’m a fiend for statement pieces but never wear more than one at once. Hence the poke-your-eyeballs orange skirt I’ve had a terrible time matching with shirts since I fell for it at the Overland Park mall. No more! It will have a fun creamy top to go with and I will look like a Creamsicle and it will be amazing.

What summer knits are you getting excited for?