A cover-up to pull on over swimwear at the beach or pool. Worked in a soft chunky yarn, so it grows fast – this is a realistic weekend project rather than a garment that takes a season.
Suitable for beginners.
Why it suits a beginner
A cover-up is forgiving in every way a fitted garment is not. It is meant to hang loosely, so the fit does not need to be precise. It is usually built from simple rectangles with minimal shaping. And chunky yarn means fewer stitches, so mistakes are quicker to find and quicker to undo.
If you have crocheted a scarf and want to try a garment next, this is a sensible step.
Yarn
The pattern calls for a soft chunky yarn, which is what makes it fast. For a beach cover-up specifically, consider a cotton or cotton blend chunky rather than acrylic: it will be worn over damp skin and swimwear, and cotton handles that far better. Acrylic against wet skin in heat is unpleasant.
Cotton also washes and dries well, which a beach garment needs – salt water, chlorine and sun cream all end up in it.
Fit
Make it loose. A cover-up that clings defeats its purpose, and it needs to go on easily over wet skin. If you are between sizes, take the larger one.
Check the length against a garment you already wear. Cover-ups look best either clearly short or clearly long; the in-between length is the awkward one.
A note on chunky crochet
Chunky crocheted fabric is heavy, and cotton is heavier than acrylic. The garment will stretch downward under its own weight as you wear it, particularly when damp. Work slightly tighter than the pattern’s gauge if you want it to keep its shape through a day at the beach.
Care
Rinse it after swimming. Salt and chlorine both degrade fibres over time, and a rinse in fresh water adds years to a cover-up’s life.
