A beach cover-up crocheted in a DK weight yarn – the sample uses Universal Bamboo Pop in an ocean-dots colourway. Depending on size it takes three to four skeins. Written for sizes S, M, L, XL and 2XL.
The yarn
Bamboo Pop is a cotton and bamboo blend, and that combination suits a beach garment particularly well. Cotton gives the fabric body and holds its shape; bamboo adds drape and a cool, slightly slippery hand that is comfortable against warm skin.
It is a considerably better choice than acrylic here. A cover-up is worn over damp swimwear in heat, and synthetic fibres feel unpleasant in exactly those conditions.
If substituting, look for another cotton blend in DK weight. Pure cotton will work but is heavier and less fluid; a cotton-linen or cotton-bamboo blend will behave more like the original.
Sizing
A cover-up should be loose. Take your usual size or go up one – this is not a garment where a close fit is desirable, and it needs to pull on easily over wet skin.
Check the finished measurements in the pattern against a loose top you already own rather than against your body measurements.
A note on drape
Cotton and bamboo have no memory. The garment will grow slightly in length as it is worn, particularly when damp, and will not spring back the way wool does.
Account for that by working to the shorter end of any length range, and expect the finished cover-up to settle a little longer than it measures on the day you finish it.
Care
Rinse it in fresh water after swimming. Salt and chlorine break down fibres over time and a rinse costs nothing.
Dry it flat rather than hanging. A heavy wet cotton garment on a hanger will stretch at the shoulders permanently.
