Summer Feeling / DROPS 160-1: A Complete Guide to This Free DROPS Design Knitting Pattern

There is something deeply satisfying about finishing a handknitted garment just as the warm weather arrives. The combination of lighter yarns, open stitches, and airy designs makes summer knitting a completely different experience from the cozy, heavy projects of winter. If you have been looking for a beautiful, wearable piece that captures everything good about the season, the Summer Feeling pattern from DROPS Design — catalogued as DROPS 160-1 — deserves a place at the top of your queue.

This post will walk you through everything you need to know about this pattern: what it is, why knitters love it, how to approach the construction, tips for getting the best results, and how to make it your own. Whether you are a seasoned knitter picking up your hundredth project or someone who finished their first pair of socks last spring and is ready for something more ambitious, this guide is for you.

What Is DROPS 160-1 Summer Feeling?

DROPS 160-1 is a free knitting pattern published by DROPS Design, the Norwegian yarn and pattern company known for releasing thousands of high-quality, freely accessible patterns across every skill level and garment type. The Summer Feeling design belongs to DROPS collection 160, a lineup focused on light, relaxed garments suited to warm weather and casual everyday wear.

The pattern itself is a women’s top or sweater — depending on how you style it — featuring a clean silhouette, delicate lace or openwork detailing, and a fit that flatters without being restrictive. The design leans into everything that makes summer knitting appealing: the yarn works up quickly, the stitch patterns are interesting enough to keep you engaged at the needles without demanding constant attention, and the finished piece is genuinely something you want to wear.

Because DROPS Design makes all of its patterns available for free on their website, knitters around the world have adopted this design into their projects and shared their results in an enormous Ravelry community, a wealth of project photos, and pages of helpful notes from those who have already worked through every row.

Why Knitters Keep Coming Back to DROPS Design

Before diving deeper into the specifics of Summer Feeling, it is worth understanding why DROPS Design patterns have such a devoted following. The company, based in Norway and operating through the Garnstudio brand, has been producing patterns since the 1980s. What sets them apart is their commitment to accessibility. Every pattern on their website — and there are thousands — is completely free. You do not need a subscription, an account, or a one-time purchase. You simply visit the site, find the pattern you want, and download or print it.

The patterns themselves cover an extraordinary range. There are patterns for babies and toddlers, for men and women, for home décor and accessories, for every skill level from absolute beginner to seasoned expert. The Summer Feeling pattern sits comfortably in the intermediate range, making it achievable for knitters who have moved past scarves and dishcloths but might not yet have tackled complex colorwork or intricate shaping.

Another reason DROPS patterns attract such loyalty is the yarn integration. DROPS Design produces their own yarn lines, and their patterns are written to use those yarns. This takes the guesswork out of substitution when you use the recommended materials, and it keeps costs reasonable since DROPS yarns are generally priced accessibly. That said, the patterns include gauge information that makes substituting other yarns entirely possible for knitters who prefer to work with different fibers or brands.

The Yarn for Summer Feeling

The recommended yarn for DROPS 160-1 is DROPS Safran, a fingering-weight cotton yarn that has become something of a summer staple for knitters who work with DROPS patterns. Safran is a 100% cotton yarn, which makes it breathable, washable, and wonderfully cool against the skin during warm months. It has a slightly matte finish and a smooth, even ply that takes stitch definition beautifully, which matters a great deal when you are working with lace or any kind of openwork detailing.

Cotton yarns behave differently from wool, and it is worth understanding those differences before you cast on. Cotton has no elasticity, which means your stitches will not spring back the way they would in a woolen project. This can make tension slightly more challenging to manage, particularly on long rows where your hands may tire and your grip may shift. Many knitters find that working with a slightly larger needle than recommended helps compensate for this, and it is one of the reasons swatching is especially important for cotton projects.

On the other hand, cotton is forgiving in ways wool is not. It blocks beautifully, taking on the shape you pin it to once wet and drying into a crisp, even fabric. It is easy to care for — most cotton knits can go in the washing machine on a gentle cycle — and it does not pill the way some woolen garments do. For a summer top that you plan to wear regularly and launder frequently, these are significant advantages.

If you prefer to substitute a different yarn, look for something in the fingering weight range with a similar fiber content or drape. A cotton-linen blend, a lightweight cotton-silk, or even a fine bamboo yarn can all work beautifully in this pattern. The key is to match the gauge specified in the pattern and to consider the drape of your substitute — a yarn with more body will produce a stiffer fabric than intended, while something very fluid might make the lace details look loose and undefined.

Understanding the Gauge and Sizing

Like any garment pattern, getting the gauge right in Summer Feeling is the difference between a top that fits perfectly and one that ends up too large or too small. The pattern specifies the number of stitches and rows per 10 centimeters in the relevant stitch pattern, and before you cast on the first stitch of your actual garment, you should knit a swatch.

Swatching in cotton is particularly important. Because the fiber has no stretch, a garment that is even a centimeter or two too wide in the chest can look and feel entirely different from one that is spot on. Knit a swatch of at least 15 by 15 centimeters, wash and block it the way you intend to care for the finished piece, let it dry completely, and then measure. If your stitch count is too high — meaning your stitches are smaller than intended — try going up a needle size. If it is too low, go down. This process might feel tedious, but it genuinely saves the frustration of finishing a beautiful piece that does not fit.

DROPS patterns are available in a range of sizes, and 160-1 is no exception. The sizes typically run from small through extra-large or beyond, and DROPS provides measurements for each size in the pattern. Take your actual body measurements before choosing a size, and pay attention to the finished garment measurements rather than simply selecting based on your usual clothing size. Different designers use different amounts of ease — the difference between your body measurement and the finished garment measurement — and DROPS patterns for summer tops often have a relaxed fit that accommodates some positive ease.

Construction and Stitch Patterns

One of the things that makes Summer Feeling approachable for intermediate knitters is that the construction is relatively straightforward. The garment is worked flat in pieces — typically a front, a back, and sleeves if the version you are working includes them — and then seamed together. This is a more traditional approach compared to seamless or top-down construction that has become popular in recent years, but it has real advantages. Flat pieces are easier to block individually, seams can add structure and durability to a garment, and many knitters find the rhythmic back-and-forth of flat knitting meditative.

The stitch patterns used in the design play with texture and openwork in a way that is characteristic of DROPS summer collections. You might encounter simple lace repeats, yarn-over sequences that create an airy, open fabric, or textural combinations that add visual interest without requiring complex cable needles or color changes. The pattern is written out row by row, so even if you are not experienced with reading lace charts, you can follow along with the written instructions.

For knitters who do read charts, DROPS provides those too, and the visual representation of a lace pattern can make it much easier to see where you are in a repeat and to catch any mistakes before they become difficult to fix.

Tips for Knitting Summer Feeling Successfully

There are a few practical pieces of advice that experienced DROPS knitters and those who have worked through Summer Feeling specifically tend to share.

First, pay attention to the selvedge stitches. When working flat in lace or openwork, it can be tempting to let the edge stitches become sloppy, but neat selvedge stitches make seaming dramatically easier. A simple slip-one at the beginning of each row or a consistent knit-one at both ends will give you a clean, even edge to work with when it comes time to join the pieces.

Second, use stitch markers liberally. If your lace repeat is eight stitches wide and you have 80 stitches across, placing a marker every eight stitches means that if you make a mistake in one repeat, you will catch it immediately rather than at the end of the row. This is especially valuable in cotton, where ripping back and reknitting can distort stitches in ways that are not always easy to correct.

Third, take your time with blocking. A cotton lace knit that comes off the needles may look puckered, uneven, or surprisingly small. Do not panic. Wet blocking — soaking the finished pieces in cool water, gently squeezing out the excess, and pinning them to measurements on a foam mat — transforms the fabric entirely. The stitches open up, the lace pattern becomes legible, and the garment takes on the drape and flow that makes it so appealing when worn.

Fourth, read through the entire pattern before casting on. DROPS patterns are generally well-written, but there are occasionally notes about simultaneous shaping — where you are, for example, decreasing for an armhole at the same time as continuing a lace repeat — that can catch you off guard if you encounter them mid-row. A read-through gives you a map of the whole journey so there are no surprises.

Personalizing the Pattern

One of the joys of knitting your own garments is the ability to customize them. Summer Feeling, like most DROPS patterns, provides a clear structure that you can adapt once you understand the design.

Color is the most obvious place to start. The pattern photographs often show the design in soft, summery neutrals — pale yellows, quiet whites, gentle blues — but there is nothing stopping you from knitting it in a bold coral, a deep navy, or a pattern-breaking stripe if your stash happens to include a complementary second color. Because the design is worked in a single yarn, introducing a second color through striping is relatively simple.

Length is another variable you can adjust. If you prefer a tunic-length top over a cropped or hip-length one, you can work additional straight rows before beginning the armhole shaping, keeping in mind that you will need extra yarn to do so. Conversely, if you want something shorter and more cropped, you can subtract a few rows. Just make sure any length adjustments preserve the stitch repeat count for the lace pattern.

Neckline depth is sometimes adjustable too, though changes here require more careful planning to ensure the shaping still results in the right number of stitches. If you are comfortable with basic garment construction, you can work with the pattern’s neck shaping and simply modify the bind-off to be deeper or shallower.

Finally, sleeve length and style are areas where many knitters make substitutions. A pattern written with short sleeves can sometimes be adapted to long sleeves by working the sleeve to your preferred length and adjusting the cap shaping accordingly, or you can omit sleeves entirely and finish the armholes with a simple edging for a sleeveless look.

Building a Summer Knitting Wardrobe with DROPS

Summer Feeling does not stand alone in the DROPS 160 collection or in DROPS Design’s broader catalog. If you fall in love with the Safran yarn or with the general aesthetic of this design, there is an entire world of similar patterns waiting for you. DROPS regularly releases summer collections that focus on lightweight tops, breezy cardigans, beach cover-ups, and delicate accessories — all using the same accessible, free model that makes their patterns so beloved.

Within the DROPS ecosystem, you might also explore designs worked in DROPS Bomull-Lin (a cotton-linen blend with beautiful texture), DROPS Safran Soft (a softer, mercerized version of the classic), or DROPS Sky (a light, airy yarn that works up into wonderfully drapey fabric). Each yarn has its own character, and experimenting with different fibers within a consistent pattern framework is one of the best ways to understand how yarn choice affects finished garments.

Joining the Community

One of the underappreciated aspects of working on a pattern as well-known as DROPS 160-1 is the community it connects you to. On Ravelry, where knitters catalog and discuss their projects, Summer Feeling has accumulated hundreds of project entries from knitters around the world. These pages are invaluable resources. You can see the pattern worked in different colors and yarn substitutions, read notes about sizing adjustments, and find answers to the specific questions that always seem to arise mid-project.

The DROPS Design website itself also hosts a question-and-answer forum for each pattern, where the DROPS team responds to technical questions. This is one of the most useful resources available for any DROPS pattern, and it is searchable, meaning that the question you have almost certainly been asked before.

Knit-alongs — where a group of knitters works through a pattern simultaneously, sharing progress and asking questions — are another wonderful way to experience a project like this. Whether you find one on Ravelry, on Instagram, or in a local yarn shop, working alongside others brings both motivation and practical support.

Final Thoughts: Why Summer Feeling Is Worth Your Time

There is a reason patterns like DROPS 160-1 Summer Feeling continue to attract new knitters season after season. The combination of a beautiful, wearable design, freely accessible instructions, a well-supported yarn, and a community of knitters who have already worked through every challenge makes this an ideal project for the warm months ahead.

Knitting a garment for yourself — choosing the color, adjusting the fit, working stitch by stitch through the fabric — produces something no shop-bought equivalent can match. When you pull on a top that you made with your own hands and feel the cool cotton against your skin on a warm summer day, the hours at the needles reveal their full worth.

Download the pattern from the DROPS Design website, wind your yarn, and cast on. Summer, and your new favorite top, are waiting.