Spring is one of our favourite times to start something new.
The heavier winter knits can finally make way for lighter yarns, breezy stitches, short sleeves and a little more colour. Cotton comes back into its own, 4 ply projects feel especially appealing, and there is still just enough cool weather around to enjoy having something on the needles or hook.
If you're looking for a new spring knitting or crochet project, we've picked 10 patterns we're especially excited about for Spring 2026. There is a mix of knitted and crocheted tops, relaxed tees, lace, stripes and a granny square tote bag, paired with yarns you can find at Crossways.
What are the best knitting and crochet projects for spring?
For Australian spring, we love projects that are light enough to wear as the weather warms up but still interesting enough to enjoy making. Think cotton and merino yarns, 4 ply and 8 ply weights, sleeveless tops, short-sleeve tees, open crochet stitches and easy layering pieces.
Here are 10 of our favourites.
1. Flora Tee by Lola Crochets
Crochet | 4 ply | Our yarn pick: Fiddlesticks Posie 4 ply
If ever there was a project made for spring, this may be it.
The Flora Tee is constructed from joined crochet flower motifs, creating an open, colourful fabric that feels playful without becoming too fussy. It is worked as one piece, with the flowers joined as you go, so there is no big pile of motifs waiting to be sewn together at the end.
There are short-sleeve and three-quarter-sleeve options, and the length can be adjusted by adding or removing flowers.
We've paired it with Fiddlesticks Posie 4 ply, a great weight for keeping the finished tee light.
If you'd prefer to skip the yarn calculations and colour planning, we also have a complete Flora Tee Crochet Kit.
Why we love it for spring: flowers, colour and a lightweight finish.
2. Mix Tape Tee by Wool & Pine
Knitting | 4 ply | Our yarn pick: Patons Dreamtime Merino 4 ply
Released in July 2026, the Mix Tape Tee is one of our favourite new knitting patterns of the year.
It is knitted sideways from sleeve to sleeve, using alternating garter and stocking stitch stripes to create a relaxed tee with vertical colour running through the body. Better still, each stripe only uses a small amount of yarn, making this a particularly fun project for playing with colour.
The original pattern is designed for fingering-weight yarn, making Patons Dreamtime Merino 4 ply a lovely option if you want something soft, light and comfortable for those cooler spring days.
You could keep the palette restrained with three or four repeating colours or fully embrace the Mix Tape idea and make every stripe different.
Why we love it for spring: lightweight, colourful and an excellent excuse to experiment.
3. By the Bay Tank by Knitleybay
Knitting | 8 ply | Our yarn pick: Patons Solace 8 ply
A knitted tank is one of those genuinely useful spring projects.
The By the Bay Tank has a simple, modern shape with a lovely amount of detail around the edges. It can be knitted with a keyhole opening or as a plain tank, and the design is reversible, giving you a couple of different ways to wear it.
The pattern calls for DK yarn, which is the equivalent of Australian 8 ply, so we'd pair this one with Patons Solace 8 ply.
Wear it on its own as the weather warms up or layer it over a shirt or tee earlier in the season.
Why we love it for spring: an easy-to-wear piece that bridges cool mornings and warm afternoons.
4. SABAI Top by Susanne Müller
Knitting | 8 ply | Our yarn pick: Bambini 8
If you're looking for a relatively simple spring knitting project, add the SABAI Top to your list.
It's a light sleeveless top with a boat neckline, knitted seamlessly from the top down. The designer describes it as beginner-friendly, with only a small number of techniques required.
We'd make ours in Bambini 8, an extra-fine merino that feels beautifully soft while still giving you the stitch definition this simple shape deserves. Bambini is a true 8 ply at 115 metres per 50g ball.
Choose something bright for spring or keep it simple in one of the softer natural shades.
Why we love it for spring: simple construction, clean lines and plenty of opportunity to choose a beautiful colour.
5. Summertime Tee by TL Yarn Crafts
Crochet | 10 ply | Our yarn pick: Malabrigo Rios
Despite the name, we wouldn't wait until summer to make this one.
The Summertime Tee is a beginner-friendly crochet top made from two panels, with an open mesh fabric, ribbed hem, short sleeves and a relaxed fit.
It's designed for worsted-weight yarn, which makes Malabrigo Rios a particularly fun option. Rios is a soft 100% superwash merino 10 ply, and its hand-dyed colours would give the simple crochet fabric plenty of character.
This is the kind of project that looks impressive without involving excessively complicated construction.
Why we love it for spring: an easy crochet garment with enough openness to work well as the temperature rises.
6. TROPEZ Sweater by Susanne Müller
Crochet | 4 ply | Our yarn pick: Heirloom Cotton 4 ply
The TROPEZ Sweater is less "sweater" and more beautifully airy layer.
It's a boxy crochet top worked in an open granny-style mesh, designed to be worn over another top or even as a beach layer. That open construction makes it a particularly good project as we move from spring towards summer.
The pattern is written for fine cotton yarn, so for this one we'd reach for Heirloom Cotton 4 ply rather than a heavier 8 ply cotton blend.
The result should be light, breathable and easy to throw over a singlet, dress or swimwear.
Why we love it for spring: open crochet, natural fibre and a relaxed shape that feels made for warmer days.
7. Heacham Top by Elena Fedotova
Crochet | 4 ply | Our yarn pick: Malabrigo Sock
Sometimes the yarn choice is easy because the designer has already done it for us.
The Heacham Top is a sleeveless crochet top designed specifically in Malabrigo Sock, using contrasting colours and linen stitch to create a beautifully detailed fabric.
Malabrigo Sock is a lightweight 100% merino with the hand-dyed colour variation Malabrigo is known for, so even a relatively simple colour combination can become something special.
This would be a beautiful spring project for anyone who enjoys finer yarns and a slower, more detailed make.
Why we love it for spring: lightweight merino, beautiful colour and a sleeveless shape you'll actually want to wear.
8. Estepona Sweater by Ana D
Crochet | Lightweight cotton | Our yarn pick: Heirloom Cotton 4 ply
One of the newest patterns on our list, the Estepona Sweater was released in July 2026.
It's a light, short-sleeve crochet top featuring a large floral filet-crochet panel across the front. The combination of a simple silhouette and decorative openwork makes this one feel very current, while the floral detail fits the spring brief perfectly.
The original is made in lightweight cotton, so we'd experiment with Heirloom Cotton 4 ply, making sure to swatch carefully and match the pattern gauge before beginning.
We especially like this one in a natural, white or soft pastel shade where the filet pattern can really stand out.
Why we love it for spring: a modern take on traditional filet crochet, with flowers built right into the fabric.
9. Flavia by Elena Fedotova
Crochet | 4 ply | Our yarn pick: Malabrigo Sock
Another new release for 2026, Flavia combines linen stitch, filet lace and subtle texture in one relaxed crochet tee.
The shaping is more considered than the simple boxy crochet top, with a shaped neckline, higher back neck and gently shaped sleeves. It is worked in Malabrigo Sock, so this is another project where our yarn choice matches the designer's original recommendation.
The hand-dyed character of Malabrigo Sock would be particularly beautiful across the alternating solid and open sections.
Why we love it for spring: light, textural and interesting to make without feeling overly heavy once it's finished.
10. Great Granny Square Tote Bag by Crafted by Cat
Crochet | 10 ply | Our yarn pick: Finch 10 ply
A colourful granny square bag feels made for spring. The Great Granny Square Tote Bag by Crafted by Cat is a fun, beginner-friendly crochet project that's practical enough to use every day, while giving you plenty of room to play with colour.
For this project, we recommend Finch 10 ply. It's a great fit for the pattern's Aran-weight yarn requirement, with enough structure for a tote bag while still being enjoyable to crochet. Choose a handful of complementary shades for a coordinated look, or mix and match colours for a more playful granny square finish.
You'll need a 5mm crochet hook, and the pattern is available in both UK and US crochet terminology.
Why we love it for spring: a practical, colourful make you'll use all season.
Choosing yarn for spring knitting and crochet
The best yarn for a spring project depends on what you're making, but we tend to reach for cotton, lightweight merino and cotton blends at this time of year.
Cotton is breathable and particularly good for warm-weather crochet tops and bags. Fine merino works beautifully for lightweight knitted tees and tops while still offering a little warmth on cooler days.
Yarn weight matters too. A 4 ply or fingering-weight yarn creates a much lighter fabric than 8 ply or 10 ply, while 8 ply remains a great middle ground for spring garments.
Most importantly, always check the yarn weight, metreage and pattern gauge before substituting yarn. Two yarns described as the same ply can still behave differently once knitted or crocheted.
What will you make this spring?
Spring projects should be fun. Bring back some colour, try something you wouldn't have worn through winter, or finally have a go at making your first knitted or crocheted top.
You can find yarn for all of these projects at Crossways Wool & Fabrics, online Australia-wide or in our Subiaco store. And if you're not sure which yarn will work with a pattern you've found, bring it in. We love helping match patterns with the right yarn.
Happy spring making.
