With summer just a few days away and the mercury rising, it can be difficult to remember that it will once again be cold and that there will be a need for warm hats, scarves, mittens, and afghans. So if you find that you need to set aside your cold weather projects and find some crochet refreshment, here are a few things I have found that I think are worthy of the effort and look like a whole lot of fun.

When you find that the weather is just too hot to turn on the oven and bake a cake, you can sit down with a 3.75 mm hook, an assortment of your favorite worsted weight yarns, and use Hannah Kaminsky’s Quick Cupcake pattern to make a delightful, low calorie visual treat:

If you’re not in the mood for dessert, you can get out 2.75 or 3.0 mm hook, some fingering weight yarn, and ply your crochet magic to create a cool crochet cat like the one featured on this ravelry page wheret the designer Nekoyama has provided links to the patterns for crocheters’ personal use.

Or if you, like me, frequently lose things in your purse, you might find that Kristy Ashmore’s lip balm holder is perfect for protecting your lip balm from becoming hopelessly lost in your personal and portable abyss:

You can find the pattern for this delightfully handy item at this dedicated ravelry page.

Any one of these projects would be a nice addition to a summer afternoon, and I hope to make at least one of them myself before summer comes to a close.