Alize Diva is 100% acrylic with a silky sheen, which is why it is often called a silk-effect yarn. It is sport weight (Craft Yarn Council 2) with 350 m per 100 g, worked on 2.5–3.5 mm needles or a 1–3 mm hook. The smooth strand gives clear stitches and a fluid drape, and it comes in 67 colours.

Yes, it's a favourite for summer tops, tunics and beach cover-ups. Alize Diva is light, smooth and drapes well, and at 350 m per 100 g a short-sleeved top often takes only a few balls. As an acrylic it absorbs less moisture than cotton, so it dries quicker but feels less breathable on very hot days. Buy all balls for one top from the same dye lot.

Thickness. Alize Diva Fine is the same 100% acrylic but lace weight, with 600 m per 100 g against 350 m for Alize Diva. Choose Diva Fine for fine lace, openwork tops and delicate shawls, and regular Diva when you want a slightly denser fabric that works up faster. Both list 2.5–3.5 mm needles, so swatch to find the gauge your pattern needs.

The label for Alize Diva covers a 1–3 mm hook. For a soft, drapey top, start around 2.5–3 mm; go down to 1.5–2 mm for crisp lace or doilies. Since Diva is smooth and slippery, a hook with a pointed head and a well-defined throat makes it easier to work into stitches. Always crochet a swatch and compare it with the gauge in your pattern.

Alize Diva Batik is the multi-coloured version of Diva: the same 100% acrylic, 350 m per 100 g, and the same 2.5–3.5 mm needles or 1–3 mm hook, but dyed in sections that create stripes and patches as you work. It is a simple way to get a colourful summer top or shawl without changing yarns, and it combines well with a matching solid shade of regular Diva.

It's a common choice for crochet bikini tops, cover-ups and beach bags. Acrylic soaks up less water than cotton, so Alize Diva stays lighter when wet and dries faster, and the silky sheen looks good in sunlight. For pieces you plan to swim in often, a yarn with some stretch keeps its shape better. Use a smaller hook, around 2 mm, for a firm, less see-through fabric.