Sunday Swatch – Uptown Worsted Tapestry

Today’s Sunday swatch is in Uptown Worsted Tapestry.

Uptown Worsted Tapestry swatch blogWhat a pleasure to knit with.  We developed Uptown Worsted Tapestry (180yds/100g) in response to many requests from local yarn stores mourning the loss of Classic Worsted Tapestry, a wool/acrylic blend.  We took the dozen most popular colors of that yarn and brought them back in our Uptown line.

Uptown Worsted Tapestry has the same soft hand and pleasant feel as Uptown Worsted, and can be used interchangeably for gauge, making it a seamless transition when placing a burst of patterning in a solid background.  The free His and Hers Yoke Sweaters shown here are a great example of this.

PC548 main imageBecause this yarn is such a spot-on color match, we’re re-releasing some favorite patterns originally designed for Classic Worsted Tapestry.  Playful Accessories and Throw was formerly a pay collection only available in print.   We’ve made it available now as a free download.  Any of these would work perfectly in Uptown Worsted Tapestry.

These three designs by Michele Wilcox and one by Amy Gunderson are charming ways to add some whimsy and color to your life.  We’ll be releasing more patterns in the weeks to come.

We hope you’ll enjoy this old favorite, given new life.

Happy knitting!

0027Sideways Short Row Hat Tapestry  Afghan Tapestry

0151Raccoon Hat and Mittens Tapestry  0054Chicken Hat and Mitts Tapestry

 

 

 

Free Pattern Friday – Diamond Cross Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Ariana Diamond Cross Pullover Today, the Diamond Cross Pullover in Ariana.

Things I love about this pattern:

  • The way the lace crosses over each other, as if it’s woven.
  • The fact that it’s made on 6.5mm needles, so it’s a quick knit.
  • The choice of yarn is Ariana (91yds/100g), so it’s a bulky weight yarn in lightweight materials.

Ariana color 108 GrapeAriana is a bamboo tube with light polyamide fibers inside, achieving its size without a lot of weight to stretch and drag.   It’s great fun in accessories like the 2 ball Rivel Cowl (free pattern!) and in larger garments as well.

Sometimes laceweight is great, but sometimes, I want to knock out something gorgeous in a hurry.  I’m keeping this pattern in mind next time I get that urge.

Let’s hear it for big yarn!

PHAT KNITS BY BAUKE KNOTTNERUS
Phat Knits by Bauke Knottnerus

 

Happy knitting!

 

IRL – Ellery Cowl

The weather is finally warming up here in North Carolina, but it’s still chilly enough to wear our knitting. Thank goodness!

IRL_Llamalini_Katiecowl_ms_blog

 

I caught up with Katie as she was filling orders and wrangling paperwork earlier this week. I had glimpsed her in her new cowl and had to try and convince her to let me take a photo for the blog. She was shy but willing!

Katie is donning her version of the Ellery Reversible Cowl in Llamalini. She used color 112 Caspian which looks stunning with her fiery red hair. Llamalini is a favorite with all of us in the office. It’s a lovely choice for sweaters. The linen and silk add the most sumptuous earthy feel in combination with the llama, making garments that are breathable and not overly toasty.  But for those of us who aren’t ready to commit to a large project, just 3 50-gram hanks will make the lovely cowl above.

Free Pattern Friday – Loop Bag

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Yashi Two-Color Handbag blue blog

Yashi ball blogToday, the Loop Bag in Yashi.

Yashi is our brand new 100% raffia yarn, great for accessories and home decor projects.  I love it in this crochet bag.  The handles are from JUL Designs, which has a good variety of high quality leather and metal bits and bobs for customizing your designs.

I love this bag, so I worked a little rough Photoshop magic on it to see what it would look like in other colors.  Answer: nice!  I particularly like it with the pink.

Yashi Two-Color Handbag red blog     Yashi Two-Color Handbag gray blog

You could keep the neutral base, or go for an even more Spring-like look by substituting white for the natural.

In the pattern, the base and sides are crocheted separately and sewn together.  Plastic canvas stiffens the sides, and the entire purse is lined with fabric.  It’s a kicky summer bag in a great yarn.

We hope you like this fun crochet project.

Happy crafting!

Free Pattern Friday – Billow Sweater

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Billow_GoodEarth_blogToday, the Billow Sweater in Good Earth.

Billow_GoodEarth_detail_rtWhat a great fit for the changing of the seasons.  Big and slouchy, but in the cool cotton/linen blend of Fibra Natura Good Earth (204yds/100g) so it won’t be sweltering in the Spring.  I love the natural, relaxed look of this piece – so comfy with a pair of jeans.

This is a lovely piece, but not a hard one.  Front and back pieces are worked from the bottom up. Stitches are cast on for sleeves and worked up in a single piece with front and back.  The hems feature 2×1 knit/purl ribbing moving up into a garter stitch body.  A seed stitch panel along the sides and along the outside of the arms keeps the design interesting.

This design would be as relaxing to make as to wear.  It’s calming just to think about.  Maybe tonight I’ll have a glass of mint tea and knit a swatch.  Bliss.

Happy knitting.

Billow_GoodEarth_back_blog

 

 

Amy Answers – Laurel Crochet Stole

I’m delighted to introduce a new occasional feature here on the blog: Amy Answers. Part of my job with Universal Yarn involves answering customer emails and phone calls when pattern issues arise. Sometimes these conversations are regarding an error in the pattern (I hate these! But unfortunately they do happen from time to time). Other times, we talk about what a pattern really means when it tells you to do x, y, and z.

Educating crafters is something I’m very passionate about. In this occasional section of the blog, I’ll be sharing what a customer learns through one of our phone calls, what I learn through one of our phone calls, how to do a stitch patterns in some of our new designs, and whatever else makes sense!

To kick things off, I’ll be doing a photo tutorial on how to join motifs in one of our Polaris patterns, the Laurel Crocheted Stole.

Laurel_Crocheted_Shawl_Polaris_low-res

 

I love love love join-as-you-go motif projects. What this method typically means is that first a full motif is made. Then, the next motif is made less the final round. On that final round, the current motif is joined to the previous motif in multiple places. Sometimes this occurs with just a slip stitch. But in the Laurel pattern, we join “in pattern” with dtrs (double treble crochet).

1

Here is the first motif, rounds 1 and 2. It is complete.

 

2

Here is motif 1. Next to it is motif 2 in progress. It shows the completion of round 1, and this first part of round 2: Ch 7, sc in next ch-7, ch 7, (dtr, ch 5, dtr) in next dtr, ch 7, [sc in next ch-7 sp, ch 7] twice,

 

3

Next we begin to join motif 1 to motif 2.  Here is what the next part of the instructions are: * (dtr, ch 2, dtr in corresponding corner sp on previously worked motif, ch 2, dtr) in next dtr *

Notice that there is a string of instructions inside a set of parentheses (we’ll call this A), and then after the parentheses is another string of text (B). This means that that entire set of instructions A happens in B, or in the next dtr. So, the first step is to dtr in the next dtr, which is pictured above on motif 2.

 

4

After that, it tells me to “ch 2, dtr in corresponding corner sp on previously worked motif”. This is shown above. The “corner” space is the chain 5 from round 2 of motif 1.

 

5

The last action inside the parentheses is to  ch 2, dtr in the next dtr (which is the SAME dtr from round 1 of motif 2 as we’ve just dtr’d in), shown above.

 

6

The next part of round 2 is: [ch 3, dtr in next sp on previously worked motif, ch 3, sc in next ch-7 sp] twice.

The photo above shows this done once…

 

7

and here it is done twice.

 

8

Next, we join to motif 1 in the next space along that same side: ch 3, dtr in next sp on previously worked motif.

 

9

Then we have arrived at the next corner, and we’re instructed to repeat from * to * once more.

 

10

The remainder of motif 2, round 2 is completed without further joining. You can see that motifs 1 and 2 are joined in 5 different spots. Two of them are in corner spaces, and the other 3 are in the chain 7 spaces in between the corners.

So this solves joining one motif to the side of another. But wait, there’s more! Because the Laurel stole is 5 motifs wide x 17 motifs high, there will be a number of motifs that will be joined on more than one side. Below demonstrates how to do the “Two-Sided Join” described in the pattern.

 

11

To demonstrate, first I’ve made a third motif and joined it to motif 1 in the same way as shown above.

 

12

Here we have motif 4 started and ready to begin joining to motif 3.

 

14

The joining process is the same as before until we get to that corner spot. This part is a little different.

 

18

This next part of round 2 reads: , (dtr, ch 2, dtr in corresponding ch-5 corner sp on previously worked motif, sk ch-5 corner sp on next previously worked motif, dtr in ch-5 corner sp of next previously worked motif, ch 2, dtr) in next dtr.

So, to break it down, we dtr in the next dtr (same motif, motif 4), ch 2, dtr in corresponding ch-5 corner on previously worked motif (motif 3/purple), skip the next ch-5 corner space (motif 1/pink), then dtr in the next  corner (motif 2/blue), ch 2, dtr in same dtr on current motif.

Whew!

19

Then we finish joining to motif 2 (blue) and then complete round 2 of the current motif, motif 4.

I’ve shown my motifs in different colors of Uptown Worsted for the sake of clarity. The original stole worked in Polaris 61002 is beautiful in pure white. I know this project would look really lovely in some of the more multi colors of Polaris too. Motifs show off colorful yarns nicely.

I hope this helps for any crocheters out there working on the Laurel stole or another join-as-you-go project.

Knitspiration – Mast and Lines

Shall we have some Monday Knitspiration?

Mast and Lines with chips
Mast and Lines by Morris Blackburn (1902-1979)

The geometry is perfect here – the angles and colors, the twists of the sails.

Cotton Supreme for Masts
Cotton Supreme
Ladder Scarf in Cirrus Cotton
Gossamer Shawlette in Cotton Gold
Art Deco Stole in Mohair Mountain
Cornelia Lattice Cowl Poems Silk
Lattice Cowl in Poems Silk

The masts and lines of Blackburn’s piece call to mind the waves of Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton’s Lattice Cowl above.  The combination reminds me of a family favorite poem, Sea Fever by John Masefield.  It’s read beautifully here by Tom O’Bedlam.

In the poem, John Masefield wishes for “a merry yarn.”  It may not be the kind that he’s thinking of, but we wish you much merry yarn as well.

Happy knitting.

 

 

 

 

IRL – Woven Whisper Lace

Whisper Lace two weeks in a row! Can you tell that’s one of our favorites here in the office?!

IRL_WhisperLace_Katiescarf

Today we’re sharing an “In Real Life” with Katie who works in customer service. She’s adorned with a scarf woven on a Schacht Cricket rigid heddle loom. She used both Llamalini and Whisper Lace for the warp, and just Whisper Lace for the plain-weave weft. It only took one ball/skein of each!

Thanks for sharing, Katie. Your scarf looks fantastic!

Free Pattern Friday – Varia Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Varia Sweater in Llamalini_blogToday, the Varia Pullover in Llamalini.

Llamalini ComestiblesI may have mentioned this before, but Fibra Natura Llamalini (109yds/50g) is a favorite around here.  A blend of royal llama, linen, and silk bourette, it has a rich, heathered depth of color.  I’ve got a hank of Mulberry on my desk right now that I snuck out of our samples (don’t tell!) just so I can look at it and think about what it wants to be.

Varia Sweater shoulder_blogOur sales manager Yonca clearly had bigger plans than me when she came up with this design.  She’s got a good eye – we note that the upcoming Vogue Knitting has several solid cable sweaters with stripe detailing.  This design is very on trend.

Varia Swater pocket_blogThe garment is knitted in pieces and seamed, and the pockets are added afterward, so it’s easy to leave them off if you prefer.  For myself, I love the bursts of color that they lend, breaking up the line in a way that’s flattering for those of us who might be wearing something, let’s say, a little bigger than the extra-small size.

This is a great transitional piece – the Llamalini is warm but not stifling, and the half sleeves would work well in Spring or Fall.

Maybe I should grab a few more skeins from our samples and dream a little bigger…

Happy knitting!

 

Cotton True Collection 1

Ready for Spring?

Cotton True Sport Cover blog

So are we!  We’re proud to present Cotton True Collection 1, our first collection of patterns for Fibra Natura Cotton True Sport.

Cotton True Sport 3 balls blog

Cotton True Sport (50g/197yds) is a new 100% pima cotton in our luxury Fibra Natura line.  It’s light, smooth, and pleasant to work with.  This is one we’ve been dying to knit with, so we were delighted when Amy Gunderson dreamed up these five beautiful designs!

Craftsy Chase 1 Craftsy Chase2_cu

The Chase is a classic vest, worked in pieces and seamed.  The right and left twists require no cable needle and are charted.  In addition to the lovely chase of designs along the front, there’s a twisted cable ribbing at the edges that provides a lovely finishing touch.

 

Craftsy KeyToMyHeart1B Craftsy KeyToMyHeart3

Key To My Heart is worked in pieces from the bottom up, with a sweet edging of lace leaves that’s written and charted.  The lovely keyhole in the back is an eye-catcher.

 

Craftsy Parting1B Craftsy Parting3

Parting is aptly named for the back pleat that sets this top apart.  The pleat in this A-line tee will naturally fold inward on its own thanks to strategically placed slipped stitches and a little reverse stockinette.

 

Craftsy Rocked1B Craftsy Rocked3

Rocked adds a little wow to your wardrobe.   The mesh pattern is surprisingly easy, and front and back are identical.  If you want a fantastic piece that you can knit with ease, this is the one. The button tab  on the sleeve is a great touch.  Very on point.

 

Craftsy Stinger 1 Craftsy Stinger 2

Stinger is very swingy and versatile in fit.  Worked in pieces and seamed, the cardigan is has a great shape that looks stylish but still feels “at home.”

Download the designs via Craftsy or Ravelry, either as an e-book or as individual patterns.

And hey, you know what?  We’re feeling so good about Cotton True Sport that we have a freebie for you.

Lace Scarf in Cotton True Sport

The Lace Scarf is a free pattern, written and charted, taking just two balls of Cotton True Sport.  That twisted ribbing border is a lovely accent to the columns of lace.

We hope you find something that sparks your imagination.

Happy knitting!