Free Pattern Friday – Firework Blankie

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Blanket 1 blog

Today, the Firework Blankie crocheted in Little Bird and Little Bird Colors.

Blanket 2 blogThe 4th of July is almost upon us, making this a particularly appropriate free pattern.  The Firework Blankie is crocheted in Little Bird Multi with rows of contrasting solid Little Bird (344yds/100g) every few rows for a bigger burst of color.  And check out those adorable pom-poms on the points – like an extra little kapow!

We put together another couple of combinations of colors that could work, depending on whether you wanted to go bold or… slightly less bold.

LBird Colors 201 Stroll Combo_blog

Two different directions with the same multi colorway (201 Stroll), The one on the left is paired with 106 Go-Go Coral – the picture does not do justice to how almost neon-bright it is.  The one on the right is paired with 111 Chinos, to tone it down a little but still be a contrast.  Normally I’m in favor of subtlety, but with the Firework Blankie, I might go with the one on the left.  This blanket says “playtime.”

LBird Colors Other combos_blogTwo more combos, both appealing to me since I favor cool tones.  On the left is 204 Summer Story paired with 105 Wee Violet.  I can easily see that thrown over a chair in a kid’s room.  At right, 203 Grass Stain paired with 110 New Leaf.  I’m imagining sitting out on the lawn with that green baby blanket spread out, toddler in a sunhat happily playing.  No worries about the blanket on the grass – Little Bird is machine washable!

With gray as an increasingly popular color for baby projects, we also  think 112 Ghostie Gray would be a good combination with pretty much any of the multis.

…You know, I thought I could make it through the whole post without saying it, but I just can’t.

baby you're a firework

Happy crocheting!

Blanket 3 blog

 

IRL – VeVe Tee

Every day I feel lucky to have a job that I truly enjoy. If someone would have told me a few years ago that I would be working with yarn every day and earning a living doing it, I wouldn’t have believed them! Although I have a variety of duties here at Universal Yarn, when it comes down to it I’m really just a chick who likes knitting and wearing fun stuff.

IRL Amy gray top blog

 

For this week’s IRL, Heather photographed me in my version of the VeVe Tee from the Summer 2013 issue of Knitscene.  I don’t often knit second versions of any of my sweaters, but made an exception with this one. The sample I made for the magazine was in Cotton Supreme 503 Ecru, but I decided I needed one in gray. I am a total sucker for gray.

This piece has a fun construction. First, the saddle shoulders are knit sideways. Then stitches are picked up from the sides of the saddles and the body is knit down. Twisted ribbing and a sewn bind-off finish things off at the hem for a virtually seamless project.

Cotton Supreme is such a great yarn for summer! What are you knitting in Cotton Supreme?

Free Pattern Friday – Sprout Tank

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Universal_FrillyTop2_blog

Today, the Sprout Tank in Cotton Supreme DK.

Frilly top flat blogHot enough for ya?  It’s hot enough for most anyone, but that’s no reason to stop knitting.   When little ones still want to get out and enjoy the day, we have the perfect match of pattern and temperature.

The Sprout Tank is knit in two pieces from the bottom up, then seamed.  Pick up stitches around the armhole and knit the ruffled shoulder straps.  The mock cable eyelets around the bottom are both written and charted.  It’s a sweet detail that also gives a little more ventilation.

Universal_FrillyTop1_blogThe suggested yarn is Cotton Supreme DK (100g/230yds), part of our popular Cotton Supreme family of yarns.  It’s machine washable, soft, and long-lasting; a good choice for a kid on the go.

The whole tank takes just 2-3 hanks on US size 5 (3.75mm) needles.  Knit it, pop it on your little one, then sit in the shade while they enjoy the sandbox.  Don’t forget the hat and sunscreen for both of you – it’s a scorcher out there!

 

IRL: Llamalini V-Neck

This week I’d like to share an IRL I spotted recently from Jen in our accounting department:

IRL Jen Llamalini top blog

 

Jen’s sweater was worked in the decadent Fibra Natura Llamalini, a blend of Royal Llama, silk bourette, and linen. Can you say YUM? Here is Jen describing this project in her own words:

“I had an idea in my head of the kind of sweater I wanted.  Top down, deep v-neck and some sort of simple lace.  So I basically cobbled two patterns together to get what I wanted. I really wanted to work with the Llamalini, because its sooooo soft and nice to knit with.  For this project I was actually a good girl and did a swatch in the round, and then soaked and blocked it so that I could determine my gauge.

The only thing I don’t like about the sweater is the way the neckline came out. I used a smaller needle for the ribbing with the idea that it would cinch it up a bit, but it didn’t work out like I thought it would.  If I do something like this again, I’ll definitely do ribbing instead of garter stitch at the bottom because the garter stitch keeps flipping up and its annoying; and instead of ribbing at the neckline I might do an applied i-cord to really tighten it up.  All in all though, it’s a nice, comfy sweater to wear, works good for layering over a tank top or a long sleeve shirt depending on the weather that day.”

Sounds like this project was a good learning experience for Jen. It looks so nice on her, and I love the pop of color from the shirt she has layered underneath. Well done!

Free Pattern Friday – Crosshatch Baby Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Bella Blanket with bear blog

Today, the Crosshatch Baby Blanket in Bella Chenille.

Bella Chenille (131yds/100g) is a favorite for baby and kid knits because it is soft and fuzzy, and because it is machine washable.  I myself have knitted a sample, washed it, and laid it flat to dry.  It looked just as good as when it was first knitted.

Bella Blanket with bear detail blogThis pattern itself is a twelve row repeat that’s charted, along with a basic garter stitch border, giving you a sweet 40″ x 40″ square.

This blanket is soft and huggable.  It’s resting beside my desk right now as I write this, and I keep reaching out to touch it.  This would be a good one to make and have on hand for the inescapable surprise baby shower we’re all occasionally hit with.  It would be nice to have a little security blanket nearby until it needs to be given away.

Happy knitting!

 

IRL – Cardigan to Pullover Mod!

Our sales director and my boss, Yonca, is a very enthusiastic knitter. She always has at least a couple of projects on the needles, usually garments. Here is her latest creation, this lovely summery top made in Little Bird:

IRL Yonca Garden Leaf Lace Pullover_blog_crop

Yonca always has to put her own spin on projects, and this one is no different. She loved the lace patterning on this free pattern in Garden 10, but didn’t want a cardigan. Yonca wanted something she could dress up or down, and just throw on over a tank top or dress. So instead, she simply knit up 2 rectangles using the lace pattern and came up with this easy to wear piece.

It’s hard to believe, but this shirt really is just 2 rectangles with a few seams, and a little bit of garter stitch at the neck. Yonca knit this with a few inches of positive ease for a nice open and flowy top. I love everything about it!

 

Free Pattern Friday – Refracted Lace Shawl

It’s Free Pattern Friday… again!

RefractedLaceShawl_Back_WhisperLace_blog

This afternoon, the Refracted Lace Shawl in Whisper Lace.

We once had a popular pattern called the Refracted Light Shawl in a discontinued yarn called Swiss Mohair.  Alas, when Swiss Mohair went away, so did the pattern.  But it was one of those patterns that kept being passed around from crocheter to crocheter, in a “have you seen this?  It sounds like just what you’re looking for” kind of way.

RefractedLaceShawl_Front_WhisperLace_blogWell, you can’t keep a good pattern down, so here it is, back again.  This time, it’s in Whisper Lace (440yds/50g), our wool/silk blend from the Fibra Natura line.

Front and back post crochet create an open, airy fabric that can fan out across your back or twist artfully at the shoulder or front.

We hope you enjoy this classic, available once more for you to enjoy.

Happy crafting!

RefractedLaceShawl_Back_WhisperLace_detail_blog

Free Pattern Friday – Planetary Shawl

Let’s have a double Free Pattern Friday today!

PlanetaryShawl_Back_Universe_blogThis morning, we just have to highlight the Planetary Shawl in Universe.

We were going to wait just a little longer to share this heart-shaped top-down shawl, but it got such a great reception at the TNNA Fashion Show last weekend that we couldn’t help ourselves.

Universe samples for social mediaUniverse is the very special yarn we designed to celebrate Universal Yarn’s 10th anniversary.  It features combed cotton, linen, glitter, and a classic black thread holding the whole glorious package together.   We haven’t seen anything else quite like it.

Expect Universe to hit shelves later this summer,  We love this yarn and we think you will too.

PlanetaryShawl_Front_Universe_hires

We’ll be back later today with another another yarn and another free pattern – this time for crocheters.  Happy crafting!