It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Maya Scarf in Bamboo Pop (pattern link here).
This is a long but light beauty.
It’s easy too – I’ve made this one myself, in Bamboo Pop with color 121 Lilypad as the main hue.
It was a fun, simple knit, and I do love the blue tones.
It’s an easy knit – garter stitch stripes along the edges, and slip-stitch speckles just above. A bit of texture in the body keeps this interesting!
The Maya Scarf makes a great companion piece to the Maya Tank, a darling warm-weather top from e-book Bamboo Pop Adult 2.
We hope you enjoy this little taste of summer.
We can’t believe it’s already Valentine’s Day! Where does the time go? We don’t have a new pattern for you this year because we wanted to revisit our older patterns that are perfect for the holiday. I don’t know about you, but I love taking time to revisit the things I’ve wanted to make for ages. I think it makes it very special to let your mind linger on a pattern for a while before casting on.
This year, I wanted to take a look at some of the patterns we have for the little ones in our lives – whether they’re your children, family, or friends, it’s always a joy to knit for little ones. I mean, who doesn’t love a quick-knit sweater?
For those of you interested in joining the Bamboo Pop-Along, how about the Big Heart Dress? This adorable design combines a customer favorite yarn using multis and solids for an adorable effect.
Amy Gunderson has designed some adorable patterns for children, and several of them are perfect for the holiday. First up, we have the Sweetheart Sweater worked in anti-pilling Uptown DK – a favorite for children’s projects because it’s so versatile and easy to care for.
Speaking of how versatile Uptown DK is, how about a little pouch to fill with Valentine’s candy? We love the Valentine Pouch designed by social media-er extraordinaire, Heather Hill.
Another perfect project is Love Patches – a darling pullover worked up in Little Bird with the cutest heart patches on the sleeves. This would look adorable in Bamboo Pop, too!
Finally, we have Firefly. There isn’t any red or pink in our sample, but this kid’s cowl features motifs that will warm your little one’s heart (and neck!). Worked up in Bella Cash, this cowl is luxurious but super easy to care for. It’s a perfect yarn for children’s projects.
If you’re looking for more, please feel free to take a look at the patterns offered on our website. There are plenty of Valentine-friendly projects such as the Be Mine Shawl, Valentina, and the Lovey Dovey Earflap Hat for adults, too. You can find the link to all of our patterns here (link).
We hope you have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy some candy alongside the company of your loved ones!
North Carolina has been enjoying some really lovely weather. It has been a teaser that has everyone at the office itching to cast on a spring project that will be ready to wear as soon as things start to warm up! We’ve specifically been looking to Bamboo Pop, one of our best-selling yarns. It’s lightweight and perfect for any project you could think of. So grab your needles, your hooks, your patterns, and join us for our Bamboo Pop-Along!
The Cora Crop, designed by Rachel Brockman, can easily be modified if you prefer a longer sweater.
This is a chance for you to knit, crochet, or weave anything you’d like using Bamboo Pop! We’re welcoming everyone – if you’re making something using Bamboo Pop, we want to see it! You have from February 6, 2019 until March 20, 2019to complete your projects.
Oh, and there will be prizes! You could win five balls of Bamboo Pop in the color of your choice! To be eligible for a prize please share photos of your finished projects in the Universal Yarn Ravelry Group (link). Only finished projects using Bamboo Pop will be entered to win. You can find the thread here (link). We cannot wait to see what projects you create!
The idea started just yesterday. I decided that I wanted to make a project in time for Stitches West, held in Santa Clara from February 21st-24th. When I told Amy I wanted to knit the Cora Crop she decided she wanted to join me. And just like that, the idea for a Bamboo Pop-Along was born!
Amy and I are knitting the Cora Crop. As a person who loves warm, autumnal tones, I’ve chosen to knit mine using 129 Winter Squash. It’s a dusty orange that I simply cannot resist.
Bamboo Pop 129 Winter Squash
Amy chose 117 Emerald for her tee. When asked why she said “I’ve always loved green. It’s my favorite color next to…black. It just makes me happy. Plus, my eyes are green/sometimes hazel, so I think wearing green brings out my eyes?” It definitely brings out your eyes, Amy!
Bamboo Pop 117 Emerald
If you want to join in, but aren’t sure Cora Crop is right for you, don’t worry! Like I said earlier, all sorts of yarny-projects are welcome. Perhaps you need some additional pattern inspiration? How about Amy Gunderson’s Right Turn Shawl? We love this graphic shawl and it’s a great project for playing with color. We know some of our customers have even hosted their own knit-along for this pattern. You can see all of the patterns we have using Bamboo Pop here (link).
The Right Turn Shawl, designed by Amy Gunderson, is a customer favorite that combines two solid colors of Bamboo Pop with Bamboo Pop Dots.
Are you active on social media? Use the hashtags #bamboopopalong, #bamboopop, & #universalyarn on social media so we can see your beautiful work. We’ll be sharing more about our progress, too.
This is a great example of how the right yarn can make a project really pop – no pun intended.
“Rawr! I would knit this myself but my arms are too short.”
This Bamboo Pop pullover has two wide bands of color, broken by a single row knitted in the coordinating accent color used at the edges. Without that thin line, it’s just not quite the same.
“Rawr! I can’t pick up stitches. I can’t pick up anything!”
This sweater is worked flat from the bottom up and seamed. Neck edging stitches are picked up and worked in the round. A circular needle is used to work the body because there are times in which stitches will need to be slipped to the other end of the needle during the stripes (for that single line of color).
“Rawr! Maybe you could make me a tiny cape?”
Oh, good grief. Excuse me, I need to go knit something for a tiny blue dinosaur.
We hope you let your inner child out this weekend.
We came in to the office today feeling patriotic and decided to share the love! From now until the end of July 5th, get a free Little Patriot top from Ravelry with code HAPPY4TH with no spaces. (Pattern link here)
Enter the code where you see the  “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase.
This is such a cute Bamboo Pop pattern, isn’t it? Sized 1-12 years, it works for both the little and not-so-little patriot in your life.
This vest was inspired by an idea we had a couple of years ago. In 2016, we designed the TNNA Cardi and all wore it to the National Needlearts Association’s tradeshow, the event where we get to meet with our LYS owner friends and show them what’s new for the sesaon.
Katie, Yonca, and Amy are ready to show off some yarn!
The cardi looked and fit great, but wasn’t really tailored to the guys attending. This year, we’re fixing that!
The TNNA Vest is also knitted in Bamboo Pop color 107 Ocean (gotta match!), but it replaces lace with different stitch patterns.  The V panel in the center recalls the diagonal lace of the original cardi. The largest size (4X) only takes 5 balls – Bamboo Pop goes a long way!
We’re heading to the show next week. If you’ll be there, swing by booth 1032 and say hi. We’d love to see you!
This is Amy Gunderson’s design, but she kindly let me name this shawl Right Turn. At the time, it reminded me of a particularly colorful city street. However, I may have mis-named it. Sure, it looks like it veers sharply, but that’s not what the construction actually does.
You start at the top, and do an increase on either side of the center spine and at each edge. So really, it’s more like a gradual broadening of the horizon as you keep going.
Begin with garter stitch, then move to slip-stitch to easily make the two-color stripes. Back to garter, then polish it off with an i-cord bind-off.
It’s made in Bamboo Pop, a great summertime yarn that has 52 colors. It’d be easy to have the stripes accent whatever color is most prevalent in your wardrobe.
There’s just something magical about Spring. It’s hard to resist the call of the outdoors when the first blooms are poking up. It always puts us in mind of growing things, including the little people in our lives.
Enter the Sakura Dress.
This lightweight raglan-style piece is sized from newborn to 4 years. Worked in the round from the bottom up, this sweet little knit uses one of my favorite warm-weather yarns, Bamboo Pop, in two coordinating colors, 215 Soothe and 125 Darling Pink. I’m already thinking of what other colors might work – maybe light green with variegated 209 Jungle Life? Or a lavender with purple? These are the tough decisions, folks!
It’s Amy Gunderson’s birthday today, and we’re celebrating!
From now until Monday 3/26/18, grab one pattern from her e-book Bamboo Pop Adult 2 for free on Ravelry! Just use codeBIRTHDAYGIRLat checkout, where it asks if you want to apply a coupon. This is a great collection of knit and crochet designs for Bamboo Pop, a lightweight bamboo/cotton blend perfect for (hopefully) warming weather.
Why are we doing this?
Amy’s the driving force behind our creative team – not only does she knit, crochet, weave, and sew, but she goes out of her way to nurture new talent and form partnerships that help bring our crafting community closer. We want everyone to appreciate her as much as we do!
(Plus, she’s travelling to Germany for the H+H handcrafting show right now, and every time someone downloads one of her patterns it sends a message to her phone, and I think it’d be funny to blow up her inbox while she’s on the road. )
 “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase.
