Free Pattern Friday – Cora Crop

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Cora Crop in Bamboo Pop (pattern link).

Well, if this isn’t perfect for summer, I don’t know what is.

This is a surprisingly simple knit with no shaping. The cable is centered front and back.

Front, back, and sleeves are knit flat from the bottom up. 3×3 ribbing is a great detail at the edges and shoulders.

Shoulders are joined with a three-needle bind-off for stability in this seam, also ensuring that the ribbing pattern lines up perfectly.

Bamboo Pop, a bamboo/cotton blend that’s a favorite for lightweight projects, gives a bit of shine to the clean lines of this top.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Happy crafting!

March 30, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Reversible Cable Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Reversible Cable Blanket in Major (pattern link here).

If you’re like me, you love cables. Cables are especially exciting when the fabric is reversible. Yep, the Reversible Cable Blanket really is reversible (did you think we were kidding with that name?).

The backbone of this pattern simply is K2, P2 Rib framed by a border of garter stitch. Every 8 rows two sets of K2, P2 stitches are crossed, creating an elegant cable and reversible fabric. That’s really all there is to this pattern!

Major is a perfect medium for this pattern. It’s quick to knit, incredibly soft, and easy to care for. Major is a bulky weight, 100% acrylic yarn that comes in a generously sized 200-gram ball. There are many beautiful, self-shading colors of Major ranging from perfect pastels to bold, vibrant beauties, and no-nonsense neutrals. It’s no wonder that this yarn is a customer favorite.

Better yet, this pattern is written in two sizes: a baby blanket and throw blanket size. Make one as a gift and another to keep for yourself. After all, you surely deserve to cuddle up to a squishy, cabled blanket.

Have a wonderful, craft-filled weekend!

March 9, 2018

Free Pattern Friday – Hazy Hat and Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Hazy Hat and Pullover set in Uptown Worsted Mist (pattern link here).

I actually have a lot of thoughts about this pattern, because

1) I love cables, and

2) I heard the “colorful language” around here as the pattern swelled to 4… 5… and finally to 9 pages. That’s what happens with extended sizing (although we don’t really consider it “extended”), and full charts and written instructions.

The consensus is that it was worth it.

There are quite a few things to love here, like sizing from Small to 4X in the pullover…

detailing like twists along the sleeve and texture within the front cables…

and how nicely this does in Uptown Worsted Mist, which is variegated enough to add interest but not so much that it overwhelms a lovely design.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that you take time to do something for yourself.

Happy crafting!

February 9, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Lounge Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Lounge Pullover in Bella Chenille (pattern link).

First off, a big shout-out to our model Darian.

When we have a model that’s this great to work with (and she really was great), we’re always happy that we can have something comfy and fun for them to wear.

The Lounge Pullover is knitted in Bella Chenille, a soft and fuzzy bulky-weight yarn that’s popular for baby and home decor projects. However, we recently added some more grown-up colors (like the 119 Misty used here), and we wanted to show what else this yarn can do!

This roomy sweater is knit in pieces from the bottom-up. Shoulders are joined using the 3-needle bind-off, then the sleeves are picked up and knit from the top-down. The cables are written and charted.

Such a wonderful piece to slip into – like a big fuzzy hug!

We hope you have a cozy and rewarding weekend.

Happy crafting!

February 2, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Heartsbloom Hat and Mittens

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Heartsbloom Hat and Mittens in Bella Cash (pattern link).

Happy Groundhog Day!

Punxatawney Phil has spoken – he’s seen his shadow, which legend says means six more weeks of winter.

Whatever, Phil. We’re right on the cusp of Spring, with a few flowers poking out, but also snow in the forecast. What to do?

How about a cute little toddler topper (say that five times fast)? It definitely won’t take six weeks to knit, but it does have plenty to keep you interested, in the form of cables and seed stitch.

We like that the cables on each mitten each twist in a different direction. It’s the little things.

Bella Cash is a great choice for this – its cashmere content keeps it very soft, but the nylon makes it hard-wearing and machine washable. Great for knits like this, sized toddler through children’s large. Plenty of pastels and brighter tones to choose from, too.

Whether the weather turns to Spring or not, we hope you have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

January 26, 2018June 21, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Sailing Stone Shawl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sailing Stone Shawl in Deluxe Chunky Naturals (pattern link).

Are you familiar with the phenomenon of sailing stones?

In the early 1900s, a prospector noticed large stones leaving meandering tracks across a section of Death Valley, as if they had decided to go travelling. The paths baffled scientists until 2014, when the mystery was finally solved with the use of GPS and time-lapse cameras.

At times, the area would flood and freeze, and as the ice broke up, it would be blown across the shallow floodwater pond, with embedded rocks dragging paths along the desert. The ice melts, the pond evaporates, and all that’s left is tracks in dry sand behind rocks that aren’t where they used to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u_hy3BR9UM

The natural colors and meandering paths involved in this phenomenon reminded us of twisting cables in our Deluxe Chunky Naturals. These tones are undyed – the color you see is the color of the sheep.

Which brings us to the Sailing Stones Shawl.

One nice thing about this shawl – the cables are reversible. Take a look at the “wrong” side. Still quite lovely.

Five skeins in the main color, 50003 Musket, makes a generously sized 52″ x 38″ accessory.

Contrasting color applied i-cord and tassels set this design apart.

This would be lovely to wrap up in on a chilly day or night.

We hope you keep a little mystery in your life, and that you make time for yourself this weekend.

Happy crafting!

November 11, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Double Cable Poncho

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Double Cable Poncho in Major.

How Autumn-y are these colors? We’ve featured a lot of designs for our popular bulky yarn Major (328yds/200g) using pastels and bluish tones (the Pineapple Peacock Shawl is a favorite) but these more southwestern, earthy tones of color 113 Santa Fe fit the Double Cable Poncho well.

The poncho is made as two rectangles which are them sewn together, long end to short end. A twisted fringe is added to finish it off.

If you haven’t tried twisted fringe before, it’s really easy. Amy Gunderson’s got a short video to show you just how to do it.

It’s actually rather meditative, which is always a great quality in a crafting project.

We hope you have an excellent weekend. Happy knitting!

March 18, 2016July 20, 2022

Free Pattern Friday – Starry Road Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Starry Road Scarf in Universe.

Breathtaking, isn’t it? Universe (246yds/50g) is the yarn we created specifically for our tenth anniversary, and it’s unlike anything else out there. A cotton/linen blend held with a metallic strand, wrapped in polyamide for greater strength, it’s perfect for lacy shawls and scarves like the Starry Road Scarf.

Continue reading “Free Pattern Friday – Starry Road Scarf”

February 11, 2016

Free E-book – Hot Hats

Here at Universal Yarn, we woke up to this headline this morning:

5 inches of snow predicted for Charlotte on Monday

Well. We had been looking forward to some of the great new Spring designs out now in magazines (more on those another time) but it looks like we still need to think warm. Fortunately, we have a free e-book that is perfect for the weather!

Here’s the free Hot Hats E-book.

Continue reading “Free E-book – Hot Hats”

October 9, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Siren Sweater

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Siren Sweater in Infusion Handpaints.

We named this the Siren Sweater because just as the mythical Sirens of old drew in sailors with their sweet song, this design captures attention with the contrast of its cabled top half and reverse stockinette body.

Infusion Handpaints (291yds/100g) is a good choice for this. It’s variegated, but not so busy that it’s going to obscure the lovely cablework.

The yoke is knit sideways from cuff to cuff. Then stitches are picked up, and the body of the sweater is reverse stockinette worked downward to the hem. Stitch up the sleeves and the sides, add edging for the neck, and you’re done. We predict this Siren Sweater will turn heads wherever you go.

Happy knitting!