Tag: knit

Posted on

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!

Posted on

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!

Posted on

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!

Posted on

Free Pattern Friday – Porthole Cowl

My friends, winter is showing no signs of letting up, even here in North Carolina. We were blasted with 5-6″ of snow the other day. If you’re from a northern state as I am, that may not seem like much. But in the south it is a significant amount and is cause for much celebration and hot cocoa. And as we all know, any reason to pile on more knitwear is quite welcome.

Our free pattern this week is the Porthole Cowl, knit in a soft wintery shade of self-shading Major.

Pattern link here.

This cowl is knit in the round, showing off the shading of Major as it works it’s way upward in a bounty of texture and “porthole” lace. The color is quite subtle in color 118 Silver Blush. If you like more in-your-face-color, there are many options to choose from. Some of my favorites are:

112 Firecracker
131 Egg Hunt (a brand new colorway!)
102 Underwater

Happy crafting – stay warm out there!

Posted on

Free Pattern Friday – Kenan’s Hoodie

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Kenan’s Hoodie in Deluxe Worsted Tweed superwash (pattern link).

Everybody say hi to Yonca!

Yonca is our Sales Manager, and an excellent knitter and crocheter.  That’s her, sporting the Lace Leaf Pullover that she modified from the free Lace Leaf Cardigan in Garden 10.

Yonca’s kids are off at college, and like many crafting parents, she’s sending them a couple of things to help keep them warm while they’re away.  She gave her daughter a beautiful cardigan – the one we shared last week – and now her son gets his turn.

Kenan’s Hoodie is worked in pieces from the bottom up in Deluxe Worsted Tweed Superwash. It’s made in one of our newer colors, 915 Cloud Blue, which just straddles the line between blue and gray.

The design features a dropped shoulder and roomy hood for a casual look.  Although we’re calling this a men’s sweater, there’s no reason it wouldn’t work for a woman as well.

We love hearing stories of all the knitted and crocheted “hugs” that people send to loved ones far away.  They’re so satisfying to give and to receive.

We hope you stay warm and cozy this weekend, and that you’re able to reach out to someone you care about.

Happy crafting!

Posted on

Free Pattern Friday – Penelope’s Cardigan

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Penelope’s Cardigan in Deluxe Bulky Superwash (pattern link).

If ever there were weather that called for a big, comfy sweater in 100% bulky wool, this is it.  Say hello to Penelope’s Cardigan.

Amy Gunderson designed this warm and relaxed hug using our Deluxe Bulky Superwash on US size 10 1/2 (6.5mm) needles.  Knitted seamlessly from the top down, this raglan-sleeved long cardi is perfect for a night in.

We hope you bundle up snug and cozy this weekend, with a fun project in your lap and a warm mug by your side.

Happy crafting!

Posted on

Free Pattern Friday – Double Up Hat

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Image of an oatmeal-colored hat on a gray background

Today, the Double Up Hat in Amphora and Whisper Lace (pattern link here).

Remember the adorable baby in the Sunset Slouch?

Image of a small toddler wearing a multi-colored hat with a pompom on top
Awwww!

His mom Krista designed a hat for us this week!  Krista works in Customer Service here, and this is her source of inspiration:

Image of a set of wire storage cubes filled with balls of yarn
Yes, we do work in paradise.

This is a small section of the big wall of sample balls that she sits next to in Customer Service.  We keep these to send to magazines and shops who want to touch the yarn for themselves, but of course since we’re all crafters here we also eye them hungrily ourselves.  It’s only natural that we sometimes look at them and think, “you know, these would go great together!”

The Double Up Hat combines brushed DK/light worsted Amphora and superfine Whisper Lace wool/lace blend to make this worsted weight hat with a subtle heathered look.

Closeup image of the ribbed brim and body of a knitted hat

The two yarns together create a lovely halo effect.

I’ve been wondering how this would look with Whisper Lace in one of the more variegated tones.  Let’s grab a selection from the Big Wall o’ Yarn to see.

Image of two gray balls of yarn resting on a black surface
Amphora 115 Castle and Whisper Lace 212 Stonework

I may have a new project to add to the queue.

Have an excellent weekend, everyone.

Happy crafting!

Posted on

Free Pattern Friday – Sunset Slouch

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sunset Slouch in Poems and Deluxe Worsted Superwash (pattern link).

This adorable Fair Isle hat has already proven to be popular around the office, even before its official release.  It’s sized from newborn to adult large, so it’s a nice topper that can fit everyone.  Self-shading Poems wool gives a nice graduated color shift that keeps things interesting!

The adult size shown was the first one we knit.  Designer Rachel Brockman used a 1×1 rib long tail tubular cast-on for a nice, stretchy edge.  Rachel did a photo tutorial of this method of casting on not long ago, in a blog post about the Nutmeg Hat and Mitts kit from our 12 Days of Winter kit series.  You can find that blog post here.

Before we could publish the pattern, it caught the eye of Krista on our customer service team.  She whipped up the cute teal version shown up top for her cherub-cheeked son.  We just have to share his picture.

Awwwww!!  Great job on both the cap and its model, Krista!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend, and that you spread a little joy in your corner of the world.

Happy crafting!

Posted on

Free Pattern Friday – Candy Stripe Set

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Candy Stripe Set (pattern link here).

How’s everyone today?  Here in the Piedmont of North Carolina, we expect to get our first snowfall of the year!

Mind you, it will probably only be a dusting, but hey – it’s snow!  Those of us who are big kids at heart are ready to run outside and catch snowflakes.  Of course, because we’re adults, we’re also ready to then go back inside and knit something warm.

Perfect timing for the Candy Stripe Set!

Knit in machine washable Adore, the entire set is knit in the round.  That includes the scarf, which shows stockinette on both sides.  It’s a bright set to stand out on a gray day.

We hope you have a merry and bright weekend.

Happy knitting!

Posted on

Day 1 of Winter

Over the next 12 days, we’re releasing a series of kits designed by the Universal Yarn Design Team. It’s a cozy, wintry collection of accessories that make perfect gifts–for yourself and your loved ones. To accompany the kits, we’d like to share a blog post each day. This series will highlight special aspects of each pattern and include inspiration, tips, tricks, and a few tutorials. For Day 1, we’re introducing the Blue Spruce Socks in Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved evergreens and conifers. I’m not sure if it’s because of their fragrant needles and bark, or if it’s because their beautiful colors brought me joy during long and endlessly grey winters. Whatever the reason—I’ve always been drawn to them, so it’s no surprise that I designed the Blue Spruce Socks for our 12 Days of Winter collection.

These socks are warm, cozy, and a joy to knit. If you aren’t a fan of stranded colorwork, don’t fret! The Blue Spruce motif is achieved through slipped stitches. One color is carried at a time and only the stitches requiring the working yarn are knit—the rest are simply slipped purlwise. It requires twice as many rows, but the overall effect is very similar to the appearance of stranded knitting.

In addition to colorwork, the small details make this project ever so special. It features a 1×1 Twisted Rib cuff and an Eye of Partridge heel. My favorite detail is the slip-stitch stripe just before the contrasting-color toes.

You can find this kit, Day 1 of our 12 Days of Winter collection here.