Free Pattern Friday – Button Up Hat and Scarf

It’s Free Patterm Friday!

Today, the Button Up Hat and Scarf in Dona (link here).

The weather’s cooling off here, so it’s time to dust off all those “winter is coming” images…

…and to cast on for something toasty!

The Button Up Hat and Scarf is a matched set in Fibra Natura Dona superwash merino. This cozy cabled set is brightened by the pop of color of a buttoned garter stitch band.  Thread the scarf through to keep it snug.

The written and charted all-over eyelet and cable pattern creates a raised texture that’s quite warm.

We hope you enjoy this taste of winter!

Happy crafting!

Free Pattern – Cancer Comfort Cap

We are proud to share this free pattern with you, although we wish there were no reason to do so.

This is the Cancer Comfort Cap in Cotton Supreme DK (pattern link here).

We designed this cap at the request of Yonca, our sales director.  When she requested this cap, it was for a friend who is about to undergo chemotherapy for breast cancer.  Unfortunately, since then, another friend of hers has also been diagnosed.  According to breastcancer.org, 1 in 8 American women will develop invasive breast cancer in the course of her lifetime (as well as 1 in 1000 men).  This is a disease that hits close to home.

Yonca wanted to write something for her friend to add to this post, but she finally had to admit defeat. She felt that everything she wanted to say was inadequate.  In the face of a life-changing diagnosis, it can be hard to find the words to express our pain and love.  But just reaching out to say “I’m here, I’m with you,” can sometimes be enough.

We offer this hat as a way to say “I’m with you” when words won’t quite do the trick.  It’s knitted in the round in our Cotton Supreme DK, which we picked because it’s very soft, and chemo scalps can be quite sensitive – something to keep in mind when choosing yarn.

If you have questions about breast cancer detection and treatment, the American Cancer Society has a helpful page.  Mammogram guidelines can also be found at CancerCare.org.

To all of our generous-hearted crafting friends, we wish you good health and every happiness.

Free Pattern Friday – Almas Poncho

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Almas Poncho in Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash (link here).

Fall is upon us, and we felt the need for something toasty!

Almas is knit seamlessly in the round from the top down. It can act as a shoulder/bust warmer for a brisk walk in the woods, or can be scrunched up and worn as a cowl paired with your favorite winter coat.  We like the rustic quality that Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash gives this cozy piece.

As a short poncho or capelet, it can be worn collar up or down, as you wish.

With just a touch of stranded knitting, this project is a nice introduction to the Fair Isle method of changing colors in your work.

We hope you have a delightful weekend.

Happy knitting!

Free Pattern Friday – Shaded Stripes

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Shaded Stripes in Major (pattern link here).

There’s a lot to love about this easy pullover.  The way the stripes look in reverse stockinette, the comfy fit, the interest provided by two colors of self-shading yarn… we could go on.

This is a good, basic sweater pattern that goes fairly quickly on US size 10 (6mm) needles.  Knit it in pieces, then seam.  If you’ve been a little leery of trying a sweater, this would be a good one to start on.

An image of a black and gray ball of yarn labeled MAJOR.

The sweater uses Major in two colors – 126 Honeydew and 117 Graphite (shown).   You could go wild with color combinations, or keep it grounded by sticking with monochrome 117 Graphite for one of your shades.  There are a lot of possibilities here.

We hope you have a stellar weekend.

Happy crafting!

Free Pattern Friday – Little Acorn

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Little Acorn in Adore (pattern link).

Little Acorn comes to us from Anita Closic, proprietor of A Garden of Yarn in Chadds Ford, Pa.  Like so many LYS folks, Anita’s a sweetheart – she also gifted our customer service team (Katie and Angie) with scarves, which they haven’t stopped raving about. Nobody appreciates crafting like crafters!  Thanks, Anita!

Little Acorn is a reference to the seed from which mighty oaks grow. It’s a lovely topper that’s sized from baby through adult, with just one skein of Adore (100g/273yds) required for any size.

The hat is worked from the scalloped brim up, in the round on US size 6 (4mm) needles, or whatever gets you gauge.  Accent it with coordinating buttons for a special touch.

We hope you enjoy this pattern – and if you’re ever in southeastern Pennsylvania, stop in at A Garden of Yarn and say hi to Anita!

Happy knitting!

 

Free Pattern Friday – Collar Cowl in Major

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Collar Cowl in Major (pattern link).

Don’t you love it when a yarn does half the work for you?  Self-striping Major makes this knitting project super colorful.

This collar cowl is perfect as an extra layer just beneath your coat during blustery winter days. The cowl is worked in the round from the bottom-up with shaping intended to perfectly hug the neck and shoulders. The result is an especially warm accessory.

Worked in bulky-weight Major, this cowl is also a quick knit. Since one skein is enough for two cowls, why not make one for yourself and another as a gift for someone special?

We hope you have a fantastic weekend.  Happy knitting!

Free Pattern Friday – Garter Baskets

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Garter Baskets in Yashi and Yashi Iro (link here).

It’s been a while since we’ve shared something for the home.  These baskets are a quick and easy knitting project.

Worked from the center to edge, judicious placement of “wrap and turn” every few rows forms a curved edge.   100% raffia Yashi (solid) or Yashi Iro (multi) give a nice texture to the finished bowl.

We hope you enjoy this tasteful and decorative project.

Happy knitting!

E-book Color Fusion at a glance

Have you seen it? Amy Gunderson and Tori Gurbisz have released an e-book of seven colorful patterns designed for Deluxe Worsted Tweed Superwash.

Color Fusion is available on Ravelry as an e-book or individual patterns.

Take a look!

Free Pattern Friday – Boxtop

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Boxtop in Garden 10 (pattern link here).

Sometimes simple is good. That’s what we have here, a simple, boxy pullover, perfect over a tank top.  The asymmetrical placement of the neck causes the hem to hang lower in the back than the front.

As shown, it uses Garden 10 mercerized Egyptian Giza cotton thread, loosely knitted on a US size 4 (3.5mm) needle. We think this piece would also look great in Flax Lace.  Plant fibers provide a breathability and drape that work well with this sideways-knit top.

The body is knitted as a big rectangle, using intarsia for the color changes.  Seam together the edges of the color blocks to create armholes.  Easy work that’s good for knitting while chatting, but those color changes help keep things from getting dull.

This would be a great top to personalize with your own color choices.  Black and blue?  Peaches and cream?  The sky’s the limit.

Happy crafting!

Bamboo Bloom Handpaints – Limited Edition 329 Fugu

New and beautiful this season…

We had such a great time with our last limited edition Bamboo Bloom Handpaints that we decided to do it again. This time, it’s 329 Fugu.

Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish.  One minute it’s sleek and streamlined…

Hi there!

The next minute it’s quite a bit bulkier!

HI THERE!!

So it is with Bamboo Bloom Handpaints, transitioning from smooth and silky to fluffy puffs and back again.  And given the cool blue ocean tones of this color, we thought it was appropriate.

When I got my hands on this, my immediate thought was, “this would make a beautiful Hanasaku Cowl.”  It led to a lot of joy, sorting through our stock of Poems to see what would pair well.  In the end it came down to two choices.

Poems 616 Chevron looks great with it, and I was curious to see how that yellow would interplay with the greens.  In fact, Yarn Bazaar in NJ has kitted up this combo!

In the end I went a different way.

I liked the darkness and overall violet-blue of Poems in Arles 601, and am pleased with how this turned out.

I still may go back and make one in the other combo.  Honestly, these slip-stitch cowls are fun and quick to make.  It’s a great go-to project for something colorful and impressive-looking.

The Hanasaku Cowl is available for sale on Ravelry – but if you hit your local yarn shop, they can download it for free for you.  You might want to grab a skein of Fugu while you can, too.

Happy knitting!