Pattern – Page 31 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

September 2, 2016September 3, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Sunbeam Tunic

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sunbeam Tunic in Good Earth Multi.

And now, the weather.

That’s Hurricane Hermine, bearing down on us like a very wet, very angry freight train. Chance of rain: 100%. Chance of us holing up with some good yarn: also 100%. It’s time to bring a little sunshine indoors until this all blows over.

The Sunbeam Tunic in Good Earth Multi features sunny motifs to brighten up a dreary day. Good Earth Multi linen/cotton blend (170yds/100g) is a great choice for this – the plant fibers let the tunic drape and fall without bunching up or grabbing onto an inner fabric layer. Thsi should keep you busy enough to forget about the weather, but on a size 9 (5.5mm) hook, it won’t take forever to finish.

If you’re in the path of the storm, we hope you stay safe, warm, and dry. We wish you all sunbeams and rainbows!

Happy crafting!

August 26, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Corner to Corner Throw

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Corner to Corner Throw in Classic Shades.

We are so, so lucky to work with so many amazing LYSes. Case in point: we can enjoy the talents of Alice Gossette and Kat Koeller of The Thankful Ewe in New Bremen, Ohio. This dynamic duo have appeared here before, with the free Summer Shawl in Bamboo Pop. They’ve graciously shared this design with us as well.

It’s called the Corner to Corner Throw because it’s crocheted… wait for it… corner to corner! We love how they coordinated Classic Shades 731 Natural Glow with solid Uptown Worsted in 328 Dijon for the fringe. It’s a great choice that takes the throw up a notch.

Working corner to corner means that the bands of color change height as the rows lengthen and shorten, an excellent use of self-striping yarn. It’s a simple way to give even more interest to an already striking pattern.

We hope you find time to work on something beautiful this weekend, either for yourself or for someone you love.

Happy crafting!

August 12, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Special Twist Vest

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Special Twist Vest in Classic Shades Frenzy.

The nice thing about having a sales manager who also knits and crochets is that a) she knows what crafters want, and b) sometimes she turns up at the office with amazing designs that we can convince her to share. Here’s Yonca in one of her latest, The Special Twist Vest. It’s another great example of letting the yarn do the colorwork. Classic Shades Frenzy (158yds/100g) has enough variation that the piece shows soft stripes, not rigid ones.

When I saw this from afar, I thought it might be crochet, but it is in fact knitted. Even better, it’s knitted in one big piece! Start at one edge and work sideways, then bind off for the armholes. On the next row, cast on across the bound-off stitches and keep knitting in pattern until you reach the next armhole. After you’re done, go back and pick up the armhole stitches to add the seed stitch border. Then fringe it! A dramatic garment, particularly considering it’s essentially a big rectangle. Well done, Yonca!

We hope you have a fabulous weekend. Happy knitting!

August 5, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Sizzle Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sizzle Scarf in Uptown DK.

We love this! So bright and summery. Two balls of Uptown DK (273yds/100g) in 139 Bright Salmon makes this long crescent-shaped scarf. As fun as this is in one color, can you imagine it in two? It’s knit from the bottom up, so how about switching to a second shade after working the leaf lace?

We hope you have a great weekend, and make every pattern you touch your own.

Happy knitting!

July 29, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Berry Patch Cardi

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Berry Patch Cardi in Whisper Lace.

This pattern comes to us from our Mexican distributor, Rebecca Pick. In their magazine, they featured an absolutely stunning crochet design in Whisper Lace (440yds/50g) designed by Ángeles Uribe Salinas. Rebecca Pick graciously shared it with us, and now we get to share it with you!

This beautiful cardi is made of strips of delicate fan lace. They’re joined as you go, with the bottom of the strips left loose to fall freely. Can’t you imagine twirling around in this and seeing the little butterflies of lace fly?

The lace is written and charted, and a schematic is included for assembly. We love how the multi-colored yarn works up into individual fans for a delicate and unique look. This is a great skill showcase.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend. Happy crafting!

July 22, 2016July 22, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Just Breathe

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Just Breathe in Flax.

Having a hard time with these hectic days? Facebook feed full of politics? Us too. But you know what? It’s going to be okay. Here’s what we’re going to do.

Take a deep breath, from all the way down in your belly…. then let it out. Feel the tension drain away. Repeat as necessary. If you need a little technical help, close your door and take two minutes at calm.com to relax.

Here’s what else we’re going to do. We’re going to push aside the needs of others, just for a while, and we’re going to hit the LYS. We’re going to chat with the staff, walk the aisles and touch the yarn, and walk out with enough yarn to make something beautiful.

And that’s where this top comes in.

Just Breathe is made in 100% linen Fibra Natura Flax (137yds/50g) in color 105 Natural. Flax softens with each wash, making this a top that will get more and more comfortable with time. The six-row horseshoe lace pattern will require some mindful attention, but not so much that you frown in frustration. Just enough to keep you focused on the moment.

Make a little time away from the worries of the world to knit. Your rewards will be a feeling of refreshment, and a beautiful, versatile lace pullover that will be a favorite for a long time to come.

Happy knitting.

July 15, 2016July 15, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Cherish Baby Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Cherish Baby Blanket in Uptown DK Colors.

We’re in a kid frame of mind today! We recently saw these Blinky Bears knitted by Joan and shared by Yarn Cloud in Virginia.

They’re knitted in Uptown Worsted Tapestry (180yds/100g). Joan made a different bear for every grand kid so there wouldn’t be any arguments. Is that a great idea or what? The pattern is a Yarn Cloud exclusive by Pietra Bietsch and is available on Ravelry at this link.

We love these little guys and gals. We’re also happy to share this extremely simple pattern in Uptown DK Colors (273yds/100g), which also uses the yarn’s color shifts to good advantage. The Cherish Baby Blanket is a very easy four-row repeat perfect for beginners. The self-striping yarn makes the color changes, so there’s no juggling multiple balls and there’s less weaving in ends. A garter stitch border at the edges and a few rows of straight knitting at the top and bottom help keep it from curling.

We’re big fans of self-patterning and self-striping yarns for times when you want to add a little pizzazz to your work without having to fiddle with bobbins. For instance, take a look at the Zig to the Zag Tee.

Solid Uptown DK in 132 Night and Uptown DK Colors in 70319 Jubilee are alternated to make a very modern kid’s tee where the self-striping yarn automatically shifts through red and pink bands – one less thing for the knitter to worry about. They can just concentrate on making a standout top for some little fashionista.

We hope you enjoy the free Cherish Baby Blanket, and think about unique ways you can use self-striping and self-patterning yarns.

Have a great weekend, and happy knitting!

July 8, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Summer Shawl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the crocheted Summer Shawl in Bamboo Pop.

This pattern comes to us courtesy of Alice Gossette and Kat Koeller of LYS The Thankful Ewe in New Bremen, Ohio. It’s another example of why you should stop in at your local yarn shop – there are some really great ideas waiting for you there!

This is a five ball project in Bamboo Pop (292yds/100g) – 2 balls of 109 Clover for the large triangle, then 1 each of 108 Lime Green, 118 Marmalade, and 107 Ocean for the stripes nearer the top. The designers note that the top stripe took almost all of the blue, so you might want to snag an extra ball, just in case.

I love the inclusion of the vibrant band of gold. This would be an easy one to customize with your own personal palette, or to add a variegated color to. Color 203 Golden Seas strikes a nice balance between all of the colors included here.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend, and find time to kick back with a project and take care of yourself.

Happy crafting!

July 1, 2016July 30, 2019

Free Pattern Friday – Stitch Sampler Cloths

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Stitch Sampler Cloths in Java.

We’re very excited about Fibra Natura Java (219yds/100g), our new 100% hemp yarn. This is a perfect application for it too – it works great for home decor projects.
This is the first Free Pattern Friday we’ve done in this yarn, although we do have a few free patterns in Java that haven’t yet been highlighted. Have you seen the Crochet Baskets at right? Love ’em!

These cloths are designed to be basic samplers for those who are just getting their feet wet (no pun intended). The cloth in color 104 Pistachio, right, uses increases and decreases, but the other four are strictly knit and purl.

All are written and charted, so they do double duty for those who want to try out reading charts without the risk of losing a stitch in a big lace project. My reason for knitting them is simpler: the cloths are just plain pretty!

We hope you have a safe and happy Independence Day holiday.

Happy knitting!

June 24, 2016June 24, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Spring Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Spring Pullover in Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.

What a great look for Spring, eh? Cap sleeves, open neckline, and some lovely waist shaping for a more polished look.

You can juuust see the double eyelets accenting the neckline.

This pattern is knitted flat. Turn the hem up and stitch it to the inside for a nice non-rolly stockinette edge. This is a great piece for warm weather, and the bright colors of Bamboo Bloom Handpaints really help set a bright mood.

We hope you find something colorful and fun to do this weekend.

Happy knitting!