Author: Afifa Sayeed

This is part 3 in a four-part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, Series 6 edition.

Hey everyone! Another year has flown by, and it’s time for our annual 12 Days of Winter blog celebration. I’m a big fan of the winter season. This time of year brings with it an ethereal sense of happiness that is quite unique. The days are short and often dark, plants are dying, the weather is cold, and yet – things like delicious warm comfort foods, sparkling holiday lights, parties, and (if you’re lucky enough) gorgeous falling snow fill the air. It’s a time of endings and beginnings, and a perfect opportunity to start a brand new project to welcome the new year.

Speaking of brand new projects, I have some inspiration for you! Today, I’ll be sharing three of the projects from our 12 Days of Winter Kit Collection, Series 6. The Frozen Pond shawl, Keepsake Cover, and Snow Dust stole. All of these kits were designed by Rachel Brockman, our Creative Lead. Rachel has a way of creating unique designs that cater to a variety of skill levels, while always having thoughtful details that make them special. The thing that ties all three of these designs together? Lace stitches.

Lace knit stitches result in some of the most gorgeous patterns you can imagine, and they are actually what first drew me to taking up knitting as a hobby. I remember seeing a book full of patterns for Victorian inspired lace shawls, and I was instantly intrigued. The eyelets, twists, and turns created by lace stitch patterns are lovely, and they are a perfect match for the winter season, as they often share the same sense of delicate and ethereal beauty.

Frozen Pond is an asymmetrical shawl knit using our sinfully soft Nymph yarn. Nymph is a DK weight blend of cotton and polyamide, with a soft, fuzzy halo that adds dimension to any project. Boomerang shaped shawls like this one have great drape, and are easy to style in a variety of ways. The Frozen Pond shawl’s name was inspired by the dark blue colors of iced over water in the winter. I love the way the diamond pattern of the lace has shapes that look like trees, and I imagine they’d line the perimeter of the aforementioned frozen pond.

The lace pattern worked in this shawl will require some attention on your part while knitting. However, in between the sections of lace you’ll get to relax with some garter stitch, perfect for when you want to knit while watching TV in the evening. We’ve included both written instructions and charts for this pattern, so you are able to utilize what works best for you.

The Keepsake Cover is a joyful blanket pattern knit using three colors of our Uptown Worsted yarn. This 100% anti-pilling acrylic yarn is a workhorse, perfect for projects like blankets that will get a lot of wear and tear. A combination of ribbing, cables, and lace make up the motif that is worked throughout the Keepsake Cover. The diamond shape in this pattern reminds me of Christmas tree ornaments, with the eyelets created by the lace resembling the light bouncing off the ornaments as they hang on the tree.

This pattern also includes written instructions, as well as a chart to help you visualize the cable and lace motif. If you’re not familiar with how to read knitting charts, a pattern like this one is the perfect way to learn. It may seem intimidating at first, since this pattern has both cable and lace stitches, but after your Keepsake Cover is complete, you’ll be a chart reading expert! Here is a link to a blog post where we discuss more on how to read knitting charts, which might be particularly helpful to those of you who are brand new to the skill.

The Snow Dust stole (or wrap!) is an excellent example of the delicate, cobweb quality you can achieve by knitting lace stitch patterns. This accessory is practically the winter season as a wearable item, and you’re sure to look like a snowy dream while you wear it! Snow Dust is knit using our Cotton Gold yarn, which is a laceweight cotton thread yarn, with small sequins and metallic fiber strung throughout. It looks gorgeous worked on its own as you can see from Snow Dust, but also makes an excellent carry-along yarn to add sparkle to other projects.

Snow Dust features simple stitches like knits and purls, as well as yarn overs and basic decreases (‘slip, slip, knit’ – ssk and ‘knit two together’ – k2tog) to create the lace repeat. This would be a great project choice for someone who wants to get really comfortable with knitting lace, because the rectangular shape of the wrap means they can simply focus on the knitting. The end result of the lace stitch pattern reminds me of the quiet, sparkling beauty of the outdoors right after a snow fall. This wrap would be perfect for a night out to the theater, or a fun dinner with friends.

No matter which of these projects you want to create, the lace stitches in these patterns add texture, delicate details, and depth to the overall result. Don’t fret if you’re still a beginner when it comes to lace patterns. Practice makes perfect, and once you master all the basic stitches, you can apply them to the Frozen Pond shawl, the Keepsake Cover, or the Snow Dust wrap!

Remember, these exclusive kits can be purchased at local yarn store retailers near you. Not in stock at your local shop? Ask them about drop shipping – order through them, and we ship to you! Each kit comes with the pattern, the yarn required to make it, and a printed version of the pattern. Use our store locator to find your nearest Universal Yarn retailer!

Tune in tomorrow for the final installment of our 12 Days of Winter, series 6 blogs!

Happy Crafting,

Aubrey