Author: Aubrey

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Happy Birthday, Amy!

It’s Amy Gunderson’s birthday today, and we’re celebrating!

From now until Monday 3/26/18, grab one pattern from her e-book Bamboo Pop Adult 2 for free on Ravelry!  Just use code BIRTHDAYGIRL at checkout, where it asks if you want to apply a coupon.  This is a great collection of knit and crochet designs for Bamboo Pop, a lightweight bamboo/cotton blend perfect for (hopefully) warming weather.

Why are we doing this?

Amy’s the driving force behind our creative team – not only does she knit, crochet, weave, and sew, but she goes out of her way to nurture new talent and form partnerships that help bring our crafting community closer.  We want everyone to appreciate her as much as we do!

(Plus, she’s travelling to Germany for the H+H handcrafting show right now, and every time someone downloads one of her patterns it sends a message to her phone, and I think it’d be funny to blow up her inbox while she’s on the road. )

Have a happy birthday, Amy!  And many more!

 

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Left of Center Cardi

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Left of Center Cardi in Little Bird and Little Bird Colors (pattern link here).

How adorable is this?

Sized from 3 months to 2 years, this clever cardi uses machine washable Little Bird and its self-striping sibling Little Bird Colors to easily create a bright little jacket for baby.

The front and back are knit flat, as are the sleeves.  Then, they’re seamed together.

Add the edging, and your favorite buttons, and you’re ready to go.

What a cute little cardi for Spring!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Happy crafting!

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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!

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Free Pattern Friday – Bellissima Cardi

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Bellissima Cardi in Bella Cash (pattern link here).

Such a beauty.  The Bellissima Cardi is a classic lightweight cardi with classic construction.

Knit it from the bottom up in pieces, then seam.

Bella Cash superwash merino/nylon/cashmere blend creates a soft, lightweight material that moves with you and looks flattering.  We love it on size 2 (2.75mm) needles for the Fair Isle yoke.  Crisp and well-defined, with a beautiful, smooth texture.

Even though the stitches are delicate, the fabric is machine washable and durable, thanks to the nylon and superwash merino content in Bella Cash.  Sized small through 4X, this is a great wardrobe staple. Hard to believe it’s a free pattern!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Happy crafting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Wraparound Blankie

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Wraparound Blankie in Uptown DK Magix (pattern link).

You know those pretty balls of yarn that you look at and love, but you also think, “this looks neat, but what would I do with it?”

Voila.  The Wraparound Blankie answers this question by pairing self-patterning Uptown DK Magix with solid Uptown DK to create mitered angles and panels bordered by coordinating bands of vibrant color.

The nice thing about self-patterning yarn is that you really don’t have to do much work to make a complex design.  Pick two colors of the solid, two colors of the self-patterning, and go!  This pattern is worked in pieces and seamed together, making it a good travel project.  Sometimes it’s nice to be able to work on a blanket without actually having a full blanket on your lap.

We hope you enjoy this project, and have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Hecka Good Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Hecka Good Scarf in Uptown Worsted and Uptown Worsted Mist (pattern link here).

This scarf is a good example of how in a simple design, the placement of color can make a dramatic impact.

The lighter parts are Uptown Worsted Mist, with subtle shading. It’s accented by solid Uptown Worsted, with elements like the end stripe placed to tie the whole thing together. That said, it’s actually an easy knit – all knits and purls.  Give it a try!

We hope you have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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Free Pattern – Behemoth Scarf

Sometimes we have a free pattern that slips under the radar, since we’re so eager to share it that we can’t wait for a Free Pattern Friday.  That’s the case with the crocheted Behemoth Scarf in Revolutions.

(Pattern link here).

Published at the end of the year, the holiday rush meant that this generously-sized scarf didn’t get its due.  That’s a shame, because it’s a beauty.

Two cakes of self-shading Revolutions are worked lengthwise on a J-10 (6mm) hook.  This is a scarf with a length that invites wrapping and folding, but it’s easy to shorten it if you wish – just subtract chains from the beginning count in multiples of 10.  It will still be a showstopper.

Have a great week, and happy crafting!