Author: Aubrey

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Free Pattern Friday – Vane Shawl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Vane Shawl crocheted in Cotton True Sport.

Summertime can lead to a bit of crafting doldrums.  We may not feel like covering our lap with a huge in-progress blanket when the days are long and warm.  But there’s no reason to put down the hook and needles – there are plenty of great warm-weather yarns and projects out there!

Take today’s for instance.  The Vane Shawl calls for an E-4 (3.5mm) hook and 6 balls of Cotton True Sport, a light 100% Pima cotton that practically radiates “cool.”  The pattern itself is my favorite kind of shawl – worked from the top down.  Fewer repeats on rows as you get to the final point means that progress gets faster as you go.

The fringe is a fun, summery detail.  A nice touch on a pleasant project that won’t weigh you down.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Skylark Capelet

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Skylark Capelet in Radiant Cotton.

A few days ago we had someone on Facebook point out (correctly) that we’ve been offering more knit than crochet patterns, and that we need to be sure to show our crocheting friends some love.  It’s a point well-taken, and I was delighted that we had something coming up so quickly that fit the bill!

The Skylark Capelet calls for three hanks of Radiant Cotton, a smooth 100% Egyptian cotton with a light sheen somewhere between mercerized and matte.  It’s a pleasure to work with.

What I love about this capelet is that just by varying the number of buttons and where you choose to fasten them, you could easily turn this from a capelet into a buttoned cowl, or really into any shape you wish.  The edging lends itself particularly well to buttoning.

There’s no limit to what you can do with this versatile crochet piece.

We hope you have a great weekend, and take time to make something just for you!

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Cardinal Jacket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Cardinal Jacket in Major.

We love this versatile piece not just for its great use of self-shading bulky Major (328yds/200g) but also for its easy construction.

This cozy open front cardigan is knit sideways.  Essentially, you’ll be knitting a big rectangle, binding off on one row and casting back on on the next to make holes for the arms. Sleeves are knit flat, joined to the armhole openings, and then seamed.

The stitch pattern is a twelve-row repeat called Shifting Horseshoes.  It’s both written and charted. The fabric has a subtle wave, and it’s not too hard to read your stitches once you’re in the groove of knitting it.

Add a closure if you wish, or wear it open, or gather it with a shawl pin.  It’s a versatile piece.

We hope you enjoy this loose and lovely cardi!

Happy knitting!

Thanks for the shawl pin, JUL Designs!
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Free Pattern Friday – Zephyr Tank

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Zephyr Tank in Flax and Flax Lace.

I.  Love.  This.  Because I don’t know what it’s like where you are, but here, it’s starting to get hot.  All I’m saying is, this cat has the right idea.

Close the door, the heat’s getting in.

But I still want to knit!  Enter Flax and Flax Lace.

Flax Lace. Cool and fine. Just like you.

100% linen in DK and laceweight.  I feel cooler just looking at it.

The Zephyr Tank has a body knit in Flax.  It flares out at the hips for a nice silhouette.  The Flax Lace edging at the hem is knitted on the same size needle as the body, giving it a nice drape.

Knit it in pieces, then whipstitch the contrasting edging to the wrong side of the hem afterward.  Lovely.

The pattern runs from bust size 35¼ to 51¼.  It’s written, and contains a schematic for assembly.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend, and that you enjoy this free pattern.

Happy knitting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Rivulet Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Rivulet Scarf in Universe.

It’s not hard to see how this got its name.  Crochet rivulets ripple the width of this scarf, glittering in Universe like sunlight on the water.

We use three shades of Universe for bands of color to provide additional interest, but you can use as many or as few shades as you wish.

The scarf is knit in two halves from the center out for symmetry, with the rivulet pattern written and charted.

We hope you enjoy this sparkling crochet piece.

Happy crafting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Kaye Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Kaye Pullover in Cotton True Sport.

You may remember last Friday’s free pattern, the Kaye Cardigan.  It took its inspiration from the mother of one of our LYS owners here in town.  Well, we loved the way her cardigan turned out, and we thought it would make a great pullover.  So, voila!

The Kaye Pullover is a nice warm-weather piece, with its openwork in Cotton True Sport (197yds/50g).  Unlike the cardigan, the pullover has a picot neckline for an extra decorative touch.  It keeps the same diamond patterning just above the cuffs and hem.

It’s such a great feeling to be able to customize a beloved design to make it work perfectly for you.  We’re glad we were able to take inspiration from Kaye’s closet, and we’re delighted to be able to share it with you.

Happy knitting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Kaye Cardigan

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Kaye Cardigan in Cotton True Sport and Garden 10 Metallic.

Today’s pattern takes its name from the lady who inspired it, Kaye.  She’s the mother of Lyn, who owns a LYS just up the road from us, Cottage Yarn in Mint Hill, NC.  Kaye had a cardigan that she just loved, and she wondered if we might come up with something similar.  This is a family of knitters, after all, so it’s only natural that they’d want to take something special and customize it.

We were happy to oblige, and the Kaye Cardigan was born.  We made this design in Fibra Natura Cotton True Sport, a great choice for the open laciness of the fabric.  Then we added Garden 10 Metallic, because… bling!  Held together, Cotton True Sport 108 Island Blue and the metallic 702-28 Turquoise were a dead-on match.

Kaye’s original cardigan had one button at neckline, but we added a full row.  You could easily modify the pattern back to the original one-button design if you wished.

Next week we’ll dive back into Kaye’s closet, with another modification.  Can’t wait!

Happy knitting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – BFF Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the BFF Scarf in Uptown Bulky and Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.

We’re calling this the BFF scarf because there are so many elements that play together as friends here.  First, there’s the blend of multi-hued Bamboo Bloom Handpaints held together with solid Uptown Bulky.


Second, there’s the combination of two big yarns and US Size 17 (12 mm) needles, so the whole thing knits up fast.


And third, there’s the designer, Sandy Harris.  A talented crafter and knitting teacher, she’s always been a friend to Universal, designing beauties like the One Side Cowl in Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.

Put it all together and you have a pattern that’s fun, quick, and easy.  It’s a home run.

Happy knitting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – KISS Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

red lace cotton scarf on a tan dressform

Today, the KISS Scarf in Cotton Supreme Splash.

red lace cotton scarf tied at the neck on a dressformA while back, we had a request for a super-simple lace scarf for a beginner.  Well, it doesn’t get much simpler than this.  The KISS Scarf is a few rows of garter stitch, followed by a one-row k2tog,yo repeat with a garter stitch border on the edges.  It’s fully reversible, and it only takes one half of a ball of Cotton Supreme Splash (100g/180yds) meaning it won’t take forever, even for a beginner.

(Edit: I was so excited about this pattern that I accidentally wrote  k2, yo instead of k2tog yo*.  The pattern was right, but the article was wrong – it would have led to a dramatically increasing row every time.  Thanks to all of you eagle-eyed knitters!)

This pattern would work well with any of the yarns in the Cotton Supreme family.  Cotton Supreme and Cotton Supreme Batik both have the same yardage per ball, so they could be used interchangeably here.  Go down a needle size for a slightly skinnier scarf (or just cast on more stitches in an even number) and use Cotton Supreme DK or DK Seaspray.

 

The remaining half a ball of Cotton Supreme Splash is sitting on my desk right now, tempting me.  I could knit another… or I could use it to teach someone else to knit.  Decisions, decisions.

Happy knitting!

A red lace scarf with one end thrown over the shoulder of a dressform. A silver shawl pin fastens the scarf together.

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Aria Cardigan

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Aria Cardigan in Universe.

This glorious, glittering garment is perfect for a night at the opera, or anywhere you want to make an entrance.

We designed this cardigan for sparkling Universe, the cotton/linen/glitter blend we created for our 10th anniversary.  It’s got the perfect texture and shine for pieces that stand out in a crowd.

 

This design is written and charted, and contains a schematic.

The Aria Cardigan makes our hearts sing.  We hope you enjoy it too.

Happy knitting!