Aubrey – Page 47 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

May 15, 2015May 15, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Water Ski Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Water Ski Scarf in Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray.

We featured Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray not too long ago in the popular Color Block Scarves, but it’s so perfect for the season that we couldn’t resist sharing it again.

I love this yarn, and I love this scarf. The pattern is knitted flat (obviously) and both written and charted. Lace on US size 6 (4mm) needles goes quickly, and the tassels make this such a fun and kicky piece.

Cotton is great for summer, of course, and the pastel tones of Seaspray go great with the current bright trends. We put together a couple of fantasy outfits below that would look great with the scarf.

First, toss on a tank and your keds and you’re ready to go, no fuss no muss. You could use pretty much any pastel top and then just a pop of whatever color you’ve made your scarf in at the bottom to pull it together.

Next, dress it up a little! Neutral sandals keep it from being too matchy-matchy. You could even do a nice braided leather bracelet, although I do like the melony orange accent with the gold here. The purse and turquoise/blue earrings bring it together.

We hope you enjoy this free pattern, and that you always feel fabulous in your handmades wherever you go.

Happy knitting!

May 9, 2015May 9, 2015

Mother’s Day Yarn Art

Mother’s Day is tomorrow! Are you ready? Me neither! Fortunately, Amy came up with marvelous way to put together a handmade gift from your stash in a flash. Yarn art!

Step one is to find an image that you want to use and draw or trace it onto your card. We used a cut-down sheet of foam core board. We’re going to be using adhesive for this craft, so construction paper or thinner paper is a little iffy – we don’t want it to buckle or ripple from the moisture of the glue.

Amy freehanded her design, but you could also use clip art. You can see it above with a couple of flowers already filled in with Bamboo Pop. We’ll show you how to do that in the next step!

Outline your design with glue (we used Alene’s clear gel tacky glue). It’ll be easier to do a small section at a time rather than the whole thing – it’s easy to accidentally smear your yarn through the glue if the whole card is covered in it.

Position your yarn over the outline and stick it down. We used the point of a pencil to press the Bamboo Pop to the card. It keeps glue off the fingers and it’s more precise.

After you do your outlines, fill in the area inside, then if you wish you can cover any remaining space. Be as creative as you want. Incorporate straight lines, whirls and swirls, unusual colors or shapes – it’s all up to you!

I love the touch Amy included of the chain stitch around the edge of the card!

Finish it off with a personalized message on the back. Draw your own, or use clip art or illustration from the internet.

Voila! A personalized card that you made yourself without making yourself crazy. We’ll hope that Amy’s mom gets the card before she reads this post!

Happy crafting!

May 8, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Guadalupe Stole

It’s Free Pattern Friday!Today, the Guadalupe Stole in Classic Shades Metallic.

I love this loose and airy crochet shawl. It’s long and luxurious, and the Classic Shades Metallic gives it just the right amount of sparkle in the light. Of course, if you’re not a glam kind of person, Classic Shades works up to exactly the same gauge, so you can still get the great color shifts without the bling.

This stole is comprised of 18 Motifs that are joined as you go on round 3. Amy used almost all of four balls of Classic Shades Metallic for this, so you may want to grab another ball just for safety.

If I were pairing this shawl up with an outfit, I think I might try to pull out the lavender as an accent color. Actress Minka Kelly (photo from denimology) has a good base outfit here that many of us could also pull off. Top it with this shawl, maybe pick up another color with some cute earrings, and you’re ready to turn heads.

Happy crocheting!

May 4, 2015May 4, 2015

Knitspiration – Bannai Taku

It’s a glorious Monday morning. How about a little knitspiration?

I have no idea what this piece by Bannai Taku is called. It’s difficult to find information about this Japanese illustrator’s work, since I don’t speak Japanese. But something about this speaks to me.

Some of it is the fresh colors…

And some of it is the spirit of freedom in the outdoors.

It brings a feeling of lightness and peace.

When’s the last time you climbed on a bike and just rode? Were you still a child? Did you feel like you were flying?

Can you still capture that sense of joy in the world around you?

I hope that sometime today, you’ll step outside and pause for a moment. Look up. Take a deep breath. Let your mind be still and be in the moment.

Then take another deep breath and move through your day with a smile.

Edited to add: A reader who cycles informs us that the Japanese text for our cycling illustration translates to… Cycling. Thank you for letting us know!

May 1, 2015May 1, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Acid Wash Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Acid Wash Pullover in denims.

If there’s a yarn that has captured the imagination of our customers this season, it’s denims. A bulky cotton/wool tape with hues ranging from sky blue to indigo, it’s perfectly on-trend for the current year. Looking at this pullover, you can see why it’s so popular.

This bulky-weight pullover knits up on 6.5mm needles, but the cotton content means you won’t swelter. Right twists and cables run the length of the body to a 1×1 ribbing at the hem and collar. The contrasting sleeves are a nice touch, as is the lowered back edge.

Worked in pieces and seamed, this pattern is both written and charted and contains a schematic. The right twists are easy as pie to do.

Having just finished a quick one ball project in this yarn, I’m eager for more. This would fit the bill nicely.

Happy knitting!

April 24, 2015April 24, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Picket Cardigan

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Picket Cardigan in Little Bird.

More than one person walked by my desk this week and picked this up to fondle it. Little Bird (100g/344 yds) gives it a lovely sheen, and the smoothness of the fiber really makes those cables and ribs stand out. It’s not stiff or bulky at all, but very soft and comfy. The machine washability makes it a home run for baby knits.

This cardigan is knit in pieces and seamed. The back and sleeves are worked in plain stockinette stitch, while the fronts are cabled. The pattern is written and charted and contains a schematic.

This would look great on a little girl or a little boy. The buttonholes can be placed on either side – although truthfully I always forget which is which. Eh, the baby won’t care.

Happy knitting!

April 20, 2015April 20, 2015

Lluxurious Llamalini

For me, there are more than a few yarns here in the office that inspire daydreams of beautiful projects. One of those is Llamalini, a decadent blend of linen, royal llama, and silk bourette. I’m not the only one – designers are picking up on this gem too. May we show you what our own Amy Gunderson has done recently?

Dichotomy looks great with the very in-style color blocks that meander up the body and across the arm. Worked flat in pieces from the bottom up, it uses a circular needle strictly to accommodate the large number of stitches required for a pullover with up to 10″ of positive ease. Sleeve cuffs are worked by picking up stitches off the sides of the body piece and knitting downward.

Color changes are achieved with the intarsia method. The contrasting “line” is formed by working increases and decreases in the blocks of color – no cabling required.

You can purchase this pattern on Craftsy or Ravelry. (Puppy not included)

In the Spring/Summer 2015 knit.purl, the Swingback Hoodie is turning heads. Amy wrote an in-depth guest blog post about her design process for this piece.

A dramatic feather-and-fan panel makes a pointed back hem. The hood, fronts, and back are worked from the top down, while sleeves are worked from the bottom up.

As part of the knit.purl blog post, Lisa Shroyer asked for Amy’s suggestions for personal styles that would work well with this cardi. We got a little happy in the studio with Amy modeling. We couldn’t resist giving you all a little taste of the fun we had.

Happy knitting!

April 17, 2015April 17, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Color Block Scarves

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Three Color Scarves in Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray.

It’s hard to believe that something so simple can look so stunning. We use the phrase “let the yarn do the work” a lot, but it’s very applicable here.

This is a very basic four row pattern consisting solely of knits, purls, and slipped stitches. It creates a pebbled texture – not quite a stockinette, not quite a garter stitch. A subtle pattern to match a subtly variegated yarn, Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray (230yds/100g).

This 100% cotton drapes beautifully. The DK weight means it’s light enough to work for warmer weather, and to wrap around with adding a lot of bulk.

This scarf was a delight to style on our mannequin (we call her Molly), to the point that I had to stop myself from finding more ways to wear this. Three coordinating colors brighten up any outfit – mix and match to suit your style.

Happily, each scarf only takes about 40 grams of each color – less than half a hank. So you could easily get two scarves out of your color choice. Above, we use 306 Storm, 305 Ink Blue, and302 Sun Lime. Below we use, 301 Carmine, 304 Blue Skies, and 302 Sun Lime.

Not only is this going into my queue, I’ll also be recommending this to the newer knitters I know. There’s nothing like an easy project that looks smashing to build confidence.

Happy knitting!

April 10, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Kauai Cardigan

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Kauai Cardigan in Alana.

Summertime… and the livin’ is easy. This cardi makes me feel like I should be strolling on the boardwalk in my sandals with a frosty beverage in my hands. Maybe I could wear a giant Yashi Sunblock hat with it.

It’s made in Alana (164yds/100g) , a tropically colorful viscose blend. It’s a great choice for bright color with a sheen. Speaking from personal experience, I haven’t noticed pooling or flashing – just bright colors and happy hues.

And since we’re talking about free patterns, here’s one that flew under the radar!

The Butterfly Scarf is also in Alana. We released this fun broomstick lace design a couple of weeks ago, but never actually made it part of a Free Pattern Friday. Consider it a bonus wish for warm, leisurely days.

Happy crafting!

April 3, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Solitaire Stole

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Solitaire Stole in Lumen Multi.

Wow. If there’s a match of design and yarn more suited to Spring, then I don’t know what it could be. Lumen (right) and its variegated sibling Lumen Multi (134yds/50g) are both a great warm-weather blend. Mostly matte cotton with stretches of shimmering viscose, it’s got just the right amount of shine to be eye-catching. While it’s perfect in the pastel 204 Reflect, I’m also wondering how it would look in a solid – or even with a variegated body and a solid border, picking up a new color as you knit across.

This rectangular stole is worked sideways in one piece. The Diamond Border pattern begins with 25 stitches. On WS rows 2-24, 1 stitch is increased at the beginning of every row. On rows 25-47, stitches are decreased back down. The border pattern is charted and easy to anticipate without referring to the pattern once you’ve got the hang of it.

This is a great wrap for a brisk evening, when the weather’s a little uncertain but you still want to be prepared. This is going on my list – after our Rocked knitalong is done!

Happy knitting!