Free Pattern Friday – Holiday Cheer Throw

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Holiday Cheer Throw in Bella Chenille Big Glimmer (pattern link here).

This is a special design for several reasons! First, it’s just so festive! Who wouldn’t want a big, beautiful crocheted throw to snuggle up with on a frosty night?

Second, this is the inaugural free pattern in a brand new yarn, Bella Chenille Big Glimmer!

Original Bella Chenille Big is loved for home decor, accessories, and more. We heard from more than one person saying, “you know the only thing that could make this better is… bling!”

What a great idea! So here it is, in all its glittery glory. But the Holiday Cheer Throw isn’t the only free pattern in this yarn released today. There’s also…

The knitted Gemstones Scarf (pattern link here), aka the softest scarf you’ll ever wear.

The Snowy Night Pillow Cover (pattern link here), which I really want to make with red ‘snowflakes’ to create poinsettias.

Snug as a Bug (pattern link here), the perfect robe to wrap up in on the weekend.

If you’re a fan of the annual 12 Days of Winter kit sets, you’ll love Marshmallow, shown here knitted up in Bella Chenille Big Glimmer, sporting a stylish Bella Chenille pullover. He’s one of this year’s kits, available only through your LYS. His designer, Aubrey Busek, will be posting more about him on Monday.

We are so excited by this fun yarn, and by all the possibilities it reveals. We hope you enjoy today’s free pattern(s)! Have a wonderful weekend, full of sparkle and joy!

Flash Pattern Friday – Gingerbread Stocking

It’s Flash Pattern Friday!

On the last Friday of the month, we take a beautiful paid pattern and set it free for a limited time on Ravelry. Today, it’s Gingerbread Stocking in Deluxe Bulky Superwash (Ravelry link).

This gorgeous holiday stocking was part of our 2019 12 Days of Winter Kit Series, a popular collection of kits that we publish each year. Our fifth annual series is out now, available exclusively from your LYS! It seemed like a great time to revisit this festive favorite.

Beautiful Deluxe Bulky Superwash wool gives great definition, and its high quality construction means this heirloom will last for years to come. You’ll start from the cuff and work your way down, moving from the mock cables to Fair Isle starting with sweet XO “hugs and kisses.”

The gingerbread house-inspired colors and shapes continue to the toe. You’ll go back and pick up the afterthought heel, and add an i-cord edging and loop top the cuff to finish it off. Perfect for hanging on the mantel!

To get the Gingerbread Stocking free, use the buy it now or add to cart links on the Ravelry pattern page. Then enter coupon code FLASH where you see the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase. Not a Ravelry user? Drop us a line by the end of 11/28 and we’ll get you taken care of.

We hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend, full of friends, family, and fun.
Happy Crafting!

Free Pattern Friday – Wind Song Cowl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Wind Song Cowl in Rico Design Essentials Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk Print (pattern link here).

Whenever we introduce a new yarn with long color repeats, I’m always curious to see how it works up in long rows. So when Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk Print landed on my desk, I knew I’d be knitting something pretty from it as soon as possible.

Ball of Rico Design Essentials Kid Mohair Loves Silk in color 009 Retro
Color 008 Retro

I chose a basic knit/purl design, to really show off those color changes. Here it is in progress, at about the time I was thinking, “surely, this must be a full ball I’ve used.” Nope, this yarn kept giving.

The WIP rode around in my purse unprotected and came out looking great.
There was no matting or damage from the wear. It speaks well of the yarn’s sturdiness!

One ball of Rico Design Essentials Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk Print went a long way. Even though it’s a laceweight yarn, when it’s worked on larger needles or hook, the mohair halo fills in the spaces in the stitches. On a US size 7 (4.5mm) needle, it was light and airy, but not overly loose-looking. The stitch definition was just fine, even at that gauge, and it was pleasant to work with. And check out the fabric it made!

With beautiful bounce and stretch, this is an easy cowl to wear long and loose, or to wrap for a different style. Alternating sections of knit and purl work with the 70% mohair content to let the cowl curl up into little ridges, but the yarn’s 30% silk adds extra drape to allow the piece to expand into a beautiful, wide fabric.

The purl ridges push different bands of color forth, so while this piece is reversible, you’ll get an ever-so-slightly different effect based on which side you have facing out.

So if you’re looking for a really simple project with striking color, that only requires you to knit and purl in the round, here it is. Beautiful, basic, and bold, the Wind Song Cowl in Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk Print has your back.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend, full of ease and joy.

Happy crafting!

Free Pattern Friday – Cotton Candy Swirl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, enjoy Cotton Candy Swirl in Cobblestone (pattern link here).

Sometimes the simplest things are the sweetest. Such is the case with today’s free pattern, Cotton Candy Swirl. The open, boomerang-shaped shawl is a lively accessory to brighten up any day.

I feel pretty… oh so pretty…

A field of triple crochet creates this colorful, fun accessory. One big beehive-style ball of soft, variegated Fibra Natura Cobblestone does the colorwork for you!

I’m such a fan of blues and greens that I think my personal shawl would be in color 106 Meadow, shown above. This would be such a great project for a crochet neophyte, or for anyone who wants to crochet while their attention is divided by good conversation.

Lovely, simple, and sweet, this free pattern is pretty and perfect.

Have a great weekend, and happy crafting!

Free Pattern Friday – Bonfire Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Bonfire Scarf in Nordic Tapestry (free pattern link here).

It doesn’t get much sweeter or simpler than today’s free pattern. Take one ball of self-patterning Nordic Tapestry. Cast on. Knit every row.

Voila! A gorgeous scarf that’s suitable for beginners, or for those who want to make something pretty while chatting with their friends or watching the Great British Baking Show. (Our house is rooting for Crystelle.)

Image of three balls of Nordic Tapestry yarn

The secret is the yarn. Nordic Tapestry has varying lengths of coordinating shades, broken by shorter runs that mimic the look of Fair Isle. It makes a simple project look colorful and dynamic. Just cast on, and then knit until you’re done!

We hope you have a warm and wonderful weekend.

Happy crafting!

Flash Pattern Friday – Calm Cardigan

It’s Flash Pattern Friday!

On the last Friday of the month, we take a beautiful paid pattern and set it free for a limited time on Ravelry. Today, it’s Calm Cardigan in Dona (Ravelry link)!

This yummy design was released as part of the Elegant Ease Collection, a set of seven cozy projects perfect for mornings in and evenings out.

Worked with two strands of 100% superwash extrafine merino Dona held together, this duster-length cardigan is luxurious, warm, and incredibly comfortable.

A wealth of thoughtful details, like pockets, belt with belt loops, and coordinating solid colored cuffs and edging make this a perfectly polished design.

To get the Calm Cardigan free, use the buy it now or add to cart links on the Ravelry pattern page. Then enter coupon code FLASH where you see the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase. Not a Ravelry user? Drop us a line by the end of 10/31 and we’ll get you taken care of.

We hope you have a safe and festive weekend. Happy crafting!

Free Pattern Friday – The Kobuk Cowl

Today, the Kobuk Cowl (pattern link here).

This is a fun and fast project that you can work up in a matter of hours! Using our super chunky Be Wool and Be Wool Multis always leads to full, soft, and quick work.

I recommend this as a great beginner crochet project! This cowl features V stitches, and a faux ribbing created using front and back post work. If you haven’t tried these stitch techniques a go before, definitely jump in. They are easy-peasy but look somewhat complex. It will be sure to have your friends asking the fun question “Oh my gosh, did you make that!?”

The Kobuk Cowl is named after the Kobuk Valley National Park in Alaska. The natural colors featured in this design reminded us of the cool blue waters, arctic chill, and rusted golden landscape seen in this majestic place. The second I tried in on I, was itching for some colder weather adventure. Granted, I may not make it all the way to Alaska this season, but I’ll be dreaming about it when I hike around the beautiful mountains in North Carolina!

Image from Google Search of Kobuk Valley

Well there you have it! Have you ever been out to a National Park? Which one? I’d love to hear about your experience!
That’s all for now,
Happy Stitching!
AJ

Free Pattern Friday – Hope Hat

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Hope Hat knitted in Cotton Supreme (pattern link here).

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. It’s a moment to recognize the toll that this disease has taken, and continues to take. According to cancer.org, about 1 in 8 U.S. women and about 1 in 833 men will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetimes.

This means most of us know someone who has been affected. For me, it was my friend Pat. She was a fellow crafter, and a beautiful person. She had an easy smile and big laugh. I still miss her.

But while I miss my friend, I still take hope. She passed a long time ago, and survival rates for women over 50 have steadily increased every year since 2000. The increase is partly due to advances in treatment, and to greater awareness leading to early detection. We’d like to do our part to raise awareness by sharing this new design.

Rachel chose Cotton Supreme for this stunning stranded hat. Along with Cotton Supreme DK, it’s an approved yarn for chemo caps, because it’s very soft on sensitive scalps. Its machine washability also makes it a great choice, because if you’re dealing with cancer, or caring for someone affected, you may not want to spend your time and energy handwashing. We love Rachel’s choice of three harmonious shades of pink: 628 Super Pink (A), 510 Magenta (B), and 512 Hot Pink (C). They work very well together!

Because there have been so many advances in the field of breast cancer care, the guidelines for screening can be difficult to keep up with. Personally, I take this as a hopeful sign that we continue to improve our understanding day by day. To help you make your best decision, here is a pdf that the Centers for Disease Control has put together, sharing screening recommendations from six well-respected organizations, to help you decide what’s right for you.

Women of different ethnicities have different considerations as well. For instance, Black women have higher rates of breast cancer mortality in the USA, so a desire for earlier screening may play a role in your health care decisions. The bottom line is, we all need to stay educated, and to take control of our health.

Happy crafting, friends. We wish you good health for many years to come.

-Heather Hill

Free Pattern Friday – Grand Day Out

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Grand Day Out in Cinema (pattern link here).

Here’s another beautiful and practical sweater from Yonca Ozbelli! We called this Grand Day Out because of how versatile it is, ready to be dressed up or down for your next great adventure!

Yonca loves to knit and crochet. She’s the head honcho here at Universal Yarn, but she’s not officially part of the Design Team. That means when Yonca designs something, it’s because she wants to make something for herself, or someone in her family. Then we here in the office see it, and love it, and Yonca graciously agrees to share her design with us.

It’s no wonder Yonca wanted to create this. Grand Day Out is the slouchy, timeless pullover we all need. It’s worked in Cinema, a soft single with a touch of cashmere. (Tip: Cinema is currently on sale on our site!)

Can’t you just feel it? This is a super soft sweater, worked in the round from the bottom up, with A-line shaping at the waist.

Raglan shaping ensures a smooth fit on the sleeves. When you’re making this sweater, we recommend choosing a size that’s two to three inches greater than your natural bust, for a relaxed silhouette.

Such a great pullover to wrap yourself up in.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend. Happy crafting!

Flash Pattern Friday – Pilger

It’s Flash Pattern Friday!

On the last Friday of the month, we take a beautiful paid pattern and set it free for a limited time on Ravelry. Today, it’s Pilger in Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash (Ravelry link)!

Pilger is part of e-book Rustic and Refined, a collection of classic knits in Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash. There’s a lot to love in this collection, but we picked Pilger for today because the weather has finally turned cooler here, and it’s a classic autumnal look.

Pilger is definitely not a boring project! An assortment of textures at the color-blocked hems become twisted cables in the sleeves and body (no cable needle required) to keep your mind engaged.

In addition to being a pleasant knit, Pilger is very wearable. Sized men’s XS to 4X, the sweater features clever design touches that further elevate the piece, like that handsome shawl collar. Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash provides a the perfect touch of rustic charm, as well as making this beautiful pullover easy to care for.

To get Pilger free, use the buy it now or add to cart links on the Ravelry pattern page. Then enter coupon code FLASH where you see the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase. Not a Ravelry user? Drop us a line by the end of 9/26 and we’ll get you taken care of.

Have a great weekend, and happy crafting!