Free Pattern Friday – Page 48 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

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 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!

March 27, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Diamond Cross Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Diamond Cross Pullover in Ariana.

Things I love about this pattern:

The way the lace crosses over each other, as if it’s woven.
The fact that it’s made on 6.5mm needles, so it’s a quick knit.
The choice of yarn is Ariana (91yds/100g), so it’s a bulky weight yarn in lightweight materials.

Ariana color 108 Grape Ariana is a bamboo tube with light polyamide fibers inside, achieving its size without a lot of weight to stretch and drag. It’s great fun in accessories like the 2 ball Rivel Cowl (free pattern!) and in larger garments as well.

Sometimes laceweight is great, but sometimes, I want to knock out something gorgeous in a hurry. I’m keeping this pattern in mind next time I get that urge.

Let’s hear it for big yarn!

PHAT KNITS BY BAUKE KNOTTNERUS — Phat Knits by Bauke Knottnerus

Happy knitting!

March 20, 2015March 20, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Loop Bag

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Loop Bag in Yashi.

Yashi is our brand new 100% raffia yarn, great for accessories and home decor projects. I love it in this crochet bag. The handles are from JUL Designs, which has a good variety of high quality leather and metal bits and bobs for customizing your designs.

I love this bag, so I worked a little rough Photoshop magic on it to see what it would look like in other colors. Answer: nice! I particularly like it with the pink.

You could keep the neutral base, or go for an even more Spring-like look by substituting white for the natural.

In the pattern, the base and sides are crocheted separately and sewn together. Plastic canvas stiffens the sides, and the entire purse is lined with fabric. It’s a kicky summer bag in a great yarn.

We hope you like this fun crochet project.

Happy crafting!

March 13, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Billow Sweater

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Billow Sweater in Good Earth.

Billow_GoodEarth_detail_rt What a great fit for the changing of the seasons. Big and slouchy, but in the cool cotton/linen blend of Fibra Natura Good Earth (204yds/100g) so it won’t be sweltering in the Spring. I love the natural, relaxed look of this piece – so comfy with a pair of jeans.

This is a lovely piece, but not a hard one. Front and back pieces are worked from the bottom up. Stitches are cast on for sleeves and worked up in a single piece with front and back. The hems feature 2×1 knit/purl ribbing moving up into a garter stitch body. A seed stitch panel along the sides and along the outside of the arms keeps the design interesting.

This design would be as relaxing to make as to wear. It’s calming just to think about. Maybe tonight I’ll have a glass of mint tea and knit a swatch. Bliss.

Happy knitting.

March 6, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Varia Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Varia Pullover in Llamalini.

I may have mentioned this before, but Fibra Natura Llamalini (109yds/50g) is a favorite around here. A blend of royal llama, linen, and silk bourette, it has a rich, heathered depth of color. I’ve got a hank of Mulberry on my desk right now that I snuck out of our samples (don’t tell!) just so I can look at it and think about what it wants to be.

Our sales manager Yonca clearly had bigger plans than me when she came up with this design. She’s got a good eye – we note that the upcoming Vogue Knitting has several solid cable sweaters with stripe detailing. This design is very on trend.

The garment is knitted in pieces and seamed, and the pockets are added afterward, so it’s easy to leave them off if you prefer. For myself, I love the bursts of color that they lend, breaking up the line in a way that’s flattering for those of us who might be wearing something, let’s say, a little bigger than the extra-small size.

This is a great transitional piece – the Llamalini is warm but not stifling, and the half sleeves would work well in Spring or Fall.

Maybe I should grab a few more skeins from our samples and dream a little bigger…

Happy knitting!

February 27, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Mermaid Tunic

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Mermaid Tunic in Lumen.

We were actually going to wait for warmer weather to release this, but it got so much love at Stitches West that we just had to set it free.

This tunic is worked in pieces from the bottom up and seamed. The lace pattern is a simple six-row repeat – no cable needle needed for those twists.

It’s designed for Rozetti Lumen (134yds/50g), a chained cotton ribbon with shiny viscose stretches. Its vivid color is delicious. There’s a multi version, too.

We hope you enjoy this little burst of Spring in the midst of winter.

Happy knitting!

February 20, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Sunblock Hat

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sunblock Hat in Yashi.

We are looking forward to summer, partly because it gives us more excuses to use this great raffia yarn. Yashi (40g/99yds) has a papery texture, but is much softer and more pliable than others we’ve seen. It’s easy to work with and is proving a fast favorite around the office for crochet.

Because it’s so soft, with a project like this very wide hat, we’d suggest you crochet it tightly and maybe give it a little starching to stiffen the brim. You’ll start at the top and work your way out.

I can see myself lounging in a chair by the pool in this hat, reading a good book and sipping… uh… tea.

Happy crafting!