Here at Universal Yarn, we are gearing up for a big day of “Comfy-ness” this Sunday for National Comfy Day! With the holiday season behind us, we are now in the full spring-swing of preparing some amazing new designs and collections to share with everyone! It’s always exciting to keep looking ahead, but it is also important to take a day to slow down, get super cozy, and unwind. I plan to do this by staying in my coziest lounge clothes and enjoying some Combo Cuppa-Crafty time. (If you caught Aubrey’s focus on Pinterest trends in her recent Blog Post, you know that I’m a fan of a nice Cuppa Tea!) Now, the only problem with setting a whole day aside to craft, is I don’t know what to make yet! Read along and help me pick a project!
By the Fire Slippers by Rachel Brockman
My first pick is the By the Fire Slippers by Rachel Brockman. I have recently picked up knitting again and my main desire has been to make myself socks and slippers! This design is from our 12 Days of Winter – Series 5, which starts each season as an LYS exclusive kit offering and releases to the public after the holidays. As luck would have it – this collection just released over Valentine’s Day! I think these slippers would be a fantastic cozy cast-on for National Comfy Day, don’t you?
The yarn used in these slippers is our popular Deluxe Worsted Superwash. It has a robust palette, leaving me with plenty of options to choose from if I wanted to go off book and choose my own colors. It’s also machine wash friendly, so I get the best of both worlds with a springy soft feeling for my feet combined with easy care after walking around. Granted, I may not do much walking in them – does a Netflix marathon count as exercise?
Asher Set by Aubrey Busek
My second pick is the Asher Set by Aubrey Busek. It’s another knit project, and would stretch me a bit outside of my comfort zone with knitting a hat to match the beautiful shawl, but I do love a challenge! Even though I’m ready to relax, I think it could be nice to have a calm headspace to learn some new techniques.
The yarn used in the Asher Set is our plump and perfect Posh Alpaca. This blend of wool, super fine alpaca, and acrylic makes for a thick roving style yarn that sets the stage for minimal and texture-heavy patterns alike. I love the idea of having a go-to piece for wrapping up and snuggling indoors, or for grabbing attention while I’m out and about.
Pothos Cowl by Courtney Mulcahy
My last choice is the Pothos Cowl by Courtney Mulcahy. While the idea of “comfy” inspires pieces that make me want to sink into the sofa and sip my tea, I also can see myself using my Comfy Day to start preparing for warmer weather! With spring around the corner, I’m starting to get excited for some live music out by the water, and sunsets at the park with my pup. This cowl could be the perfect accessory for any activity! Plus it’s crochet, which is already my preferred craft. I could probably do this as a fun one-day project!
It’s made with our new, silky-soft Vireo, a blend of Tencel and wool that is both sustainable and season-appropriate for the warmer days I’m envisioning. The palette reminds me of berry bowls and ice cream – I just can’t pick a color, they are all so sugary and delightful. If I can land on a color choice, this may be the project for me after all – or maybe I should just make a few of them?
Pothos Cowl, By the Fire Slippers, Asher Set
So which should it be? You tell me! I can’t wait to hear what project you think I should try, and what project you’ll be crafting on National Comfy Day on Sunday!
Happy New Year! Last year flew by and we’re nearly a week into 2022 – how wild is that? When January 1st rolls around, many of us think about our goals for the new year. Personally, I don’t make a lot of resolutions and just strive to grow, always. I like silly or mini resolutions, nothing dramatic. With that said, my favorite and most successful resolutions always revolve around crafting, and that’s what I’m here to chat about today! I asked our team to dish about their crafty goals for the year. From stash busting, to building design skills, to completing old and new projects alike – we have plenty of goals to strive for this year!
Yonca– Managing Director
Top, from left to right: No. 1 Pullover, Jay Sweater, Wheel of Life. Bottom: Snowy forest (photo by Laine Publishing).
“Every year I promise myself to use the beautiful yarns I stashed before I came on board to help my husband to run Universal Yarn, but each year they get pushed back with other irresistible yarns we introduce to Universal Yarn! This year my goal is to use at least one stash yarn in a project of my choice while finishing up all the WIPs (works in progress):
From left to right: Sequoia, Lightning (photo by John Felgate), Heather’s artist rendering of her future Lightning Sweater.
“I’ve knitted dozens of socks, hundreds of hats, and several sweaters for other people. Most recently on the sweater front, I made the free Sequoia Sweater in Deluxe Bulky Superwash for my adult daughter, and it looked awesome! But never have I ever made a sweater for myself. This year will be different! I’m looking at Lightning from the Fall 2021 Knitty. And because I feel like I should make a splash with my first sweater, I’m thinking Uptown Worsted in #324 Black for the body and vibrant, neon-ish 338 Living Green for the bolts of lightning. It’ll be a statement piece, and that statement is “HECK YES I KNITTED THIS MYSELF.” Go big or go home, I say.”
Aubrey – Design & Social Media
Left to right: Carillon, Herbal Lace Socks (photo by Victoria Galkina)
“The year 2022 brings with it some big goals for me. As well as being a knitwear designer, I am also an avid sewer and love historical textile arts like hand embroidery and beading. My main goals this year are to continue expanding my skillset as a designer and maker, complete more projects (lots of various textile interests don’t help me finish things easily!), and really push myself to learn new things each month. Here are some of those goals:
Learn punch needle embroidery and develop some of my own designs using Universal Yarn!
Learn Tablet Weaving (I’ve desired to learn this type of weaving for so many years and just never invested in a loom).
Once I am married in April, design and make a sweater for my husband, Nathan! He is crazy tall and has a hard time finding clothes that fit him well, so I know he would treasure a handmade sweater that fits him perfectly. (Waiting until we’re officially married due to the sweater curse, haha!) I plan to use Deluxe Worsted Tweed Superwash in #901 Garnet because he loves red.
Design a knit dress – perhaps a dress version of my design, Carillon, knit in Deluxe Worsted.
Knit a pair of knee or thigh high, super lacy socks, like the Herbal Lace Socks designed by Victoria Galkina.”
Ashley Jane (AJ) – Design & Trunk Show Coordinator
From left to right: Evermore Dress (photo by Stephanie Erin), Traveler Fair Isle Sweater (photo by Briana K Designs)
“I have made up my own “Out of this World UFO” list! “UFO” meaning unfinished objects, and out-of-this-world meaning I have at least one large project bagged and tagged for each month of 2022, which is ambitious! One of the projects I am most excited about is making the Evermore Dress, designed by Stephanie Erin, for an upcoming wedding that I’ll be in! I’m also excited to make the Traveler Fair Isle Crochet Sweater this year using a beautiful earthy-toned stash of Deluxe Worsted. I’ll be sure to post pictures of my journey on my Instagram and Ravelry, so feel free to follow along!”
Rachel (That’s me!) – Creative Lead
Top, from left to right: Argil (photo by Pom Pom Publishing), Saven (photo by Hudson + West Co), my Snowy Forest WIP. Bottom: My Argil WIP.
I’m going to start by saying that this is my tenth knitting anniversary! It was my 2012 New Year’s Resolution to learn, and oh boy, I never imagined how much it would transform my life! I’ve got to say, it was my most successful resolution ever! I have so many fibery goals for this year, and I hope I can achieve most of them.
Like Yonca and AJ, I want to work from my stash and I want to complete some UFOs (unfinished objects). I have three on my list – to be honest, there are a couple more but the reality is that I’m going to frog them.
Snowy Forest by Midori Hirose: I’m actually super close on this one. This is the sweater that Yonca, Aubrey, and myself are knitting together. I’m ahead of them, but I also started first and convinced them to knit it with me. This ticks off a little bit of stash, too! I’m using our Deluxe Worsted in #71051 Toast and carrying it along with a mystery mohair/silk blend from my stash. If you also fancy a mohair/silk blend, don’t miss Rico Design Essentials Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk. I’ve been busy creating a few design proposals and an upcoming design for spring, so I briefly put this project on pause. However, this weekend I’ll be on sleeve island, and hopefully will finish my own Snowy Forest. You can see it in the gallery above.
John’s Cardi – by me!: Okay, I’m embarrassed to admit that I’ve only ever knit my husband, John, one sweater, and I’m even more embarrassed that I have been working on this design for over a year. In fact, first it was meant to be his anniversary gift last year, then his birthday gift, and now I hope to have it finished in time for our 10th wedding anniversary on March 10th. Fingers crossed! I don’t have a photo to share of this design, but I am using Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash in #413 Smoke and #405 Pine. It features some simple colorwork, steeking, a shawl collar, and some inset pockets. I’ll definitely publish the pattern, so be on the lookout…someday!
Argil by Clare Lakewood: For this one, I sincerely hope my gauge hasn’t changed because this is a 2019 project – oof! I’m using our Ready to Dye 03 that I naturally dyed with pokeberry along with Flax Lace held double in color #116 Jungle. I made such a silly mistake on it and just set it aside for ages. It will be so perfect for our hot and humid summers, so maybe I can finish this one by May.
I have so many design goals for the year that I don’t know where to begin. I want to become more well-rounded in knitwear design and work on my crochet skillset. I’m always designing because it’s simply my passion, but I’ve really enjoyed knitting projects by other designers, too. There is always something to learn from other designers – new techniques, how to word things, and more. I’ll call this part of my goal to become more well-rounded as a designer. One of the designs I have my eye on for 2022 is Saven by the mega-talented Meghan Babin. It’s unisex, so I’ll either make it for myself or for John. If I make it myself, I’m definitely using Deluxe Worsted from my stash – in either #12281 Clay or #41795 Nectarine.
Although my list goes on, I’ll stop here because I’m being quite the chatterbox. I guess I’m just very excited for all the crafty things I expect 2022 to bring. What are your craftsolutions for the new year? We would absolutely love to hear them, and we can’t wait to share many exciting things with you, too!
Today, I wanted to give you a sneak peek at an upcoming design and gush about one of our lovely new yarns: Penna.
Penna in 110 Dovetail.
You might have noticed Penna pop up in your local yarn store recently. This lace-weight yarn is light as a feather, ridiculously soft, and has a beautiful halo. It is a blend of 50% baby Suri alpaca for a hazy effect, 28% extra fine merino for softness, and 22% nylon for strength. This yarn is a great alternative to laceweight mohair yarns, to which some people are more sensitive. The palette contains sixteen gorgeous colors.
Plume Cowl, shown in 111 Whisper, 112 Rose Kiss, & 113 Raspberry Tart.
One reason we brought this yarn in is because of its versatility. You can hold it as a single strand or as a carry-along with another yarn. If you’re holding it single, we recommend using a large needle for a loose, airy gauge. That’s what really makes this yarn shine. Take the Plume Cowl, for example. Knit at a gauge of 16 stitches over four inches with a suggested needle size of US 8 (5 mm), this accessory is like a cloud for your neck and shoulders. It’s as simple as can be – just seed stitch in the round, with a few color changes to create a nice gradient.
Penna in 113 Raspberry Tart placed on top of the Plume Cowl.
Personally, one thing I love about this yarn is that it pairs well with other yarns. I think it would look beautiful to add a halo to stash staples like Deluxe Worsted, but I wanted to see what Penna was like when held together with a self-shading or self-patterning yarn. We have quite a few of those, but the one that struck me as the most suitable match for Penna is Whisper Lace. Both yarns are so fine, the fabric they create together will still be lightweight. A blend of wool and silk, Whisper Lace is great for warmer weather and the transitional seasons – add the warmth and haze of baby Suri alpaca to that, and you can create perfect projects for autumn and winter.
That brings me to the original point of this post. I’m working on a design that pairs Whisper Lace and Penna. I’ve chosen Whisper Lace in 213 Cool Ripples – a blue and grey multi, with Penna in 110 Dovetail – a soft, warm grey. I love the way Penna and Whisper Lace are playing together. Solid-colored Penna softens the transitions from one color to the next in the Whisper Lace.
The beginnings of a crescent-shaped shawl knit in Whisper Lace and Penna.
You can see the humble beginning in the photo above. I decided a shawl would be the perfect project. Lately, I’ve been really into crescent-shaped shawls, so that is the shape I’ve chosen for this design. Four stitches are increased on each edge every right-side row, and two stitches are increased on each edge every wrong-side row. This is what creates the dramatic curve. I’m letting the yarn speak for itself here: nothing more than simple Stockinette stitch for most of the shawl. I plan to finish this project with an applied lace border. I’m undecided on whether I should use a solid, contrasting color for the border, or if I should stitch to stick to the pairing used throughout the rest of the shawl. Only time will tell, but I’d love to hear your thoughts! Let me know in the comments below.
When I decided to write a blog post today I was planning to focus on my Seamless Leaves pullover, but as I was taking photos, an idea popped into my head – why not share what everyone around the office is working on? I moseyed around the office asking our team about what they’re working on and whether I could take a few quick photos of their projects. Sadly, Yonca and Amy are out today (they surely deserve it after a busy weekend at Stitches West), so their own projects aren’t included.
Cottonwood is one of my favorite yarns. It’s eco-friendly and has so many beautiful colors to choose from.
I love so many of the projects in the new collection, Arboretum, featuring projects by the one and only Amy Gunderson using Fibra Natura Cottonwood. Each pattern in the Arboretum ebook is extremely wearable and tempting to cast on, especially when the temperature has been lingering in the 60s and 70s in North Carolina. I decided that I needed to cast on a Seamless Leaves pullover for myself, and I wanted a basic, black version. Because of my inclination to knit things in deeply saturated colors (especially warm colors), I just don’t have enough neutral garments in my wardrobe. This project is my perfect solution.
I love the lightweight fabric created by Cottonwood. It’s wonderfully smooth and even with stitch definition that makes the raglan details on this pattern shine.
Even unblocked and worked in such a dark color, these details look great thanks to Cottonwood’s superb stitch definition.
Our sales team seems to be having an affair with two-at-a-time socks, toe-up socks.
Left: Krista’s socks in Pix, Right: Katie’s socks in Allegro
Here’s what Krista had to say about her project:
“I’m always working on a pair of socks. Always. For this project, I am using one of my favorite yarns, Pix, in the Paisley print. They’re a plain vanilla pair (nothing but stockinette) using a basic short row heel. I love how Pix works up in patterns as I’m knitting. This yarn makes a simple project very fun. Socks are perfect on-the-go knitting to keep in my bag.”
Here’s what Katie had to say about her beautiful WIP:
“I enjoy making socks, but I have Second Sock Syndrome and never learned how to do two-at-a-time socks. Krista helped me with the cast-on and now I am loving it! I was even able to just knit at my daughter’s choir concert last night and didn’t mess up. Woohoo; progress! I love the elasticity of Allegro. I am using the color Grape Sonata. I decided to do ribbing over the arch instead of just stockinette stitch because I love my store-bought socks with the ribbing on the foot. We’ll see how it turns out!”
I’m sure they’re going to be perfect! If you’re also a sock knitter, you might be interested in one of our free sock patterns like this one, this one, or this one.
Finally, our social-media extraordinaire (and quite frankly, everything-extraordinaire!), Heather, showed me a deliciously squishy hat knit up in Poems Silk in the Baffin Island colorway. She told me she enjoys a simple hat project when she’s knitting at the movie theater. I have to say, this is always something that impresses me. Whenever I bring knitting to the theater I have the tendency to drop the occasional stitch or insert an unwanted yarn-over. Serious props to those of you who are successful in your endeavors in low-light knitting! Heather’s hat is looking great and we can’t wait to see the finished version.
That’s it for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed a little glimpse into some of our projects! We’d love to share more soon.
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