This morning, our Design Team was discussing this week’s free pattern, and our Creative Lead mentioned how much she loves a pretty blanket shawl. This one is very pretty indeed!
Designer Ashley Jane McIntyre chimed in that she loves this stitch pattern. She combines a unique blend of double crochet and a double extended single crochet stitch in a four row repeat, for a project that’s interesting to make, but also rhythmic and relaxing.
It’s easy to find a comfortable groove to get into as you make this beautiful accessory. Ashley Jane cleverly uses rows that overlap each other, to create bands of color interrupted by the solid background. The result is a striking and harmonious fabric.
For this design, she chose one of our newest yarns, Uni Merino. We love it for socks, but it’s also divine in bigger projects like this week’s shawl. The palette of colors is designed to play well together, making it ideal for colorwork, in knitting, crochet, and weaving. Superwash Uni Merino is superfine weight, working up on a US Size F/5 (3.75 mm) in this project. It makes a shawl that’s drapey, but still very cozy!
We hope you enjoy this week’s free pattern, with its autumnal open-air market feel. Have a fantastic weekend, and be sure to treat yourself well – maybe by starting something new and wonderful!
The temperature took a dip here, so we decided this was an ideal time to share something wintry for both knitters and crocheters. Rachel Brockman’s knitted Permafrost Cowl has a deep, roomy neck for comfort, and a pointed front to straddle the line between cowl and shawl.
The columns traveling across the body require no cable needle. The V-Twists are created with single twisted stitches that cross over one another. Such a beautiful effect!
Ashley Jane McIntyre’s crocheted Glacial Cowl also features a roomy neck and pointed front, but in this version, the crochet stitches create an even warmer fabric. Perfect when you need something to throw on over an open neck on a chilly day!
We’re rating both versions as Easy – there are no super tricky bits here, just two lovely, very achievable designs. How satisfying!
Each pattern takes just one ball of self-shading Major. This is a crafting favorite, with beautiful color blends in a big, 200 gram ball. This is a thick yarn for gratifyingly, quick progress! Here, we chose color 104 Pebbles for its icy blues and grays, but there are plenty of other color options. If you’re feeling more autumnal, try 129 Russet!
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, full of fun and laughter.
This design by Edie Eckman was originally released as part of Kingston Tweed Vol. 1, a collection of seven beautiful projects in sophisticated Kingston Tweed.
In her design, Edie very cleverly created a shaped top edge that sits comfortably on the shoulders, avoiding bunching and letting the contrasting colorwork show.
A V stitch, along with graceful shells along the border, give this shawl an open, drapey feel.
Kingston Tweed works beautifully here. Its alpaca content gives an oh-so-subtle halo to the finished piece, softening the spaces between stitches.
Friends, we are awfully low on the dark gray Basalt color shown in the model. Fortunately, the entire palette is harmonious, drawn from nature to look beautiful together. We’ve put together some alternative color combinations to consider above.
As always, I’m all about the cool tones. Maybe some combination of 106, 109, and 111? So soothing.
To get Brnascombe free, use the buy it now or add to cart links on the Ravelry pattern page linked here. Then enter coupon code FLASH where you see the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase, and click “apply.”
Not a Ravelry user? Drop us a line by the end of Sunday 10/30 and we’ll get you taken care of.
Today’s free pattern is the Ruby Shawl DK, which combines two colors of beautiful self-shading Colorburst with Deluxe DK Superwash. This is a dynamic shawl perfect for the chilly days ahead!
The Ruby Shawl DK was created based on the original Ruby Shawl pattern, which appeared in the e-book Noda Knits. The original shawl was a popular pattern, and we wanted to give it a fresh, lighter-weight update for the season.
The Ruby Shawl DK was designed by Amy Gunderson, and features a modular construction and bold stripes. This shawl is fantastic for a variety of skill levels, as the stripes worked use just garter and stockinette stitches. The modular construction will offer the beginner knitter a way to advance their skills, and will also keep any seasoned knitter’s interest.
Beautiful stripes created with self-shading Colorburst and Deluxe DK Superwash
What I love most about the Ruby Shawl DK is the gorgeous shifts in color throughout the piece. That is thanks to 65% superwash merino wool / 35% acrylic blend Colorburst. This single-ply yarn has long color shifts that create a stunning array of shades in any project. Two different colors, 106 Earth and Sky, and 119 Bursa were used to bring the Ruby Shawl DK to life. With over 600 yards in each skein, you’re guaranteed to have some leftover yarn. Perhaps you can create a matching hat to go with your shawl?
Colorburst is complimented by workhorse yarn Deluxe DK Superwash. This 100% superwash wool yarn is great for just about any project, and has excellent stitch definition, clearly evident in the Ruby Shawl DK. The warm tone of 841 Pomegranate Heather is lovely for the autumn season, but with an extensive color palette available, you can customize your shawl to best suit your wardrobe.
Ruby Shawl DK and muud Sara bag
The best thing about creating your own accessories is the infinite possibilities of wearing them. It is a great way to express your personal style, and show off something you are proud of creating. No matter how you choose to rock your Ruby Shawl DK, I am sure you will get compliments on your hard work!
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, and have fun picking out your favorite colors of yarn for this project!
What I love about Free Pattern Fridays is the variety in the patterns. Sometimes there are stunning crochet blankets like Sunny Shells, sometimes there are stylish intermediate knitted lace projects like the Paper Flowers pullover, and sometimes Fridays are for quick, easy, instant gratification, like today!
Can you knit? Can you purl? Then you can make these cloths. And if you can’t knit and purl, the Cloudy Day Cloths are a great way to learn! I always recommend dishcloths or washcloths as a beginner project. They’re small, so they bring a quick sense of accomplishment. Plus, you have the pleasure of seeing something you made with your own two hands every time you wash up. It’s a great mood lifter!
The Cloudy Day Cloths are also an inexpensive project – making both cloths uses just one ball of budget-friendly Clean Cotton and one of Clean Cotton Multi. These eco-conscious yarns are 100% recycled fiber, and are favorites for around-the-house projects.
These cloths are also an excellent skill-builder. The vertical lines are made with applied crochet. You’ll create a small dip in the fabric by working a purl stitch, then fill it in later by applying the vertical stripe with a crochet hook. It’s a handy technique that doesn’t require you to carry along a second color. You feel like a wizard the first time you do it!
We hope you have a wonderful weekend, filled with fun discovery and learning.
As a yarn company, we would not be where we are today without the support of the local yarn stores who stock our products on their shelves. From humble beginnings, we now have over 800 local yarn store retailers around the world who carry our yarns. The support these shops give to our company is amazing, and we want to spread the love back to them as much as possible. On social media, we consistently feature projects from local yarn shops and share our retailers, but we wanted to dig a little deeper and get to know some of these wonderful shops and owners even better. Today, we continue our initiative to interview some of our local yarn store retailers to learn a little more about them, their shops, and what keeps business going.
Store Front of Yarnatopia in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma – home of A LOT of yarn
It’s a happy anniversary for the folks at Yarnatopia in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. October 1st of this year marked 6 years of being open for the local yarn shop. Tricia Perkins is the owner of this fine yarn store, and we are delighted that Universal Yarn is on her shelves. We got the chance to interview her and ask her more about the one-of-a-kind Yarnatopia. Read below to learn more about one of the best yarn shops in Oklahoma!
Yarnatopia Owner Tricia Perkins with Bamboo Pop in the background
Every yarn store has a different story and reason for how it came about. We don’t always get to see the behind-the-scenes, but we can promise you that not every single day is easy. During the interview, Tricia explained to us why she decided to open her store.
While the shelves inside Yarnatopia may contain hundreds of different yarn skeins and colors, the community is what makes this place so special. Owner Tricia Perkins and her co-worker Mary have been through their share of struggles, but Tricia says that it has only made their community stronger. When tragedy strikes, we look to the people around us to lift our heads and support us. While she was coping with the loss of loved ones, customers would come into Yarnatopia just to be there for Tricia throughout the day. She has dubbed the support of her customers, ‘The Tricia Train’, and they continue to come into the shop every week. During the interview, Tricia explained to us why opening a shop was one of her best decisions, as it created the base for one of the most supportive communities she has ever known.
Interior of the Yarnatopia with many WIPs and cozy chairs for knitting and crocheting
Another one of the great joys about owning a yarn shop is, well, the yarn! When asked about the most popular fiber content/weight at her store, Tricia said, “Fingering weight, they like the fingering weight.” This is no surprise due to the warm climate in Oklahoma. It’s no wonder some of the most popular yarns at her store are Bamboo Pop and Bamboo Pop Sock! These yarns are highly versatile and great for wearable projects for all ages. Tricia goes on to mention fingering weight is very well-liked because “You can make socks and you can make shawls.” These two yarn options are excellent for those types of projects! As you can see below, her shelves are stocked with these wonderful yarns!
Variety of Bamboo Pop yarn at YarnatopiaVariety of Bamboo Pop Sock and Bamboo Pop Sock Solids at Yarnatopia
Other favorites that Tricia mentioned include Clean Cotton and Bella Chenille. She claims that her customers create many different home projects with Clean Cotton, which this yarn is perfect for! Bella Chenille is a favorite amongst her customers for blankets, and who can blame them? This yarn is so soft and cozy as many of you already know!
Variety of Bella Chenille at YarnatopiaVariety of Clean Cotton and Clean Cotton Multi at Yarnatopia
Yarnatopia does a phenomenal job showing its support to its customers. As we know, consistent encouragement is so important when learning to knit or crochet. Their store has a rug where people stand to get a picture of their own finished project. “The Corner of Fame” is what they call it. This gives customers the opportunity to not only feel special about a project they completed but also, Tricia shares them on Yarnatopia’s social media accounts! Speaking of outreach, Yarnatopia has a knit group every Wednesday and Friday. Additionally, in the month of October, they are doing all kinds of fun sales and events for the store’s anniversary.
We greatly enjoyed talking with Yarnatopia’s owner! You can watch the entire interview below by clicking on the video! We hope you learn a lot about this great store, and who knows, maybe you’ll stop by if you ever find yourself in Oklahoma City!
Autumn is a wonderful season for yarn crafting. The air is cooling down, and we’re ready to work on a brand-new sweater or shawl for the season. What could be better to pair with your crafting than a tasty fall treat? From pie to Halloween candy or warm apple cider, everyone has a favorite autumn treat to enjoy while they work on a project. We wanted to combine this love of yarn and treats into a photo contest that you can participate in on social media!
Photo of Ravello in 113 Nori and 105 HoneyPot with some pumpkin cookies – Petal Shawl in Ravello (free pattern) – Wooden stitch markers made by Katrinkles Knitting Jewelry
What is a photo contest? The idea of our photo contests is to let people show their creativity by taking pictures of our yarn, a WIP, or a finished product using our yarn. In July of this year, we held a photo contest featuring our yarns and projects that used our yarns. We were very happy with the results, so we decided to bring on another one! This time with a fall theme! If you are wondering what this is all about, or you’re looking to learn more, read below to hear more about the Textures & Treats Photo Contest.
When does it start and how do I enter? Starting today (October 10th), we are giving everyone on Instagram the opportunity to participate in a fun, fall-themed photo contest. We can’t forget to mention, there is a great prize for the winner! If you don’t yet have Instagram, feel free to create an account (it’s quick, easy, and free!) and follow us @universal_yarn for more details about the contest. Now time for the details!
What are the rules? First, grab your Universal Yarn, WIP, or FO (finished object), along with your favorite autumn treat. Then snap a picture! The setting is your choice – be creative! Once you do that, post the photo to your Instagram, tag us in it @universal_yarn, and use the hashtag #UYtexturesandtreatsphotocontest. You must be following us on Instagram to be officially entered, and we ask that you also DM (Direct Message) us a jpg image of your entry. Please note, by using the hashtag, you are allowing us to repost your content. The deadline to enter is November 9th!
Rules for the Textures & Treats Photo Contest – Truva WIP is Yonca Ozbelli’s – Gold stitch markers made by Erin Fisher (https://www.instagram.com/onfishershook/)
How do I win? After the November 9th deadline, our staff will vote and select the top 5 photos of those who have entered. On November 10, we will post the Top 5 as a carousel post on our Instagram, and you will vote for the winner through comments on the post. The winner will then be announced on November 15th, and a great prize will be on its’ way! Now, let’s think of some inspiration!
Inspiration? We hope the photos within this blog provide inspiration but let’s take some time to go through what we are looking for! There are so many amazing things about the fall season, whether that be the leaves turning colors, or pumpkin spice anything. So, what would make a good photo? How about a sweater with fall leaves, a pumpkin in the background, and a warm apple cider? That sounds like a great idea. If you’re not a big fan of pumpkins or apple cider, do not worry. One more idea could be your favorite Universal Yarn with a tasty Pecan Pie on the side, perhaps throw in some leaves or acorns as well. The options are endless, and there’s no telling what great yarn photos you can come up with!
139 Masquerade in Uni Merino with candy apples
We hope you decide to join us this autumn for our Textures & Treats Photo Contest!
Questions? If you have any questions, please email rferrel@universalyarn.com and I will be happy to assist!
Just in time for fall! The Hazy Pullover is sophisticated and beautiful, with its cables against a background of reverse stockintte. I particularly love the way they separate at the neck and reach toward the shoulders. So graceful!
This design is worked in Uptown Worsted, our 100% anti-pilling acrylic yarn that has remained a bestseller since its introduction.
I will confess, I used to be a yarn snob when it came to acrylic. I think it’s because when I first picked up needles. oh so many years ago, I used a very “squeaky” acrylic that was downright unpleasant to knit with. But Uptown Worsted turned my attitude around!
It’s pleasant to work with, glides along your needles, and holds up beautifully over time. I have no qualms about using it in projects for knitworthy people – and that includes myself! I’m all about blue tones, and the 368 Midnight Heather that Rachel Brockman used for this pullover calls to me. Add gorgeous cables and sizes from XS-4X, and it’s a winner of a design in a beautiful yarn.
We hope you enjoy this beautiful design, and that you have an amazing weekend.
Rachel Brockman’s gorgeous design was originally released as part of the Quill Collection of ethereal, lightweight knits in cloudlike Penna.
Penna combines soft, extra-fine merino with nylon for strength. Baby suri alpaca provides a halo that soften stitches and creates a delicate, hazy look.
Penna’s halo means that you can work this laceweight yarn on larger needles and expect the fibers to obscure any gaps. In Harlow’s case, the fabric produced on US 7 (4.5mm) needles practically floats.
It’s an easy piece to knit, but the results are dramatic. We’re delighted to offer Harlow free for the weekend!
To get Harlow free, use the buy it now or add to cart links on the Ravelry pattern page linked here. Then enter coupon code FLASH where you see the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase, and click “apply.”
Not a Ravelry user? Drop us a line by the end of Sunday 10/2 and we’ll get you taken care of.
We’re so thrilled to announce that we’re hosting a fresh knitalong featuring a fabulous new pattern! Join us from October 3rd to November 4th for the Party Flag Socks KAL!
Say “hello” to the Party Flag Socks in Uni Merino!
Why Join a KAL (Knitalong)?
There are lots of reasons to join a knitalong! It’s a great way to join other crafters and bond over the experience of working on the same project together. We’ll cheer one another on, share tips and tricks, offer support, and generally keep one another motivated. Plus, what could be more fun than gushing over your new favorite project with fellow fiber friends?
How to Join the KAL
It’s simple! Grab your yarn and the pattern, snap and share photos of your WIP (work in progress) and share them using the hashtag #PartyFlagSocksKAL on social media. We’ll predominantly be hosting this KAL on Instagram and Ravelry. Here is how you can join in:
Follow along on Instagram! Tag us @universal_yarn and the designer, Allison Lutes @fieldwonderful, and don’t forget to use the hashtag we mentioned above. Every Wednesday during the KAL, we’ll share your progress!
Join our Ravelry Group! We’ll open a Ravelry thread with information about the KAL, where you can chat, ask questions, and share photos with other participants and our staff throughout the KAL.
You can share on Facebook, too! Tag us @universalyarn and use the hashtag above.
We’ll be posting our progress periodically here on our blog, too.
Important Note: By tagging us and using the hashtag #PartyFlagSocksKAL, you are consenting to us sharing those photos on our Instagram and/or blog.
How Long is the KAL?
This KAL lasts from 10/3/22 – 11/4/22. That’s a little over one month to knock out a pair of socks. To be eligible for a special “sur-prize” you’ll need to share your FO (finished object) with us, but you don’t need to finish to join in on the fun. All are welcome and encouraged to participate!
Tell Me About the Pattern!
We’ve collaborated with the talented Allison Lutes for this design! As soon as we saw her concept, we simply fell in love. While there are many exciting sock patterns out there, we were just so charmed by the simple but unique motif decorating the entire sock. Plus, the contrasting heels, toes, and cuffs are irresistible! This pattern was specifically designed for our new yarn, Uni Merino & Uni Merino Mini. This 75/25 blend of superwash merino and nylon is perfect for cozy, soft, and durable socks. The palette features fifty colors, so you can mix and match to your heart’s delight!
Ready to prepare? Here is what you’ll need to get started!
Materials
YARN
You’ll need five different colors to make a version like those pictured in our sample. Does that sound like too much for you? No worries! Allison cleverly created four Party Flag motif charts for you to get your creative juices flowing – one chart that reflects the sample socks, two 2-color options (one dark background, one light background), and a color-your-own version! We recommend choosing two to five colors, but the truth is you could get playful and add as many colors as you wish!
Do you need to use Uni Merino? We recommend it, but you don’t have to use it to participate! Bamboo Pop Sock Solids and Multis are a great choice if you prefer a wool-free sock yarn. Feel free to reach out to us if you’d like guidance in choosing a different yarn from our offerings. We’re always happy to help!
To make socks that match our sample you’ll need the following:
131 Nautical (MC) – 2 mini skeins
114 Honeycomb (CC1) – 1 mini skein*
142 Romance (CC2) – 1 mini skein
132 Lighthouse (CC3) – 1 mini skein
112 Carrot (CC4) – 1 mini skein*
*Please note: due to supply chain issues, we currently do not have mini-skeins in stock for colors 114 Honeycomb and 112 Carrot. These colors are available in 100-gram skeins. If you prefer to use the mini skeins, we recommend substituting 113 Sundial for CC1, and 111 Oriole for CC4. We are also always happy to help you choose colors. Never hesitate to reach out to us!
NEEDLES
US Size 1 (2.25 mm) DPNs or your preferred needles for knitting small circumferences in the round or size needed to obtain gauge
US Size 2 (2.75 mm) DPNs or your preferred needles for knitting small circumferences in the round or size needed to obtain gauge
Remember, needle sizes are always a suggestion as every knitter’s tension is unique!
NOTIONS
Stitch markers (plus one unique marker to denote the beginning of each round)
Tapestry needle (for Kitchener stitch and weaving in ends)
Waste yarn (for the afterthought heel)
Anything Else?
The pattern will be available to download for free from our website on Monday, October 3rd. We’ll make this announcement publicly, so if you follow us, you won’t miss it!
