Tag: accessory

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Free Pattern Friday – Nebula Stole

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Blue and white brioche knit stole in Classic Shades Sequins Lite yarn

Today, the Nebula Stole in Classic Shades Sequins Lite (pattern link here).

I’m a big fan of one-color brioche, but I had never done two-color brioche before tackling Rachel Brockman’s Sweet Little Cowl in Cottonwood.  I don’t know why I thought it was going to be hard.  It’s not.  Rachel shares another brioche pattern here, this one knitted flat.

brioche knit fabric held in place by Jul Designs shawl pin
Shawl pin by Jul Designs

The great thing about the Nebula Stole is that it’s reversible – it’ll look stunning with either side facing out, which opens up a world of possibilities in styling.

Brioche knitted stole wrapped around dressform

The texture in this pattern really help the sequins in Classic Shades Sequins Lite catch the light.

Detail including sequins in yarn of two color brioche knit stole

Whether your idea of “nebula” is this…

Composite image of the Crab nebula
The final frontier.

…or this…

Watch out, Thanos.

…we think this celestial project fits the bill.

Have a great weekend, and happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Citrus Pouch

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Citrus Pouch in Good Earth and Good Earth Multi (pattern link here).

I’ll tell you, we’re lucky to have found designer Rachel Brockman.  Here, she has created a practical and cute little notions pouch in Good Earth cotton/linen blend.

The pouch is worked in two separate rectangles which are seamed together.  Then add the zipper, and voila!

The orange sections are a 10-stitch repeat that’s charted in the pattern.   For those who loved last week’s Spring Stripe Rug but wanted some practice on tapestry crochet first, this is a great little project that uses the same technique.

We hope you have an awesome weekend.  Now I’m off to fix up a little Springtime Citrus Cooler – the Citrus Pouch gave me a craving!

Happy crafting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Spellbinder

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Spellbinder Cowl in Alpaculence (pattern link here).

We named this the Spellbinder for obvious reasons – it’s simply spellbinding.

Knitted pink and gray lace cowl pinned at the shoulder with a pewter shawl pin
Alhambra shawl pin courtesy of Jul Designs (http://juldesigns.com/)

An easy-to-memorize lace pattern in a single skein of soft, shimmering Alpaculence creates a beautiful, lightweight cowl that can easily be dressed up or down.

Be aware: the cowl shown took 92 grams of a 100 gram ball.  Be sure your gauge is correct to prevent the possibility of running out of yarn!  Swatching in advance can prevent trouble at the finish.

We hope you have a magical weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Scruncher Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Scruncher Scarf in Whisper Lace and Cotton Supreme Batik (pattern link here).

I. Love. This. Pattern.

Look at how simple that is.  This is exactly the kind of pattern that I would have loved as a beginner, and that I still love when I want to make something beautiful and not look away from binge-watching Jessica Jones.

Because it’s dropped stitches on a larger needle (US size 10 1/2), this pattern makes the yarn go a long way.  One ball of Whisper Lace wool/silk for the solid bands, two balls of self-striping Cotton Supreme Batik for the wider variegated stripes.

Because the fabric is so loose and drapey, it scrunches up effortlessly – hence the name Scruncher Scarf.  Here it is in an alternate colorway, folded in half and wrapped for an accessory that straddles “skinny” and “full.”

Obviously, this would be a great one to experiment with, colorwise.  I’ll bet your LYS could put together some fantastic color combos.

We hope you have an amazing weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Hazy Hat and Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Hazy Hat and Pullover set in Uptown Worsted Mist (pattern link here).

I actually have a lot of thoughts about this pattern, because

1) I love cables, and

2) I heard the “colorful language” around here as the pattern swelled to 4… 5… and finally to 9 pages.  That’s what happens with extended sizing (although we don’t really consider it “extended”), and full charts and written instructions.

The consensus is that it was worth it.

There are quite a few things to love here, like sizing from Small to 4X in the pullover…

detailing like twists along the sleeve and texture within the front cables…

and how nicely this does in Uptown Worsted Mist, which is variegated enough to add interest but not so much that it overwhelms a lovely design.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that you take time to do something for yourself.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Hecka Good Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Hecka Good Scarf in Uptown Worsted and Uptown Worsted Mist (pattern link here).

This scarf is a good example of how in a simple design, the placement of color can make a dramatic impact.

The lighter parts are Uptown Worsted Mist, with subtle shading. It’s accented by solid Uptown Worsted, with elements like the end stripe placed to tie the whole thing together. That said, it’s actually an easy knit – all knits and purls.  Give it a try!

We hope you have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Heartsbloom Hat and Mittens

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Heartsbloom Hat and Mittens in Bella Cash (pattern link).

Happy Groundhog Day!

Punxatawney Phil has spoken – he’s seen his shadow, which legend says means six more weeks of winter.

Whatever, Phil.  We’re right on the cusp of Spring, with a few flowers poking out, but also snow in the forecast.  What to do?

How about a cute little toddler topper (say that five times fast)?  It definitely won’t take six weeks to knit, but it does have plenty to keep you interested, in the form of cables and seed stitch.

We like that the cables on each mitten each twist in a different direction.  It’s the little things.

Bella Cash is a great choice for this – its cashmere content keeps it very soft, but the nylon makes it hard-wearing and machine washable.  Great for knits like this, sized toddler through children’s large.  Plenty of pastels and brighter tones to choose from, too.

Whether the weather turns to Spring or not, we hope you have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Sailing Stone Shawl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sailing Stone Shawl in Deluxe Chunky Naturals (pattern link).

Are you familiar with the phenomenon of sailing stones?

In the early 1900s, a prospector noticed large stones leaving meandering tracks across a section of Death Valley, as if they had decided to go travelling.  The paths baffled scientists until 2014, when the mystery was finally solved with the use of GPS and time-lapse cameras.

At times, the area would flood and freeze, and as the ice broke up, it would be blown across the  shallow floodwater pond, with embedded rocks dragging paths along the desert.  The ice melts, the pond evaporates, and all that’s left is tracks in dry sand behind rocks that aren’t where they used to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u_hy3BR9UM

The natural  colors and meandering paths involved in this phenomenon reminded us of twisting cables in our Deluxe Chunky Naturals.  These tones are undyed – the color you see is the color of the sheep.

Which brings us to the Sailing Stones Shawl.

One nice thing about this shawl – the cables are reversible.  Take a look at the “wrong” side.  Still quite lovely.

Five skeins in the main color, 50003 Musket, makes a generously sized 52″ x 38″ accessory.

Contrasting color applied i-cord and tassels set this design apart.

This would be lovely to wrap up in on a chilly day or night.

We hope you keep a little mystery in your life, and that you make time for yourself this weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern – Behemoth Scarf

Sometimes we have a free pattern that slips under the radar, since we’re so eager to share it that we can’t wait for a Free Pattern Friday.  That’s the case with the crocheted Behemoth Scarf in Revolutions.

(Pattern link here).

Published at the end of the year, the holiday rush meant that this generously-sized scarf didn’t get its due.  That’s a shame, because it’s a beauty.

Two cakes of self-shading Revolutions are worked lengthwise on a J-10 (6mm) hook.  This is a scarf with a length that invites wrapping and folding, but it’s easy to shorten it if you wish – just subtract chains from the beginning count in multiples of 10.  It will still be a showstopper.

Have a great week, and happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Hanasaku Cowl (Crochet)

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, it’s the crochet version of the Hanasaku Cowl, in Classic Shades Frenzy and Bamboo Bloom Handpaints (pattern link here).

We had a lot of requests for this!  The original knitted Hanasaku Cowl (free from your  LYS or for sale via Ravelry) was a very popular design, so it’s only fair that the crocheters get to take a crack at it too.

The long version of the cowl is shown, calling for two skeins of Bamboo Bloom Handpaints and two of Classic Shades Frenzy.  The pattern also includes instructions for the short version, which takes just one skein of each.

Classic Shades Frenzy is slightly bulkier than the Poems called for in the knit version, but you could easily substitute it or regular Classic Shades for the Frenzy – it’s all about whatever colors speak to you.

We used our very newest Bamboo Bloom Handpaints color, 328 Sango, with Frenzy color 915 Madras.  We were happy to see how the reds, blues, and blacks played off each other so dramatically.

For myself, one of my resolutions is to get better at crochet (so far, so good!) so I’m looking at giving this one-piece cowl a whirl.  The advantage of working at Universal is having a ton of beautiful yarn to look at – what do you think of Bamboo Bloom Handpaints 313 Kanji and Classic Shades Frenzy 909 Attic Light?  Although that 914 Botanica just peeking out behind it is also awfully nice.  Decisions, decisions.

Your LYS would have some great ideas on color combos for you to put together.

We hope you enjoy this colorful crochet cowl.  Have a fantastic weekend.

Happy crafting!