Designer Aubrey Busek took her inspiration for this design from still waters, kissed by a breeze that ripples the surface. It’s apparent in the lace elements…
…and in the choice of twisted rib, a stitch which gives a dimensional element to the body of the piece.
Also adding to the texture, the choice of yarn. Fibra Natura Papyrus is composed of a light and luxurious cotton/silk blend with a fascinating feel. Easy on the hands to work with, Papyrus is a great yarn for warmer weather. It adds a certain 3D quality to your fabric.
I’ve got some stashed away, waiting for me to cast on for my Beechnut Pullover. But looking at this wrap, maybe I should go ahead and make this instead. Or both. Yep, that’s it, both.
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, full of love and joy.
The latest releases from Muud are some of your tried and true favorites – only better. The Denmark based company creates products with crafters in mind, blending functionality with beautiful designs. Traditionally all of their pieces come in classic black and whiskey colors with understated and practical hardware, but this release offers a chic makeover.
One of the standout elements is the gold zipper and hardware, adding a luxe feel to the attention and detailing of each piece. Right away, these bags and accessories project “designer” vibes but don’t actually come at the cost. The largest price difference comes with the coveted Saturn XL, normally $165, you can snag (or should we say steal!) the limited release for just $30 more at $195. With all of the pieces barely bumping above the norm, we won’t be surprised to see the full collection shipping out!
Another thoughtful touch is the addition of a printed liner sporting the brand name in an adorable blush pink. I’m so thrilled about this because it truly sets this limited collection apart from the standard Muud line. It’s one of those details that is eye-catching in a fun peekaboo way that will delight you every time you unzip your bag to reach for your project!
If you’re starting to feel in the mood for Muud (see what I did there?) but want to start small, look no further than the Hee needle/hook case! One of the wonderful final features of this gorgeous collection is that the selection of pieces is offered in a range of sizes and price-points to fit the needs of all crafters!
There is something available for everyone – for now. Hurry and grab your Limited Edition Muud piece today before it’s gone! That’s all for now – Happy Stitching, y’all! Ashley Jane McIntyre
This is a really exciting design to share, because it’s so striking, yet so simple to knit! Amy Gunderson did a great job combining easy intarsia color changes with bold shades to create a popular and fun pattern!
With such a wealth of color choices in Bamboo Pop, it’s a snap to customize your shawl. This 50/50 cotton/bamboo blend yarn is perfect for bright and beautiful warm weather pieces! Just one ball of each of your three colors will make this gorgeous accessory.
Amy chose colors 209 Jungle Life, 210 Orchid Smash, and 112 Black for her original, but here in the office we couldn’t resist whipping up a few color combos of our own.
For instance, just swapping purple 210 for the bright pink variegated 208 Pink Joy makes a huge difference! Now I’m craving watermelon at a springtime picnic!
Me, though, I’m all about the blue tones. Here, 205 Brilliant Blues fills in for the green, for a confection that reminds me of raspberry gelato! Design note: you’ll get the most striking results if you keep the narrow stripe color either significantly darker or lighter than your main two colors. Of course, that’s only a guideline – you should create your shawl however you are moved to!
Am I going to make myself another shawl? I might have to make myself another shawl. Well, this is definitely the right time!
To get the Staggered Shawl 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 Sunday5/1 and we’ll get you taken care of.
Carrying a reusable bag instead of a disposable one is a great way to improve your carbon footprint. And today, we’ve got a fun crochet pattern that makes going green easy – and in an eco-friendly yarn, to boot!
Fibra Natura Java is 100% hemp, a fast-growing renewable plant fiber that’s easy on the earth. Strong and durable, Java is great for home decor projects, as well as projects like today’s tote that need to stand up to a lot of use. Bonus – the colors are beautiful!
We chose 111 Fossil Gray and 108 Golden Sun, for a bright and sunny bag that will put a smile on your face.
Freedom Park in Charlotte, NC Photo by Cody Hughes
I can see myself putting books and sunglasses in my Day Tripe Tote and heading for the park to treat myself to a relaxing afternoon in the great outdoors. This would be after hitting my LYS to fill any empty space in my bag, of course. Now that’s the perfect day!
This week we released our newest collection, Tiny Textures, which is truly the cutest little gathering of knitwear items I’ve seen all spring! There are five easy projects to knit up and give to a baby or toddler in your life – whether for your own munchkins, or as a gift for others in your life, each design is sure to be a cherished keepsake for years to come.
Tiny Textures Collection
All of the projects are made with our Uptown Worsted Hues yarn. It’s the newest addition to the Uptown line of yarns, featuring beautifully blended pastel colors that look great in any piece! From baby items, to adult garments, accessories, and homewares, this yarn is a wonderful way to bring a burst of color into the mix. Uptown Worsted Hues anti-pilling, 100% acrylic composition and Standard 100 certification by Oeko-Tex made this yarn an easy choice for a kids collection though. It can handle the rough-and-tumble nature of kiddos well, as it is fully machine washable and easy to care for.
Uptown Worsted Hues
One of my favorite pieces to come out of this collection is the Peyton cardigan. It has such a playful take on a sophisticated “grown up cardigan” by featuring squiggly lines, made of cable cross stitches, where one may expect to see more typical cables. Plus there’s room for more unexpected fun by incorporating buttons! You may choose to go with a clean look by using cohesive, round wooden buttons from Katrinkles, like we did. Or you could get quirky by browsing some of her more eccentric options, or by sourcing some from wherever you’d like! No matter where they are from, buttons are always a great way to make a piece feel truly unique and special.
Peyton Cardigan
The other teeny temptation creeping onto my make-list is the Elouise set. The hat and cowl have sweet little details that make them look quite polished for being so small. The hat features a little cinched gathering at the brim that hints at old-glam style, while the cowl sports a button closure, leaving room for more of that individual refinement we talked about above. The slip stitch pattern worked on both the hat and cowl has just the right amount of texture to give this set a certain je ne sais quoi that would simply lack if it were done in a smooth stockinette. Wouldn’t you agree?
Elouise Set
Be sure to check out all 5 of the tiny textured pieces, and start plotting which ones you’ll make today! Which one do you think you’ll make first? That’s all for now, Happy Stitching y’all, Ashley Jane
Hi there, crafters! We’ve entered one of my favorite times of year: spring. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, the days are longer, and the air smells sweeter. This is a great time to break out the warm weather yarns and start a new project! Easter is just around the corner, and I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some patterns that I think are perfect for the holiday and the spring season.
Easter Earl, a stylish little bird
I couldn’t mention patterns for the season without first sharing Easter Earl. Designed by Rachel Brockman, Easter Earl is an adorable stuffed chick that is knit using Ricorumi DK Cotton. Easter Earl is approx 8″ tall, perfect for decorating a dresser or desk, and his body is knit in the round from the bottom up. The wings, feet, and bow tie are worked separately and sewn to the body. If you’re a knitter looking to make a stuffed toy, Easter Earl is a great place to begin! Ricorumi Cotton DK is designed for amigurumis and other small projects. It is a soft, yet durable cotton and holds structure for projects like these. Whether you make Easter Earl to fill a gift basket, or for yourself ‘just because’, he is a fun project that will get you in the mood for the season!
Lunaria Socks
The Lunaria Socks, designed by Allison Lutes, were our free pattern Friday release last week. Made using two colors of our Bamboo Pop Sock, I can guarantee these will become your favorite warm weather socks. Bamboo Pop Sock is a stretchy blend of bamboo, cotton, and PBT that is cool and breathable. They are worked from the cuff down with a heel flap & gusset construction. Allison added a sweet floral motif, tiny bobbles, and a cute picot edge to the cuff for this design. As a girly-girl who loves anything floral, I absolutely love these spring-y socks! I’d make mine using the colors 606 Valentine and 603 Dandelion.
Cotton Candy Swirl Shawl
Everyone loves a one-skein-wonder project! If you have somewhere to go for Easter or another event this spring, consider making the Cotton Candy Swirl shawl. Crocheted using our 100% superwash extra fine merino yarn, Cobblestone, Cotton Candy Swirl is an easy level pattern that uses treble crochet stitches to create a lacy fabric. Cobblestone boasts over 600 yards per skein, so one will make up this entire accessory. Perfect for throwing over your shoulders for an event (a spring wedding, perhaps?) or just for going out and running errands, the Cotton Candy Swirl shawl is a piece of cake.
Bunny Got Back Socks
In the mood to make something whimsical? I love the Bunny Got Back knit socks, designed by Amy Gunderson. These ankle socks feature an adorable colorwork pattern of little bunny backs, and a pom pom on the ankle. You can sport your own bunny tails now! Using a soft color palette of our Bella Cash yarn, it keeps them wearable for every day. Bella Cash is a blend of superwash fine merino, cashmere, and nylon that is currently 50% off on our website! This fine weight yarn makes a great choice for delicate garments and accessories, kids projects, as well as socks. It is easy to care for, but has a luxurious feel due to the cashmere fiber content.
Pierpont Sweater
The last pattern I wanted to mention is the Pierpont sweater, designed by Melissa Leapman for our Perennial Knits pattern collection. Knit using cotton/extra fine merino/cashmere blend Ravello, this sweater is lacy and dramatic in all the right ways. My grandmother was a super stylish lady, and she loved interior decorating. This sweater reminds me of the little ceramic apricot color bunnies she always decorated with for Easter, which is why I wanted to share it in this post. I think it would be a perfect garment to wear for any event you have this spring, or just for your Easter family brunch. Ravello’s fine weight combined with its fiber content make it perfect for the spring season. It is light and breathable, but will keep you warm if there is a chill in the air. If peach tones aren’t your thing, don’t fret. Ravello comes in a widely varied color palette with something for everyone.
Bamboo Pop Sock yarn
Comment which of these spring projects you’d want to make first! Stay tuned this week for even more Easter fun coming to our website!
So beautiful. Soooo beautiful. And I love that it has enough techniques to keep you focused, and to maybe learn something, too!
There’s slip stitch colorwork for the body of this asymmetrical shawl. Designer Rachel Brockman chose Wool Pop in color 621 Dijon (4 skeins) for the main color, and color 627 Empress (2 skeins) for the contrast. They’re both very vibrant tones, but pairing the lighter color with a dark makes this truly striking.
The diamond lace edging uses right and left twists to create a lovely texture. You’ll knit the slip stitch portion, then use intarsia to join it to the panel in the same row. Decreases will occur along one edge in the body portion of the shawl.
Rachel chose our popular Wool Pop for this design. Its blend of bamboo, wool, and polyamide create the perfect fabric for this shawl, with just the right mix of drape and resilience.
Wool Pop’s different fibers take the dye in different ways, creating a saturated, multi-hued look with a beautiful sheen.
This is not so much a mindless knit as a mindful one. It rewards the maker with a stunning garment they’ll reach for again and again.
We wish you a wonderful weekend, full of beauty and light.
It’s that time of year where we welcome the new season, and immediately start seeing new collections, inspiration, and beautiful projects that we want to create. But if you’re like me, you may feel guilty pouncing on all the tempting newly-released offerings – like our Spring Magic collection in Vireo, or our sinfully smooth yarn Magnolia – before using up your current stash. So, let’s take a look at some fun quick projects that may help you clear out some room to make way for all of the new yarns that you’re sure to acquire.
First, lets check out the recently released freebie Color Blocked Scarf. It’s made using just three balls of Minou in colors 106 Panther, 105 Squirrel, and 104 Kitten, and has that coffee shop chic look that can transition to spring in that effortlessly cool kind of way. Even with it being a fluffy yarn, it’s so lightweight and soft, made of 40% Baby Alpaca, 8% Merino Wool, and 52% Nylon, that it’s not overwhelming enough to be a strictly cold-weather piece. It can also be fun to do this one mixing and matching with other colors in your stash to create some truly unique pieces!
Cotton Candy Swirl Shawl by Universal Design Team
Next up, lets look at the Cotton Candy Swirl shawl. This one-ball-wonder uses a 200g ball of our Cobblestone in the color 107 Cotton Candy. The yarn is made of 100% merino wool and has a lovely handspun feel to it, using one solid ply and one variegated ply to create a stunning color effect when worked up. It’s the kind of yarn that gives any project that “wow” factor, even when the pattern is ridiculously easy like this one! This is a wonderful pattern if you are a beginner to crochet, or just want that quick/mindless project to work through because it’s a simple stitch working increases along one side. You’ll have this one done in a snap – having a sweet accessory to show off while you shop for new yarns to replenish your stash, of course.
The Edisto Shawl is sure to be an addictive go-to for using your sock yarns if you aren’t in the headspace to make socks. It’s made with two balls of Bamboo Pop Sock, a wool-free yarn perfect for summer made of 37% cotton, 55% bamboo, and 8% PBT. We love this pattern so much, we made it in two versions, one in colors 505 Tide Pool and 507 Breeze (version 1), and the other in 502 High Tide and 503 Jetties (version 2). Named for Edisto Beach in South Carolina, these colors bring to mind the quintessential coastal sand, shells, water, sunsets and cottages of the town. You can of course use any color that your stash holds – perhaps your project will represent your ideal vacation destinations for the season! I personally will use up my stash of 401 Overcast and 407 Muscadine – Wine Tour anyone!?!
Lastly, lets consider the Talya vest made with 3-7 balls of Posh Alpaca, depending on the size you make. This one is a size small, using 4 balls in color 103 Wolf. You may think it’s a strange suggestion to make a plush vest for a Spring Cleaning project, but what’s so fun about a popover piece is that you can opt to wear it on its own as a top instead of layered as a vest! The yarn is made from 45% wool, 30% acrylic, and 25% superfine alpaca, and it’s roving style spin makes the most plump, beautiful stitches. This versatility takes this project from your fall/winter wardrobe well into the early months of spring when there is still a touch of chill in the air. This is again an easy and fast project to make, working from the bottom up seamlessly to the underarms, when you separate and work flat to join the back and front at the shoulders.
Happy Spring, everyone! Are you ready for spring and summer projects, ready to wear as the weather warms up? If so, we have a treat for you! Today, I’m sharing projects from our latest pattern collection: Spring Magic.
When we think of spring, we can’t help but feel like magic is in the air. With every fresh blossom, warm breeze, and longer, sunnier days, we get more and more excited for projects on our hooks and needles that reflect the season. We invite you to bask in these sweet projects, featuring everything from drop stitches to cables, lace, ruffles, and fringe. We’re certain you’ll find something you love in this collection featuring a new spring favorite yarn, Vireo.
First up, we have our one and only accessory in this garment-heavy collection. Yet, it might be one of my favorite pieces. Say hello to Aard. This unique wrap is open and airy thanks to the wide columns of dropped stitches. Although we usually fear dropped stitches in knitting, there is something a bit magical about dropping them intentionally for a decorative effect. Frame those dropped stitches with reversible cables and you have the perfect stole for spring and summer!
Next up: Elixir. For my contributions to the collection, I was especially drawn to openwork stitch patterns. Those that keep Vireo feeling light and breezy. Like Aard, Elixir is a great example of openwork, but this time you work with yarnover eyelets instead. The shoulders on the front and back are decorated with an eyelet motif that’s simple to memorize. Even when knitted in our 104 Black Caviar colorway, the stitch definition of Vireo is crisp and clear. My favorite detail of this design, though, is the mini fringe that decorates the hem and armholes. It adds just the right touch of interest and finesse to the pattern and is sure to draw attention.
Another example of the gorgeous stitch definition of Vireo is Gust: an adorable tee with ruffled sleeves and a keyhole opening at the back neck. It’s precious! What I love about this design is how well it shows off the drape of the yarn. The drape is all thanks to the 80% Tencel of Vireo, blended with 20% wool. It has a touch of bounce and memory, making it a pleasure to knit or crochet with. These characteristics all come together to form your new favorite top for Spring.
Designer Aubrey Busek has a knack for creating the most interesting designs. Such is the case with Mythos. In this design, she uses ruffles to create a peplum-esque silhouette with exciting stripes and a decorative motif that can either be hand embroidered or worked directly into the knitting. Who doesn’t love options? The high contrast colors (108 Marmelade & 101 Fluff) truly make the design pop.
Saddle shoulders and split hems are two design details I never tire of, and they are just two of the features that make Runestone special. Gorgeous lace and cables decorate the front of the sweater, which pop from a background of Reverse Stockinette stitch. The v-neck and three-quarter sleeves make this piece perfect for the season, too.
This collection wouldn’t be complete without a crochet design, and that’s where Soothsayer comes into play. I don’t consider myself an expert at crochet, but I always enjoy the opportunity to design crochet patterns. Since I’m still new at it, I like simpler patterns, and I think this cap-sleeved tee is perfect for a first crochet garment. It is designed in half double crochet and features an edging around the armholes and hem with single crochet and double crochet shells – all very basic stitches welcoming to crocheters of every skill level.
Finally, we have Triskelion. Another design by Aubrey Busek, Triskelion is as feminine as they come. Gorgeous lace, cropped sleeves, and dramatic ruffles make this cardigan truly special. Get ready to practice your lace skills, too. Although the lace motif isn’t overly complex, you won’t have any rest rows during that section as you work the lace on both the right and wrong sides of the work. The shaping is simple though, so your concentration is rewarded with soothing stockinette after you finish those beautiful motifs.
There you have it: all seven pieces in our brand new pattern collection in our Vireo yarn. To grab your copy of the Spring Magic ebook or patterns, head to our website here (link). Which project is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
In knitting, I am all about the accessories, and I love a classic cabled piece!
Today’s free pattern is right up my alley. Designer Aubrey Busek designed this easy set, with simple lines, in self-shading Colorburst. This would be a great pattern for a beginning cable knitter, or for someone who wants to learn.
It features a 2×2 right cross, worked flat for the scarf and in the round for the hat. A neat 2×2 ribbing edges the hat, and there is garter stitch edging on the scarf to help keep it from curling. I wouldn’t expect less from an Aubrey design, though – she’s all about the little touches that make a pattern perfect.
Speaking of little touches, that pom-pom! I love how many tones it picks up when you make a cute little pom-pom in a multicolored yarn like Colorburst. And can we talk about Colorburst?
With its huge 660 yard ball and long runs of color, Colorburst is the perfect self-shading yarn for colorful projects, without a lot of fiddly ends to weave in. Rich and saturated, there are pastels, neutrals, and bright jeweltones to choose from.
Here, the Café Cable Set is shown in 118 Baltic. The entire set took just one ball! Looove!
We hope you have an awesome weekend, full of fun times and smiles.
