Free Pattern Friday – Oasis Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Gray blanket crocheted in Adore yarn with colored granny squares

Today, the Oasis Blanket crocheted in Adore (pattern link here).

The Oasis Blanket gets its name from the bursts of color set into the gray background.

Detail of colored squares in gray crochet background of baby blanket

Each one is an oasis.

Blue, green, and pink granny squares in crochet Oasis Blanket

Worked in Adore (273yds/100g), a soft blend of superwash merino and anti-pilling acrylic, it’s a great piece that’s soft enough for babies but sturdy enough to stand up to the washing machine.

Oasis Blanket draped over chair

Each motif is worked separately, making this a very portable project.  It also makes it easy to adjust the size on this 31″ x 31″ blanket as you wish – add another row of squares or take one away as needed.

Gray crochet blanket draped over chair back

We hope you have a pleasant weekend.

Happy crafting!

Folded gray, pink, green, and blue blanket crocheted in Oasis with lace border

Free Pattern Friday – Candy Stripe Set

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Candy Stripe Set (pattern link here).

How’s everyone today?  Here in the Piedmont of North Carolina, we expect to get our first snowfall of the year!

Mind you, it will probably only be a dusting, but hey – it’s snow!  Those of us who are big kids at heart are ready to run outside and catch snowflakes.  Of course, because we’re adults, we’re also ready to then go back inside and knit something warm.

Perfect timing for the Candy Stripe Set!

Knit in machine washable Adore, the entire set is knit in the round.  That includes the scarf, which shows stockinette on both sides.  It’s a bright set to stand out on a gray day.

We hope you have a merry and bright weekend.

Happy knitting!

Day 4 of Winter

Day 4 of Winter brings us the matching Latticework Hat and Scarf set in washable Adore yarn.

Though there are some traditional 2×2 cable panels in both hat and scarf, most of the crossed stitches are actually twisted stitches.  Right and left twist stitches are a way of crossing stitches that doesn’t require a cable needle. And with just a bit of confidence, 2×2 cables can be crossed without a needle, as well.

I love love love twisted stitches and use them frequently in designs. Through the magic of (simple) needle acrobatics, a lovely texture can be made across your knit fabric. These types of stitches were used a few years ago in our Uptown Afghan Knitalong. Here is the video showing how to do right and left twists.

Remember, each of our 12 Days of Winter projects come packaged in a very giftable bag tied with ribbon. So if you’re shopping for one of your knitting buddies, these might just fit the bill.

I have no plans of taking this off any time soon. It’s freezing in our office!

Free Pattern Friday – Cozy Kid Set

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Cozy Kid Set in Adore (pattern link here).

This too-cute set features cables without a cable needle!  Left and right twists and mock cables save you the trouble of fiddling with too many notions.

This cute hat and zippered cardi are sized from newborn through 13-years.  Machine washable Adore is a good choice here – it’s always nicer to give someone a luxury knit without worrying that all your effort will be lost in the wash.

We hope you have a fantastic weekend.

Happy knitting!

Free Pattern Friday – Little Acorn

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Little Acorn in Adore (pattern link).

Little Acorn comes to us from Anita Closic, proprietor of A Garden of Yarn in Chadds Ford, Pa.  Like so many LYS folks, Anita’s a sweetheart – she also gifted our customer service team (Katie and Angie) with scarves, which they haven’t stopped raving about. Nobody appreciates crafting like crafters!  Thanks, Anita!

Little Acorn is a reference to the seed from which mighty oaks grow. It’s a lovely topper that’s sized from baby through adult, with just one skein of Adore (100g/273yds) required for any size.

The hat is worked from the scalloped brim up, in the round on US size 6 (4mm) needles, or whatever gets you gauge.  Accent it with coordinating buttons for a special touch.

We hope you enjoy this pattern – and if you’re ever in southeastern Pennsylvania, stop in at A Garden of Yarn and say hi to Anita!

Happy knitting!

 

Attire to Adore

Attire to Adore isn’t only the name of our recent Spring 2017 ebook, it’s also what we hope you think of it! The six knit garments in this collection run the range from vest to pullovers to cardigans. All projects are knit in one of our newer yarns, Adore.

Adore is a blend of superwash merino and anti-pilling acrylic. The anti-pilling acrylic component is the key in a garment that is easy to care for and still looks great after wearing and washing. Adore is a great basic – it has both a luxurious and a practical side, is fantastic to work with, and doesn’t break the bank.

Let me walk you through the projects, all designed by Tori Gurbisz and myself (Amy Gunderson):

Sienna Vest is the quickest knit in the book because – no sleeves! If you ever get worn out by a full sweater project by the time the body is done, a vest might just be the garment for you.

The lower hem is split in the front and a cable starts twisting up the center front like magic! Okay, it’s not magic, but it’s cool. This same cable eventually diverges at the neckline, maintaining the same ribbing as the cable. This ribbed edging that is worked at the same time as the shoulders means there is no need to work an additional neck edging.

 

 

Aurelia Peplum is a sweet little raglan pullover shaped through the inherent nature of dense cables.

This sweater is knit from the bottom up. The peplum portion of the sweater could easily be made a bit longer if you prefer to wear this with leggings.

 

A short-row curved hem and traveling cable panels are the defining features of Crisanta.

Slightly oversized, you’ll want to snuggle the day away in this cozy sweater. A fun little detail is the traveling cable which is echoed in the folded turtleneck collar.

 

Willow Cardigan has the benefit of set-in sleeves without the actual setting in part.

This sweater is knit seamlessly from the top down using Barbara Walker’s method of simultaneous set-in sleeves. If you’ve never tried this technique before you’re going to love it – trust me!

 

A nondescript cable running up each sleeve brings subtle interest to Jora.

Jora is knit from the bottom up in pieces and seamed, making it a great travel project. This raglan sweater is another wardrobe staple that’s easy to throw on with just about any outfit.

 

The collection’s second cardigan, Sorrell rounds out the group.

The drop shoulder design incorporates two lace patterns for easy knitting without the stress of much shaping in pattern. Who doesn’t love a lace cardigan, particularly one you can throw in the washing machine?

Free Pattern Friday – Peony Ridge Jacket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

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Today, the Peony Ridge Jacket in Adore Colors.

Self-striping yarn looks so cute in baby knits!  It’s a great way to add color without complicating the design.  Adore Colors is a great choice for this, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s a soft, machine washable blend of our anti-pilling acrylic and superwash merino.  Lucky baby.  Well, not just baby – this jacket is sized up to 6 years.

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Work the cardi from the bottom up in one piece until you get to the yoke. Sleeves are worked flat to the yoke. Then join the sleeves and the body and work upward.  You’ll want three or four buttons, depending on size.  There’s one button hidden under the collar, so you can fasten it closed around the neck in case of really cold weather.

We hope you enjoy this cute little jacket – and that you and yours stay warm!

Happy knitting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Window Paint Throw

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

adore-squares-blanket-main-square-blogToday, the Window Paint Throw in Adore and Adore Colors.

Cute, right?  I love this creative use of self-striping yarn.  You start each square at the center, then work your way out to the edge.   It ensures that each square will coordinate, but still be different than its neighbor. Despite being a larger piece, this is a great carry-along knit because each square is worked separately and then pieced together.

The pattern calls for two of our newest yarns, Adore and its companion Adore Colors (273yds/100g), a DK-weight blend of soft superwash merino and acrylic that’s perfect for projects like this, that you’ll probably find yourself tossing in the washing machine sometime.

Beachcomber Blanket in Adore ColorsAlso on my list to try in Adore Colors: the Beachcomber Blanket pictured at right.  It makes such clever use of individual panels stitched together, to be sure those color repeats stay nice and long, rather than thinning out of the width of a blanket.

No matter your plans for the weekend, we hope you take some time to make something beautiful, just for you.

Happy knitting!

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