It’s Free pattern Friday!
Today, Nigrum in Bamboo Bloom (pattern link here).
Originally part of “pay” e-book Bamboo Bloom Book 2, we’ve set this pattern free! The name “Nigrum” refers to a type of medicinal plant, although we chose to make this top in a decidedly un-botanical color.
Bamboo Bloom Color 215 Silver Tones
While we went with a frosty gray Bamboo Bloom shade, if you want a bolder option you could pick a more vivid Bamboo Bloom Handpaints color.
Bamboo Bloom Handpaints Color 325 Steven Belious
Nothing says “bold” like a Steven Be colorway!
Nice and breezy!
The piece is crocheted sideways and seamed at the sides and shoulders. The pattern is written and charted, and has a schematic for easy assembly.
We hope you enjoy this fun, textured project.
Happy crafting!
New years bring a lot of good things with them. Things like resolutions, new knitting projects, and of course: Pantone’s Color of the Year.
Pantone researches trends in media, fashion, culture, entertainment, art, and more to forecast what color will be best for the coming year. This color decision will then trickle into products created in many industries like fashion, interiors, and yes, yarn! What is the color of the year, you ask? Well, it is 19-4052 – Classic Blue!
“Instilling calm, confidence, and connection, this enduring blue hue highlights our desire for a dependable and stable foundation on which to build as we cross the threshold into a new era. ” – Pantone.com
With a lot of things in nature being blue, and it’s inherent quality as a calming color, blue appeals to everyone. The shade chosen, Classic Blue, is a strong foundation color that is suggestive of the sky at dusk. As you can see with the yarns above, we have an abundance of blue to choose from in our yarn offerings, and plenty that mix blue with other stunning shades.
Some of our yarns that offer this rich blue shade are Bella Chenille in Indigo, and Fibra Natura Flax in Fierce Blue. Blue yarn for all seasons!Dona and Donnina, which are both 100% extrafine superwash merino wool yarn, offer great stitch definition have some fabulous blue shades. Below we’ve featured a couple of the patterns available in our Dona Color Kit – Blues.
The Color Shift Hat and Mittens from our Dona Kit in Blues The Staccato Shawl from our Dona Color Kit in Blues Deluxe Worsted and Deluxe Chunky are great staple yarns to stock up on for future projects throughout the year. Colbalt is the blue shade available that best matches the Pantone Classic Blue. The Switcback Cardigan (below) from our Deluxe Men Collection features gorgeous blue colorwork!
The Switchback Cardigan from our Deluxe Men Collection using Deluxe Worsted Major , Bamboo Bloom, and Uptown DK Colors are all yarns that have beautiful multi-colored blue shades. Any pattern you knit or crochet with these yarns is sure to be rich with color and texture.
Flying V crochet blanket using Uptown Worsted Luxor, our new mercerized Egyptian cotton yarn, is perfect for lightweight knit and crochet projects and comes in a wide array of colors including Royal Blue. Knit the Navona Wrap shown below and add a Color of the Year accessory to your closet!
The Navona Wrap in Luxor 105-02 Royal Blue
These are just some of the patterns we’ve designed that feature the Classic Blue shade. Remember, you can knit any pattern in any color you want! We hope you are just as excited as we are about the color of the year for 2020 and are ready to fill your stash with blue yarn. Happy knitting!
Blue yarn for everyone!
A long, twisted rib upturned brim gives way to a basic stockinette body. The difference in gauge between the two stitches means that the rib fits snugly, but the variegated Bamboo Bloom section is slouchy. A neat solution to achieving the perfect fit.
We’ve shown it in two color options here, but I’m about to cast on for one for a friend, using an orange Deluxe Worsted Superwash for the base and Bamboo Bloom Handpaints 317 Sensei for the body.
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.
Fugu is the Japanese word for pufferfish. One minute it’s sleek and streamlined…
Hi there!
The next minute it’s quite a bit bulkier!
HI THERE!!
So it is with Bamboo Bloom Handpaints, transitioning from smooth and silky to fluffy puffs and back again. And given the cool blue ocean tones of this color, we thought it was appropriate.
When I got my hands on this, my immediate thought was, “this would make a beautiful Hanasaku Cowl.” It led to a lot of joy, sorting through our stock of Poems to see what would pair well. In the end it came down to two choices.
I liked the darkness and overall violet-blue of Poems in Arles 601, and am pleased with how this turned out.
I still may go back and make one in the other combo. Honestly, these slip-stitch cowls are fun and quick to make. It’s a great go-to project for something colorful and impressive-looking.
The Hanasaku Cowl is available for sale on Ravelry – but if you hit your local yarn shop, they can download it for free for you. You might want to grab a skein of Fugu while you can, too.
We’re calling this the BFF scarf because there are so many elements that play together as friends here. First, there’s the blend of multi-hued Bamboo Bloom Handpaints held together with solid Uptown Bulky.
Second, there’s the combination of two big yarns and US Size 17 (12 mm) needles, so the whole thing knits up fast.
And third, there’s the designer, Sandy Harris. A talented crafter and knitting teacher, she’s always been a friend to Universal, designing beauties like the One Side Cowl in Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.
Put it all together and you have a pattern that’s fun, quick, and easy. It’s a home run.
Luscious, right? Well, we also did a long version, for those who like to loop their cowls around.
This version uses one skein of Deluxe Worsted wool as a backdrop for the variegated Bamboo Bloom. We chose a more subdued color palette for this combo. The large version is the same height as the small, but twice as long. Here are the stats! FINISHED MEASUREMENTS
Height: 15¼”
Circumference: 61”
Needles: US Size 11 (8 mm) 32” circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge
Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle
We’re loving this pattern and are having a great time with other color combinations as well. Here’s one that features two hanks of Bamboo Bloom Handpaints in 311 Bonsai and two skeins of Wisdom Yarns Poems in 602 Bruges.
The pattern is a simple linen stitch that you can easily master. In the coming days, we’ll be sharing other color combinations in this rewarding pattern.
We love going to LYSes and getting feedback on yarn and designs. That’s what we were doing when we brought a Bamboo Bloom Handpaints cowl around to local shops to get their take. Like us, they fell in love with it.
This is the Hanasaku Cowl, designed by Tori Gurbisz. Hanasaku means “bloom” in Japanese. With its bursts of color the name seemed apt. We were going to hold off on releasing this until Spring, but we just could’t wait. Besides, winter is a great time for this burst of color.
It’s available in both large and small versions – the small version is pictured above. As pictured, the pattern calls for:
MATERIALS
Small
Wisdom Yarns Poems (100% wool; 50g/109 yds)
• 601 Arles (MC) – 1 skein
Universal Yarn Bamboo Bloom Handpaints (48% rayon from bamboo, 44% wool, 8% acrylic; 100g/154 yds)
• 313 Kanji (CC) – 1 skein
Needles: US Size 11 (8 mm) 24” circular needle or size needed to obtain gauge
Notions: Stitch marker, tapestry needle
This pattern is only available at your LYS. The experts there can download it for you and help you put together the perfect color combo. It’s a simple knit, made in the round. If you can work a knit stitch and use a circular needle, you can create this cowl.
We’ll feature the longer version in another blog post.
Recently, we sent some stitching work to a talented local knitter and teacher, Sandy Harris. (Side note about Sandy – she’s also a creator of the knitting game Last Knitter Standing. If you haven’t tried it, you should – it’s a hoot.) When we got Sandy’s project back, we were delighted to also receive this – a new one-skein pattern in Bamboo Bloom Handpaints! She had picked up a skein of the yarn and been inspired. It’s not hard to see why – Steven Be’s custom colorways certainly fire the imagination.
Sandy has created a moebius cowl with judiciously spaced yarn overs for additional pizzazz. This cowl-with-a-twist uses a moebius cast-on, which may be a new technique for some of you. It certainly is for me! With that in mind, our newest designer, Tori Gurbisz, volunteered her hands to show us how it’s done. These photos cover Row 1 of the moebius cast-on in the pattern.
You’re going to wind up with a loop within a loop. Don’t worry, it’s supposed to be kind of “tied” to itself like that. This technique will put a half-twist in your finished cowl.
We hope you get the chance to try something new this weekend. And if you’ve got questions, let us know – we love to help!
What a great look for Spring, eh? Cap sleeves, open neckline, and some lovely waist shaping for a more polished look.
You can juuust see the double eyelets accenting the neckline.
This pattern is knitted flat. Turn the hem up and stitch it to the inside for a nice non-rolly stockinette edge. This is a great piece for warm weather, and the bright colors of Bamboo Bloom Handpaints really help set a bright mood.
We hope you find something colorful and fun to do this weekend.
