Blanket – Page 3 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

July 6, 2018November 25, 2019

Free Pattern Friday – Oasis Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

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.

Each one is an oasis.

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.

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.

We hope you have a pleasant weekend.

Happy crafting!

March 30, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Reversible Cable Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Reversible Cable Blanket in Major (pattern link here).

If you’re like me, you love cables. Cables are especially exciting when the fabric is reversible. Yep, the Reversible Cable Blanket really is reversible (did you think we were kidding with that name?).

The backbone of this pattern simply is K2, P2 Rib framed by a border of garter stitch. Every 8 rows two sets of K2, P2 stitches are crossed, creating an elegant cable and reversible fabric. That’s really all there is to this pattern!

Major is a perfect medium for this pattern. It’s quick to knit, incredibly soft, and easy to care for. Major is a bulky weight, 100% acrylic yarn that comes in a generously sized 200-gram ball. There are many beautiful, self-shading colors of Major ranging from perfect pastels to bold, vibrant beauties, and no-nonsense neutrals. It’s no wonder that this yarn is a customer favorite.

Better yet, this pattern is written in two sizes: a baby blanket and throw blanket size. Make one as a gift and another to keep for yourself. After all, you surely deserve to cuddle up to a squishy, cabled blanket.

Have a wonderful, craft-filled weekend!

February 23, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Wraparound Blankie

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Wraparound Blankie in Uptown DK Magix (pattern link).

You know those pretty balls of yarn that you look at and love, but you also think, “this looks neat, but what would I do with it?”

Voila. The Wraparound Blankie answers this question by pairing self-patterning Uptown DK Magix with solid Uptown DK to create mitered angles and panels bordered by coordinating bands of vibrant color.

The nice thing about self-patterning yarn is that you really don’t have to do much work to make a complex design. Pick two colors of the solid, two colors of the self-patterning, and go! This pattern is worked in pieces and seamed together, making it a good travel project. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to work on a blanket without actually having a full blanket on your lap.

We hope you enjoy this project, and have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

October 13, 2016April 19, 2021

Free Pattern – Woven Sky Throw

Our Week of Major Patterns continues!

Today, the Woven Sky Throw in Major.

Entrelac is one of those techniques that seems tailor made for self-striping yarn like Major. Here’s it’s taken one step further by using two complementary colors.

Variegated gray yarn swatch — Major 117 Graphite

Variegated gray and blue yarn swatch — Major 104 Pebbles

The gray tones blend beautifully, making the blue a subtle contrast against the background. Is this a cloudy sky, or a clear night with the first bit of blue beginning to show? That’s for the viewer to decide.

There are a lot of ways you could go with this. Instead of gray and blue, how about gray and green for more of a stones-in-grass feel?

Variegated gray and green yarn swatch — Major 101 Verdant

It’s all up to you. Happy crafting!

Closeup of light blue and gray entrelac Woven Sky Throw fabric.

October 11, 2016

Free Pattern – Inchworm Baby Blanket

The Week of Major Patterns continues!

Today, the Inchworm Baby Blanket in Major.

We love this design for the way it uses Major’s self-striping qualities. Two complementary colors, 103 Capri and 105 Aloe, are swapped every other row. Crochet two rows with A, then two with B, etcetera. There’s no need to cut colors, you can just carry them up the sides as you go.

This free pattern is written and charted. It’s a six-row repeat that’s easy to memorize. Pretty timely for those of us who need a jump start on making gifts!

Tune back in tomorrow for another Major pattern! Happy crafting!

September 30, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Window Paint Throw

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, 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.

Also 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!

September 9, 2016August 5, 2019

Free Pattern Friday – Storytime Cardi

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Storytime Cardi in Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash.

Is it storytime, then? I think it is!

Once upon a time, there was a yarn named Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash. It was just a bit smaller than its big sibling, Deluxe Worsted Tweed Superwash. DK wondered, “What can people make with me? I’m littler than you are!”

And DW answered, “Ah, but you’re just right for so many things! Lots of people want a littler yarn for littler people!” And DW was right! People did want DK for kid projects.

Continue reading “Free Pattern Friday – Storytime Cardi”

August 26, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Corner to Corner Throw

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Corner to Corner Throw in Classic Shades.

We are so, so lucky to work with so many amazing LYSes. Case in point: we can enjoy the talents of Alice Gossette and Kat Koeller of The Thankful Ewe in New Bremen, Ohio. This dynamic duo have appeared here before, with the free Summer Shawl in Bamboo Pop. They’ve graciously shared this design with us as well.

It’s called the Corner to Corner Throw because it’s crocheted… wait for it… corner to corner! We love how they coordinated Classic Shades 731 Natural Glow with solid Uptown Worsted in 328 Dijon for the fringe. It’s a great choice that takes the throw up a notch.

Working corner to corner means that the bands of color change height as the rows lengthen and shorten, an excellent use of self-striping yarn. It’s a simple way to give even more interest to an already striking pattern.

We hope you find time to work on something beautiful this weekend, either for yourself or for someone you love.

Happy crafting!

July 15, 2016July 15, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Cherish Baby Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Cherish Baby Blanket in Uptown DK Colors.

We’re in a kid frame of mind today! We recently saw these Blinky Bears knitted by Joan and shared by Yarn Cloud in Virginia.

They’re knitted in Uptown Worsted Tapestry (180yds/100g). Joan made a different bear for every grand kid so there wouldn’t be any arguments. Is that a great idea or what? The pattern is a Yarn Cloud exclusive by Pietra Bietsch and is available on Ravelry at this link.

We love these little guys and gals. We’re also happy to share this extremely simple pattern in Uptown DK Colors (273yds/100g), which also uses the yarn’s color shifts to good advantage. The Cherish Baby Blanket is a very easy four-row repeat perfect for beginners. The self-striping yarn makes the color changes, so there’s no juggling multiple balls and there’s less weaving in ends. A garter stitch border at the edges and a few rows of straight knitting at the top and bottom help keep it from curling.

We’re big fans of self-patterning and self-striping yarns for times when you want to add a little pizzazz to your work without having to fiddle with bobbins. For instance, take a look at the Zig to the Zag Tee.

Solid Uptown DK in 132 Night and Uptown DK Colors in 70319 Jubilee are alternated to make a very modern kid’s tee where the self-striping yarn automatically shifts through red and pink bands – one less thing for the knitter to worry about. They can just concentrate on making a standout top for some little fashionista.

We hope you enjoy the free Cherish Baby Blanket, and think about unique ways you can use self-striping and self-patterning yarns.

Have a great weekend, and happy knitting!

April 8, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Sugar Drops Blanket

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sugar Drops Blanket in Little Bird.

Sugar Drops indeed – what a sweet pattern! Just one color per row in machine washable Little Bird (344yds/100g), knitted flat (obviously). A blend of left and right crosses plus dropped stitches create an interesting texture that’s not too technically taxing. Pick up stitches along the long edges and add the garter stitch border.

Enjoy the weekend – and if you can, make something beautiful!

Happy knitting!