Universal Yarn Creative Network
Inspiration By Design
Here at Universal Yarn, we woke up to this headline this morning:
Well. We had been looking forward to some of the great new Spring designs out now in magazines (more on those another time) but it looks like we still need to think warm. Fortunately, we have a free e-book that is perfect for the weather!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Siren Sweater in Infusion Handpaints.
We named this the Siren Sweater because just as the mythical Sirens of old drew in sailors with their sweet song, this design captures attention with the contrast of its cabled top half and reverse stockinette body.
Infusion Handpaints (291yds/100g) is a good choice for this. It’s variegated, but not so busy that it’s going to obscure the lovely cablework.
The yoke is knit sideways from cuff to cuff. Then stitches are picked up, and the body of the sweater is reverse stockinette worked downward to the hem. Stitch up the sleeves and the sides, add edging for the neck, and you’re done. We predict this Siren Sweater will turn heads wherever you go.
Happy knitting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Acid Wash Pullover in denims.
If there’s a yarn that has captured the imagination of our customers this season, it’s denims. A bulky cotton/wool tape with hues ranging from sky blue to indigo, it’s perfectly on-trend for the current year. Looking at this pullover, you can see why it’s so popular.
This bulky-weight pullover knits up on 6.5mm needles, but the cotton content means you won’t swelter. Right twists and cables run the length of the body to a 1×1 ribbing at the hem and collar. The contrasting sleeves are a nice touch, as is the lowered back edge.
Worked in pieces and seamed, this pattern is both written and charted and contains a schematic. The right twists are easy as pie to do.
Having just finished a quick one ball project in this yarn, I’m eager for more. This would fit the bill nicely.
Happy knitting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Varia Pullover in Llamalini.
I may have mentioned this before, but Fibra Natura Llamalini (109yds/50g) is a favorite around here. A blend of royal llama, linen, and silk bourette, it has a rich, heathered depth of color. I’ve got a hank of Mulberry on my desk right now that I snuck out of our samples (don’t tell!) just so I can look at it and think about what it wants to be.
Our sales manager Yonca clearly had bigger plans than me when she came up with this design. She’s got a good eye – we note that the upcoming Vogue Knitting has several solid cable sweaters with stripe detailing. This design is very on trend.
The garment is knitted in pieces and seamed, and the pockets are added afterward, so it’s easy to leave them off if you prefer. For myself, I love the bursts of color that they lend, breaking up the line in a way that’s flattering for those of us who might be wearing something, let’s say, a little bigger than the extra-small size.
This is a great transitional piece – the Llamalini is warm but not stifling, and the half sleeves would work well in Spring or Fall.
Maybe I should grab a few more skeins from our samples and dream a little bigger…
Happy knitting!
It’s Throwback Thursday!
Luxury! The Winter Afternoon Sweater Jacket was originally made in our Dolce Merino 50% fine merino/50% microfiber blend. Sadly, Dolce Merino is discontinued, but we have several DK weight yarns that this garment would look great in.
First, Uptown DK 100% anti-pilling acrylic. As you can see in the (free) Green Lace Scarf pattern at right, it holds cables well, making it a good choice. We frequently recommend this for baby knits since it’s machine washable and durable, but it’s also a smart pick for adult garments that you want to last a long time. Personally, if I’m going to invest time into knitting a jacket, I want to be able to show it off well into the future.
Next, Merino XF Superwash. This is another one that is machine washable and sturdy. As the XF in the name implies, it’s extrafine merino, so softness is not a problem.
Finally, Deluxe DK Superwash. As seen in the popular free Wishing Cowl pattern at right, it’s another great choice for cables. And again, it’s long-lasting and machine washable.
The Winter Afternoon Sweater Jacket is knit flat in the traditional style. This would be a cozy project to spread out and knit on your lap on a cool night. Lovely to make and to wear during brisk weather.
Happy knitting!
It’s Throwback Thursday!
We’re not throwing back that far today, just a couple of years. But it’s the perfect time of year to highlight the free e-book Autumn Flora with Deluxe.
This e-book features eight patterns perfect for staying toasty, all using the Deluxe family of 100% wool.
All the patterns below are part of this cozy collection of colorwork and cables. Enjoy!
Pattern: Wraparound Leaves Beret and Mitts
Yarn: Deluxe Worsted
• 12176 Teal Viper – 1 ball (MC)
• 41138 Brown Sugar – 1 ball (CC)
Pattern: Sheaves of Wheat Reversible Scarf
Yarn: Deluxe Chunky
• 3704 Gold Spice – 2 balls
Pattern: Poplar Beret
Yarn: Deluxe Worsted
• 12182 Gold Spice – 1 ball (A)
Universal Yarn Deluxe Worsted LP
• 06 Harvest – 1 ball (B)
Pattern: Felted Leaf
Yarn: Deluxe Worsted
• 1 ball will make multiple felted leaves
Pattern: Big Leaf Mittens
Yarn: Renew Wool (Substitute Deluxe DK Superwash)
• 101 Sand – 1 ball (MC)
• 107 Cedar – 1 ball (CC1)
• 113 Garnet – 1 ball (CC2)
Pattern: Stranded Seed Pillow
Yarn: Deluxe Chunky
• 91901 Oatmeal Heather – 2 balls (MC)
• 3749 Forest – 1 ball (CC)
(There’s a gorgeous cabled edge on this one!)
Pattern: Autumn Leaves Cap
Yarn: Deluxe Worsted
• 71601 Blue Ombre – 1 ball (A)
• 12501 Oatmeal Heather – 1 ball (B)
• 3649 Forest Green – 1 ball (C)
• 41138 Brown Sugar – 1 ball (D)
• 91477 Red Oak – 1 ball (E)
• 12188 Heather – 1 ball (F)
• 12180 Eggplant – 1 ball (G)
• 12282 Hunter Green – 1 ball (H)
• 12181 Bronze Brown – 1 ball (I)
It’s Throwback Thursday!
Today, we feature the Back To School Vest. This vest was originally designed for Deluxe Worsted Concord Tweed, a member of the Deluxe Family that had flecks of color throughout. It was exactly the same weight as Deluxe Worsted and Deluxe Worsted Superwash 100% wools, making it a perfect match for those yarns.
If you’re looking for a more tweedy look, I have to mention Llamalini. I mention it because it’s a gorgeous yarn, but also because we just got in four new colors and really, I’ll take any excuse to knit something out of Llamalini’s blend of linen, royal llama, and silk bourette. So luxurious.
The Back to School Vest is knitted in the round up to the armholes, then back and forth to the shoulders. This is pictured as a top, but would also work well as a layering piece. I can see this with a pair of jeans over an untucked shirt for a look that says, “yes, I look this good without even trying.”
Happy knitting!
Cables! I love ’em. They can give flow and movement to a piece that is hard to achieve any other way. But they’re also one of those things that some knitters never try, just because they seem intimidating. Nothing could be further from the truth!
For Block Seven “Echolate” we’ve got a video to walk you through the process of knitting both right and left-leaning cables using a cable needle. If you don’t have a cable needle, grab a spare double-point and use that instead!
In this block, I’m particularly fond of the little rippling cables at the left. I may incorporate that into more of my knitting!
This block also calls for a few M1 (make one) increases on row 7. As a bonus, Amy Gunderson has put together a short video demonstrating exactly how this kind of increase works. Easy peasy!
We hope you enjoy this foray into the world of cables. We’ll see you in a couple of weeks with another block that builds on this technique.
Happy knitting!
Today’s Sunday Swatch is in Superwool.
Superwool is one of those yarns that you touch, then you pause and squeeze because you can’t quite believe what you’re feeling. Superwool is super stretchy! It’s an acrylic/nylon blend that’s specially spun to provide a lot of give. Frankly, as, shall we say, a “substantial” knitter I am delighted to find a yarn that’s going to be kind to my curves – especially a super bulky one that knits up quickly.
This swatch is a cable taken from the Lava Flow Cowl pictured at right, a one ball pattern that’s part of our free Quick Cowls e-book. It works up very quickly on size 17 needles. I knitted this swatch in a coffee shop and foolishly left my cable needle at home, so I wound up using a Sharpie magic marker to hold my stitches. I felt quite resourceful.
If I hadn’t had my tools, I still could have made a quick project – this yarn works great for arm-knitting. It’s simple to make this 50″ long “Supercowl” using just your hands and one skein. Superwool’s elasticity makes it a natural fit for arm-knitting. It’s very easy to move the yarn over your wrists.
I just might unravel this swatch and use it to teach my daughter how to arm-knit. What a fun project in a fun yarn!
Today’s swatch is in Nettle Lana Solids.
Nettle Lana Solids is a luxurious blend of 70% organic wool and 30% nettle with a braided construction. This is the first nettle yarn I’ve worked with, and I like it! Some plant fiber yarns can be tiring to knit with, but I didn’t have that problem with Nettle Lana, perhaps due to the wool content.
This yarn has a particularly rich color saturation. The plant and animal fibers take the dye at different rates leading to an almost heathered look. Decadent.
I picked the shadow cable for this swatch because I liked how it looked in the Starcrossed Cardigan (above) from e-book Nettle Lana: Behind the Curtain. Doing cables over the knit side of a stockinette background instead of the purl side gives a subtlety to the texture. They fade into the background more than they would in a traditional Celtic cable. The shadow cable is a simple 8-row repeat of two over two crosses that’s easy to memorize. Like last week’s smock stitch swatch, it’s the same thing on rows 4 and 8, just staggered. Very easy to keep track of, and an excellent beginner’s cable. On US Size 7 needles, I got about 5 stitches per inch in pattern, but of course your gauge may vary.
Nettle Lana Solids would look great in a larger garment. Nettle Lana Expressions, the multi version of this yarn, would be well-suited for a smaller project. I’m eyeing the Woven Stitch Cowl at right, a free two ball pattern on our website. A four row repeat with great texture? Looks like another great stitch to try for Sunday Swatch!