Cotton Gold – Page 2 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

January 1, 2016January 1, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Halo and Sparkle Sweater

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Halo and Sparkle Sweater in Amphora and Cotton Gold.

Happy New Year! Made any resolutions? I’ve resolved to knit from my stash more – mainly so I can have an excuse to add even more to that stash. There’s just so much good yarn out there!

Today’s free pattern combines two of those good yarns. The main yarn is Amphora (306yds/100g). Amphora was just featured on the cover of Vogue Knitting Winter 2015-2016 as part of Amy Gunderson’s fabulous Turtleneck Pullover. Another of my resolutions is to learn new things, and this Bohus colorwork technique looks like a great opportunity to do just that.

The secondary yarn is sequined Rozetti Cotton Gold (200yds/25g). Beautiful on its own or as a carry along, Cotton Gold is a cotton thread strung with glittering sequins and wrapped in a metallic thread. It’s an easy way to get maximum sparkle into a garment. I’m a big fan of this stuff. I’ve had problems in the past with durability of some sequined novelty yarns, but not with this one. I’m using it in a Crinkle Cowl and I haven’t lost a sequin yet.

This is such a great sweater for the new year. A traditional pullover that’s made in pieces and seamed, the color and the sparkle remind me of champagne. I like the slouchiness of the fit and the basic rolled cuffs and neck. It’s got that casual elegance that’s in style, but it will still be forgiving of any holiday excesses we haven’t yet worked off. This sweater says “effortlessly amazing.”

We hope your new year is off to a great start. We have no doubt this is going to be the best yet – for all of us.

Happy knitting!

March 9, 2015March 9, 2015

Knitspiration – Mast and Lines

Shall we have some Monday Knitspiration?

Mast and Lines with chips — Mast and Lines by Morris Blackburn (1902-1979)

The geometry is perfect here – the angles and colors, the twists of the sails.

Cotton Supreme for Masts — Cotton Supreme

Cornelia Lattice Cowl Poems Silk — Lattice Cowl in Poems Silk

The masts and lines of Blackburn’s piece call to mind the waves of Cornelia Tuttle Hamilton’s Lattice Cowl above. The combination reminds me of a family favorite poem, Sea Fever by John Masefield. It’s read beautifully here by Tom O’Bedlam.

In the poem, John Masefield wishes for “a merry yarn.” It may not be the kind that he’s thinking of, but we wish you much merry yarn as well.

Happy knitting.

February 18, 2015March 6, 2015

Weaving Wednesday – challenge!

A few months ago, I sent a little care package to Denise over at Schacht, maker of our Cricket rigid heddle loom. It contained several different yarns, all completely different in composition and construction: Infusion Handpaints, Cotton Gold, Poems Silk Solids, and Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.

The challenge for Denise was to take all these vastly different yarns and weave them up into something awesome. I didn’t make it easy for her, but I at least softened the blow by including coordinating shades in each different yarn. Well let me tell you, Denise passed this challenge with flying colors (so to speak, at least in greys and blues!).

Check out the Schacht newsletter for details on the finished project and a great how-to for repairing a float, or skipped warp thread.

November 7, 2014

Free Pattern Friday – Crinkle Cowl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Crinkle Cowl in Whisper Lace and Cotton Gold.

This is a great example of how bringing two different things together can result in something spectacular. Light and airy Whisper Lace is a laceweight wool/silk blend from our Fibra Natura line of natural luxury fibers. It’s a great choice for delicate, light projects.

Pair that with sequined Cotton Gold from our Rozetti line and you’ve got the perfect amount of bling to turn a light confection into a glamorous accessory perfect for party season.

Knit it flat on size 5 needles, work the light shaping to help it sit gracefully on your shoulders, then seam it up. Next step: be prepared to answer the sea of “where did you get that?” admiration with “What, this? I made it myself.”

As much as I love this in black, I’m wondering how it would look in Whisper Lace 113 Tango and Cotton Gold 1092. More to the point, I’m wondering how I would look rolling up to the office holiday party in a black jacket with this draped artfully around my neck.

Black’s a classic, but don’t limit yourself. You do you!

Happy knitting!

July 4, 2014July 4, 2014

Free Pattern Friday – Inspired Dolman

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

For the 4th of July, how about something with a little sparkle? Today, we feature the Inspired Dolman in Cotton Gold and Garden 5.

Cotton Gold (25g/200yds) is a lace weight yarn with plenty of pizzazz. Strung with a generous number of sequins, it’s great for dramatic projects that really catch the eye. Here it’s paired with Garden 5 (50g/175yds) cotton thread in a similar color so that it knits up easily into a more substantial garment. Several rows in the pattern repeat are knitted just with Cotton Gold, though, for an almost lacy texture.

This top is meant to fit with a few inches of positive ease and is sized from a 34″ to a 54″ bust. The stitch pattern is a snap. All in all, it’s a great piece to add some sparkle and punch to your wardrobe.

Happy Independence Day to all our American friends – and happy knitting every day to everyone!

April 11, 2014April 11, 2014

Free Pattern Friday – Amphoras Tank

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, we present the Amphoras Tank in Cotton Gold. If ever there were a perfect marriage of pattern and yarn, this is it.

Cotton Gold is a thread of cotton with some extra sparkle. A strand of metallic glitter is wound around the cotton, and the whole affair is generously strung with glittering sequins. You don’t have to imagine what this does for a lace pattern, you can see. It dazzles. This is another yarn that we love so much that we are expanding the color palette. You can see sneak peeks of the silver, purple, and blue on our website.

The Amphoras Tank is a very stretchy top designed to fit with up to 4″ of negative ease. The yarn is held doubled throughout. The Amphoras Lace repeat is written and charted – follow whichever is most comfortable for you.

We hope you enjoy this bit of glitter in your day!