It’s just the right time for this lightweight, breezy accessory in Bamboo Pop, and Rachel Brockman has outdone herself on the design! She’s created a knitted version, shown above…
…and a crocheted version, shown here! Both feature elongated stitches against a simple background, ornamented with eyelets…
…and both use just two balls of Bamboo Pop, our 50/50 cotton/bamboo blend. Rachel chose speckled color 305 Ocean Dots, but there are also solid and variegated selections, to match whatever your taste may be.
From left: 209 Jungle Life, 205 Brilliant Blues, and 210 Orchid Smash
For msyelf, I might pick one of the variegated colors shown here. I’m a sucker for those bluish tones.
We hope you enjoy this sweet little warm-weather accessory, no matter which craft speaks to you most. Have a wonderful weekend.
Amy Gunderson designed this as part of Contrarian Shawls 2, a collection of charming knit and crochet shawls designed in our Fibra Natura line of yarns. It’s a lovely filet crochet pattern. If you’ve never tried filet crochet before, this is your lucky day! When this pattern was first released, Amy shared blog posts on how to work filet crochet, and on how to create edging for this shawl.
Thanks, Amy!
For this design, Amy chose Cotton True Sport, a smooth, fine 100% Pima cotton yarn which lends itself well to knitting, weaving, and crochet.
The Delphi Stole is a great summertime accessory, and we’re delighted to make it free this weekend!
To get the Delphi Stole free, use the buy it now or add to cart links on the Ravelry pattern page linked here. Then enter coupon code FLASH where you see the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase. Not a Ravelry user? Drop us a line by the end of Sunday 5/29 and we’ll get you taken care of.
This week we released the bright and flirty Sunkissed Summer collection! It features five summery projects to knit and crochet, and trust me – you’ll want to make all five.
Sunkissed Summer: the Magnolia spring collection
This collection highlights our light and luxurious Magnolia yarn. Its modal and cashmere blend makes for projects that are silky, smooth, and perfect for the warm weather of the season. Some fiber friends have shared that it’s hard to stay motivated to work on projects when it’s warm, but it’s actually the perfect time to set aside wool and welcome in this lighter alternative. It is a delight to work with, and finished projects boast a beautiful sheen and incredible drape. Plus the colors are all so juicy and fun. With names like Dreamsicle, Brunch, and Key Lime, you feel like you’re indulging in all the best parts of summer while you work!
Magnolia
The first project I’d like to feature is the crocheted Paradise Pouch – my own design! This was a joy to create and I’m thrilled to have the chance to share a bit about it. The bag features two identical panels with a vibrant central mandala that is rhythmic to create. You’ll explore post-stitch work along with texture-rich rounds to make this mesmerizing accessory. For added intrigue there are colorful tassels that frame your work with fun!
Paradise Pouch designed by Ashley Jane McIntyre
Next up, lets take a look at Sunburst by Aubrey Busek. Its design captures the radiance of a rising sun with curved sections reaching like rays towards the burst of fringy tassels along the edge. The lace and bold colors create dynamic lines and shapes that can spice up any outfit you choose. When you drape this piece around you, you’ll feel transported to a breezy beach which you can carry with you wherever you go.
Sunburst Shawl by Aubrey Busek
Lastly, lets check out Sailfin, a striped stunner by Rachel Brockman. This colorful scarf is inspired by the glorious stripes of the saltwater sailfin fish. The scarf’s eye-catching colors and pattern are just as captivating as its underwater muse. The smooth texture allows for the colors and drape of Magnolia to stand out and shine. Pair this accessory with your favorite summer outfit and be ready to receive joyful compliments all day!
Sailfin by Rachel Brockman
There are still two other projects, the Painted Sunset shawl and the Seagrass top, yet to explore in this collection. Which one is your favorite? If you’re like me and you are having a hard time choosing, then get them all! The collection bundle is just $20 compared to $6 for each accessory pattern, and $7 for the Seagrass top. Until Friday 5/13 there is even more savings on our Ravelry page. To celebrate this collection release, you can snag an extra 15% off – no code needed!
Painted Sunset shawl and Seagrass top
That’s all for now, friends. Happy Stitching! Ashley Jane
The latest releases from Muud are some of your tried and true favorites – only better. The Denmark based company creates products with crafters in mind, blending functionality with beautiful designs. Traditionally all of their pieces come in classic black and whiskey colors with understated and practical hardware, but this release offers a chic makeover.
One of the standout elements is the gold zipper and hardware, adding a luxe feel to the attention and detailing of each piece. Right away, these bags and accessories project “designer” vibes but don’t actually come at the cost. The largest price difference comes with the coveted Saturn XL, normally $165, you can snag (or should we say steal!) the limited release for just $30 more at $195. With all of the pieces barely bumping above the norm, we won’t be surprised to see the full collection shipping out!
Another thoughtful touch is the addition of a printed liner sporting the brand name in an adorable blush pink. I’m so thrilled about this because it truly sets this limited collection apart from the standard Muud line. It’s one of those details that is eye-catching in a fun peekaboo way that will delight you every time you unzip your bag to reach for your project!
If you’re starting to feel in the mood for Muud (see what I did there?) but want to start small, look no further than the Hee needle/hook case! One of the wonderful final features of this gorgeous collection is that the selection of pieces is offered in a range of sizes and price-points to fit the needs of all crafters!
There is something available for everyone – for now. Hurry and grab your Limited Edition Muud piece today before it’s gone! That’s all for now – Happy Stitching, y’all! Ashley Jane McIntyre
Carrying a reusable bag instead of a disposable one is a great way to improve your carbon footprint. And today, we’ve got a fun crochet pattern that makes going green easy – and in an eco-friendly yarn, to boot!
Fibra Natura Java is 100% hemp, a fast-growing renewable plant fiber that’s easy on the earth. Strong and durable, Java is great for home decor projects, as well as projects like today’s tote that need to stand up to a lot of use. Bonus – the colors are beautiful!
We chose 111 Fossil Gray and 108 Golden Sun, for a bright and sunny bag that will put a smile on your face.
Freedom Park in Charlotte, NC Photo by Cody Hughes
I can see myself putting books and sunglasses in my Day Tripe Tote and heading for the park to treat myself to a relaxing afternoon in the great outdoors. This would be after hitting my LYS to fill any empty space in my bag, of course. Now that’s the perfect day!
Hi there, crafters! We’ve entered one of my favorite times of year: spring. Flowers are blooming, bees are buzzing, the days are longer, and the air smells sweeter. This is a great time to break out the warm weather yarns and start a new project! Easter is just around the corner, and I thought I’d take this opportunity to share some patterns that I think are perfect for the holiday and the spring season.
Easter Earl, a stylish little bird
I couldn’t mention patterns for the season without first sharing Easter Earl. Designed by Rachel Brockman, Easter Earl is an adorable stuffed chick that is knit using Ricorumi DK Cotton. Easter Earl is approx 8″ tall, perfect for decorating a dresser or desk, and his body is knit in the round from the bottom up. The wings, feet, and bow tie are worked separately and sewn to the body. If you’re a knitter looking to make a stuffed toy, Easter Earl is a great place to begin! Ricorumi Cotton DK is designed for amigurumis and other small projects. It is a soft, yet durable cotton and holds structure for projects like these. Whether you make Easter Earl to fill a gift basket, or for yourself ‘just because’, he is a fun project that will get you in the mood for the season!
Lunaria Socks
The Lunaria Socks, designed by Allison Lutes, were our free pattern Friday release last week. Made using two colors of our Bamboo Pop Sock, I can guarantee these will become your favorite warm weather socks. Bamboo Pop Sock is a stretchy blend of bamboo, cotton, and PBT that is cool and breathable. They are worked from the cuff down with a heel flap & gusset construction. Allison added a sweet floral motif, tiny bobbles, and a cute picot edge to the cuff for this design. As a girly-girl who loves anything floral, I absolutely love these spring-y socks! I’d make mine using the colors 606 Valentine and 603 Dandelion.
Cotton Candy Swirl Shawl
Everyone loves a one-skein-wonder project! If you have somewhere to go for Easter or another event this spring, consider making the Cotton Candy Swirl shawl. Crocheted using our 100% superwash extra fine merino yarn, Cobblestone, Cotton Candy Swirl is an easy level pattern that uses treble crochet stitches to create a lacy fabric. Cobblestone boasts over 600 yards per skein, so one will make up this entire accessory. Perfect for throwing over your shoulders for an event (a spring wedding, perhaps?) or just for going out and running errands, the Cotton Candy Swirl shawl is a piece of cake.
Bunny Got Back Socks
In the mood to make something whimsical? I love the Bunny Got Back knit socks, designed by Amy Gunderson. These ankle socks feature an adorable colorwork pattern of little bunny backs, and a pom pom on the ankle. You can sport your own bunny tails now! Using a soft color palette of our Bella Cash yarn, it keeps them wearable for every day. Bella Cash is a blend of superwash fine merino, cashmere, and nylon that is currently 50% off on our website! This fine weight yarn makes a great choice for delicate garments and accessories, kids projects, as well as socks. It is easy to care for, but has a luxurious feel due to the cashmere fiber content.
Pierpont Sweater
The last pattern I wanted to mention is the Pierpont sweater, designed by Melissa Leapman for our Perennial Knits pattern collection. Knit using cotton/extra fine merino/cashmere blend Ravello, this sweater is lacy and dramatic in all the right ways. My grandmother was a super stylish lady, and she loved interior decorating. This sweater reminds me of the little ceramic apricot color bunnies she always decorated with for Easter, which is why I wanted to share it in this post. I think it would be a perfect garment to wear for any event you have this spring, or just for your Easter family brunch. Ravello’s fine weight combined with its fiber content make it perfect for the spring season. It is light and breathable, but will keep you warm if there is a chill in the air. If peach tones aren’t your thing, don’t fret. Ravello comes in a widely varied color palette with something for everyone.
Bamboo Pop Sock yarn
Comment which of these spring projects you’d want to make first! Stay tuned this week for even more Easter fun coming to our website!
It’s that time of year where we welcome the new season, and immediately start seeing new collections, inspiration, and beautiful projects that we want to create. But if you’re like me, you may feel guilty pouncing on all the tempting newly-released offerings – like our Spring Magic collection in Vireo, or our sinfully smooth yarn Magnolia – before using up your current stash. So, let’s take a look at some fun quick projects that may help you clear out some room to make way for all of the new yarns that you’re sure to acquire.
First, lets check out the recently released freebie Color Blocked Scarf. It’s made using just three balls of Minou in colors 106 Panther, 105 Squirrel, and 104 Kitten, and has that coffee shop chic look that can transition to spring in that effortlessly cool kind of way. Even with it being a fluffy yarn, it’s so lightweight and soft, made of 40% Baby Alpaca, 8% Merino Wool, and 52% Nylon, that it’s not overwhelming enough to be a strictly cold-weather piece. It can also be fun to do this one mixing and matching with other colors in your stash to create some truly unique pieces!
Cotton Candy Swirl Shawl by Universal Design Team
Next up, lets look at the Cotton Candy Swirl shawl. This one-ball-wonder uses a 200g ball of our Cobblestone in the color 107 Cotton Candy. The yarn is made of 100% merino wool and has a lovely handspun feel to it, using one solid ply and one variegated ply to create a stunning color effect when worked up. It’s the kind of yarn that gives any project that “wow” factor, even when the pattern is ridiculously easy like this one! This is a wonderful pattern if you are a beginner to crochet, or just want that quick/mindless project to work through because it’s a simple stitch working increases along one side. You’ll have this one done in a snap – having a sweet accessory to show off while you shop for new yarns to replenish your stash, of course.
The Edisto Shawl is sure to be an addictive go-to for using your sock yarns if you aren’t in the headspace to make socks. It’s made with two balls of Bamboo Pop Sock, a wool-free yarn perfect for summer made of 37% cotton, 55% bamboo, and 8% PBT. We love this pattern so much, we made it in two versions, one in colors 505 Tide Pool and 507 Breeze (version 1), and the other in 502 High Tide and 503 Jetties (version 2). Named for Edisto Beach in South Carolina, these colors bring to mind the quintessential coastal sand, shells, water, sunsets and cottages of the town. You can of course use any color that your stash holds – perhaps your project will represent your ideal vacation destinations for the season! I personally will use up my stash of 401 Overcast and 407 Muscadine – Wine Tour anyone!?!
Lastly, lets consider the Talya vest made with 3-7 balls of Posh Alpaca, depending on the size you make. This one is a size small, using 4 balls in color 103 Wolf. You may think it’s a strange suggestion to make a plush vest for a Spring Cleaning project, but what’s so fun about a popover piece is that you can opt to wear it on its own as a top instead of layered as a vest! The yarn is made from 45% wool, 30% acrylic, and 25% superfine alpaca, and it’s roving style spin makes the most plump, beautiful stitches. This versatility takes this project from your fall/winter wardrobe well into the early months of spring when there is still a touch of chill in the air. This is again an easy and fast project to make, working from the bottom up seamlessly to the underarms, when you separate and work flat to join the back and front at the shoulders.
This lightweight poncho is so stylish and simple! You’ll be making two rectangles of the same size, then joining them together and adding fringe.
The magic here is partly in the yarn! DK-weight Cotton Supreme Waves is 100% cotton that stripes up beautifully.
We love Cotton Supreme Waves for any pattern where you want soft, breathable fabric with gorgeous bands of color.
We’re adding Savannah to our recent Seaside Supreme collection of patterns to knit and crochet in our Cotton Supreme yarns. With Savannah’s addition, there are now 13 total designs in this collection, for just $35. It’s an incredible deal on these beautiful warm-weather patterns, designed for a wide range of body types.
If you’d like to start with just a sample, though, Savannah is free through Sunday, March 27th!
To get Savannah free, use the buy it now or add to cart links on the Ravelry pattern page. Then enter coupon code FLASH where you see the “use a coupon code” links that appear during purchase. Not a Ravelry user? Drop us a line by the end of Sunday 3/27 and we’ll get you taken care of.
We hope you have a great weekend, full of easy adventure and fun.
Happy Spring, everyone! Are you ready for spring and summer projects, ready to wear as the weather warms up? If so, we have a treat for you! Today, I’m sharing projects from our latest pattern collection: Spring Magic.
When we think of spring, we can’t help but feel like magic is in the air. With every fresh blossom, warm breeze, and longer, sunnier days, we get more and more excited for projects on our hooks and needles that reflect the season. We invite you to bask in these sweet projects, featuring everything from drop stitches to cables, lace, ruffles, and fringe. We’re certain you’ll find something you love in this collection featuring a new spring favorite yarn, Vireo.
First up, we have our one and only accessory in this garment-heavy collection. Yet, it might be one of my favorite pieces. Say hello to Aard. This unique wrap is open and airy thanks to the wide columns of dropped stitches. Although we usually fear dropped stitches in knitting, there is something a bit magical about dropping them intentionally for a decorative effect. Frame those dropped stitches with reversible cables and you have the perfect stole for spring and summer!
Next up: Elixir. For my contributions to the collection, I was especially drawn to openwork stitch patterns. Those that keep Vireo feeling light and breezy. Like Aard, Elixir is a great example of openwork, but this time you work with yarnover eyelets instead. The shoulders on the front and back are decorated with an eyelet motif that’s simple to memorize. Even when knitted in our 104 Black Caviar colorway, the stitch definition of Vireo is crisp and clear. My favorite detail of this design, though, is the mini fringe that decorates the hem and armholes. It adds just the right touch of interest and finesse to the pattern and is sure to draw attention.
Another example of the gorgeous stitch definition of Vireo is Gust: an adorable tee with ruffled sleeves and a keyhole opening at the back neck. It’s precious! What I love about this design is how well it shows off the drape of the yarn. The drape is all thanks to the 80% Tencel of Vireo, blended with 20% wool. It has a touch of bounce and memory, making it a pleasure to knit or crochet with. These characteristics all come together to form your new favorite top for Spring.
Designer Aubrey Busek has a knack for creating the most interesting designs. Such is the case with Mythos. In this design, she uses ruffles to create a peplum-esque silhouette with exciting stripes and a decorative motif that can either be hand embroidered or worked directly into the knitting. Who doesn’t love options? The high contrast colors (108 Marmelade & 101 Fluff) truly make the design pop.
Saddle shoulders and split hems are two design details I never tire of, and they are just two of the features that make Runestone special. Gorgeous lace and cables decorate the front of the sweater, which pop from a background of Reverse Stockinette stitch. The v-neck and three-quarter sleeves make this piece perfect for the season, too.
This collection wouldn’t be complete without a crochet design, and that’s where Soothsayer comes into play. I don’t consider myself an expert at crochet, but I always enjoy the opportunity to design crochet patterns. Since I’m still new at it, I like simpler patterns, and I think this cap-sleeved tee is perfect for a first crochet garment. It is designed in half double crochet and features an edging around the armholes and hem with single crochet and double crochet shells – all very basic stitches welcoming to crocheters of every skill level.
Finally, we have Triskelion. Another design by Aubrey Busek, Triskelion is as feminine as they come. Gorgeous lace, cropped sleeves, and dramatic ruffles make this cardigan truly special. Get ready to practice your lace skills, too. Although the lace motif isn’t overly complex, you won’t have any rest rows during that section as you work the lace on both the right and wrong sides of the work. The shaping is simple though, so your concentration is rewarded with soothing stockinette after you finish those beautiful motifs.
There you have it: all seven pieces in our brand new pattern collection in our Vireo yarn. To grab your copy of the Spring Magic ebook or patterns, head to our website here (link). Which project is your favorite? Let us know in the comments!
