This is part 5 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, Series 3 Edition.
It’s Day 5 in the 12 Days of Winter Kit Collection, and it’s a personal favorite. Say hello to the Gingerbread Stocking! I have to start this off with a bit of a sad story, but I’ll end it with something sweet, I promise.
When I was about three years old, I was given a very large green stocking with my name embroidered in red on the cuff. My favorite thing about it was that it had a big ol’ Santa Claus face attached to it and he had a huge beard. It was kitschy, and I loved it for more than 20 years. So here is the sad part…before I moved out of my home state I got rid of nearly everything I owned because I knew I’d be traveling for a while. I put together a box with my holiday decor to store at my in-laws’ house. Then, heartbreakingly, I accidentally dropped that box off at Goodwill. The next winter, when I realized all of the decorations were missing – including my stocking – my heart sank. I lost this silly stocking that meant so much to me!
Twisted stitches create the cables along the cuff. An I-cord edging creates the hanger.
As sad as I was about that stocking, life is short, it was a material item, and you have to move on (even though it still stings!). So, for the 12 Days of Winter Kit Collection this year, I decided it was time to design a stocking. After all, handknits are so special. That’s how the Gingerbread Stocking was born. I chose Deluxe Bulky Superwash because it’s easy to care for, thick enough to create a sturdy stocking, and it makes for quick knitting. Not to mention the fact that I love the expansive palette. I chose classic, deep colors for this design, and that got me thinking about one of my favorite winter treats: gingerbread.
The Fair Isle motif used throughout these socks reminds me of the decorations that adorn gingerbread houses. It’s a super-fun knit, and I worked this thing up in a matter of days. Worked in the round from the cuff down, this stocking features an after-thought heel. (Side note, we have a great tutorial on after-thought heels from the first 12 Days of Winter series that you can find here.)
In honor of these stockings and my love for gingerbread (or anything that contains molasses or ginger), I thought I’d share a recipe for gingerbread loaf – I told you I’d end this post with something sweet!
Ingredients
4 Tbs. unsalted butter
1⁄2 cup sugar
1⁄2 cup molasses (yummy!)
1⁄2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger (also yummy!)
2 eggs
1 1⁄2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
1⁄2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1⁄2 tsp. ground allspice
1⁄4 tsp. ground plain
1⁄2 cup almond milk (or milk of your choice)
Directions Start by preheating your oven to 350 degrees and greasing a 9×4 loaf pan.
In a bowl, beat the butter and sugar together until fluffy. Then, add the molasses and crystallized ginger. I highly recommend separating the ginger a bit so it doesn’t just clump together. Beat in the eggs, one at a time.
In a separate bowl, sift the flour, spices, and baking soda together. In several batches, alternate stirring the flour mixture and the milk into the butter mixture. Take care not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the loaf pan, place in the oven, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool or serve warm (my personal preference), and try not to eat it all at once!
Yummy!
I hope you’ll enjoy knitting the Gingerbread Stocking as much as you’ll enjoy indulging in this gingerbread loaf. What’s better than pairing knitting with baked goods? Remember, you can find the Gingerbread Stocking kit and the rest of the 12 Days of Winter kits at your local yarn store. Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, Citadel in Deluxe Bulky Superwash (pattern link here).
This versatile sleeveless design is great for the turning season – doesn’t it look great over a long-sleeved top?
Designer Rachel Brockman named it Citadel because it acts as extra protection against the cold in thick Deluxe Bulky Superwash.
And if you’re looking for warmth without bulk, it works great under a jacket. That high collar will still protect you. Seed stitch side panels and shoulders are a lovely design touch.
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, with perfect weather for whatever you choose to do!
Happy crafting!
Normally this would be where I’d make some joke about it being cold, but at this point, the weather’s a bit beyond that. Anytime people are being advised “avoid taking deep breaths, and minimise talking” while outside, that’s serious.
So maybe it’s time to hunker down, stay in, and make something bulky out of wool.
The Alpine Wrap is a great mix of lace and big yarn – thick enough to wrap around and bundle up in, or to wear loose as a beautiful accessory.
This gorgeous wrap is more than 6 feet long, but it goes by quickly – and it’s much easier than you might think!
The lace is varied, but it’s composed of basic stitches. If you can single and double crochet, you can make this.
Work the middle widthwise in rows. Then make the three color border in rounds, along all sides of the center. And because you’re using Deluxe Bulky Superwash wool on a US Size M/N (9 mm) hook, it’s going to grow quickly.
Designer Rachel Brockman chose to go with neutrals accented by 925 Adobe, a muted take on the 2019 Color of the Year that works well in this substantial piece.
However, while you could easily make this with four colors as shown, you could also use just one, or any number you wish. I’m a big fan of cool tones, so maybe Honeydew, Pulp, and Petrol Blue?
913 Honeydew, 928 Pulp, 914 Petrol Blue
Everybody, please have a safe, warm, cozy weekend.
Looking at this pullover, it’s easy to see where it gets its name.
Huge cables rise dramatically up the front, carried up through the collar. It’s big, and cozy, and just the thing for midwinter.
The raglan-sleeved sweater is knit hem-up in pieces and seamed, with the cowl neck added in the round afterward. Deluxe Bulky Superwash wool makes the piece easy to care for.
Universal will be closed Monday and Tuesday for the holidays, and this might be the project that I grab some yarn for during the extended break. Cozy!
Giving back: it’s something everyone seems to think more about this time of year, and something we could all probably think about a bit more. That’s why we have created the new pattern, Thy Neighbor (pattern link).
Thy Neighbor – A pattern to benefit the Refugee Support Services center in Charlotte.
We recently began donating some of our time and resources to the RSS: Refugee Support Services here in Charlotte, the city Universal Yarn calls home. This organization is doing amazing things, and we want to support them in every way we can.
Stranded colorwork has an interesting effect when worked with a loom because of the twisted stitches.
Each Thursday, a group of wonderful women and volunteers meet at the center for English lessons, knitting, community-building, and to take advantage of the many resources the facility has to offer.
My in-progress Thy Neighbor hat, worked on a loom with Deluxe Bulky Superwash. Colors shown are 901 Rosy Mauve & 932 Icy Grey.
Many of the women make hats on round knitting looms. Loom knitting is really accessible. Anyone can pick it up in just a few minutes, which might be why it’s a popular knitting method at the center. Although we had never knit using looms before, we wanted to meet participants where they are. So we got some looms to practice and will now contribute our own knowledge of knitting. Volunteers at the center help the women distribute their handcrafted goods to earn extra income and develop financial literacy. As a way to give back and support their efforts, we designed this Fair Isle hat. We’ll be teaching the participants this technique to spice up their loom-knitting activities. All proceeds from the sale of this pattern will be donated back to RSS.
As I said before, we want to do as much as we can for this organization. It brought us so much joy to sit in a room filled with the chatter of people from all over the world, offering a helping hand, and exchanging kindness with one another. It’s truly special. When you purchase Thy Neighbor, 100% of the proceeds will be donated to RSS. Financial contributions to the organization help make their peer support, educational, legal, and social programs possible. We sincerely hope you’ll join us in helping, and encourage you to explore the RSS website (link) to deepen your understanding of their work.
Topped with a multi-color pom-pom! This pattern really is so much fun!
Thank you so much for joining us in our support of RSS! We hope you have a wonderful week!
Are you ever in the mood for some instant gratification, but with a little extra interest? Two words: chunky lace. We’ve got four projects here – two knit and two crochet – that you can finish in a flash.
Let’s start with the very quickest – the Chunky Lace Beanie in Deluxe Chunky (pattern link here). This was originally designed for a quick little free e-book of hats with pom-poms called Hot Hats. However, the detailing on the crown is awfully nice, so after its release, the original knitter reclaimed it, cut off the pompom, and now wears it every winter.
This quick lace topper takes just one ball of Deluxe Chunky 100% wool. 120 yards + US size 10 needles and you’re done. There are 122 (and counting) shades of Deluxe Chunky. Your LYS can help you find a color that’s perfect for you.
We mentioned Deluxe Chunky’s array of colors for the last pattern, but this one goes in the opposite direction.
It uses color 50004, Pewter Undyed Natural. The color here is the color of the sheep it came from. It’s a charming, rustic look that would work well with dresses or blue jeans.
The lace works up quickly on US size 11 (8mm) needles. Fringe finishes it off.
Wear it wide, or fold it in half for a scarf with a lot of depth. Fabulous.
This puff-stitch scarf is worked end to end. Shorten or lengthen it by changing the number in the beginning chain. Three colors of Deluxe Bulky Superwash play together – three balls of main color 932 Icy Gray, and one each of 913 Honeydew and 933 Sweatshirt Gray.
Such a sculptural, wrappable, wearable piece. Very impressive.
We’re pushing the boundaries of “lace” here, but this one is so quick and easy. Just one skein of self-striping Uptown Bulky Amplify and a N-15 (10mm) hook make this strikingly colorful piece.
We pulled the cowl down over the shoulders here so you could see how it’s constructed a little better. Really, it’s back bar half double crochet all the way around, row after row until you feel done. Super quick, but it gives the finished piece an almost knitted look. Neat!
In a couple of weeks, we’ll be looking at some fabulous cabled projects in bulky yarn. They rank among our most popular projects!
If ever there were weather that called for a big, comfy sweater in 100% bulky wool, this is it. Say hello to Penelope’s Cardigan.
Amy Gunderson designed this warm and relaxed hug using our Deluxe Bulky Superwash on US size 10 1/2 (6.5mm) needles. Knitted seamlessly from the top down, this raglan-sleeved long cardi is perfect for a night in.
We hope you bundle up snug and cozy this weekend, with a fun project in your lap and a warm mug by your side.
We loved the way this simple color-changing scarf looked, so we knitted up several options to see how it looked in different colors. It was no hardship. The pattern is easy enough for a beginner and is worked on US size 10 1/2 needles in our Deluxe Bulky Superwash wool.
I’m a sucker for blues and greens, so the five-color version in those tones really speaks to me. Those who want to go bolder might try the six-color version, shown in purple, pink, and green. And those who want something classic and understated can knit the three-color version in shades of white and gray.
We’re not kidding when we say the welting pattern on this is easy. It’s a four row repeat knitted flat which goes: knit a row, purl a row, purl a row, knit a row. Great for beginners, or for those who want a project to knit that doesn’t require their full attention. (I still haven’t gotten to see the latest season of Sherlock; this would be ideal for that!)
As I look at this scarf, I also wonder how it would look with a couple of different colors of a self-shading yarn, like Poems Chunky. I’ve been searching for the perfect project for our newest color.
