Deluxe Stripes – Universal Yarn Creative Network

December 9, 2022December 9, 2022

Free Pattern Friday – Poinsettia Stocking

Happy Friday to all, and to all a Free Pattern!

This week, we bring to you the Poinsettia Stockings (link here), a simple but beautiful home accent available in both knit and crochet versions! Rachel Brockman and Ashley Jane McIntyre (that’s me!) teamed up to bring you this festive duo inspired by the quintessential holiday flower, the poinsettia.

*Left to Right: Poinsettia Stockings knit and crochet versions.*

Here’s a bit of fun history that you can take along to holiday parties! The poinsettia flower is native to southern Mexico. There, it is called the Flor de la Noche Buena, meaning, Flower of the Holy Night. This name was actually given to it due to its resemblance to the renowned Star of Bethlehem. This perennial shrub can grow 10 to 15 feet tall in the wild, and flowers during the winter season. I learned this from Almanac.com, and you can read more about its various uses, popularity, and lore there. For now, let’s get back to our inspired stockings!

*Clockwise from top: Deluxe Stripes in 309 Crayon Box, 311 Tie Dye, 310 Poinsettia*

Deluxe Stripes comes in 9 different self-striping colorways which are perfect for giving simple projects an effortless bit of wow-factor. We decided to use color 310 Poinsettia as our guiding star for the design, leaning in to its classic holiday shades. This worsted weight yarn comes in 100g balls (218 yards) and is made of 75% super wash wool and 25% nylon. The bit of elasticity from the nylon was specially chosen by our design team to make this an ideal yarn for fast and cozy self-striping socks, like the Deluxe Socks. However, you can go beyond socks and make anything, like the Azelea Shawl, Art Class Cardigan, or of course, the Poinsettia Stockings.

*Deluxe Worsted Superwash in 774 Mistletoe*

Accenting the stocking as a complimentary color is our Deluxe Worsted Superwash in 738 Christmas Green, which matches a shade of green from the Deluxe Stripes used as the main color in the stocking. This yarn is made of 100% superwash wool and comes in in 100g balls (218 yards). It has a whopping 68 colors to select from, making it one of the ultimate stash staples, and is perfect for finding perfect matches to multi-colored yarns.

My favorite thing about this pattern is that you have access to either a knit version or a crochet version. It’s always so wonderful to be able to include both skills for the same piece! How many of you will try out both of them? If you know how to knit and crochet, this could be a great way to incorporate different fabric textures for a way to make your stockings stand out uniquely in addition to mixing and matching color options.

Whichever version you choose, be sure to share photos of your work on social media, and tag us in the post! Follow & tag us on Instagram at @Universal_Yarn and use the hashtag #UniversalYarn, or find and follow us on TikTok or Facebook at @UniversalYarn. We can’t wait to see all of the beautiful festive creations that our fiber friends come up with.

Happy Stitching!
Ashley Jane McIntyre

September 23, 2022September 23, 2022

Free Pattern Friday – Art Class Cardigan

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Striped baby cardigan knitted in Deluxe Stripes yarn. Crayons are scattered around it.

Today, the Art Class Cardigan in Deluxe Stripes (pattern link here).

We love back to school projects – but why should big kids have all the fun? How about a fun pattern for their younger siblings?

Rear view of Art Class Cardigan toddler sweater knitted in Deluxe Stripes.

Rachel Brockman designed this colorful pullover for babies and young toddlers, with a palette inspired by finger paints and crayons. It’s easy to do in self-striping Deluxe Stripes! The sample shown is stitched in color 309 Crayon Box, one of three new colors that we’ve added to the palette.

Three skeins of Deluxe Stripes yarn — Shown clockwise from top: 309 Crayon Box, 311 Tie Dye, 310 Poinsetta.

Deluxe Stripes is a great choice for kid knits, since it’s machine washable and long-wearing without feeling rough. We love it for adult projects too, and as a sock knitter it has a special place in my heart for cozy house socks. For gifts it’s great, since there’s nothing better than giving someone a project and knowing it will be easy for the recipient to take care of!

Worked seamlessly top-down, this cute cardigan is sized from three through 24 months. It takes just 1-2 skeins of Deluxe Stripes, making it an economical project as well as a fun one!

Image of Art Class Cardigan knitted in Deluxe Stripes

We hope you have a colorrific weekend, full of artistic messes and fun.

Happy crafting!

-Heather Hill

August 17, 2022August 17, 2022

My Favorite Yarns (so far)

Hi everyone! My name is Robert Ferrel, and I am a new employee here at Universal Yarn. In May of 2022, I graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte (Go Niners), and a week later I started my role here as the Social Media Marketing Assistant! In college, I majored in marketing and wanted the opportunity to grow my skill set and I have found that at UY.

Picture of me (Robert) in Uptown Charlotte (Photo Credit: Zachary Allred Photography)

I have greatly enjoyed my first few months here and have learned so much about the industry. Growing up, you never would have found me knitting or crocheting, and I didn’t know many people who did, but I have grown to appreciate the art. I have created content for so many yarns already, so it may be hard for me to pick just one as my favorite, so instead, I will list my top 3.

Clean Cotton is one of my favorite yarns here at UY. One of the things I love about this yarn is the fact that it is environmentally friendly, with the fiber contents being 85% recycled cotton and 15% recycled polyester. This yarn is very affordable and is perfect for making useful kitchen accessories. As a recent college graduate, the Mosaic Dish Towels and Fresh Air Washcloths can help keep my kitchen appliances clean… and maybe convince my mother that I am no longer an unorganized college kid. “Love you, mom.” It is great for any season because it is so versatile in the types of projects it can create, and there are plenty of colors to choose from, including neutral, but also some bolder and brighter colors.

Another favorite of mine here at Universal Yarn is Deluxe Stripes. I’m not going to lie, when I first saw the Deluxe Stripes skeins, I was a bit intimidated by all the different colors, but when worked up, this yarn created a lot of beautiful garments and accessories. I don’t have the patience to hand wash my clothes or accessories, so the fact that it is machine washable makes it much easier to care for. The 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon mix make it great for socks. The Deluxe Socks is a free pattern and if you’re anything like me, wearing socks around the house has become a must. With 9 different colorways available, it’s hard to pick what I want on my feet, but you can’t go wrong with any of these colors.

Lastly, I will give a shout-out to Bella Chenille. This yarn has been my favorite from the time I started here. It is incredibly soft and there are 29 different solid colors to choose from. My favorite has to be 117 Red Apple because it literally reminds me of an apple, which is one of the most delicious fruits. There are plenty of fun patterns to try with Bella Chenille, but my favorite is Peanut Butter and Jelly. These stuffed bears are an excellent creation to have by your side day and night.

Peanut Butter and Jelly in Bella Chenille

I can’t help but feel blessed to be a part of the Universal Yarn team, and I look forward to learning more about yarn, knitting, crocheting, and everything in-between!

August 5, 2022August 5, 2022

Free Pattern Friday – Sunny Shells

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Multicolored crocheted small blanket draped over a chair.

Today, Sunny Shells crocheted in Deluxe Stripes (pattern link here).

How clever is this? I love the way designer Ashley Jane McIntyre used the self-striping nature of Deluxe Stripes to create little accents between the shells, breaking up the fields of color with complementary tones.

Deluxe Stripes a great yarn for this project. The stripes change crisply, and the 75% wool/25% nylon content means this blankie is machine washable and will last a long time. Deluxe Stripes is also Oeko-Tex 100 Product Class 1 certified, for the safety of the ones you love!