Cute and colorful, we especially love how playful the patterning looks in this pullover. Symmetry is overrated!
Sized for babies and toddlers, the Peekaboo Pullover is a simple design with a big impact. Eclectic and playful, self-patterning Easel was designed for socks, but as you can see, it’s wonderful for so much more! Comprised of 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon, Easel is soft and machine-washable. As a superfine yarn, it creates a fabric that is lightweight without sacrificing warmth. Plus, with six exciting colorways, you’re sure to fall in love with at least one!
Simple shaping, garter stitch, and stockinette stitch make knitting this little pullover as easy as 1-2-3!
The Peekaboo Pullover is great for new and seasoned knitters alike. The sideways, cuff-to-cuff construction shakes things up a bit, but basic stitches keep it from becoming overly complicated. This enables you to allow the yarn to do most of the work! My favorite detail is the garter hem, flipped on its side. The denser row gauge pulls the fabric in a bit along the hem, just like K1, P1 Ribbing, but with a bit more of a unique appearance!
The Peekaboo Pullover features a square neckline. It’s roomy enough to easily slip over little ones’ heads, too!
It’s inspiring to see all the beautiful things we can create with sock yarns. Too often we can put our yarn into “boxes” about their uses. And while there certainly is good reason to do that, there is just as much reason to try something new, too! Whether you choose to use Easel for this cute little sweater, a drapey shawl (see the Pointillism Shawl), or a classic pair of socks, we know you’ll love working with this fresh yarn!
And with that, I hope you have a wonderful holiday week filled with loved ones, tasty treats, and plenty of time for knitting, crocheting, or perhaps trying a new skill!
What I love about Free Pattern Fridays is the variety in the patterns. Sometimes there are stunning crochet blankets like Sunny Shells, sometimes there are stylish intermediate knitted lace projects like the Paper Flowers pullover, and sometimes Fridays are for quick, easy, instant gratification, like today!
Can you knit? Can you purl? Then you can make these cloths. And if you can’t knit and purl, the Cloudy Day Cloths are a great way to learn! I always recommend dishcloths or washcloths as a beginner project. They’re small, so they bring a quick sense of accomplishment. Plus, you have the pleasure of seeing something you made with your own two hands every time you wash up. It’s a great mood lifter!
The Cloudy Day Cloths are also an inexpensive project – making both cloths uses just one ball of budget-friendly Clean Cotton and one of Clean Cotton Multi. These eco-conscious yarns are 100% recycled fiber, and are favorites for around-the-house projects.
These cloths are also an excellent skill-builder. The vertical lines are made with applied crochet. You’ll create a small dip in the fabric by working a purl stitch, then fill it in later by applying the vertical stripe with a crochet hook. It’s a handy technique that doesn’t require you to carry along a second color. You feel like a wizard the first time you do it!
We hope you have a wonderful weekend, filled with fun discovery and learning.
Whenever we introduce a new yarn with long color repeats, I’m always curious to see how it works up in long rows. So when Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk Print landed on my desk, I knew I’d be knitting something pretty from it as soon as possible.
Color 008 Retro
I chose a basic knit/purl design, to really show off those color changes. Here it is in progress, at about the time I was thinking, “surely, this must be a full ball I’ve used.” Nope, this yarn kept giving.
The WIP rode around in my purse unprotected and came out looking great. There was no matting or damage from the wear. It speaks well of the yarn’s sturdiness!
One ball of Rico Design Essentials Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk Print went a long way. Even though it’s a laceweight yarn, when it’s worked on larger needles or hook, the mohair halo fills in the spaces in the stitches. On a US size 7 (4.5mm) needle, it was light and airy, but not overly loose-looking. The stitch definition was just fine, even at that gauge, and it was pleasant to work with. And check out the fabric it made!
With beautiful bounce and stretch, this is an easy cowl to wear long and loose, or to wrap for a different style. Alternating sections of knit and purl work with the 70% mohair content to let the cowl curl up into little ridges, but the yarn’s 30% silk adds extra drape to allow the piece to expand into a beautiful, wide fabric.
The purl ridges push different bands of color forth, so while this piece is reversible, you’ll get an ever-so-slightly different effect based on which side you have facing out.
So if you’re looking for a really simple project with striking color, that only requires you to knit and purl in the round, here it is. Beautiful, basic, and bold, the Wind Song Cowl in Super Kid Mohair Loves Silk Print has your back.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend, full of ease and joy.
We’re so lucky to have another beautiful crochet design from Edie Eckman!
For this simple, classic design, Edie used Clean Cotton, which is 85% recycled cotton and 15% recycled polyester. It’s Earth-friendly and beautiful!
As well as solids, Clean Cotton is available in multis, for a lovely speckled effect in your projects.
Step one will be to make three individual squares, working in the round from the center out. Then join them at the edges to create the bag’s shape.
After joining, you’ll add a simple edging to the top for stability and a finished look.
Finally, add a handle. For ease, we used a handmade leather strap from Danish company muud, maker of fine leather bags. Here, we used a muud Hudson at 50cm (19.7″) long Hudson strap. You could also use the 70cm (27.5″) Hudson XL for additional length. They’re both available in black and in whisky on our site or from your LYS.
We love these straps because the simple swivel clasps are effortless to add and remove from your bag for easy care. Unclip the strap and toss your bag into the washing machine!
We hope you enjoy this beautiful, timeless crochet project. Have a great weekend – and happy crafting!
Recently, we’ve had requests for simple free patterns that are quick and easy. Well when it comes to lace, it doesn’t get much easier than this!
The Draft Scarves use a simple two-row repeat to create an airy, open mesh that’s perfect for summer. The wider black version above takes two balls of Fibra Natura Unity in color 110 Darkness…
…while the green, skinnier version takes just one ball of 103 Sage, and is still a generous 63″ without the fringe.
We chose Fibra Natura Unity as the yarn for this pattern for a couple of reasons. First, its thick and thin texture lends extra textural interest to the simple design. Second, the blend of wool, cotton, linen, and bamboo provides the perfect drape for a summertime scarf.
Unity 113 and Unity Beyond 208 Sunrise
If you were in the mood for extra color, Unity Beyond would make a great choice. Or what about Unity Beyond for the body, with a coordinating solid for the fringe? There are plenty of options for customization here!
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, with time to sit and relax with some beautiful yarn.
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Imprint Scarf in Wool Pop (pattern link here).
Happy Friday, y’all! Wait, what’s that you say?
Oof. Okay then. Let’s not tempt fate with teeny tiny cabled lace. How about we keep things nice and calm, with an easy pattern in a knitter-favorite yarn?
The Imprint Scarf uses simple knits and purls to create a slanted block texture. It’s written and charted to make things easier.
Lightweight Wool Pop has a bit of a sheen from its bamboo content, giving this scarf a lovely feel. If you’re a beginner, or if you just prefer simple projects (and don’t we all, sometimes?) then this is a great project for you.
We hope you have a calm and relaxing weekend. Stay safe, and happy crafting!
“God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”
It seems lately like there are a lot of things that fall under the “things I cannot change” heading. If you’ve already voted, and you’re following best COVID practices, and are generally doing the things that are within your power to take care of others, this is your moment to remember to take care of yourself, too. And as crafters, one of the ways we can do that is by sitting down and picking up our yarn and tools.
With that in mind, we have some recommendations for “comfort crafts.” These are projects that are big, fluffy, mindless, or some combination of the three. And to further keep stress at bay, they’re all free patterns.
Looks super cozy, doesn’t it? Well, it is. Here’s our Creative Lead Rachel Brockman wrapping herself up like a human burrito in this blanket and the Mosaic Cowl, also in Bella Chenille Big.
I’m not entirely sure Rachel would be thrilled with this picture being posted, but she’s off at a photo shoot and can’t object. As long as you don’t tell her, it’s all fine.
This may look like an enormous project, but it’s knit in Bella Chenille Big on US 15 (10mm) needles, so it goes faster than you think. Plus you have the advantage of being able to snuggle under it while you’re making it!
2. The Choux Cowl knit in Alaska
Honestly, Alaska is soothing just to touch. It’s one of those yarns that you find yourself stroking like it’s a tribble. And because of its construction, it’s surprisingly light and warm.
The Choux Cowl is worked as a tube in the round, with columns of slip stitch on the even rows making the plaid effect. The pattern provides options for seamed and seamless finishing. If you’re a crocheter who wants to use this yarn, may we suggest…
3. March Fog crocheted in Alaska
This sample took pretty much exactly two balls each of 902 Peach Puff and 905 Stormy. If you plan on making this any bigger, we’d recommend grabbing an extra ball of each color.
This is a light and lofty stole that would work equally well as a scarf. Its two row repeat is easy to memorize, for a great dose of calming crochet.
4. The Behemoth Scarf in Revolutions
Big? Check. Soft? Check. Easy? Check! Revolutions is a unique blend of fibers with a soft halo (thanks to the mohair and alpaca included). Each ball (wheel? roll?) includes four colors in stripes that go together beautifully.
Work the four-row shell pattern lengthwise. If you want to shorten your scarf, just subtract 10 from the stitch count. Easy peasy.
5. The Dappled Shawl knit in Be Wool
Big, squishable Be Wool is one of our newer yarns, and it’s proven to be a popular one. No wonder, when you can make projects like this so quickly!
If you want to try your first shawl, this is a great beginner project. If you’re an old pro, this will feel like coming home. Either way, on US size 17 (12mm) needles, it’s the definition of “instant gratification” comfort knits.
These are just a start. We’re sure you have some go-to projects that are favorites, and we’d love to hear about them. So make yourself some coffee-maker apple cider (works great in a crock pot, too) and settle in. Breathe, let go of stress, and enjoy the work of your hands.
Happy crafting.
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Watermelon Blanket in Cotton Supreme (pattern link here).
Simple and sweet are the words that apply to this charming little throw.
It’s an easy knit on size US8 (5mm) needles, in a quickly memorized stitch pattern. Machine washable Cotton Supreme makes it super practical, too!
Cotton Supreme 510 Magenta and 607 Blush
There are a lot of ways you can go with the colors for this pattern. If you choose not to stick with watermelon, tone on tone to match someone’s nursery would be a nice choice.
We hope you enjoy this soft, calming blanket. Have a safe and pleasant weekend!
Happy crafting!
Look at how simple that is. This is exactly the kind of pattern that I would have loved as a beginner, and that I still love when I want to make something beautiful and not look away from binge-watching Jessica Jones.
Because it’s dropped stitches on a larger needle (US size 10 1/2), this pattern makes the yarn go a long way. One ball of Whisper Lace wool/silk for the solid bands, two balls of self-striping Cotton Supreme Batik for the wider variegated stripes.
Because the fabric is so loose and drapey, it scrunches up effortlessly – hence the name Scruncher Scarf. Here it is in an alternate colorway, folded in half and wrapped for an accessory that straddles “skinny” and “full.”
Obviously, this would be a great one to experiment with, colorwise. I’ll bet your LYS could put together some fantastic color combos.
Sometimes simple is good. That’s what we have here, a simple, boxy pullover, perfect over a tank top. Â The asymmetrical placement of the neck causes the hem to hang lower in the back than the front.
As shown, it uses Garden 10 mercerized Egyptian Giza cotton thread, loosely knitted on a US size 4 (3.5mm) needle. We think this piece would also look great in Flax Lace. Â Plant fibers provide a breathability and drape that work well with this sideways-knit top.
The body is knitted as a big rectangle, using intarsia for the color changes. Â Seam together the edges of the color blocks to create armholes. Â Easy work that’s good for knitting while chatting, but those color changes help keep things from getting dull.
This would be a great top to personalize with your own color choices. Â Black and blue? Â Peaches and cream? Â The sky’s the limit.
