I love this rug because it uses my favorite stitch – half double crochet. This was the very first crochet stitch I learned, after the base chain. I love it in a self-shading yarn like Poems or Classic Shades. Just hdc-ing around and around until the ball runs out makes a very pretty cowl. And since this is a stitch I’m comfortable with, this rug might be the perfect project for branching into crochet colorwork!
I’m already a fan of 100% hemp Java for home decor projects. I was about to cast on for a larger version of the Java Jive Rug Mug to put under the cat’s food and water dishes in the kitchen, but… this week’s pattern has me wondering if crochet wouldn’t be even better. It’s always great to brush up skills on a beautiful project.
When I decided to write a blog post today I was planning to focus on my Seamless Leaves pullover, but as I was taking photos, an idea popped into my head – why not share what everyone around the office is working on? I moseyed around the office asking our team about what they’re working on and whether I could take a few quick photos of their projects. Sadly, Yonca and Amy are out today (they surely deserve it after a busy weekend at Stitches West), so their own projects aren’t included.
Cottonwood is one of my favorite yarns. It’s eco-friendly and has so many beautiful colors to choose from.
I love so many of the projects in the new collection, Arboretum, featuring projects by the one and only Amy Gunderson using Fibra Natura Cottonwood. Each pattern in the Arboretum ebook is extremely wearable and tempting to cast on, especially when the temperature has been lingering in the 60s and 70s in North Carolina. I decided that I needed to cast on a Seamless Leaves pullover for myself, and I wanted a basic, black version. Because of my inclination to knit things in deeply saturated colors (especially warm colors), I just don’t have enough neutral garments in my wardrobe. This project is my perfect solution.
I love the lightweight fabric created by Cottonwood. It’s wonderfully smooth and even with stitch definition that makes the raglan details on this pattern shine.
Even unblocked and worked in such a dark color, these details look great thanks to Cottonwood’s superb stitch definition.
Our sales team seems to be having an affair with two-at-a-time socks, toe-up socks.
Left: Krista’s socks in Pix, Right: Katie’s socks in Allegro
Here’s what Krista had to say about her project:
“I’m always working on a pair of socks. Always. For this project, I am using one of my favorite yarns, Pix, in the Paisley print. They’re a plain vanilla pair (nothing but stockinette) using a basic short row heel. I love how Pix works up in patterns as I’m knitting. This yarn makes a simple project very fun. Socks are perfect on-the-go knitting to keep in my bag.”
Here’s what Katie had to say about her beautiful WIP:
“I enjoy making socks, but I have Second Sock Syndrome and never learned how to do two-at-a-time socks. Krista helped me with the cast-on and now I am loving it! I was even able to just knit at my daughter’s choir concert last night and didn’t mess up. Woohoo; progress! I love the elasticity of Allegro. I am using the color Grape Sonata. I decided to do ribbing over the arch instead of just stockinette stitch because I love my store-bought socks with the ribbing on the foot. We’ll see how it turns out!”
I’m sure they’re going to be perfect! If you’re also a sock knitter, you might be interested in one of our free sock patterns like this one, this one, or this one.
Finally, our social-media extraordinaire (and quite frankly, everything-extraordinaire!), Heather, showed me a deliciously squishy hat knit up in Poems Silk in the Baffin Island colorway. She told me she enjoys a simple hat project when she’s knitting at the movie theater. I have to say, this is always something that impresses me. Whenever I bring knitting to the theater I have the tendency to drop the occasional stitch or insert an unwanted yarn-over. Serious props to those of you who are successful in your endeavors in low-light knitting! Heather’s hat is looking great and we can’t wait to see the finished version.
That’s it for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed a little glimpse into some of our projects! We’d love to share more soon.
Whether you love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day will be here in about a week. What better way to prepare than by knitting yourself (or someone else who is sweet) a shawl? We’ve got you covered – to celebrate Valentine’s Day, we’re offering the Be Mine Shawl for free!
You could ask anyone in the office and they would probably tell you that I have an unrelenting sweet tooth. It is just so difficult for me to turn down sugary sweet snacks. What does this have to do with our Valentine’s freebie? Well, the inspiration for the Be Mine Shawl came from conversation heart candies. (In case you were wondering, I prefer the white, wintergreen flavored hearts.)
Be Mine is a triangular shawl comprised mostly of garter stitch. It is knit in Fibra Natura Papyrus, a yarn with a luxurious blend of cotton and silk. This yarn is velvety soft and creates a beautifully drapey fabric.
After working the body of the shawl, three bold stripes featuring a lace heart motif are worked to create a lovely border. Small, brightly colored stripes break up the lace sections. Finally, the shawl is finished with a delicate crochet-picot edging. (By the way, back in December Amy posted a tutorial on a Crochet Picot Edging here, but please note that instead of entirely skipping a stitch between picots as directed in the tutorial, you will instead work a slip stitch in the stitch between picots.)
Because Be Mine uses garter stitch, it’s nice to have a beautiful, elastic bind off. As a bit of a tight knitter, I like to use the Suspended Bind-off whenever I want a neat, elastic edge. I highly recommend this technique for this shawl design, and I call for it in the pattern. The method is nearly as simple as your standard bind off. It really just involves holding onto a stitch just a moment longer. If that sounds confusing, don’t worry, because I’ll show you exactly what I mean.
Begin as you would when using a standard bind off by knitting the first two stitches.
Step 1: Slip the first stitch you knit onto the left-hand handle.Step 2: Do not drop this stitch. Instead, pass this stitch over the second stitch on the right-hand needle as you normally would when binding off, except keep that first stitch “suspended” on your left-hand needle.Step 3: Next, knit the second stitch on the left-hand needle (note: leave the stitch from the previous step suspended). Step 4: Now you will slide the stitch you’ve just knit into and the suspended stitch (outlined above) off of the left-hand needle.Repeat Steps 1-4 until you have two stitches remaining on your right-hand needles. Finish by binding off these stitches as usual.Ta-da! You now have a neat, elastic bound-off edge.
Everyone could use a good carry-all bag, and this crochet project fits the bill perfectly. It’s worked in 100% hemp Fibra Natura Java for sturdiness and style.
This ultra-functional bag is worked in the round beginning in the center of the base. The simple design allows plenty of room for creativity in color choice and variations on striping. It’s a classic as-is, but I can also see it with a bold color – maybe red? – for the stripe just below the handles.
What are some things that come to mind when you think of winter? Seeing your breath in the cool air? Staying warm at home as snow falls softly to the ground? Building snowmen and coming inside to a cup of warm cocoa? Whatever you envision on a cold winter’s day, Tundra is sure to keep you warm.
Tundra is cabled hat that captures the look of icy winter days, yet keeps you snug and warm. It features all-over cables that begin at the cuff and are carried into the crown shaping.
If ever there was a yarn meant to be coupled with cables, Dona would be that yarn. It has impeccable stitch definition, which is perfect for the interlocking twists and turns of cabled fabric. The Tundra hat combines simple, but beautiful cables with the plump and incredibly soft Dona.
Like each kit in the 12 Days of Winter Collection, the Tundra Kit comes in a giftable package. Perhaps you’re the knitter doing the gifting (isn’t the act of knitting a gift to yourself anyway?)–great news–this pattern is sized baby through adult, so it’s perfect for anyone special in your life.
By the way, I’d be remiss not to mention that today is also Thanksgiving! Happy Thanksgiving to each and every one of you. I hope your day is full of delicious food, laughter among loved ones, and some comfort knitting while you recover from all of that feasting!
You can find the kit for Tundra on our website here.
One of the yarns I’ve fallen most in love with since joining the Universal Yarn design team is Fibra Natura Dona. This yarn is simply gorgeous. It is soft, plump, and has excellent stitch definition. We have a variety of great kits that use Dona, but I was excited when Amy asked me to contribute to our Color Kit lineup. My design is the Stratification Shawl.
I love the Spice Box palette. These are, without a doubt, my kind of colors. I love warm colors and earth tones. I spend much of my free time outdoors and draw inspiration from the colors and textures of landscapes. I already knew that I wanted to incorporate stripes into the design, so I revisited some photos for further inspiration.
The Spice Box palette made me reminisce about a trip I made to Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. During my trip, I was mesmerized by the beauty in the strata, or rock layers, in the landscape. Similarly, I loved the way flora sprinkled pops of color into neutral desert landscapes. I’ve included some of the photos that inspired me to include the bold green and coral stripes into the shawl.
This shawl is a pretty straightforward project. It features top-down construction and increases occur along the sides to create a crescent shape. An alternating sequence of simple stripes is elevated with a knit-purl stitch pattern. Dona shows off the stitch pattern perfectly. Finally, the shawl is finished with an I-Cord bind off. It is an excellent project for both beginning and more advanced knitters. I sincerely hope you enjoy this pattern as much as I enjoyed designing it!
The weather’s cooling off here, so it’s time to dust off all those “winter is coming” images…
…and to cast on for something toasty!
The Button Up Hat and Scarf is a matched set in Fibra Natura Dona superwash merino. This cozy cabled set is brightened by the pop of color of a buttoned garter stitch band. Thread the scarf through to keep it snug.
The written and charted all-over eyelet and cable pattern creates a raised texture that’s quite warm.
These are a knitting trifecta – quick, easy, and practical. Wouldn’t they make a great housewarming gift?
100% hemp Fibra Natura Java is sturdy enough for this very usable home dec project, as well as being machine washable.
The pattern is a basic two-row slip stitch repeat that only uses one color per row. Simple, but it gives a sophisticated, almost woven look.
While only four coasters are pictured, you can get a set of eight out of the required yarn – more if you do the fringe in a different color. Like we say – quick and easy!
Just looking at this top makes me happy. It’s a charming design in our Fibra Natura Cotton True Sport, a 100% Pima cotton that’s quite pleasant to work with. It’s the kind of basic top that would look great with jeans or a skirt, plus maybe a little silver jewelry. The lace detail at the top, which is charted and written, keeps it from being too plain.
Work it from the hem up in two pieces, then join together. We call for a US Size 4 (3.5mm) needle for the body, but of course use whatever will get you gauge – 6 stitches per inch in this case. It makes a lightweight cotton fabric that’s perfect for summer.
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