Nothing says cozy quite like a handknit you can hug. Meet our Candy Hearts mini collection, overflowing with exactly that kind of warmth. Inspired by the playful charm of Valentine’s confections and stitched in ultra–soft Bella Chenille, this trio of patterns designed by Afifa Sayeed brings love to life in every bobble and curve.
Designed for cuddle breaks, nap time, or simply brightening up your favorite corner, the Lovebug cushion cover is a soft reminder to make room for comfort in your space. Its bold heart motif adds a playful pop to any sofa or bed, while the chenille texture gives off instant cozy vibes.
Crafted with tiny wearers in mind but guaranteed to steal grown–up hearts, the Me and You cardigan is a smaller–scale expression of big affection. The bobble heart brings instant joy, making it a perfect gift knit or a keepsake passed lovingly down the line.
Styled cool and casual with denim or dressed up for a night out, the You and Me cardigan is equal parts sweet and statement-making. Its relaxed shape and velvety fabric invite you to live in it, while the bobble heart detailing adds that irresistible handmade touch.
Bella Chenille‘s plush texture turns each piece into a wearable (or huggable!) note of affection. It’s the kind of yarn that begs to be squeezed, and in this collection, we’ve paired its cloud–soft feel with sculptural heart motifs to make pieces that don’t just keep you warm, they warm your heart, too. Whether you choose a favorite pattern or purchase the entire ebook, be sure to take advantage of 20% off this squishable yarn, now through Sunday 1/18/26.
Spooky season is upon us! There’s no better time for a Halloween cast-on, and we have just the project for you! I’m thrilled to make my Free Pattern Friday design debut with Ghostly Gourds, a frightfully-fun pair stuffed jack-o’-lanterns, knit in Uptown Worsted.
Ghostly Gourds are the perfect treat for your needles, and they utilize some clever tricks too. Duplicate stitch gives these cuddly cuties their eerie faces, and a simple shaping technique defines their pumpkin-y ridges. Stockinette stitch with the yarn held double makes for such fast knitting that you’ll have a finished project before you can say “boo!”
Display these jolly jack-o’-lanterns on your mantle or window sill, poised to greet costumed kiddos or guests at your Halloween bash. Or throw on your favorite scary movie, grab a mug of mulled cider, and get comfy, because these plump pumpkins are ripe for a snuggle!
Ghostly Gourds are squishably soft and durable, thanks to Uptown Worsted’s 100% anti-pilling acrylic base. Easy to care for and available in over 60 colors, this staple yarn makes beautiful garments, accessories, and home decor that will last for years to come.
Uptown Worsted yarn and kits are 20% off through Sunday, September 14. Stock up on this best-seller, snag a Ghostly Gourds Kit (including the pattern and all the yarn you need!), and create something truly spooktacular!
If you’ve ever dreamed of walking the halls of Nevermore Academy, or if you can’t resist quoting everyone’s favorite Addams Family member, this week’s Free Pattern Friday is for you. Meet the Do Your Thing Wall Hanging, designed by Ashley Jane McIntyre—a bold, playful project that’s equal parts fan décor and fiber art.
Featuring the iconic “Thing” hand with a jolt of electric energy, this wall hanging is a perfect mash-up of nostalgia and modern fandom. Whether you grew up watching the classic 1960s TV series or the beloved 1991 film, or you’re counting the days until Wednesday returns in Part 2, this piece captures that deliciously eerie Addams Family spirit.
Made using Cotton Supreme, this wall hanging isn’t just eye-catching—it’s also soft, durable, and a dream to crochet. The smooth, 100% cotton fiber makes colorwork crisp and clean, letting the bold graphic shine. Plus, Cotton Supreme’s extensive palette ensures that you can customize your own wall hanging in shades that fit your spooky style.
Snag Cotton Supreme at 20% off this weekend only, just in time to stitch up your new wall hanging before the next episodes of Wednesday drop.
Happy Free Pattern Friday, crafters! Today we are treating you to a brand new homewares pattern – the Whirlwind Stripes Throw, designed by me!
There’s something truly mesmerizing about circular knitted throws—they radiate warmth, symmetry, and endless charm. When paired with a self-striping yarn like Deluxe Stripes, the results are nothing short of magical!
Circular throws add a unique visual appeal compared to traditional square or rectangular blankets. They drape beautifully over furniture, make perfect statement pieces for cozy nooks, and work wonderfully as lap blankets or decorative accents.
With Deluxe Stripes, the colors flow seamlessly in rings, highlighting the radial symmetry of the pattern without needing to weave in a bunch of ends from color changes—what a win!
Deluxe Stripes is a worsted-weight, 100% wool yarn known for its rich, self-striping colorways. It’s soft yet durable, making it perfect for a cozy throw that will last for years.
This weekend, stock up on this delightful yarn at 20% off now through the end of the day on Sunday, March 23rd. Which color is calling your name?
Happy Free Pattern Friday! This Friday, we are releasing a brand new pattern knit with Rico Design Baby Dream DK Uni yarn.
The Versa blanket is an op-art inspired design that is great for a baby blanket or a small throw on your favorite chair. Rico Design Baby Dream DK Uni is 50% Polyacrylic and 50% Polyamide making the yarn very soft and perfect for this project. This yarn is versatile and ideal for sweaters, accessories, and more.
Both beginner and experienced knitters will absolutely love this soothing project! The blanket is worked flat in one piece using only knit stitches. Color changes are made using the intarsia method.
I designed the Versa Blanket using colors Cream 012 and Anthracite 006 but the color combinations are endless.
You can create even more fun combinations by pairing solid Rico Design Baby Dream DK Uni colors with the multicolor Rico Design Baby Dream DK.
Here are some of my favorite combinations. Tell me in the blog comments which color options you like the best.
The Versa Blanket is a quick and easy project that is free to download!
Happy Wednesday fiber folks! We hope you’re enjoying your autumn so far. Crisp, breezy days paired with fiery foliage add to the fall magic, and we’re all looking forward to the Thanksgiving holiday next week. To celebrate, we’ve decided to revisit an oldie but a goodie: the free Wee Pumpkin pattern (link), designed by Amy Gunderson.
Originally designed in 2014 for the now-discontinued Poems yarn, we thought the pattern would be the perfect match for Rico Design’s Creative Melange Chunky. This machine-washable blend of virgin wool and acrylic is a soft, cushiony single ply yarn. It’s a joy to knit because of the self-shading print that makes every stitch exciting as you travel from one color to the next. Creative Melange features a palette of 31 colors, and one of the newest colors seemed like the ideal match for the Wee Pumpkin pattern – #075 Autumn. The warm harvest shades of this colorway reminded us of the many varieties and colors found in everyone’s favorite fall fruit: the pumpkin!
The pattern is a fun knit for adventurous beginners and seasoned knitters alike. Skills to indulge in include wrap and turn short rows, picking up stitches, basic increases and decreases, and seaming. The Wee Pumpkin begins with the pumpkin body, which is worked sideways and features wedges shaped with short rows. If you haven’t tried short rows before, this pattern would be great for dipping your toes into the technique. After the body is complete, a little seaming around the sides and base forms the pumpkin body. Then, stitches are picked up from around the top to create the stem. It’s finished with an adorable curlicue and leaf that are sewn to the top of the pumpkin.
Requiring just over one ball of Creative Melange, you’ll get a pumpkin that’s a bit larger than “wee.” The finished piece is about 7″ tall and 8″ in diameter. It’s the perfect size to decorate your fireplace mantel. Or, use it with other fall decorations to make a show-stopping centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table. You could even add some safety eyes and make it a precious little pumpkin to give your own little one.
Remember, you can download the Wee Pumpkin pattern for FREE at this link. And while we’re on the subject of pumpkins, allow me to recommend this smashing pie recipe to bake this Thanksgiving. While you’re waiting for the pie to bake, you can work on stitching this project! We’d love to know your favorite thing about pumpkins – let us know in the comments!
Accessorize your home in style this Free Pattern Friday with the Scallop Placemats and Coasters. Designed by Afifa Sayeed, this set of accessories uses environmentally-friendly Clean Cotton, and with our buy two get one free offer, you’re going to want to knit one for you and one for a friend! Let’s learn more about this week’s new pattern.
Clean Cotton’s blend of 85% recycled cotton and 15% recycled polyester makes it a staple yarn for homewares and summer accessories due to its durability and ideal texture for washcloths and dishcloths. The Scallop Placemats and Coasters are knit in the round from the center out with stunning spiral shaping and a loopy I-cord bind-off that creates the scalloped edge. The coasters have a diameter of 5″, and the placemats have a diameter of 12″.
This design is mesmerizing, and it’s easy to customize your hues with Clean Cotton’s 21 available solid color options. Knit yourself a set of placemats and coasters in an oceanic shade with 116 Bluebell, or go bright and bold with 107 Tiger Lily!
This weekend is the perfect time to stock up on Clean Cotton! With our buy two get one free offer, you can make a variety of exciting projects for less. Check out all of the Clean Cotton designs on Ravelry for more inspiration.
Looking for a three-skein project to make? Try the Fresh Air Washcloths (middle image), perfect for your kitchen or bathroom. To receive the buy two, get one free offer, add three or more skeins of Clean Cotton to your cart, and the price of one skein for each group of three will be deducted at checkout.
Make sure to share all of your Clean Cotton creations with us by using the #universalyarn on Instagram!
So super snuggly! This sweet knitted throw uses fuzzy Bella Chenille to create a texture it’s impossible to stop stroking.
Colors 126 Lapis (darker) and 128 Coastal (lighter)
Soft and plush, Bella Chenille is perfect not just for home decor and kid projects (hello, Peanut Butter and Jelly bears!), but for adult garments like the Roseate Cardigan, free on our site.
The throw uses intarsia for the color changes at the border. While you could use intarsia for the triangles, we’d recommend doing them in stranded knitting instead, to decrease the number of ends you’ll need to weave in.
Colors 119 Misty (lighter) and 118 Elephant (darker)
Now, as to colors. I absolutely love the original 126 Lapis and 128 Coastal that designer Rachel Brockman chose, because I’m all about cool tones. But you could also go monochrome, with 119 Misty and 118 Elephant shown above, for a low contrast palette. Make it more dramatic by swapping the darker gray for 112 Black, if that’s your vibe.
Colors 122 Amethyst (darker) and 124 Boysenberry (lighter)
Or embrace the rich, saturated nature of this yarn, and try the darker 122 Amethyst and lighter 124 Boysenberry. There are just so many beautiful options in Bella Chenille!
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, and that you find time to snuggle up – maybe with someone special!
This is part 9 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, series 5 Edition
Hello there! As we inch closer and closer to the end of the Holiday Season, you are likely on the go non-stop with errands like shopping, running to the post office, sprinting for groceries and more. With that in mind, this project is the perfect way to stay creative while staying moving. Winterworld is a crochet table runner (or beautiful accessory!) that is made from many small twinkling snowflake motifs assembled as a statement piece that you’ll cherish for years to come.
Winterworld Table Runner
The snowflakes are made using Bella Cash and Universe held together. I love this combination so much, the Bella Cash is made from Merino, cashmere and nylon making it ultra soft, yet very sturdy to work with. The Universe is made from cotton, linen, polyamide and glitter creating a blend that has depth and a bit of sparkle.
Some techniques you’ll explore working on this project are:
Working with 2 yarns held together
Working in the round
Using a picot to create a motif
The end result makes beautiful snowflakes with an understated twinkle – perfect for bringing the magic of the season into your home.
Snowflake motif up close with Bella Cash and Universe held together.
The finished piece also makes for a very fun wrap or stole if you’re looking to add some festivity to your look!
Winterworld used as a beautiful and cozy stole.
Winterworld was intentionally designed so that you can work on it anywhere and everywhere! Bella Cash and Universe are each wound into 50 g balls which are the perfect size for stashing into a small project bag with your crochet hook. With each snowflake being made individually, you only have to worry about 1 of each yarn at a time being with you, and making little snowflakes is quick and easy no matter where you are!
Individual Snowflake Motifs
For getting out and about with yarn, I’m obsessed with some of the muud handcrafted leather products that we carry! For this project specifically, I recommend the Hope crochet box or the Heaven bag. Hope is perfect for tucking in to a larger bag as it has a sleek shape, room for the 2 balls of yarn, and an elastic band for up to 6 hooks. It is compact, tidy, and just what you need for bringing a project along to any occasion.
Bella Cash and Universe in the project box, Hope
Heaven is my personal favorite. It comes with a strap to turn this project case into its own bag! Don’t worry about tucking and transferring a project bag into a tote, and just make this your all-in-one project purse! The two sides zip fully open to reveal compartments suited for small projects like Winterworld, as well as your daily essentials. With fiber in mind, the bag was designed to have holders for hooks or needles, as well as interior zip compartments and pockets.
One side of the bag, Heaven, used for the Winterworld kitOne side of the bag, Heaven, used for daily essentials
There are plenty of options for having your Winterworld project with you as you navigate holiday parties, shopping and more. Tell us in the comments, what are your favorite places to bring your on-the-go projects!?
Heaven and Hope, size comparison for on-the-go projects
Remember, these exclusive kits can be purchased at local yarn store retailers near you. Not in stock at your local shop? Ask them about drop shipping – order through them, and we ship to you! Each kit comes with the pattern, the yarn required to make it, a mini Universal Yarn project bag, and stitch marker. Use our store locator to find your nearest Universal Yarn retailer!
This is part 8 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, series 5 Edition.
I love the winter season because of many things; seasonal drinks and items come back, joy seems to fill the air, and I always have fun shopping for holiday gifts! Another thing that I look forward to each season is winter-themed decorations! From driving by houses that shine brightly with different lights and figurines, to seeing what special and unique decorations each person sets up or creates, it’s clear to me that you can never go wrong with adding a little bit of spice and flair into your home with decorations for the season. Our Trio of Trees designed by Aubrey Busek is the perfect way to add seasonal décor to your home!
Trio of Trees
Let’s take a closer look: the Trio of Trees are made up of three elegant and timeless patterns that can be recycled year after year (which is such a huge plus!). The trio features a Linen Stitch Tree, a Striped Tree, and a Slipped Ornaments Tree. Each tree brings its own unique character to the table and can easily become a staple decoration in your home for the season. Featuring our Cotton Gold yarn as well as our Dona yarn, these two yarns held together and worked up create some magic to get you ready to jump into the winter season!
Slipped Ornament Tree
Each tree uses a different stitch pattern, which is fun because you are getting a “stitch sampler” with each tree you make! The Slipped Ornament Tree is my personal favorite, because it reminds me so much of a classic winter tree that we so often see during this time of the year. In this pattern, a special stitch called a Long Stitch is used. The yarn is wrapped twice around the needle, giving a “draped” effect throughout the tree. The delicate sequins strung through our Cotton Gold yarn creates a gorgeous shimmer that, when incorporated with the saturated colors of Dona, will have your guests do a double take and stop to admire this miniature forest in your home!
Linen Stitch Tree
You know those winter decorations that your family brings out year after year, no matter how “old” it gets? That is exactly what I think about when I see the Linen Stitch Tree. This specific tree instantly sends me back to sweet memories in the winter seasons spent with my family, decorating our home and getting ready for the upcoming events. The minimalist Linen Stitch tree offers a mix and match vibe to your holiday décor. You simply work knit stitches and slip stitches with yarn held in front to create a woven effect and provide texture to the tree.
Striped Tree
Look at how it subtly glistens! The Striped Tree features a stockinette stitch pattern worked all the way up the body. A strand of each Dona and Cotton Gold are held together throughout the tree, and the Dona colors (Blue Hint, Balsam, Alabaster) are changed every four rows. The glimmer from Cotton Gold creates a dream-like aura of snow falling from the sky, which is fitting for the season! Although they are all effortless to make, the Striped Tree is the most minimalist pattern in my opinion because it is just stockinette stitch the whole way up! It is the perfect final addition to the Trio, because it adds the right amount of sophistication while still looking simple.
These trees are each knit in the round from the bottom up. A picot edge is picked up and worked after finishing to create ‘skirts’ on the bottom of each tree edge, and the tree tops are stuffed with poly-fill before finally placing around the Styrofoam bases. Remember to check your gauge! It is so important for accuracy and so it fits in the styrofoam cones properly. They are the perfect addition to your home for this winter season, and will be for years to come! These trees will make your friends, family, and guests feel welcomed in your home, in the holiday spirit.
Remember, these exclusive kits can be purchased at local yarn store retailers near you. Not in stock at your local shop? Ask them about drop shipping – order through them, and we ship to you! Each kit comes with the pattern, the yarn required to make it, a mini Universal Yarn project bag, and stitch marker. Use our store locator to find your nearest Universal Yarn retailer!
