It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Slate Shawl in Cashmere Lusso (pattern link here).
First things first: we have a new yarn.
This is FibraNatura Cashmere Lusso.
What’s in Cashmere Lusso? Cashmere – and more cashmere! It’s a special blend of 50% virgin cashmere and 50% recycled cashmere, culled from cashmere sweaters. We worked with a mill in Italy to bring this environmentally responsible cashmere to the U.S.
What’s it good for? Wrapping yourself in luxury. Above, it’s pictured with the OTHER free pattern Cashmere Lusso pattern this week, the Twisted Dee Cowl (pattern link here). Yes, this week we are very lucky to have not one but TWO beautiful designs from The Yarnslayer herself, Adrienne Larsen.
Adrienne used twisted stitches combined with cables in this gorgeous accessory. Wear it wrapped, as shown, or long and flowing…
…or pinned, as you wish.
Shown with the Regulus Celtic Lion Shawl Stick from JUL Designs (link)
An intricate, but rewarding design with a modern “twist” (no pun intended).
The Slate Shawl, on the other hand, is a classic triangular lace piece.
The blending of cashmere sources in Cashmere Lusso gives a rich, textured effect to plain stockinette…
…while not obscuring the beautiful (and beautifully blocked!) lace. The lace is both written and charted – take your pick.
Magnifica.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that you treat yourself to the finer things in life – both material and otherwise. Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Purls & Triangles Blanket in Universal Yarn Adore(pattern link here). Looking for a simple project with visual impact? This blanket is for you!
Adore is a super soft blend of machine-washable merino and anti-pilling acrylic – making this a seriously baby friendly project. Bonus: this yarn has great stitch definition, so it is ideal for designs with texture. In this blanket, knit and purl stitches join forces to create an all-over triangle pattern with just a touch of seed stitch along the border. The stitch pattern is easily memorized and it’s great for new and seasoned knitters alike.
We’ve chosen 120 Jade for this blanket, but I think it would look equally spectacular in 113 Apricot or 117 Hazel. What can I say, I love warm colors! With 32 colors to choose from, you have plenty of options. Which will you choose?
Happy crafting, friends!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Sparkler Shawl in Fibra Natura Unity (pattern link here).
We like going red, white, and blue around the 4th of July. Remember last year’s Independence Tank in Flax? This year, we’re sharing a burst of color in linen blend Unity.
This four-pointed shawl has a shape that’s incredibly easy to wear. It begins at the center, increasing to create three triangles that sit easily on your shoulders.
Summery blend Unity is paired with an open stitch pattern, making this the perfect shawl for warmer days.
One word of caution: the sample shown here weighs exactly 200g, meaning exactly two skeins of Unity. If your gauge is a little off, or you’re not a fan of “yarn chicken,” you may wish to purchase an additional skein to ensure you have enough yarn. Alternatively, you could work fewer garter rows along the border, though it will naturally result in a slightly smaller shawl.
We hope you have a wonderful weekend, full of light and joy.
Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Picot Sundress in Cotton Supreme Batik (pattern link here).
We’ve been having a good time recently looking through the pattern archives and finding cute designs that we think should be shared more widely. This adorable piece originally published in Cotton Supreme Book 2: Summer Supreme is one of them!
Self-striping Cotton Supreme Batik makes this dress great for summertime. Front and back are knit separately to keep the stripes nice and wide, but if you wanted much narrower stripes you could always modify this to be worked in the round.
As a bonus, this tea rose applique crocheted in Cotton Supreme is included in the free pattern! We put this on a pin back for the photo. Wouldn’t it look cute on a barrette or headband?
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, full of green growing things and joy. Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Itty Bitty Set in Bamboo Pop Sock (pattern link here).
Bamboo Pop Sock is a new yarn for us this season. We love it for wool-free socks. Check out these beauties from Birdhouse Yarns in Tucson, or these ankle socks from The Twisted Knitter in Mebane, NC. But as much as we love it for socks, we knew as soon as we touched it that it would also be great in kid projects. So, let’s have a few bonus free patterns!
The Easy Stripe Pullover (pattern link here) lives up to its name! Shown here in the 6-12 month size, this pattern will use 1-2 balls of the sleeve color (402 Acid Wash) and 1 ball of the torso (406 Florals).
Ah, the beauty of self-striping yarn. No color changing at the ends of rows (except between the blues and the purples at the cuffs), but you still get those nice crisp stripes. And did we mention this is machine washable? Like we said, great for kid projects.
The Playtime Dress (pattern link here) uses just one color of Bamboo Pop Sock, 404 Wildflowers. Amy Gunderson designed this darling piece for sizes 3-6 months (shown) up to 6 years. Check out how the wavy Feather and Fan section creates festive ripples of color!
Caretakers will appreciate the buttons on the shoulder. Bamboo Pop Sock is very stretchy, but it never hurts to have extra room when pulling a top over a wiggly baby’s head!
So here you go. A three-fer of fun knit projects for youngsters in a summer-friendly yarn. We hope you have a great weekend. Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, Ravine in Fibra Natura Lina (pattern link here).
We’re very aware that some parts of the continent are still blessed with cold weather. But here in North Carolina, we’re moving into the holiday weekend with what meteorologists are calling a “death ridge.”
Picture ants under a magnifying glass.
Are we going to let that stop us from knitting? Heck no! We just have to adjust our projects, that’s all.
A little overripe works best.Step one: prepare for the heat. Toss some grapes in the freezer before you hit your LYS. Also, be sure your ice cube trays are full. You’ll be glad you did later.
Step two: choose a short-sleeved, breezy project. Ravine fits the bill. Cool and comfy, this classic wide-necked tee is perfect for summer.
Step three: pick a heat-friendly yarn. Lina is a linen/cotton blend that’s perfect for summer, and it’s going to feel great in a top like Ravine. Other possibilities: Cotton True Sport or Little Bird.
Step four: Cast on and chill out. The grapes are a fitting snack for this, because your hands won’t get grimy and you can keep knitting as you nosh. The ice cubes? If you’ve got a blender, try Kool-Aid slushies – super cheap and refreshing.
We hope you have a safe and relaxing weekend and Memorial Day.
Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, Besties in Adore (pattern link here).
Awww! This sweater is sized from 3 months to six years, so whatever size your little best pal is, you’re set.
Not only do these work in a variety of colors, but there’s also plenty of opportunity to customize yours with adorable buttons.
We show them in machine washable Adore in the traditional pink or blue, but I think these would look awfully nice in neutrals. How about 130 Cream, with 129 Sand and 128 Gingerbread? Or go even darker with 127 Hickory?
That would be one spiffy-looking little Bestie.
We hope you have a great weekend. Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, Towanda Socks in Deluxe DK Superwash (pattern link here).
I’ve written before about making socks for my dad, but I’m not sure I’ve mentioned my mother. So, everybody say hi to my mom!
Hi, Mom!
Yes, the baby is me. There aren’t enough good adjectives to describe my mom, so we’re just going to go with “amazing.” In writing this, I backspaced over at least 20 astounding things that she’s done that demonstrate her incredible character, but none of those really capture it, so let’s just go with “amazing” and move on. I could wax rhapsodic about my mom all day, and we have socks to talk about!
I knitted my very first pair of socks for my mother, over a decade ago. She treasures them, and takes excellent care of them and everything else I’ve knitted her. So to the list of her good qualities, we’ll add “knitworthy.”
When Mom asked for a pair of basic warm house socks, I knew the perfect yarn. This isn’t the first pair I’ve made in Deluxe DK Superwash, and it won’t be the last. She also requested blue – her favorite color – so I went with 856 Teal Rustic. The rustic colors in the Deluxe Superwash yarns have great depth of color – an almost (but not quite) tweedy look.
A lovely blend of aqua, violet, and navy. Perfect.
Now, I know she asked for “plain” but I felt like an eye-of-partridge heel wouldn’t be too distracting. It’s also my favorite heel, so that settled it.
Toe up, around the heel, then on to the leg!
Because these were done on US Size 4 (3.5mm) needles, they went very fast! And there’s plenty left over. Perhaps I could use that for coordinating colorwork in my own pair? Hmm…
I named these socks Towanda after her hometown in Pennsylvania, a spot we’ve visited in many happy trips. I think it’s time to go back again, for a hike in some homemade socks.
I leave you with one more picture of my mother and me, from many years ago. We were just grabbing breakfast after working on a Habitat for Humanity house, on their first all women-built home. Like I say, a very knitworthy person.
We wish you a joyous weekend, full of connections to the people you care about.
Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today’s free pattern is Saltwater in Unity and Unity Beyond (pattern link here).
Earlier this month, we released an e-book of designs in our Fibra Natura family of yarns.
On the cover: Jetton by Amy GundersonLakeside Retreat is a generously sized collection of both knit and crochet patterns in natural fibers. With 16 designs included, we realized we had enough to lift out a pattern to release for free. The choice was Saltwater by Rachel Brockman.
This beautiful triangular shawl is knit from the top down in solid Unity and variegated Unity Beyond. These yarns are a unique blend of cotton, wool, bamboo, and linen designed to drape beautifully and lend an earthy texture to finished pieces.
Lightweight and airy, Saltwater combines garter and stockinette with simple striping to create a lovely understated shawl.
To finish it off, a crochet border is added. Rachel was thinking of little sandcastles when she added this charming design touch.
I’m eyeing this for myself, but we just released some brand new colors in Unity and Unity Beyond, and I’m loving the way they pair up. What do you think of solid 113 Alizarin and multi 208 Sunrise? It would certainly be a dramatic take on the design!
Or maybe let the sun shine in with 115 Cob and 207 Springtide. What a decision!
We hope you have a relaxing weekend. Happy crafting!
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Lofty Rug in Bella Chenille (free pattern link here).
How cool is this? A member of our design team was inspired by the nifty bobble stitch seen in this tutorial at Kristen McDonnell’s Studio Knit, and immediately realized just how soft and springy it would be in plush Bella Chenille.
She was right. It’s soft and touchable, and just perfect for bare feet.
Personally, I’m always looking for new things to try, and this fits the bill. What an interesting tool to have in your repertoire! Here’s Kristen’s video of how to work this stitch. As Kristen says in the video, you’ll make a few mistakes at first. But it looks like you’ll have fun doing it!
We hope you keep a spring in your step this weekend.
Happy crafting!
