Tag: Lace

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Free Pattern Friday – Exploded Pineapple Halter

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Exploding Lace Halter front_blog

Today, the Exploded Pineapple Halter in Good Earth.

We’re calling this an intermediate project, good practice for crocheters who have never tried reading a crochet chart before to do so. One of our resident experts notes, “Crochet stitches can take on such organic form, that a chart really tells the story of the finished piece. Written instruction for crochet can be very clunky, especially in a large repeat pattern such as the exploded pineapple hem.”

Good Earth (204yds/100g) is an excellent choice for this layering piece.  The cotton/linen blend is quite breathable, so even over another top it won’t leave you sweltering.

The piece is worked seamlessly.  Crochet the hem first, then pick up for the body and continue upward.  It’s easy to customize the length just by adding or subtracting a few rows of the v-stitch mesh.

I love the ribbon at the neck – that’s another bit that would be very easy to alter to your own taste.

We hope you enjoy this summertime project.  Happy crocheting!

Exploding Lace Halter back_blog

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Free Pattern Friday – Summer Leaves Cloths

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Cotton Supreme Washcloths horizontal_blogToday, the Summer Leaves Cloths in Cotton Supreme.

Blue washcloth blogThese patterns come to us by special request from Jackie in Customer Service, who asked if we could add another one-ball project in Cotton Supreme (180yds/100g).

“The yarn is so soft!  When people touch it, they fall in love with it.  If we had another small pattern for it, then when I send kits as little prizes to our stores and customers, they’d get a chance to work with it and love it too.”

Mustard washcloth blogJackie’s wish is our command.  Voila, three lovely washcloths using leaf motifs.  One is an all-over lace pattern, the second is four leaves rising from a central column, and the third is a single leaf in the center of a field of reverse stockinette.  All three leaf lace patterns are charted, and all three cloths can be made from just one hank of Cotton Supreme.

Orchid washcloth blogWhen I look at these cloths, I can’t help but feel that they’d also make great afghan blocks, perhaps in Uptown Worsted or Deluxe Worsted Superwash on slightly larger needles.   There’s nothing wrong with re-envisioning a design for your own purposes.

Thanks for the great suggestion, Jackie.  We can always use another quick-to-knit pattern in our library.

Happy knitting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Summer Poncho

It’s Free Pattern Friday!Flax_SummerPoncho_alt_blogToday, the Summer Poncho in Flax.

We’re on the road to Columbus, OH right now for the annual summer National Needlearts Association trade show, but we still had to share this absolute beauty.

Susan at TNNAThe Summer Poncho is designed by Susan Whitmore, the owner of Rainy Day Creations yarn shop in Pineville, NC.  To the right you can see Susan snuggling with Suzy the Cuddlebunny at a previous year’s show in the Universal Yarn booth.

She has just closed her shop and is enjoying a richly deserved retirement.  We miss her welcoming shop, but we’re so glad that she’s taking time to enjoy herself.  And we’re doubly glad that she shared this lovely design with us before hopping on her motorcycle and vrooming off into the sunset!

Flax_SummerPoncho_blogKnit in FibraNatura Flax linen yarn in two pieces and seamed, this oversized poncho will fit a variety of sizes and is easy to adjust simply by seaming more or less of the sizes and neck.  It’s a simple written pattern and contains a schematic for assembly.  Such a great piece for summer!

We hope you enjoy this piece, and that you pull a page from Susan’s book and take time to enjoy life.

Happy knitting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Diamond Cross Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Ariana Diamond Cross Pullover Today, the Diamond Cross Pullover in Ariana.

Things I love about this pattern:

  • The way the lace crosses over each other, as if it’s woven.
  • The fact that it’s made on 6.5mm needles, so it’s a quick knit.
  • The choice of yarn is Ariana (91yds/100g), so it’s a bulky weight yarn in lightweight materials.

Ariana color 108 GrapeAriana is a bamboo tube with light polyamide fibers inside, achieving its size without a lot of weight to stretch and drag.   It’s great fun in accessories like the 2 ball Rivel Cowl (free pattern!) and in larger garments as well.

Sometimes laceweight is great, but sometimes, I want to knock out something gorgeous in a hurry.  I’m keeping this pattern in mind next time I get that urge.

Let’s hear it for big yarn!

PHAT KNITS BY BAUKE KNOTTNERUS
Phat Knits by Bauke Knottnerus

 

Happy knitting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Totem Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Jubilation Fringed Scarf wrapped blog

Today, the Totem Scarf in Jubilation Kettle Dye Worsted.

Jubilation Fringed Scarf long B blogI love the way the variable length bands of daisy stitch are broken up by rows of garter to keep things interesting.  It’s a good technique for helping make sure the pattern isn’t overwhelmed by variegated Jubilation Kettle Dye (shown here in color 101 Rejoice).  Jubilation is a pretty yarn, and it works in harmony with the pattern here.

Happy knitting!

 

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Afghan Knitalong – Block Twenty

Block 20 is live!

20 Bee Mine with title blogIt’s our final block and we’re going out with a bang.  Bee Mine uses traditional honeybee lace for its center panel.  What a sweet pattern!  A mix of yarn overs and dropped stitches creates the gentle symmetrical column in the center of the block.  Amy Gunderson shares a video on the technique.

So pretty!  Wouldn’t this look lovely on a scarf or along the outside of a sleeve?

That’s 20 blocks – are we done?  Yes and no.  We’ll be back after the first of the year to talk about assembling the whole afghan.  I’m going to take that time to finish up a few stragglers and start laying out my squares to see how I want them to look.

Happy knitting!

 

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Throwback Thursday – Bethany

It’s Throwback Thursday!

TT Bethany

Today, we have Bethany!  Originally this was a “pay” pattern, but we’ve released it into the wild as a free pattern and bring it to you today to enjoy.

First stitched in Fibra Natura Cottonwood, this would make a great cover-up in either Bamboo Pop or Little Bird, which would provide great drape for this piece.  You might also try Uptown Baby Sport anti-pilling acrylic.  Uptown Baby Sport’s palette features some very sweet pastels, and at 361 yards per ball you’d only need three balls to make the smallest size.

In this traditional knit-flat cardi, the easy lace pattern is featured on both front and back.  A great lacy sweater to start now and have ready when the first chill creeps back into the air.

Happy knitting!

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Afghan Knitalong – Block Nine

Block Nine is live! 9-Best-Buds-block_blog_100

How are we doing, gang?  I loved cables, but I’m rarin’ to go on a new technique!

This time, Amy introduces knitting in the round!  Today’s counterpane block “Best Buds” goes from the center out, using the lace techniques and M1 increases we’ve already learned from previous blocks.

Amy shares this helpful video on starting your square on DPNs (double-pointed needles) and increasing as you work out.  It’s not something we’ve done before in this afghan, but it’s a very useful trick! We’ll also be sharing videos this month on weaving in ends, and on other ways to work center-out. I’m grabbing my DPNs and casting on.  It’s so exciting to move in a new direction – literally! See you next time!

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Sunday Swatch – Whisper Lace

Today’s Sunday Swatch is in Whisper Lace colors 110 Lemongrass (solid) and 206 Amber Trinket (variegated).

SS Whisper Lace_blog

This is one of my favorite yarns in the Fibra Natura family.  Whisper Lace is 70% wool/30% silk and soft as a cloud.  And at 440 yards per 50 gram ball, it goes a long way.

One thing that I like about Whisper Lace is how well the solid and the variegated tones match.  They look great paired as in the lace sample above, or in Adrienne Ku’s Pescadito shawl shown at right.  Colors 104 Fog and 208 Orchid Dream make a great barely-there contrast that doesn’t obscure the lace pattern – light and breezy and gorgeous.

What’s to become of today’s Sunday Swatch?  It’s already been claimed by a young person in my house – apparently it will look just fabulous on some lucky doll.

Happy knitting!

SS Whisper Lace Zoe

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Lotus Shrug

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

LotusShrug_blog

I love knitting lace, but realistically there are only so many lace shawls I need, so I’m delighted to see the Lotus Shrug in Whisper Lace!

Whisper Lace (50g/440yds) is a member of our luxury Fibra Natura line.  70% wool + 30% silk = 100% love.  It’s a joy to work with.  And it’s a perfect match for a project that hits right in the sweet spot of my personal taste.

Whisper Lace Shrug cu 1_blogKnitted flat side to side, the arm seams are joined, then the edges are picked up along the edge of the body in the round to add the lace.  Knitting outward from the edge creates a great sense of motion in the finished piece.

For me, it doesn’t hurt that it’s on size 5 needles, so I can see progress faster than on some lace projects.  This one’s going in my queue.

Happy knitting!