Tag: Pattern

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Free Pattern Friday – Heartsbloom Hat and Mittens

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Heartsbloom Hat and Mittens in Bella Cash (pattern link).

Happy Groundhog Day!

Punxatawney Phil has spoken – he’s seen his shadow, which legend says means six more weeks of winter.

Whatever, Phil.  We’re right on the cusp of Spring, with a few flowers poking out, but also snow in the forecast.  What to do?

How about a cute little toddler topper (say that five times fast)?  It definitely won’t take six weeks to knit, but it does have plenty to keep you interested, in the form of cables and seed stitch.

We like that the cables on each mitten each twist in a different direction.  It’s the little things.

Bella Cash is a great choice for this – its cashmere content keeps it very soft, but the nylon makes it hard-wearing and machine washable.  Great for knits like this, sized toddler through children’s large.  Plenty of pastels and brighter tones to choose from, too.

Whether the weather turns to Spring or not, we hope you have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Sailing Stone Shawl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sailing Stone Shawl in Deluxe Chunky Naturals (pattern link).

Are you familiar with the phenomenon of sailing stones?

In the early 1900s, a prospector noticed large stones leaving meandering tracks across a section of Death Valley, as if they had decided to go travelling.  The paths baffled scientists until 2014, when the mystery was finally solved with the use of GPS and time-lapse cameras.

At times, the area would flood and freeze, and as the ice broke up, it would be blown across the  shallow floodwater pond, with embedded rocks dragging paths along the desert.  The ice melts, the pond evaporates, and all that’s left is tracks in dry sand behind rocks that aren’t where they used to be.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5u_hy3BR9UM

The natural  colors and meandering paths involved in this phenomenon reminded us of twisting cables in our Deluxe Chunky Naturals.  These tones are undyed – the color you see is the color of the sheep.

Which brings us to the Sailing Stones Shawl.

One nice thing about this shawl – the cables are reversible.  Take a look at the “wrong” side.  Still quite lovely.

Five skeins in the main color, 50003 Musket, makes a generously sized 52″ x 38″ accessory.

Contrasting color applied i-cord and tassels set this design apart.

This would be lovely to wrap up in on a chilly day or night.

We hope you keep a little mystery in your life, and that you make time for yourself this weekend.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Kenan’s Hoodie

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Kenan’s Hoodie in Deluxe Worsted Tweed superwash (pattern link).

Everybody say hi to Yonca!

Yonca is our Sales Manager, and an excellent knitter and crocheter.  That’s her, sporting the Lace Leaf Pullover that she modified from the free Lace Leaf Cardigan in Garden 10.

Yonca’s kids are off at college, and like many crafting parents, she’s sending them a couple of things to help keep them warm while they’re away.  She gave her daughter a beautiful cardigan – the one we shared last week – and now her son gets his turn.

Kenan’s Hoodie is worked in pieces from the bottom up in Deluxe Worsted Tweed Superwash. It’s made in one of our newer colors, 915 Cloud Blue, which just straddles the line between blue and gray.

The design features a dropped shoulder and roomy hood for a casual look.  Although we’re calling this a men’s sweater, there’s no reason it wouldn’t work for a woman as well.

We love hearing stories of all the knitted and crocheted “hugs” that people send to loved ones far away.  They’re so satisfying to give and to receive.

We hope you stay warm and cozy this weekend, and that you’re able to reach out to someone you care about.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Penelope’s Cardigan

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, Penelope’s Cardigan in Deluxe Bulky Superwash (pattern link).

If ever there were weather that called for a big, comfy sweater in 100% bulky wool, this is it.  Say hello to Penelope’s Cardigan.

Amy Gunderson designed this warm and relaxed hug using our Deluxe Bulky Superwash on US size 10 1/2 (6.5mm) needles.  Knitted seamlessly from the top down, this raglan-sleeved long cardi is perfect for a night in.

We hope you bundle up snug and cozy this weekend, with a fun project in your lap and a warm mug by your side.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Double Up Hat

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Image of an oatmeal-colored hat on a gray background

Today, the Double Up Hat in Amphora and Whisper Lace (pattern link here).

Remember the adorable baby in the Sunset Slouch?

Image of a small toddler wearing a multi-colored hat with a pompom on top
Awwww!

His mom Krista designed a hat for us this week!  Krista works in Customer Service here, and this is her source of inspiration:

Image of a set of wire storage cubes filled with balls of yarn
Yes, we do work in paradise.

This is a small section of the big wall of sample balls that she sits next to in Customer Service.  We keep these to send to magazines and shops who want to touch the yarn for themselves, but of course since we’re all crafters here we also eye them hungrily ourselves.  It’s only natural that we sometimes look at them and think, “you know, these would go great together!”

The Double Up Hat combines brushed DK/light worsted Amphora and superfine Whisper Lace wool/lace blend to make this worsted weight hat with a subtle heathered look.

Closeup image of the ribbed brim and body of a knitted hat

The two yarns together create a lovely halo effect.

I’ve been wondering how this would look with Whisper Lace in one of the more variegated tones.  Let’s grab a selection from the Big Wall o’ Yarn to see.

Image of two gray balls of yarn resting on a black surface
Amphora 115 Castle and Whisper Lace 212 Stonework

I may have a new project to add to the queue.

Have an excellent weekend, everyone.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Sunset Slouch

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Sunset Slouch in Poems and Deluxe Worsted Superwash (pattern link).

This adorable Fair Isle hat has already proven to be popular around the office, even before its official release.  It’s sized from newborn to adult large, so it’s a nice topper that can fit everyone.  Self-shading Poems wool gives a nice graduated color shift that keeps things interesting!

The adult size shown was the first one we knit.  Designer Rachel Brockman used a 1×1 rib long tail tubular cast-on for a nice, stretchy edge.  Rachel did a photo tutorial of this method of casting on not long ago, in a blog post about the Nutmeg Hat and Mitts kit from our 12 Days of Winter kit series.  You can find that blog post here.

Before we could publish the pattern, it caught the eye of Krista on our customer service team.  She whipped up the cute teal version shown up top for her cherub-cheeked son.  We just have to share his picture.

Awwwww!!  Great job on both the cap and its model, Krista!

We hope you have a fantastic weekend, and that you spread a little joy in your corner of the world.

Happy crafting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Candy Stripe Set

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Candy Stripe Set (pattern link here).

How’s everyone today?  Here in the Piedmont of North Carolina, we expect to get our first snowfall of the year!

Mind you, it will probably only be a dusting, but hey – it’s snow!  Those of us who are big kids at heart are ready to run outside and catch snowflakes.  Of course, because we’re adults, we’re also ready to then go back inside and knit something warm.

Perfect timing for the Candy Stripe Set!

Knit in machine washable Adore, the entire set is knit in the round.  That includes the scarf, which shows stockinette on both sides.  It’s a bright set to stand out on a gray day.

We hope you have a merry and bright weekend.

Happy knitting!

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Free Pattern Friday – Essential Bag

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Essential Bag in Java (pattern link here).

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.

We hope you have an excellent weekend.

Happy crafting!

 

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Free Pattern Friday – Tiltawhirl Cowl

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Tiltawhirl Cowl in Classic Shades Frenzy (link here).

I have to say, as its creator, I’m feeling pretty good about today’s Free Pattern Friday.  It was incredibly easy – just knits and purls – but you’d never know it to look at it.  For that, credit goes to the yarn, Classic Shades Frenzy.

a ball of multi-colored yarn with a label reading CLASSIC SHADES FRENZY.

a closeup of a diagonally ribbed purple knitted fabric

It’s a thick yarn with enough variation in color to give a simple design additional interest.

This cowl uses a diagonal rib pattern.  The beauty of doing this in the round is that if you wish, you can simply cast on the required number and k2p2 all the way around every row until you’ve reached the desired width of your cowl.  This took just one ball, and it made a cowl long enough to wear loose or to wrap once for extra warmth.

For mindless knitting, I tend to favor simple designs on big needles that I can work on while chatting or watching TV, and this fits the bill.  Now that the weather’s turned, this would be a great knit-night project!

Have a wonderful weekend, and be sure to make time for yourself.

Happy crafting!

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Spice Box Color Kit: The Stratification Shawl

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!