scarf – Page 9 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

October 2, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Bias Stripe Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Bias Stripe Scarf in Flax and Universe.

We’re moving into party season, and we’re delighted to have a new yarn in stock that’s just perfect for the occasion. We designed Universe (246yds/50g) to celebrate Universal’s 10th anniversary, and we’re having a ball making new projects with it.

Universe’s colors coordinate with another popular yarn, Fibra Natura Flax (137yds/50g). Both are used together in this project. The matte bands of Flax linen are interspersed with the metallic glitter in Universe for a striking effect. Since the yarns match so well, it’s easy to carry the colors up the sides between sections without having an obvious color streak at the edge of your scarf. One ball of Universe and one hank of Flax – the only ends to weave in are at the beginning and end of your project.

Personally, I’m looking at another color combo, Universe 10-04 and Flax 09. The robin’s egg blue with a hint of aqua appeals to me, and I think it will look very striking with the black and metallic.

We have more projects in Universe to share with you in the coming weeks, including something very wintry. Hint: no two are alike.

Happy knitting!

September 25, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Crochet Coin Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Crochet Coin Scarf in Classic Shades Metallic.

Something for crocheters in a yarn that we love. Classic Shades Metallic (175yds/100g) is the same great base as our Classic Shades, but with a metallic thread wrapped around it for even more bling. Here’s the colorway used in the scarf, 604 Tahitian. It’s a magical shade.

Classic Shades Metallic works up at exactly the same gauge as our regular Classic Shades, so if bling’s not your thing, it’s a snap to swap.

The scarf is worked lengthwise, then the coin fringe is added after the main body is complete. We call for an adjustable ring for the center of the coin. If you haven’t tried an adjustable ring for making center-out circles, you owe it to yourself to give it a shot. CraftyDeb has a good photo tutorial, although nothing beats your local yarn shop for showing you how it’s done.

We hope you enjoy a wonderful weekend of yarn and relaxation.

Happy crafting!

September 5, 2015September 8, 2015

50 Garter Stitch Gifts Giveaway!

Labor Day weekend is the traditional start of Fall – a time when thoughts turn to warmer wools and holiday knitting. Fortunately, we’ve got just the thing to start you off with a bang!

We’re giving away a copy of the popular 50 Garter Stitch Gifts to Knit. All the patterns feature our Deluxe Worsted wool (220yds/100g), a favorite stash staple that comes in 120+ colors.

To fire your imagination, we’re including enough Deluxe Worsted to make the ZigZag Mosaic Scarf, a lengthwise-knit scarf that makes clever use of slipped stitches to create a mosaic effect.

To enter, just comment on this post and answer this question: what’s the longest a project has stayed unfinished in your WIP pile? I’ll start the ball rolling by saying that during a recent cleaning binge I conceded defeat and ripped out the baby blanket that I started… a couple of decades ago. That baby is long grown.

There are no wrong answers, and there’s no shame here. What there is, is a desire to jump start your holiday crafting, assuming you’re not already neck-deep in projects. Comment by Monday, Sept 21st for your chance to win. We’ll randomly select one entry to receive the prize.

Good luck – and happy knitting!

August 28, 2015August 28, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Happy Magic Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Happy Magic Scarf in Wisdom Yarns Pix.

This one has a special place in my heart, mainly because I designed it myself. It was my carry-along knitting everywhere, and it got compliments while still in progress at quite a few coffeehouses.

Chevrons are everywhere in knitting, and with good reason. It’s an easy way to give a lot of visual interest without memorizing a complicated stitch pattern. When I saw samples of our new Pix yarn, the lighbulb went off. The colorful print is a great choice for a pattern that zigs and zags.

Chevron Scarf 5 detail blog It’s true that with 75% superwash wool and 25% nylon, Pix is a bright and durable choice for socks, but there’s no reason to stop with just socks (although how great would this look as a pair of Jaywalkers?). This pattern is a very simple two-row repeat that shows off the somewhat “Fake Isle” printed quality of the stripes. I love that the color bands aren’t solid – a bit of other colors are mixed in to give the finished scarf a Bohemian quality.
This scarf only used 85 grams of a 100 gram ball. You could certainly lengthen or widen the scarf with no worries. Or keep thinking outside the box – I’m visualizing some chic sideways chevron wrist cuffs, maybe even with a tiny pocket to hold a key.

Hmm… where’d I put the rest of my Pix?

Happy knitting!

August 21, 2015August 20, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Fun Fringe Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Fun Fringe Scarf in Bamboo Pop.

Last week we featured Bamboo Pop knit, so this week we’re showing it in crochet. The scarf features double mesh crochet, a two-row repeat, for the length of the scarf. The finishing really makes the difference, though – the fun flowery fringe is just too adorable.

Bamboo Pop cotton/bamboo blend makes this a great warm weather piece.

We hope you enjoy this fun, kicky crochet piece.

Happy crafting!

May 15, 2015May 15, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Water Ski Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Water Ski Scarf in Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray.

We featured Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray not too long ago in the popular Color Block Scarves, but it’s so perfect for the season that we couldn’t resist sharing it again.

I love this yarn, and I love this scarf. The pattern is knitted flat (obviously) and both written and charted. Lace on US size 6 (4mm) needles goes quickly, and the tassels make this such a fun and kicky piece.

Cotton is great for summer, of course, and the pastel tones of Seaspray go great with the current bright trends. We put together a couple of fantasy outfits below that would look great with the scarf.

First, toss on a tank and your keds and you’re ready to go, no fuss no muss. You could use pretty much any pastel top and then just a pop of whatever color you’ve made your scarf in at the bottom to pull it together.

Next, dress it up a little! Neutral sandals keep it from being too matchy-matchy. You could even do a nice braided leather bracelet, although I do like the melony orange accent with the gold here. The purse and turquoise/blue earrings bring it together.

We hope you enjoy this free pattern, and that you always feel fabulous in your handmades wherever you go.

Happy knitting!

April 17, 2015April 17, 2015

Free Pattern Friday – Color Block Scarves

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Three Color Scarves in Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray.

It’s hard to believe that something so simple can look so stunning. We use the phrase “let the yarn do the work” a lot, but it’s very applicable here.

This is a very basic four row pattern consisting solely of knits, purls, and slipped stitches. It creates a pebbled texture – not quite a stockinette, not quite a garter stitch. A subtle pattern to match a subtly variegated yarn, Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray (230yds/100g).

This 100% cotton drapes beautifully. The DK weight means it’s light enough to work for warmer weather, and to wrap around with adding a lot of bulk.

This scarf was a delight to style on our mannequin (we call her Molly), to the point that I had to stop myself from finding more ways to wear this. Three coordinating colors brighten up any outfit – mix and match to suit your style.

Happily, each scarf only takes about 40 grams of each color – less than half a hank. So you could easily get two scarves out of your color choice. Above, we use 306 Storm, 305 Ink Blue, and302 Sun Lime. Below we use, 301 Carmine, 304 Blue Skies, and 302 Sun Lime.

Not only is this going into my queue, I’ll also be recommending this to the newer knitters I know. There’s nothing like an easy project that looks smashing to build confidence.

Happy knitting!

December 19, 2014

Free Pattern Friday – Totem Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Totem Scarf in Jubilation Kettle Dye Worsted.

I 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!

December 4, 2014December 4, 2014

Throwback Thursday – Knitted Motor Scarf

It’s Throwback Thursday!

TT Motor Scarf

Today, we’re throwing way back. A century back. Let’s look at the Knitted Motor Scarf from 1909.

I love to look at old craft magazines for inspiration. This week, I turned to a special Christmas edition of the December 1909 Woman’s Home Companion and decided to try one of their gift suggestions.

Womens Home Companion Dec 1909 Gifts — Hey, $1.75 for a pair of shoes is a really good deal.

The photos aren’t that great, what with it being near the dawn of the 20th century, so it’s hard to see exactly what’s the finished objects look like. But smack in the middle of the page is a picture of “A Knitted Motor Scarf for the Man With an Automobile.” Well, I know a man with an automobile, so that sounds like a winner to me.

First obstacle in the pattern: “made of motor silk in a medium shade of gray.” I have no idea what motor silk is, and for once Google has failed me. If any of you know what motor silk is, please write in. I’m dying to find out.

However, what I do have is Saki Bamboo (230yds/50g). This is a blend of superwash wool, nylon, and rayon from bamboo. The bamboo should provide a good silky sheen and the nylon will give the durability that my giftee will need when he’s out on the open road in his Model T. I’m always happy to have a chance to knit with Saki Bamboo – it’s very smooth and even, and has a medium gray (Color 211 Steel Grey) that should fit the bill nicely.

Second obstacle: “worked loosely with a pair of No. 12 steel knitting- needles, or for a tight knitter, a pair of fine bone knitting-needles.” Here, the internet does not fail me. Fibergypsy’s site says that No. 12 needles back then would translate to 2.25mm/US Size 1 needles today. Great, perfect for my Saki Bamboo! There’s no gauge given, but I decided to cast on and hope for the best.

So I started to knit. And knit. And knit. Actually, I’m quite enjoying this pattern, but… it’s 60 stitches wide on tiny needles. How the heck was someone receiving this magazine in winter supposed to obtain motor silk (?) and find time to knit this before Christmas? Don’t get me wrong, this is a good pattern, but given all the other knitting I have to do, I probably will not be polishing this off in the next 21 days.

Nonetheless, it’s rather elegant and quite easy! The dice pattern is fully reversible, an excellent choice for a scarf. So we’ve written it up in modern terms and shared it, along with the original version. Please enjoy the Knitted Motor Scarf by Helen Marvin from the December 1909 Woman’s Home Companion. The magazine was originally 15 cents, but the pattern is free to you.

Happy knitting!

December 3, 2014

Holiday Helper – December is here!

How’s the holiday knitting going? I’m doing better than expected – I found this glittering little gem on our shelves here yesterday and am happily knitting a quick one-ball scarf. The yarn is Classic Shades Metallic (175yds/100g) and the color is 607 Zenith. When I saw the red and green accented by silver, I knew it would make the perfect holiday project. This scarf couldn’t be any more Christmasy unless Santa Claus himself knitted it using two candy canes.

The pattern is a scaled-down version of this free three-ball Classic Shades Shawl pattern by Olga Tonjes. She also provides instructions for working just one section (as I’m doing in the picture above), making this a great project to adapt if you’re really backed up on your holiday knitting.

Classic Shades Metallic is interchangeable with customer favorite Classic Shades, but with an extra strand of glitter running through it, making it perfect for gifts that you really want to stand out.

I’ve got another couple of balls of Classic Shades Metallic sitting beside me right now – this scarf is going quickly, and I’ll definitely have time to knock out another gift. This time, I think I’ll work up the Longways Linen Scarf. On size 9 needles with a basic two row pattern repeat, it ought to go quickly. I’ll make it through the holidays yet!

Here’s hoping your days are merry and bright. Happy knitting!