Free Pattern Friday – Scallop Placemats and Coasters

Photo of the Scallop Placemats and Coasters with text to the right saying "Free Pattern Friday - Scallop Placemats and Coasters"

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!

Thanks for stopping by!
Robert

Free Pattern Friday – Split Back Tee

Fridays are often filled with fun and excitement, and we know the main reason why: Free Pattern Friday! Today’s free pattern is the Split Back Tee in our Filly yarn.

The Split Back Tee in Filly color 102 Kite

Designed by Rachel Brockman, the Split Back Tee is cool and cute, perfect for summer days. With an all over textured pattern, this top is a great choice for knitters of all skill levels. I’m a big fan of knitting patterns that are relaxing and easy to work on while you watch television or spend time with friends. This tee is exactly that. Once you’ve memorized the stitch pattern, everything else is smooth sailing!

The split back design is perfect for showing off a fun layering piece underneath, and gives the overall piece a modern silhouette. Don’t fret about the construction, it is easier than you think! You’ll start by knitting the individual front and two back pieces, then after seaming the shoulders, you’ll overlap the back pieces per the pattern instructions, and finish up by creating the sleeves and neck band! This tee would be a wonderful pattern choice for someone who is working on getting comfortable with different types of construction elements in knit garments.

Split Back Tee in Filly color 102 Kite

Our Filly yarn is a unique blend of 46% cotton, 33% superwash merino, 12% polyamide, and 9% pbt. Although this is a yarn that was designed with socks in mind, the fiber content makes it an excellent choice for garments and accessories too!

Self-shading yarns like Filly are perfect for simple silhouettes and stitch patterns. The yarn does the colorwork for you, so you can focus on the knitting! Wear the Split Back Tee on your next vacation, or just out to lunch with your fiber friends.

Which color of Filly would you use to make the Split Back Tee? I think I’d choose 101 Bloom.

Don’t forget to share your projects with us on social media! Use our hashtag #universalyarn on Instagram so that we can see and share your work!

Happy Crafting,

Aubrey

Free Pattern Friday – Zesty Tank

The first Friday of June has arrived, and we have the perfect summer garment for you today! The Zesty Tank, designed by Rachel Brockman, is now available to download for free on our website. Using our thrilling Zesty Sock yarn, this beautiful tank top is full of fun colors that will come to life as you knit!

The Zesty Tank features simple twisted stitches that create a textured cable rib pattern throughout the garment. The tank is knit seamlessly in the round from the bottom up, and the front and back are separated at the underarms and worked flat. The silhouette of this garment is contemporary, and the lightweight fibers of our Zesty Sock yarn have gorgeous zips of color in each skein to give this garment a unique look.

The pattern offers inclusive sizing of Extra Small through 5X, and all that’s left is to pick your favorite shade of Zesty Sock and get started! Each color option of Zesty Sock has different shades of zips throughout – so you can customize this garment to your liking. Try out color 106 Iceberg if you are a fan of beautiful blues, or try 102 Sunset for warm summer shades. Check out the picture below, which shows all six colors of this exciting yarn!

Friday, June 2nd through Sunday, June 4th, you can save 20% off Zesty Sock! This yarn is a super fine-weight blend of superwash merino wool and nylon, giving it a soft and springy feel, perfect for socks, garments, and accessories. We have four free patterns already available in Zesty Sock – so you can stock up this weekend and add a couple of new patterns to your queue!

Thanks for stopping by!

Robert

Flash Pattern Friday – Gradiate Tank

Photo of a person wearing the Gradiate Tank with the text "Flash Pattern Friday - Gradiate Tank knit in Flax" to the right.

Can you believe the final Friday of May is upon us? It feels like just yesterday we were turning the calendar to 2023… Today we have an exciting Flash Pattern Friday and the start of our Start of Summer Sale! The Gradiate Tank, designed by Amy Gunderson, is free from May 26th to May 28th with the use of the code: FLASH on Ravelry. Let’s learn more about this beautiful top!

Warm weather calls for an enticing summer project, and that’s just what the Gradiate Tank is. Using our 100% linen Flax yarn, this garment will be a staple for summer days on the beach, at the park, or a night out with friends. Grab your knitting needles and your four favorite colors of Flax to get started!

This project uses a variety of engaging stitches to create a stunning lacy hemline, and with a swingy A-line shape, you can wear the Gradiate Tank with just about anything in your closet. Above, you can see two different color samples of this garment, but with Flax, there are many colors to choose from, so you can make just what you desire!

Head to Ravelry and click “add to cart” or “buy it now” to get to checkout. Once in checkout, click the “use a coupon code” hyperlink and enter the code “FLASH” and click “apply” and your discount will be added!

As mentioned in the opening paragraph, our Start of Summer Sale is here! We have a couple of exciting offers we want to share with you. Friday, May 26th through Monday, May 29th, when you buy two regular-priced yarns, you will get a third yarn of your choice for free (you must add three skeins of yarn to qualify – lesser or equal value deducted at checkout). Plus, continental USA orders of $25 or more before tax will receive free shipping during this sale – shop today and save!

This an excellent time to stock up on regular-priced Flax so you can knit your Gradiate Tank today!

Thanks for stopping by!

Robert

Free Pattern Friday – Blur

Photo of a person holding out the Blur shawl with the text "Free Pattern Friday - Blue knit in Bamboo Pop" to the right of the photo

May seems to be flying by, so there’s no better time to introduce Blur, our Free Pattern Friday for today. Designed by Rachel Brockman, this beautifully simple shawl uses Bamboo Pop in multi and solid color options. Let’s look at the pattern details so we can get you on your way to your next project!

Photo of a person holding the Blur shawl with green plants in the background

The sample shown uses colors 112 Black (solid) and 225 Geode (multi) in a color-blocked design. The entirety of this shawl uses simple garter stitch so you can focus on the construction of this pattern. You will start by increasing from two stitches with the color of your choice. Once you reach the center, you will change colors and then decrease to complete the shawl.

Bamboo Pop is a summery blend of 50% bamboo and 50% cotton, with excellent drape for garments and accessories. If you’re not a fan of the colors used, don’t worry. Bamboo Pop has 42 solid colors and 19 multis to choose from, so you can make the accessory of your dreams!

This weekend with your purchase of Bamboo Pop, you will get 20% off your order. This yarn is widely versatile and perfect for garments and accessories. It’s machine washable and easy to care for, so baby projects are a fantastic idea with Bamboo Pop. Shop today!

Thanks for stopping by!

Robert

Flash Pattern Friday – Wylie

The final Friday of March is upon us, meaning today, we will make a previously paid-for pattern free for the weekend. With warmer weather approaching, we decided to feature the Wylie tee for Flash Pattern Friday, designed by Aubrey Busek, and knit with our Cotton Supreme yarn. Let’s learn more about this exciting piece!

The Wylie tee is one of the many patterns first introduced in our Seaside Supreme collection in the Spring of 2021. Reverse stockinette stitch is used throughout the body, with a textured checkerboard motif along the front and back in the center. The reverse stockinette stitch allows the knit and purl stitches of the checkerboard to stand out even more, creating a garment you will cherish for years to come.

The body and the trim use a coordinating color, and with 45 different colors to choose from, you can customize it to your liking. This 100% cotton yarn is buttery soft, making it the perfect option for garments like the Wylie tee. The breathability of the cotton fibers will allow you to wear this piece throughout the summer’s hottest months and into fall. This weekend only – save 20% off our Cotton Supreme yarn, so what are you waiting for?

To get Wylie for free, please head to Ravelry and search for the pattern. Next, you will want to select the “buy it now” option to add it to your cart. Once added to your cart, you will add a coupon code to get the pattern for free. At checkout, enter the code “FLASH” to get this pattern. This offer is valid through Sunday, April 2nd!

Don’t forget to shop Cotton Supreme this weekend, and make sure to share all your finished projects with us on social media by using #universalyarn!

Thanks for stopping by!

Robert

Dreamy Yarns for Midsummer

As knitters and crocheters, we sometimes overlook the summer stitching season or wish away the heat in favor of sweater weather. Of course, that’s understandable considering we all spend so much time lovingly making sweaters, hats, shawls, and other cozy projects. But we don’t need to wish away the long, sunny days. We can beat the sweltering heat by choosing yarns perfect for the height of summer. So, although back-to-school is around the corner and fall will come in the blink of an eye, I still want to celebrate our staff picks for our favorite summer yarns.

Aubrey

“My favorite summer yarn is going to be a classic: Cotton Supreme. 100% cotton that is buttery soft means that anything you make is going to be comfortable to wear when the days are hot. And we all know how hot it gets here in the south! The matte look of this yarn makes it perfect for any project, dress it up or dress it down, and the extensive color palette offers so many options. I’ve wanted to design a knit dress, and this could be the perfect summer option.

Ashley Jane (AJ)

“My favorite summer yarn is Truva. The marled and heathered look is so unique and its cotton/cashmere blend is soft and lightweight to work with.  I love the idea that even a simple summer garment, like a tank, will undoubtedly turn out looking and feeling luxurious. I also can’t get over the colors! There may only be eight to choose from, but I still can’t pin down a favorite. Each one has a little something special to it that keeps me falling in love over and over again.”

Heather

“This may be an obvious choice since *everybody* loves this yarn, but I think my favorite warm weather yarn is Bamboo Pop. It’s so cool and smooth! Of the projects that I’ve made in this yarn, my personal favorite is the Maya Scarf. I’m friends with designer Amy Gunderson, and she was kind enough to help me pick out some good cool tones. It was an easy pattern to get into the rhythm of, and the yarn was so refreshing to knit with. I love the drape of the plant fibers and the sheen that the bamboo gives my projects! It’s easy to see why Bamboo Pop is so popular.”

Yonca

“Mine is Flax. With the perfect color palette from brights to pastels – Flax gives me lots of color options. I love the crisp sense of it while  I am working with it and love the fact that it will get softer over time. It is perfect for keeping me cool during hot Carolina summers while still looking sharp. I am hoping to knit another summer top with it this summer. “

Rachel

One of my favorite things about Universal Yarn is the strong lineup of summer options. We honestly have such an amazing range of yarns perfect for warmer climates in a variety of fabulous fibers. It’s so challenging to choose a favorite – but since I asked everyone else to choose, I must also choose! My favorite summer yarn has to be Magnolia. This blend of modal and cashmere is one of the loveliest yarns I’ve had the pleasure of working with. It’s silky smooth, lightweight, and has perhaps the best drape of any yarn out there. I really mean that! The color palette is so juicy and fresh – with excellent options for neutrals. For a splash of color, don’t miss our gorgeous Sunkissed Summer collection!

And there you have it, folks, our favorite summer yarns! I hope you’ve enjoyed hearing a little bit about what makes each of these yarns special to us, and why we love working with them. What are your favorite summer yarns? Let us know in the comments!

Happy Crafting!

-Rachel

Free Pattern Friday – Becca Tank

It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Becca Tank in Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray (pattern link here). If you’re looking for a cool summer tank, this is it. Lightweight, ultra-soft, and with just the right amount of color, this seamless top is as fun to knit as it is to wear.
Young adult female wearing a tank top knit from Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray
We love the misty effect of Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray. White and beautiful colors are dappled against one another. In this top, skeins are alternated to create subtle stripes.
Young adult female wearing a tank knit from Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray.
The Becca Tank features I-cord straps that make the armhole depth completely adjustable. Plus, it looks great on its own or layered over another tank. The best part: this is a pretty fast knit! You’ll have plenty of time to both knit and wear this top before the warm weather disappears.
Back view of a tank top knit in Cotton Supreme DK Seaspray
We hope you love this week’s free pattern. Happy crafting!