Hello there, fellow crafters! Do we have a treat for you today! We are starting off our Free Pattern Friday lineup for the month of December with a previously paid pattern that will now be free forever. Enjoy the Keepsake Cover as a special gift from us to you.
Looking for your next cozy crafting adventure? The Keepsake Cover is the perfect project to brighten your home and sharpen your knitting skills! Designed to showcase bold geometric patterns and vibrant color blocks, this blanket combines style, comfort, and practicality. Made with Uptown Worsted, it’s a joy to create and a dream to snuggle under.
This blanket makes a statement with its alternating stripes and intricate diamond motifs. The geometric patterns create depth and texture, while the color blocking adds a modern, playful touch. It’s versatile enough to complement any space, whether you’re going for a bright and striking look or a more subdued, elegant vibe.
Uptown Worsted is a premium anti-pilling acrylic yarn known for its softness, durability, and dynamic colors. Whether you’re crafting a gift or adding a handmade touch to your home, this yarn guarantees long-lasting beauty without fuzz or pilling. Plus, it’s machine washable, making it perfect for a blanket that will get plenty of love and use.
Enjoy 20% off this yarn now through Sunday, December 8th. Grab your knitting needles, select your favorite colors of Uptown Worsted, and get started on your masterpiece!
As the leaves are changing and a crispness fills the air, we begin to think about cozy sweaters, warm accessories, and soft scarves. Fall not only brings a beautiful transformation to our surroundings but also offers a wonderful opportunity to update our wardrobes with rich textures, colors and an AWESOME time to introduce our Uptown Family Collection! The Form and Function Collection has six patterns to knit and crochet across the Uptown line.
Arcade designed by Andi Javori
Perfect pairing to a night out, the Arcade wrap is a must have for a boat ride or a date night. Whether draped casually over a outfit or elegantly layered over a dress for an evening out, it can enhance your look while keeping you cozy. The versatility of this accessory allows it to be styled in various ways, making it a must-have in any wardrobe for that extra flair.
The combination of a reversible knit-purl texture paired with columns of pretty little cables makes this piece aesthetically interesting and entertaining to knit.
Experience the versatility of Arcade, shown in the stunning Uptown Bamboo DK, in color 536 Mist. With 38 vibrant colors to choose from, it’s the perfect opportunity to unleash your imagination and bring your projects to life!
Blueprint designed by Ashley Jane McIntyre
Picture yourself nestled by the crackling fireplace, the soft glow of the flames dancing in the room, wearing a cardigan as serene as the scene. All of that is possible with the adored Blueprint . The gradient blues of this cardigan beautifully evoke the tranquility of a serene winter sky, making it not only visually appealing but also an ideal choice for the colder seasons. Wrap yourself in this cozy piece that combines style and warmth effortlessly.
The standout feature of this cardigan is the intricate flower-inspired motif gracefully adorning the back. Skillfully crafted crocheted colorwork with this striking design element in contrasting silver adds a stunning visual impact that enhances the overall allure of the piece.
Stay cozy and stylish this cold season with the Blueprint cardigan. This colorwork crochet cardigan features a structured fit that ensures comfort, while ribbed detailing along the hem and cuffs adds a touch of casual elegance. Shown the beautiful Uptown DK Multi color 206 Mist and Uptown DK colors 118 Lolite and 125 Silver, this cardigan is designed to enhance any winter wardrobe.
Galleria designed by Rachel Brockman
The Galleria poncho is a contemporary staple, ideal for elevating your winter wardrobe. With its chic design and versatile silhouette, it effortlessly combines warmth and style, making it the perfect addition to any outfit. Whether layered over a cozy sweater or dressed up for a night out, the Galleria poncho offers a fashionable solution to keep you snug and sophisticated during the colder months.
The design incorporates large cables and intricate textures, creating an enjoyable knitting experience. It promotes a rewarding creative journey, enhances visual appeal, and offers a stimulating challenge for knitters of all skill levels.
The Galleria poncho is a statement piece that enhances your wardrobe, featuring a reversible funnel neck that can be styled cuffed or uncuffed. Made from soft, drapey anti-pilling Uptown Worsted yarn shown in color 375 Antique Rose, it showcases a subtle sheen that brings out the textures beautifully.
Juxtaposition designed by Universal Yarn Design Team
This is the statement throw your sofa needs! Juxtaposition is a gorgeous color-blocked throw suitable for knitters of all skill levels. It is worked by creating two panels. Each panel features a streamlined stockinette stitch section and a textured checkers pattern that adds depth to the finished piece. After knitting the two panels, you’ll seam them together and then work the garter stitch edging. This would be a great project to work on over the holiday season and have ready in time for snuggly winter evenings!
If you want to knit a statement outfit topper, Promenade is just the piece for you. This ruana features a stand-out cable that dresses the center back of the piece, and a clever tab for styling the front. The self-shading colors in our Uptown Worsted Hues yarn add depth to the overall piece, with soft colors transitioning from one to the next as you knit. The reverse stockinette stitch texture provides a classic feel for the body of the ruana and allows the cable to pop in the center.
Promenade is the perfect accessory for transitional weather. It will keep you warm in the chilly morning and evening air while allowing for multiple ways to wear as the day warms up. Whether you’re headed to work in the office, or on a night out with friends, this ruana will keep you cozy and feeling fabulous.
Promenade enhances any wardrobe with its unique charm and refined quality. Meticulously crafted from Uptown Worsted Hues, and shown in color 3305 Pink Sand, this piece showcases the stunning variety and richness of color that this premium yarn offers.
Vista designed by Andi Javori
Do you love knitting pullovers? We have your next favorite pattern! Vista is a sophisticated sweater knit using super soft Uptown DK. Raglan sleeve shaping provides an excellent fit and polished feel while the directional mock cable pattern on the body offers plenty of visual interest for the finished piece.
Vista is knit from the bottom up in pieces and seamed. If you’re hesitant about knitting a seamed sweater, we encourage you to try! Seams provide structure and strength to the finished piece, ensuring you will love wearing your handmade sweater for years to come.
Vista is an essential addition to your wardrobe, expertly crafted with our luxurious Uptown DK yarn shown in the color 135 Desert Rose. With over 50 colors to choose from, you’ll find the perfect one for your wardrobe!
Limited Time Offer: Save 20% on the Uptown Line!
Now through Sunday, November 10th, enjoy 20% off the entire Uptown Line, including Uptown Bamboo DK, Uptown DK , Uptown DK Multi , Uptown Worsted, and Uptown Worsted Hues! This is the perfect opportunity to stock up on your favorite yarn and discover modern designs for every skill level. Don’t miss out on this chance to elevate your crafting projects and unleash your imagination! Uptown
We love seeing Universal Yarn featured in the spotlight! Three designs using your favorite yarns from our brand are available and we’re so excited to show them off. The Coral Canopy Cardigan (right), designed by Nazanin S Ford, using Uni Merino, the Sunny Bloom Blanket (middle), designed by Willow Crochet, using Uptown Worsted, and the Lattice Cloche Hat, designed by Sheila Pfeiffer, using Bamboo Pop. Let’s learn more about these gorgeous patterns!
Featured in “I Like Crochet” Magazine’s April 2024 issue, the Coral Canopy Cardigan is stunning! This piece is perfect for spring, with a breathtaking leaves pattern, a v-neckline, and three-quarter length sleeves. The soft, superwash merino wool and nylon blend of Uni Merino will make this cardigan a summer staple, whether you’re at the beach or relaxing at home!
Next, we’ll look at Willow Crochet’s beautiful Sunny Bloom Blanket! Using stash staple Uptown Worsted, this homeware is full of color and is as soft as can be with 100% anti-pilling acrylic fibers. This graphgan uses seven hues of Uptown Worsted, so you can practice transitioning colors like never before. To get this pattern for free, visit Knitty!
The Lattice Cloche Hat is available on Ravelry using customer-favorite Bamboo Pop! An engaging slip-stitch technique creates a lovely lattice overlay effect that will have you receiving compliments left and right. Bamboo Pop’s color palette is vast, so you can choose the hues that best match your personality and make a hat for you and a friend!
We hope you enjoyed hearing about these exciting designs! We invite you to share all of your projects with us by tagging us @universal_yarn on Instagram. Stay tuned for next month’s publication spotlight!
Winter is the season of magic and mystery. The cold weather is a shock to the senses, and beautiful snowfall is one of nature’s quiet little miracles. For yarn crafters, it is a season full of project inspiration. From cozy sweaters, to snuggly scarves, winter calls us to create.
At Universal Yarn, we offer an expansive line of yarns suited to all types of yarn crafters. The patterns we release are primarily for knitters and crocheters, but we celebrate all fiber arts. Occasionally, we work with indie designers, fiber artists, and social media influencers to create unique projects using our yarns to help inspire our customers. This winter, I wanted to commission a creative project and blog post featuring a yarn craft that is resurging in popularity: locker and latch hooking. We worked with a local artist, April Lee, for this project.
Our Winter Wonderland wall hanging, made by April Lee.
April Lee is a custom fiber artist based out of Charlotte, NC, and has been a lover of fiber arts since she was 15 years old. During the pandemic, April tried out the locker hooking craft, and the rest was history. In 2021, she launched Latched By Lee, LLC, which is a custom fiber art business specializing in one-of-a-kind art pieces using various textiles. Every item is handmade using latch and locker hooking techniques. Here is what April had to say about locker and latch hooking.
‘Locker hooking is a technique that uses a tool with a crochet hook on one end, and a needle eye on the other. It creates loops of yarn that are pulled through the backing of a mesh canvas to create a design. The loops are locked into place using the yarn that is threaded through the needle eye. Locker hooking originated in England in the 19th century, and at that time was primarily used to make rugs. Stripes of fabric that were no longer suitable to use for clothing were used to create floor mats, rugs, and quilts. Since then, locker hooking has expanded greatly. You can create wall hangings, bracelets, baskets, purses, chair cushions, pillows, and much more! I love exploring all of the different things I can create using the locker hooking technique.’
Cliffs Of Moher was used to make the trees and candy canes, while Bella Chenille was used for the snow, and Uptown Worsted was used for the background.
We asked April to create a wall hanging art piece inspired by the idea of a winter wonderland. April chose a variety of our yarns to use for this project, and I have to say I was SO intrigued to see how all of these different fibers would work together in the piece. Here is what April had to say about some of the yarns that were used.
‘I thoroughly enjoyed using the various types of yarns from Universal Yarn to create this project. Bella Chenille’s polyester fibers are the perfect fit to create a fluffy and realistic looking snow texture. The Cliffs Of Moher yarn from Yarn Vibes was one of my favorites because the wool created tight loops that gives a different feel on the canvas. A helpful tip while locker looking is to double up thinner yarns to make the loops more secure, and it also helps to close any gaps on the canvas.
I loved April’s choice to add some sparkle to this piece with the rhinestones and beads. Winter is the season of sparkle!
Deluxe Bulky Superwash was very smooth, making for a great transition when locking loops in place. I used the Rico Design Soft Merino Aran virgin wool yarn to create the snowcapped mountains. Terrain was essential to this project because it added layers and dimension to the piece. For the background, I used Uptown Worsted in Royal Blue, and it did not disappoint. The blue allows for the other colors to shine and gives the true winter wonderland appearance. I appreciated the tightly woven Ricorumi yarn because I used it as the locking yarn (the yarn through the needle eye) to help secure the loops in place. Finally, I added a few beads and rhinestones for embellishments to give a ‘pop’ to the piece, because what is a winter wonderland without some sparkle?
You can really tell how the different yarns create a unique texture with the locker hooking technique. Cliffs Of Moher is 100% wool and makes tighter loops than the acrylic fibers of Uptown Worsted do.
Overall, I really enjoyed creating this piece and exploring the different textures of the yarn. Universal Yarn has quality yarn that can be used for many different yarn crafts.’
This picture shows the piece along with some of the different yarns that April chose to use!
To get started with locker hooking, April recommends some materials that you will need: a latch hook mesh canvas with 3.75″ squares, a locker hooking tool, the yarn of your choice, and of course, your creativity! If you are local to the Charlotte area, April offers classes and workshops throughout the year. Her next class will be in March 2024 at the Craft Fest hosted by Petty Thieves Brewing. You can find out more about April’s work on her website www.latchedbylee.com and be sure to follow her on Instagram @latchedxlee .
I hope that this post has given you some winter wonder-ful inspiration to try something new. This could be a great hobby to explore in between large knitting or crochet projects, and to use up some of your stash yarns! Learning a new craft can also be a fun way to beat the cold weather blues. Wishing you all a fabulous 2024!
It’s Flash Pattern Friday and we have a treat for you! A very special holiday pattern – Coco.
Coco is from Series 4 of our 12 Days of Winter collections and is available as a kit at this link. This adorable stuffed toy would make the perfect gift for any little one. Coco features contrast-colored paws and the cutest little embroidered face. The fun doesn’t stop there, Coco’s fashion-forward striped accessories are designed to be removable for versatility.
Coco is knit using Uptown Worsted, our best-selling 100% anti-pilling acrylic yarn. This machine-washable yarn is an excellent option for any item that is sure to get a lot of love. It glides smoothly over your needles and is a delight to work with. Plus, the yarn takes color like a dream, giving Coco’s accessories the perfect saturation.
To get Coco for free, use the “buy it now” or “add to cart” links on the Ravelry pattern page. Once the pattern is in your cart, enter the coupon code “FLASH” where you see the “use coupon code” link that appears during purchase. This offer is valid through Sunday, December 10th!
As an added bonus, Uptown Worsted is buy three, get one free through Sunday, December 10th! That means 25% off! With a wide variety of rich and vibrant hues available, this is the perfect opportunity to stock up on your stash of this beloved yarn. For project inspiration, check out our collection of free patterns featuring Uptown Worsted at this link.
The New England region is an iconic place to live or visit on your travels. With beautiful scenery and delicious food, this small cluster of states has a lot to offer, including yarn! For our local yarn shop October feature, take a virtual trip with us to Windsor, Connecticut, where you will find Ewe & You Fiber Arts! This yarn shop is owned and operated by Rachel Schuster. With its fifth anniversary passing in September, it’s the perfect time to learn more about Ewe & You Fiber Arts and the story behind this sensational store!
When Rachel Schuster began learning to crochet in college from a friend, who would’ve guessed that years later, she would open a yarn shop herself. After college, Rachel married an Army officer and had the opportunity to live in many different places, including Seoul, South Korea. Eventually, she and her husband made their way to Hartford, CT. The local yarn shop in Hartford was about to close, so Rachel decided to open Ewe & You Fiber Arts. After writing a business plan and receiving funding, her shop officially debuted in September 2018!
On the shelves of Ewe & You Fiber Arts, you can find many yarns from Universal Yarn, including staples like Uptown Worsted and Bamboo Pop! Rachel shares that our collection of Uptown yarns is a favorite at her shop, and it’s clear to see why. This line of anti-pilling acrylic yarns features a robust palette and has excellent stitch definition. Their affordability and easy care make it perfect for beginners, and it looks beautiful in all projects, from baby blankets to adult sweaters. One of our new releases, Uptown Bamboo DK, can be found on the shelves of Ewe & You Fiber Arts, and we suggest you try it out! The gorgeous drape of this yarn would look incredible in a scarf or blanket for the upcoming winter season.
With so many yarns to choose from, it’s obvious why so many flock to Ewe & You to get their fibers. With all these customers, Rachel has built a supportive and encouraging fiber arts community. We often hear shop owners say that community is the most rewarding part of their job; there’s nothing like seeing one of your regular customers show off a newly finished project.
Additionally, this shop has many opportunities for knitters and crocheters to grow their skills. Plenty of beginner-friendly classes are available at Ewe & You Fiber Arts; for more information, visit their website at this link. Rachel has also offered knit-alongs and crochet-alongs for her community to engage with each other, and we love to see that!
We are so thrilled at the opportunity to learn more about Ewe & You Fiber Arts and owner Rachel Schuster. Her shop will have a brand-new online shopping experience shortly; until then, follow Ewe & You Fiber Arts on Instagram and Facebook to stay updated!
Our featured yarn shop of September is close to home, just over twenty miles from our headquarters! Nestled in the Dilworth neighborhood close to the big city lights of uptown, you will find Charlotte Yarn. This beautiful shop, owned and operated by Remi Haygood, is the city’s longest-tenured yarn store. Let’s learn more about Charlotte Yarn and all they have to offer!
Charlotte Yarn opened in 2005 when Remi, determined to start her own business, finally got the opportunity to. Through her hard work and dedication, she is proud to own the oldest yarn shop in Charlotte, NC.
As we’ve heard since starting our “Meet a Local Yarn Shop” series, owning a yarn store is anything but easy. Remi said her biggest challenge was “being a single mom and balancing work with raising her daughter.” But plenty of joys come along the way, too. With a community of fiber artists in the Charlotte area looking for a yarn shop to call home, Remi has been able to provide that, which is truly incredible. Seeing a group of crafters show off their finished objects and become such a close-knit family (pun intended) makes it all worthwhile.
Let’s get to the fibers! Remi carries many of our yarns in her store but names Cotton Supreme and Uptown Worsted as the favorites. These yarns are perfect for baby projects, sweaters, and blankets, making them popular choices for projects at many local yarn shops. Remi also noted that her customers love working with fingering-weight merino wool yarns for cold-weather-creations.
We have loved working with Remi and her store throughout the years and are pleased to hear her feedback for our team. “Everyone that works there is a great representation of the company. They truly care about their customers and supporting their quality yarn.” We appreciate Remi and her kind words!
Charlotte Yarn has many classes to support the fiber artists in their community. We love to see beginner crocheting and knitting classes available, as well as more targeted lessons like “Cable Fingerless Gloves” and “Christmas Tree Washcloth” on their website. Additionally, there are some more advanced options like “Fern and Feather Sweater” and a “Tunisian Crochet Washcloth” class. If this is the first you are hearing about Charlotte Yarn, we encourage you to follow them on Instagram today!
We are so honored to learn more about Remi and her store, Charlotte Yarn! Join us in October for our next local yarn shop feature.
From a sandwich board full of inspirational quotes to a shop full of friendly fibers, say hello to Darn Knit Anyway! We are very excited about this month’s local yarn shop feature, and you should be too! Located in Stillwater, MN, this incredible shop is just minutes from the Wisconsin border and Minnesota’s largest city, Minneapolis. Let’s learn more about Aimee and her sensational store!
Beautiful entrance to Darn Knit Anyway
Aimee Pelletier owns Darn Knit Anyway, but that wasn’t always the case. Commercial interior design was her previous occupation, but all it took was a drive by a storefront available for leasing, and everything changed. Four months later, her yarn shop opened up and has been operating for fourteen years!
Below you will see the Maker’s Lounge, a space that Aimee created in 2022 just for her customers. This space is open whenever the shop is open and is a great way that Darn Knit Anyway is fostering a community around their shop.
The Maker’s Lounge, created in 2022
We all know Minnesota is known for very cold winters, so it came as no surprise to us to hear that some of the most popular yarns at Darn Knit Anyway are our warm and cozy offerings! As seen below, shop owner Aimee is holding a woolly gnome created with super bulky Be Wool. Plus, who can forget Uptown Worsted! This versatile yarn is on the shelves of many of our shops across the country, including Darn Knit Anyway!
Gnome being held by Aimee, using Be WoolUptown Worsted is on the shelves of Darn Knit Anyway
Kits are another hot commodity at Darn Knit Anyway, especially the Easy Does It Winter, featuring Creative Melange Chunky from Rico Design. This soft yarn is self-shading, so the beautiful colors will come to life as you knit!
We are so happy to see Aimee’s shop stocked with our yarns, and we love to see their exciting content on their Instagram!
Easy Does It Winter Kit in Creative Melange ChunkyBeautiful hat knit in Be Wool Multis
If you’re looking for a shop full of fun activities, Darn Knit Anyway is definitely for you! From monthly stitch socials to weekend retreats, you can find all types of fiber art happenings at her store.
Additionally, this shop offers classes for beginner knitters and crocheters, allowing anyone to grow their skillset. Last but not least, Darn Knit Anyway offers an Epic Sweater Camp!! It is three days of fun that is in person and virtual. Join them in 2024 for their 4th year of camp.
We are so grateful for the opportunity to learn about Aimee’s incredible store. To find out more about Darn Knit Anyway or shop online, please visit their website!
Stay tuned for more local yarn shop features each month!
There’s nothing our pets love more than a treat, and this Free Pattern Friday, we have one just for your furry friend(s). The Best Bandana, designed by Ashley Jane McIntyre, features our staple Uptown Worsted yarn crocheted in two bright neon color options. Let’s take a closer look at this week’s free pattern!
The Best Bandana comes in sizes small and large, so you can make this for any pup in your life. This accessory is worked flat from the top down, starting with a magic circle. Once you have crocheted your magic circle, you will begin working row by row until you have a bandana you feel will fit your dog perfectly. To finish this piece, you will create a strap along with a 5-chain loop that will allow you to securely tie the bandana to your dog’s neck, just like a collar.
There are many reasons to love this project, including the fact that you will need just one skein of Uptown Worsted! This weekend, you can save 20% off with your purchase of this yarn, so if you have multiple dogs at home, you can make several for an affordable price. Uptown Worsted has a vast color palette and features machine-washable 100% anti-pilling acrylic, making it an excellent option for a pet project.
We hope you will enjoy this wonderful crochet project, and don’t forget to share all your finished creations with us on social media!
There’s so much to love about the Pacific Northwest. From the Space Needle of Seattle, Washington, to the breathtaking Crater Lake National Park in Oregon, this area is full of adventure. Sometimes, we even find an adventure in a place we may not expect to find it. Burien, Washington, to be exact. Home of B Town Yarn, the next store in our “Meet a Local Yarn Shop” series! We got to interview store owner Arlinda Garcia to learn more about her beautiful store.
Walk on in to B Town Yarn and say hello!
At the end of 2019, Arlinda saw a “For Sale” sign on the door of a local yarn shop. She decided to buy it and shortly after opened B Town Yarn. As we all know, the Covid-19 pandemic changed all of our lives and brought a lot of uncertainty to Arlinda’s future as a new business owner. Thankfully, she had a loyal customer base already shopping in her store from the previous shop owner. With the help of her partner, she was able to get a high-functioning online store up and running during the months of lockdown in 2020.
Although Burien, Washington, is a small town, plenty is going on for people that love to craft! B Town Yarn participates in yarn crawls like the Pacific Northwest Yarn Crawl and offers classes and knit nights for their weekly customers. Check out their Instagram page to see more pictures of the shop and what’s inside.
When you open the front door of B Town Yarn, you can expect to be greeted by shelves full of yarn and staff members ready to help you have an incredible experience. This store is full of all different types of yarn, including the fibers we know and love (we’re looking at you, wool). Let’s peek our heads inside and see what yarns from Universal Yarn call B Town Yarn their home!
A shelf full of Cobblestone in B Town Yarn!
Cobblestone is one of the favorites at B Town Yarn, and that should be no surprise. This yarn is 100% superwash merino wool and features a gorgeous two-ply design. With one ply being a solid color and the other being variegated colors, it works up to create colorful garments and accessories. Arlinda mentions that wool is a popular commodity at her store, as many customers will use it throughout the year to create garments and accessories.
A beautiful top in our Cotton Supreme yarn!
Another favorite at B Town Yarn is our Cotton Supreme yarn. Since Burien has mild winters, cotton garments and accessories can be worn throughout the year and not leave you too cold. Our Cotton Supreme yarn has a 100% cotton base that is excellent for knit and crochet projects.
Uptown Worsted in the color 306 Pumpkin
Some of the most popular customer projects at B Town Yarn include hats, shawls, and blankets. One of the best yarns you can find for any type of blanket is our Uptown Worsted yarn, which can be found on the shelves of B Town Yarn. This 100% acrylic yarn features a wide array of colors and makes for easy-care blankets.
One of the keys to running a local yarn store is figuring out what your customers like, and it seems like Arlinda has gotten that well under control. Plus, if her store doesn’t have the exact color a customer is looking for in any yarn from Universal Yarn, drop shipping is available to ensure the customer gets the color they are looking for while still supporting the store.
B Town Yarn celebrating their third anniversary
We are so grateful for the opportunity to interview Arlinda, and learn more about B Town Yarn. If you are a local yarn shop interested in being featured by Universal Yarn, please reach out to rferrel@universalyarn.com to learn more.
