Uptown – Page 2 – Universal Yarn Creative Network

September 14, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Taku Throw

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Taku Throw in the Uptown Worsted family (pattern link).

Is today a good day to huddle under a beautiful throw? Well, for those of us in the southeastern U.S., yes. Yes it is. Here’s Katie, our Customer Service Lead, testing the current wind speed with the Polygon Shawl in Whisper Lace.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bntiodjnqgq/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet

A substantial, beautiful, not-too-complicated project seems like just the ticket. (Also, let me express my admiration for Katie, whose hair looked perfect again right after walking back inside).

Back to the throw! This pattern calls for three different members of the popular Uptown family – solid Uptown Worsted, variegated Uptown Worsted Mist, and self-patterning Uptown Worsted Tapestry (that’s the one you see at the ends of the throw). These three yarns are designed to work well together, providing excellent harmony and interesting color without having to do a lot of fiddly colorwork.

This is a fairly easy pattern. The design is a two-row repeat of mostly garter stitch with “make 1” increases and a center double decrease to create the chevron. You’ll want to use circular needles, but that’s just because it’s made in one piece so there are a lot of stitches to accommodate over its width. If you’re a beginner who feels comfortable trying a couple of new things, this is for you. If you’re experienced and want something comforting to make, this is for you, too!

We hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Happy crafting!

July 13, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Double Square Pillow

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Double Square Pillow in Uptown DK Magix (pattern link here).

Many of our LYSes feature an extended family of crafts. We love seeing the embroidery, weaving, and quilting that’s going on out there. And it was with quilting in mind that we created the mitered square Double Square Pillow.

Self-patterning Uptown DK Magix adds a modern look with the splash of color changes, while the strong diagonal line of the centered double decreases look like crosshatch quilted lines. You can try planning the color changes specifically to correspond with each mitered square, but we think it’s more fun to just let the colors land where they will. In the sample shown, no care was given to color placement of the Magix color changes.

Solid Uptown DK in stockinette backs the pillow, fastened with buttons for easy removal. A lovely, easy-care home decor project.

We hope you have an excellent and relaxing weekend.

Happy crafting!

June 14, 2018June 14, 2018

TNNA Sneak Peek!

It’s that time of year again!

The team is in Cleveland at the National Needlearts Summer Show, setting up booth 1032! We’ve got a lot of brand new things to share with our LYS friends, so we thought we’d tease folks a little with a glimpse of what we’re bringing.

Of course, we don’t want to give too much away. If you’re at the show, swing by booth 1032. We’d love to see you. Everybody else… stay tuned – there’s lots of good stuff on the way!

March 9, 2018

Free Pattern Friday – Hazy Hat and Pullover

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Hazy Hat and Pullover set in Uptown Worsted Mist (pattern link here).

I actually have a lot of thoughts about this pattern, because

1) I love cables, and

2) I heard the “colorful language” around here as the pattern swelled to 4… 5… and finally to 9 pages. That’s what happens with extended sizing (although we don’t really consider it “extended”), and full charts and written instructions.

The consensus is that it was worth it.

There are quite a few things to love here, like sizing from Small to 4X in the pullover…

detailing like twists along the sleeve and texture within the front cables…

and how nicely this does in Uptown Worsted Mist, which is variegated enough to add interest but not so much that it overwhelms a lovely design.

We hope you have a wonderful weekend, and that you take time to do something for yourself.

Happy crafting!

February 23, 2018June 23, 2023

Free Pattern Friday – Wraparound Blankie

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Wraparound Blankie in Uptown DK Magix (pattern link).

You know those pretty balls of yarn that you look at and love, but you also think, “this looks neat, but what would I do with it?”

Voila. The Wraparound Blankie answers this question by pairing self-patterning Uptown DK Magix with solid Uptown DK to create mitered angles and panels bordered by coordinating bands of vibrant color.

The nice thing about self-patterning yarn is that you really don’t have to do much work to make a complex design. Pick two colors of the solid, two colors of the self-patterning, and go! This pattern is worked in pieces and seamed together, making it a good travel project. Sometimes it’s nice to be able to work on a blanket without actually having a full blanket on your lap.

We hope you enjoy this project, and have a great weekend.

Happy crafting!

February 12, 2018

U-S-A!

I have caught the Olympics fever big time this year. This past weekend, I did little more than drink coffee, binge-watch Olympic events, and of course, knit non-stop.

It’s important to have good knitting and tv companions. Charli is a big fan of the snowboarding half-pipe.

Ralph Lauren designed the closing ceremony knitwear and outfits for US Olympic team members, including this spectacular stranded hat. I’ve already seen some incarnations of this over on Ravelry.

Image result for us olympic ski hat — credit: Ralph Lauren

It’s a great hat. I love the balance of color and the jaunty double tassel thing that’s going on at the top. But stranded knitting can be intimidating and also time consuming. If colorwork is your cup of tea (confession: it’s mine!), then I would recommend these colors in Deluxe DK Superwash for your take on this hat:

But if you’re in the mood for a simpler project with just as much patriotic bang for your buck, how about the USA Hat & Cowl in Uptown Bulky Amplify:

With just one skein of self-striping Amplify you can make this patriotic hat and cowl set. And on size 11 needles, this set goes so quickly you could make this project several times over before the closing ceremonies next weekend.

What’s on your needles this week as you cheer on your country?

October 25, 2017October 3, 2019

Emergency Monster Hats

Halloween is hands down my favorite time of year. The air is just starting to get crisp, meaning I can finally break out my handknits. There’s always candy. Everywhere. All the time. Cider, campfires, beautiful changing leaves; I could go on.

Clockwise from the top we have Rachel wearing Clarice, Heather wearing Chunk, and me (Amy) wearing Clyde)

But of course the most fun thing about Halloween are the costumes. I finally settled on my own costume idea for this year a week or two ago. But there was a period of panic where I just couldn’t come up with an idea I was happy with. Enter: monster hats (pattern link).

Hi. I’m Clarice. I know it doesn’t look like it but I’m actually very happy.

Now monster hats are really pretty fun any time of year. They’re really not season-specific. But, in a pinch, they can make an excellent costume.

All three are crocheted in numerous shades of Uptown Worsted, our super-soft anti-pilling acrylic. This is a great hat yarn because it feels good on the head and is not itchy. It’s also quite affordable and buying several skeins in different colors won’t break the bank.

I believe she was not in her right mind while making me. I mean, one eye? At least it’s a large eye. I am Clyde, by the way.

There lots of different add-on elements going on in each of these hats. The idea is that you can follow the patterns as written if you like. Or you can come up with your own unique monster using different combinations of spikes, horns, different numbers of eyes, etc.

We want candy. More candy. And not the cheap stuff.

So if you’ve found yourself with out a costume and Halloween only a week away, why not be a monster?

You can find the patterns for all three hats on our website here (pattern link). Happy Halloween!

May 5, 2017

Free Pattern Friday – BFF Scarf

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the BFF Scarf in Uptown Bulky and Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.

We’re calling this the BFF scarf because there are so many elements that play together as friends here. First, there’s the blend of multi-hued Bamboo Bloom Handpaints held together with solid Uptown Bulky.

Second, there’s the combination of two big yarns and US Size 17 (12 mm) needles, so the whole thing knits up fast.

And third, there’s the designer, Sandy Harris. A talented crafter and knitting teacher, she’s always been a friend to Universal, designing beauties like the One Side Cowl in Bamboo Bloom Handpaints.

Put it all together and you have a pattern that’s fun, quick, and easy. It’s a home run.

Happy knitting!

January 13, 2017

Free Pattern Friday – Inside Job

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Inside Job hat in Uptown Bulky.

Sometimes you just want to make something fun and quick, you know? Inside Job fits the bill.

This basic hat flies by in our Uptown Bulky anti-pilling acrylic yarn (87yds/100g). It’s worked from the bottom up in the round, with US Size 11 (8mm) needles for the ribbing and US Size 13 (9mm) needles for the brim. Top it with a cute pompom, and voila!

What makes this hat a little different is that it’s worked in reverse stockinette. The plain striping shows on the inside, and the more intricate patterning shows on the exterior. Hence the name “Inside Job.”

We hope you enjoy this quick and thick topper.

Happy knitting!

December 23, 2016

Free Pattern Friday – Chevron Wrap

It’s Free Pattern Friday!

Today, the Chevron Wrap in Uptown Worsted.

Even though we’re in the depths of winter, that doesn’t mean things have to be drab and bleak. This Chevron Wrap is a colorful delight, and the selection of Uptown is a good one. With 60+ colors, Uptown Worsted anti-pilling acrylic is a great choice for mixing and matching stripes for whatever palette pleases you. As pictured, this features four of our brand new colors for Spring:

• 358 Pale Orchid (MC) – 2 skeins
• 360 Midnight (CC1) – 1 skein
• 361 Olive (CC2) – 1 skein
• 359 Pink Punch (CC3) – 1 skein

This is an easy knit. It’s a two-row repeat with only one color per row. The stitch repeat is a piece of cake – knit a few, increase, knit a few, decrease. The centered decreases create the columns of stitches that rise into the next color.

Wouldn’t this also look lovely widened, as a colorful home decor throw?

We hope you enjoy this pleasant project.

Happy knitting