Happy Friday, fellow crafters! I am super excited to introduce you to this week’s free pattern, the Half and Half Cardigan, designed by ME!
The Half and Half Cardigan is one of my favorite designs ever. Knit in soft and silky Wool Pop, in colors 605 Silken and 616 Denim, this cardigan is a fun take on color blocking. This piece is worked flat, from the top down, using intarsia color changes at the center back to create seamless blocks of color. With a flattering v-neck and close-fitting silhouette, this piece will keep you covered, pun intended, on all occasions as the weather turns.
The blend of 50% bamboo, 35% superwash wool, and 15% polyamide allow the fibers to absorb the dye differently, giving Wool Pop its distinctive heathered appearance. With a slight sheen and incredible drape, this multi-season yarn is one of our fan favorites. Get 20% off this luscious yarn this weekend, through Sunday, Sept 8th.
Hi friends, and Happy Friday. This is the last Friday of February, so it’s time for a FLASH pattern! That means we are giving a normally paid pattern to our audience for FREE! Today we bring you Serra, designed by Rachel Brockman.
This beautiful sweater features Wool Pop, a gorgeous blend of 50% bamboo, 35% superwash wool, and 15% polyamide. It has a subtle sheen and a lovely drape when stitched. This yarn is a favorite for trans-seasonal garments and accessories, as the bamboo offers a soft, supple feel to the warm, springy wool.
This sweater is knit in the round from the bottom up, then the front and back are separated at the underarms and worked flat to create sleeve openings. The shoulders are joined with a three-needle bind-off before the sleeves are worked flat and sewn to the body. Stitches for the neck edging are picked up and worked in the round to finish off this elegant piece. The all-over cables and texture make for a timeless, sophisticated pullover that will take you from winter into spring!
To get the Serra pattern 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, 2/25.
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!
It’s the first Friday of August, and you know what that means! The Cloudborn Cardigan is our free pattern for today, designed by Rachel Brockman. This exciting children’s pattern uses our stunning Wool Pop yarn to create a piece you can hand down from generation to generation. Let’s learn more!
The Cloudborn Cardigan is sized from 6 months to 6 years old, so whether you have a toddler roaming around or an older child, this pattern is for you! This garment uses an exciting garter stitch throughout, including the ruffle sleeves, providing a fun challenge for any knitter. The ruffle sleeves are created by picking up stitches around the armholes as you work in the round, incorporating increases to make the ruffles.
Perhaps the most exciting part of this project is that you get to tailor it to your liking with the expressive color palette! Our Wool Pop color palette includes 30 hues that look stunning in many different stitches, like the garter stitches used in this pattern. Pick your favorite color, and add the button of your choosing today. We know your little one will love their finished cardigan!
If you’re still questioning whether you should stash Wool Pop, our 20% off weekend savings make it the perfect time to splurge! This beautiful yarn is a blend of 50% bamboo, 35% superwash wool, and 15% polyamide in a DK weight. Wool Pop looks incredible in many stitch patterns, and the sheen of this yarn is sure to make your next piece stand out!
Friday is here, and it’s time to celebrate with a free pattern just for you! This Free Pattern Friday, we are happy to share the Tea Leaf Scarf, crocheted in our beautiful Wool Pop yarn. The designer, Ashley Jane McIntyre, wanted to create an accessory that evokes the oncoming warmth and bloom of the spring season. Let’s find out more about this gorgeous pattern!
The Tea Leaf Scarf can be styled in many different ways.A beautiful lace pattern is seen at both ends of this piece.
The construction of this scarf is perfect for any crocheter looking to grow their skillset. This accessory is made by crocheting two pieces individually, starting at each edge and working towards the center, then seaming them together in the middle. You will get the chance to put your skills to the test with a beautiful lace pattern at the beginning of each of the two separate pieces, but we know you can do it!
The Teal Leaf Scarf is free to download on our website!
Wool Pop is an all-around beauty. This DK weight yarn is perfect for all types of garments and accessories. Due to its lightweight and breathable wool fibers, you can sport this yarn throughout spring and early summer. The hallmark slight sheen of Wool Pop appears when worked up, thanks to its blend of bamboo, superwash wool, and polyamide.
Save 20% off our Wool Pop yarn this weekend only! With 30 different colors to choose from, the options are endless with this delightful yarn. No code is needed for this sale. Make sure to share all your Wool Pop creations with us on social media!
As a yarn company, we would not be where we are today without the support of the local yarn stores who stock our products on their shelves. From humble beginnings, we now have over 800 local yarn store retailers around the world who carry our yarns. The support these shops give to our company is amazing, and we want to spread the love back to them as much as possible. On social media, we consistently feature projects from local yarn shops and share our retailers, but we wanted to dig a little deeper and get to know some of these wonderful shops and owners even better. We’ve started an initiative to interview some of our local yarn store retailers to learn a little more about them, their shops, and what keeps business going.
Perfect patio for your WIPs! (Elizabeth City, NC)
Along the coast of northeastern North Carolina lives a beautiful community of knitters and crocheters. Coastal Purl has helped create that community, and offers them a place to gather and purchase yarn for their projects. How did it get here? Well, we got the opportunity to interview Katherine Rogers (store owner) to learn more about her amazing shop. Stick around to hear more about our conversation with Katherine of Coastal Purl!
Pull up a chair, and chat while working on your project!
Katherine Rogers is the owner of Coastal Purl, which is located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. She describes herself as a “lifelong knitter,” as she grew up with a mom and grandmother who were always knitting. A Maine native, Katherine moved down South for job opportunities within her family. With the move to a new place came the opportunity to try something new, so Katherine took the step to open her yarn shop in Spring 2020. You may look at that timing and say “how did she open a yarn shop amid the pandemic?” Well, we asked her that, and she responded by saying that the COVID-19 pandemic gave her the extra time she needed to get her store ready. As the North Carolina stay-at-home order came to an end in early May 2020, her store opened up. It looked to be great timing as she stated “COVID brought people in.” The loneliness of quarantine and the pandemic, in general, wasn’t easy for anyone, and shops like Coastal Purl offered people a way to keep themselves busy and create handmade projects during this difficult time.
Katherine Rogers (Owner of Coastal Purl) wearing a sweater knit with Kingston Tweed in color 105 Ochre
Two years after opening, Coastal Purl continues to bring a great sense of community to the locals of Elizabeth City. This store has been involved with all kinds of outreach, including the Knitted Knockers program, which some of our yarns have been approved for. Additionally, they provide plenty of events for their community, like going to the waterfront for Worldwide Knit Outside Day, and having “Knit Night Out” at local breweries in the area. Universal Yarn is honored to partner with a store that has such integrity, and thankfully the customers of Coastal Purl have received our yarn with smiles on their faces.
Katherine mentions in the interview, “One of the favorite yarns here is Wool Pop.” As you can see in the photograph below, the customers at Coastal Purl love to create with Wool Pop, and what’s not to love about this yarn. The slight sheen from the way the bamboo and wool take the dye makes this yarn stand out regardless of the project. Other yarns she mentions as popular choices are Bamboo Pop and Bamboo Pop Sock.
Customer Project using Bamboo Pop Sock SolidsCustomer Project using Deluxe ChunkyCustomer Project using Creative Lazy Hazy CottonCoastal Purl customer sweater in Wool Pop
We loved talking with Coastal Purl’s owner! You can watch the whole conversation below! Play the video below to see the full interview with Katherine Rogers and learn more about her shop.
It’s safe to say Coastal Purl is a great spot for all you yarn lovers. However, we know not everyone lives in northeastern North Carolina. Fortunately for you, Coastal Purl has created an online community for those who are not able to be there in-person. On their website, you can see their calendar or events, and even shop your favorite yarns! We hope you enjoy Coastal Purl as much as we do!
So beautiful. Soooo beautiful. And I love that it has enough techniques to keep you focused, and to maybe learn something, too!
There’s slip stitch colorwork for the body of this asymmetrical shawl. Designer Rachel Brockman chose Wool Pop in color 621 Dijon (4 skeins) for the main color, and color 627 Empress (2 skeins) for the contrast. They’re both very vibrant tones, but pairing the lighter color with a dark makes this truly striking.
The diamond lace edging uses right and left twists to create a lovely texture. You’ll knit the slip stitch portion, then use intarsia to join it to the panel in the same row. Decreases will occur along one edge in the body portion of the shawl.
Rachel chose our popular Wool Pop for this design. Its blend of bamboo, wool, and polyamide create the perfect fabric for this shawl, with just the right mix of drape and resilience.
Wool Pop’s different fibers take the dye in different ways, creating a saturated, multi-hued look with a beautiful sheen.
This is not so much a mindless knit as a mindful one. It rewards the maker with a stunning garment they’ll reach for again and again.
We wish you a wonderful weekend, full of beauty and light.
Rachel Brockman’s latest design is destined to be a wardrobe staple. The Riverstone Sweater is comfortable and casual, but can still be dressed up for effortless elegance.
Rachel made excellent use of Wool Pop’s crisp stitch definition and beautifully coordinating colors. Plus, Wool Pop’s composition makes it a great three-season yarn. This sweater can easily carry you through those days when the weather starts out cool but ends up warm.
The combination of stripes and color blocking is on trend. Ribbing at the edges moves beyond plain K1,P1 to continue the “practical and pretty” vibe. It’s a great blend of form and function.
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, full of beautiful things. Happy crafting!
The Amaranth Hat takes its name from the amaranth plant, with its gorgeous red spikes.
Image: rareseeds.com. This is definitely going in the garden this year.
In addition to being colorful, amaranth is useful, as a dye, a grain, a leafy green… there’s a lot going on with this showy beauty. And there’s a lot to love about this pattern, too.
Cables, ribbing, texture, and more… all in a piece that takes just one skein of Wool Pop! It’s everything you could want in one package. Rachel Brockman really outdid herself with this design.
We hope you have a fantastic weekend, full of beautiful things.
It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Imprint Scarf in Wool Pop (pattern link here).
Happy Friday, y’all! Wait, what’s that you say?
Oof. Okay then. Let’s not tempt fate with teeny tiny cabled lace. How about we keep things nice and calm, with an easy pattern in a knitter-favorite yarn?
The Imprint Scarf uses simple knits and purls to create a slanted block texture. It’s written and charted to make things easier.
Lightweight Wool Pop has a bit of a sheen from its bamboo content, giving this scarf a lovely feel. If you’re a beginner, or if you just prefer simple projects (and don’t we all, sometimes?) then this is a great project for you.
We hope you have a calm and relaxing weekend. Stay safe, and happy crafting!
