It’s Free Pattern Friday!
Today, the Glider Shawl in Finn (pattern link here). Perfect for a breezy day or a night out, this shawl adds warmth without the bulk. Originally part of the Vibrance in Lace collection from last Fall, we’ve decided to set this lovely pattern free.
Finn, a yarn featuring a blend of superwash merino, alpaca, and acrylic, is the perfect match for this pattern. It is soft to touch, with a subtle halo thanks to the alpaca. I don’t know about you, but something about halo-y yarn and lace makes my heart sing.
Knit from the bottom up, beginning with the tip, the shawl’s original shape adds decorative interest to any outfit. The lace panel in the back adds a delicate and feminine touch, while the rest of the shawl is worked in simple, soothing garter stitch. Draped around your shoulders or worn bandana-style, the Glider Shawl is sure to become a multi-season favorite.
We hope you have a relaxing weekend filled yarn-y goodness. Happy Crafting!
We can’t believe it’s already Valentine’s Day! Where does the time go? We don’t have a new pattern for you this year because we wanted to revisit our older patterns that are perfect for the holiday. I don’t know about you, but I love taking time to revisit the things I’ve wanted to make for ages. I think it makes it very special to let your mind linger on a pattern for a while before casting on.
This year, I wanted to take a look at some of the patterns we have for the little ones in our lives – whether they’re your children, family, or friends, it’s always a joy to knit for little ones. I mean, who doesn’t love a quick-knit sweater?
For those of you interested in joining the Bamboo Pop-Along, how about the Big Heart Dress? This adorable design combines a customer favorite yarn using multis and solids for an adorable effect.
Amy Gunderson has designed some adorable patterns for children, and several of them are perfect for the holiday. First up, we have the Sweetheart Sweater worked in anti-pilling Uptown DK – a favorite for children’s projects because it’s so versatile and easy to care for.
Speaking of how versatile Uptown DK is, how about a little pouch to fill with Valentine’s candy? We love the Valentine Pouch designed by social media-er extraordinaire, Heather Hill.
Another perfect project is Love Patches – a darling pullover worked up in Little Bird with the cutest heart patches on the sleeves. This would look adorable in Bamboo Pop, too!
Finally, we have Firefly. There isn’t any red or pink in our sample, but this kid’s cowl features motifs that will warm your little one’s heart (and neck!). Worked up in Bella Cash, this cowl is luxurious but super easy to care for. It’s a perfect yarn for children’s projects.
If you’re looking for more, please feel free to take a look at the patterns offered on our website. There are plenty of Valentine-friendly projects such as the Be Mine Shawl, Valentina, and the Lovey Dovey Earflap Hat for adults, too. You can find the link to all of our patterns here (link).
We hope you have a wonderful holiday. Enjoy some candy alongside the company of your loved ones!
North Carolina has been enjoying some really lovely weather. It has been a teaser that has everyone at the office itching to cast on a spring project that will be ready to wear as soon as things start to warm up! We’ve specifically been looking to Bamboo Pop, one of our best-selling yarns. It’s lightweight and perfect for any project you could think of. So grab your needles, your hooks, your patterns, and join us for our Bamboo Pop-Along!
The Cora Crop, designed by Rachel Brockman, can easily be modified if you prefer a longer sweater.
This is a chance for you to knit, crochet, or weave anything you’d like using Bamboo Pop! We’re welcoming everyone – if you’re making something using Bamboo Pop, we want to see it! You have from February 6, 2019 until March 20, 2019to complete your projects.
Oh, and there will be prizes! You could win five balls of Bamboo Pop in the color of your choice! To be eligible for a prize please share photos of your finished projects in the Universal Yarn Ravelry Group (link). Only finished projects using Bamboo Pop will be entered to win. You can find the thread here (link). We cannot wait to see what projects you create!
The idea started just yesterday. I decided that I wanted to make a project in time for Stitches West, held in Santa Clara from February 21st-24th. When I told Amy I wanted to knit the Cora Crop she decided she wanted to join me. And just like that, the idea for a Bamboo Pop-Along was born!
Amy and I are knitting the Cora Crop. As a person who loves warm, autumnal tones, I’ve chosen to knit mine using 129 Winter Squash. It’s a dusty orange that I simply cannot resist.
Bamboo Pop 129 Winter Squash
Amy chose 117 Emerald for her tee. When asked why she said “I’ve always loved green. It’s my favorite color next to…black. It just makes me happy. Plus, my eyes are green/sometimes hazel, so I think wearing green brings out my eyes?” It definitely brings out your eyes, Amy!
Bamboo Pop 117 Emerald
If you want to join in, but aren’t sure Cora Crop is right for you, don’t worry! Like I said earlier, all sorts of yarny-projects are welcome. Perhaps you need some additional pattern inspiration? How about Amy Gunderson’s Right Turn Shawl? We love this graphic shawl and it’s a great project for playing with color. We know some of our customers have even hosted their own knit-along for this pattern. You can see all of the patterns we have using Bamboo Pop here (link).
The Right Turn Shawl, designed by Amy Gunderson, is a customer favorite that combines two solid colors of Bamboo Pop with Bamboo Pop Dots.
Are you active on social media? Use the hashtags #bamboopopalong, #bamboopop, & #universalyarn on social media so we can see your beautiful work. We’ll be sharing more about our progress, too.
In what feels like no time at all, January has nearly passed and February is already upon us. With that in mind, and with freezing temperatures outside, we’d like to warm your heart with something special.
Remember the Be Mine Shawl? It was our 2018 Valentine’s Day project (link to blog post here). We’re excited to share that it has been knit up in a fresh combination of colors – one that reminds us of the transition from the icy winter to first signs of spring peeking through the snow.
Fibra Natura Papyrus has become a well-loved yarn, and for good reason! It’s a luxurious blend of ultra-soft cotton and silk. The muted palette is perfect for delicate projects, and we particularly enjoy using it for lace, twisted stitches, and textured patterns. The new sample features Cloud as the main color, Lily Pad and Ether for the contrasting heart repeats, and Tempest for a pop between each lace repeat.
Just look at that lovely drape!
Although I design with pink, it’s not actually one of my favorite colors. Don’t get me wrong, it is a fine color, but it’s earth tones and autumnal colors that I’m most drawn to. In any case, I love this crisp, new color combination. It’s a nice change. Plus, I love seeing our designs knit in different colors. Sometimes knitters are tempted to stick to the original sample – but with all the possible color combinations, I have to ask why?
Swatching is an excellent way to play with color.
Play with different colors when you’re visiting your local yarn shop. Put them side by side – add a color, subtract a color, try something unexpected – you never know what lovely combinations you might create. Even if your yarn shop doesn’t carry the color you’re looking for, they’re usually very happy to order a color for you. Visit our website (link) if you want to plan your color combinations before paying a visit to your LYS. Whatever colors you come up with, we hope you’ll share images of your beautiful shawls with us!
Seasons Greetings from the Universal Yarn Team! Today, we’re pleased to share a special free pattern with you for the Christmas season: the Carolina Holly hat (pattern link)! Holly – like poinsettias, mistletoe, and ivy – conjures images of the holidays. The spiky plant is evergreen and beautiful, and it was the inspiration for the Carolina Holly hat.
Playing with pine cones, as one does.
This free pattern is a load of fun to knit. It takes three skeins of Deluxe Worsted – and that’s enough to make two hats. Of our line of yarns, Deluxe Worsted might just be my favorite. It’s excellent for every type of project, creates long-wearing fabric, and perfectly balances softness with the crunch of pure wool that I love. Plus, there are so many colors to choose from. For this hat I chose Sangria, City Turf, and Slate, but there are so many shades of red, green, and grey in the palette. I encourage you to find the combination that leaves you feeling inspired! Prefer superwash wool? You’re in luck – our machine-washable Deluxe Worsted Superwash would work perfectly as a substitute.
Baby Bobbles!
I wanted to give this hat some special touches. A double-thick brim ensures a warm and comfortable fit. A row of mini-bobbles knit in a rich red create little holly berries, and a large red pom-pom balances out the pop of red. Finally, to incorporate the grey used in the brim, the same color is used to add speckles to the pom-pom. The speckled pom-pom idea was not my own. I was inspired by designer Kiyomi Burgin, who has used this technique in her own work. You can find her post on speckled pom-poms here (link).
Subtle grey speckles in a big, poufy pom-pom – what’s not to love?
For your convenience, I’ve also created a tutorial. I hope you find it to be helpful! You’ll need to make your pom-pom before starting. If you haven’t done this before, don’t worry! You can find Amy’s tutorial on how to make pom-poms here (link).
To get started you’ll need a pom-pom, scissors, tapestry needle, and contrast color yarn. Step 1: Cut your contrast color yarn into lengths of approximately 12″. In the pattern I’ve directed you to cut 15 pieces. Fold each piece in half. Step 2: Keeping the strand of yarn folded, thread the tapestry needle.Step 3: Insert the tapestry needle through the center of the pom-pom. Step 4: Pull one end of the strand through the pom-pom, but be sure to secure the other end.Step 5: You should be able to hold each end of the strand as shown. Repeat Steps 1-5 until you’ve used each of the strands you cut. If desired, add more! When you finish you’ll have a medusa-looking pom-pom. Give your pom-pom a trim so that the contrast color ends are flush with the rest of the pom-pom. Finished! Now you can secure your pom-pom to the hat.
Today is Thanksgiving – since it is a national holiday in the United States, many of us will be spending the day with friends and family. Not only is today Thanksgiving, but November is also Native American Heritage Month. As such, I’m taking some time to talk about the incredible textile work of indigenous Americans.
Disclaimer: this is in no way a comprehensive overview. I am touching on only a few things. I could go on for much longer than I will, and I’ll happily include some information for further reading.
When I initially decided to use today’s post as a platform to touch on Native American Heritage Month, my brain went to knitting – it always does. I wanted to look into traditional Cowichan sweater knitting. Okay – I know we’re based in the US, and that today is a US holiday, but the first tradition I’d like to talk about originates in Canada. Anyway – these iconic sweaters originate from the Coast Salish people of British Columbia.
Indian Sweater Making By The Charlie Family, ca 1946. Image from: Royal BC Museum Archives
During the mid-nineteenth century, European settlers introduced domestic sheep and the craft of hand-knitting to the region. In an excellent overview of the history of Cowichan Knitting (pdf link), Margaret Meikle explains that native women skilled in handcrafts likely taught themselves to knit, working from samples available to them from the European settlers. Although the first Cowichan sweaters were solid-colored, Fair Isle sweaters influenced the colorwork these sweaters are known for early in the twentieth century.
In her book Knitting Around the World, Lela Nargi explains that the yarn used to create these sweaters as thick, handspun, single-ply, and naturally colored. These sweaters are as utilitarian as they are attractive. They are hardy and perfect to withstand cold, wet climates. They also feature beautiful patterning – each symbol with a story behind it.
Yetsa’s Sweater
In the children’s book, Yetsa’s Sweater(pictured above), author Sylvia Olsen demonstrates how the sweaters are personal. In the book, Yetsa’s grandma explains that the sweaters tell a story about family. I’d recommend checking out this book if you’re looking to share your love of knitting with young people in your life, but there is no shame in reading it as an adult!
Yetsa’s Bolero; pattern by Sylvia Olsen
If you now find yourself dreaming of a Cowichan-style sweater, I also discovered that Sylvia Olsen also wrote Knitting Stories, a book featuring Salish-inspired designs including Yesta’s Bolero – a perfect match for Deluxe Worsted Naturals (Pewter and Millet, anyone?). There are many interpretations of Cowichan sweaters on Ravelry. One in particular I like is Jane Richmond’s West Coast Cardigan – which she describes as being “inspired, in respectful admiration, by the Cowichan Sweaters that are abundant on Vancouver Island and are a tradition of the Coast Salish people” and clarifies that the design is not a real Cowichan sweater, only inspired by this traditional style. For her design, I’d recommend holding two strands of Deluxe Chunky Naturals together as one to obtain gauge.
In Alaska, the Tinglits Chilkat people created beautiful Chilkat blankets. Made for movement, these blankets feature long-fringed borders that swayed beautifully with the dancers who wore them during ceremonies. The designs displayed on the blankets are the crests of the family or groups for whom they were woven. These weavings were made from mountain goat hair that was handspun and dyed naturally. The art of Chilkat blanket weaving was a dying craft, but Jennie Thlunaut (pictured above) is single-handedly credited for keeping the tradition alive.
Navajo Weavers, ca 1914 from Library of Congress
Based on my reading, it seems well understood that the Pueblo people were weaving centuries before the European invasion of North America. Their weavings were made from plant fibers, such as cotton and yucca, but it was not uncommon for human, dog, and wild animal hair to be incorporated, too. When Spanish settlers introduced Churro sheep to the region, wool began to replace cotton in textiles. When the Pueblo and Navajo people encountered one another during the seventeenth century, the Pueblo shared their knowledge of weaving with the Navajo.
Navajo weaving master Clara Sherman
Because the Navajo were largely nomadic, working with sheep and wool was well-suited to their lifestyle. The Navajo primarily created garments and blankets; however, in the late nineteenth century the political climate was harmful to the people and changed the purpose of their craft. This is when Navajo rugs became popular, and they remain that way today.
Danielle Hena, a curatorial intern at the Wheelwright Museum, explains that “stories, curiosities, and beauty are carried within each textile: stories from history, curiosities that will continue to be curiosities, and beauty that was transferred from a weaver’s vision to the viewers.” She perfectly sums up what makes the rich textile heritage of indigenous people so unique.
Feeling inspired? I know I am! I’d like to share an inspirational resource I uncovered while writing this post: the organization Adopt-a-Native Elder’s Rug Program. This organization facilitates a market for Navajo elders to sell their beautiful handwoven rugs. I thought this was pretty neat and I couldn’t resist sharing.
Still, if you want to make things with your own hands, there are plenty of resources out there! For example, Amy is an avid weaver and occasionally posts about the topic on our blog. You can find her weaving posts here (link). You may also be interested in a pattern – if so, check out the Sparkle Windows Scarf. This thing is gorgeous! Finally – check your local yarn shop for weaving classes. Our customers have shared projects woven using many of our yarns, and it’s such a lovely way to see it transformed.
Herringbone scarf using Deluxe DK Tweed, designed by Amy Gunderson
I hope you’ve enjoyed this post, have learned something from it, and feel inspired!
If you’re interested in reading more, here are the resources I’ve used for this post:
On Cowichan Knitting
Cowichan Indian Knitting by Margaret Meikle (link)
Knitting Around the World: A Multistranded History of a Time-Honored Tradition by Lela Nargi; (pp. 217-225)
Yetsa’s Sweater by Sylvia Olsen
On Weaving
For more information about Jennie Thunaut and Chilkat Blankets, I recommend exploring Masters of Traditional Arts, an ongoing interdisciplinary project produced by Documentary Arts focusing on the recipients of the National Heritage Fellowship (link here).
Unpacking a phrase: The Chilkat Blanket by Christy Christodoulides (link)
Three Southwest Weaving Cultures; adapted from Beyond the Loom: Southwestern Weaving Traditions exhibit, Colorado University Museum (link)
Wheelwright Museum Blog – Archives of Navajo Textiles (link)
This is part 12 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, Series 2 Edition.
Day 12 – can you believe it? Today we reveal the final installment of the Universal Yarn 12 Days of Winter Kit Collections – Series 2! Say hello to the Solstice Shawl.
Can I be honest? I am really proud of this design – in my opinion, it’s one of my best designs and I sincerely hope you love it.
This isn’t a very complicated design, but what I feel proud of is the balance of simplicity and intricacy in the piece. This shawl combines cables, stripes, and intarsia. It is worked from tip to tip, starting and finishing with the same number of stitches (just two!). Finally, it’s finished with a very simple contrast color border.
Part of what makes this project special is the yarn used: Deluxe DK Tweed Superwash. I love this yarn. It’s rustic and the tweedy nubs add interest to every type of pattern – from simple garter to cables, lace, and stranded colorwork. (If you need convincing, just take a look at the recent collection in this yarn, Rustic & Refined).
I’m keeping this post short and sweet, but before I sign off, thank you’s are in order! Like last year we had a really wonderful time putting this collection together. It is a team effort, for sure. So thanks to everyone on our team for putting in so much hard work! And thank you so much for supporting our company, your local yarn shops, and for following our posts for this collection. We appreciate it so much!
Remember, you can find the 12 Days of Winter Kit patterns on Ravelry.
This is part 1 in a 12 part series highlighting designs from our 12 Days of Winter, Series 2 Edition.
We can hardly believe it’s already November. Knitting season is in full swing. Our needles and hooks are full of warm and woolly goodness. We’re preparing for the holidays – working tirelessly on special projects for friends and family. Here at Universal Yarn, we’ve also been working hard to create the second annual installment of a beautiful collection of wintry kits to welcome the season. So, at long last, we’re able to reveal the first of twelve special kits. Say hello to the 12 Days of Winter 2018 Collection!
I’m a big fan of stranded colorwork. It may take a backseat to knitting cables, but for some reason, I simply cannot resist a good pair of colorwork socks. The Mistletoes socks combine self-striping Adore Colors and Adore for a visually striking effect.
Notice the changes in color for the colorwork portions. That effect is created by Adore Colors.
Despite the beauty of stranded colorwork, many knitters find themselves intimidated. Like everything else in knitting, once you’ve done it you realize how simple it really is. If you haven’t done colorwork before I want to empower you to get your feet wet – if you have, I want to encourage you to learn a bit more! Let’s get down to it! I’ve compiled a list of tips and tricks to help you along the way.
Get comfortable with charts. This is something else that can intimidate knitters, but it’s essential for colorwork. I’d actually argue that colorwork is an excellent introduction to reading charts since you’re usually only looking at colors. Last year I included some tips and tricks for understanding charts. You can find the full post here (link).
Manage your yarn. Managing your yarn well when knitting colorwork can make the process so much more enjoyable. I recommend keeping each ball of yarn on a separate side to prevent unnecessary, annoying twists and tangles.
Notice one ball is placed on the left and one is placed on the right. This prevents them from twisting around one another.
Taking care of tension. This is probably the most important aspect of stranded knitting. To achieve the results you want, your tension should be even. Why? Floats. Since you’re carrying two strands of yarn across the back of your work, one of the yarns will always be “on hold” while you work stitches with the other color.
The right and wrong sides of the work. Notice the floats of yarn on the wrong side. They’re quite pretty!
If your floats are too tight, the fabric will pucker. Puckered fabric is considerably less elastic and will appear a bit bumpy – taking away from the beautiful patterning you worked so hard on. Not to worry, though! There are ways to ensure that your floats are even and not too tight. I’m personally a pretty tight knitter, so I use these techniques, too.
Use larger needles. First things first: swatch, swatch, swatch! Once you do, you’ll realize that your gauge in stockinette stitch is different than your gauge in stranded knitting. To combat the difference, changing needles helps a lot. Expect to use needles that are one to two sizes larger for stranded portions of your knitting. Most patterns, including the Mistletoes, will direct you to do this. However; that’s not always the case. Keep this in mind whenever you’re knitting colorwork.
Turn your work inside-out. This is exactly what it sounds like. By turning your work inside-out, your floats will be facing you while you’re knitting. It doesn’t change the actual knitting at all, but it’s a simple way to manage your floats. By carrying your floats on the outside, you’re allowing them a bit more room. This trick is simple, easy, and effective.
Notice the right side is on the inside of the round.
Notice that the wrong side of the fabric is facing outward.
Gently stretch your work. Chances are that you’ll sometimes have a stitch that’s a bit odd – perhaps a bit too tight or a bit too loose. You can rectify the issue by occasionally stopping to give the fabric a gentle stretch. Don’t be overzealous as that can cause stitches to get more uneven. A little goes a long way.
Gently stretch the work downward.
Gently stretch the work horizontally.
Manually even out oddball stitches. Like I’ve mentioned above, there are instances where a stitch looks a bit wonky. If a gentle stretch doesn’t help you can manually pick the stitches around it to try and even things out.
Oh no! Look at this awful little stitch! It’s far too tight and hidden by the surrounding stitches. Good thing you can work some magic!
Insert your needle behind the right leg and then the left leg of the naughty stitch.
Once you’ve picked up both legs, gently tug on the stitch – give it a little wiggle.
The naughty stitch has realized the error of its ways! You can now see the stitch very well and it looks lovely alongside its friends. Pat yourself on the back for a job well done!
Block it out! Blocking is magic. The process evens out stitches, so when you finish your work be sure to block it! Once the yarn blooms it will fill up any negative space in your fabric allowing your colorwork to shine! Just be sure to follow the care instructions on your yarn label so that you don’t unintentionally damage the fabric. Side note: we have a post to help you understand yarn labels, too. Find it here (link).
Look how pretty and even the colorwork is after blocking.
That’s it! I hope these tips and tricks will help you as you knit the Mistletoes or any stranded colorwork. Remember, you can find Series 2 of the 12 Days of Winter Kit patterns on Ravelry.
Perhaps my favorite collection we’ve released for fall so far is Light & Shadow. It’s a collection of gorgeous, incredibly wearable patterns knit in anti-pilling Uptown DK.
A lot goes into planning our pattern collections, and it’s always so exciting to see designs develop. Amy and I begin with a mood board. Then we move on to creating rough sketches. You can see a few of mine from our recent collections below:
From left to right: Small Pleasures using Bella Cash, Vibrance in Lace using Finn, and Light and Shadow using Uptown DK.
Naturally not every sketch makes the final collection. Amy and I work on numerous ideas separately, then we meet to share our ideas, select the designs that will be a part of the collection, and choose colors. Then we get hard to work on making these ideas a reality.
So, which designs made the final cut for Light & Shadow?
I have three designs in the collection. First up: Crossroads.
If I had to choose a favorite, this might be it. This design started with a bold cable from Norah Gaughan’s Knitted Cable Sourcebook. I didn’t want to just slap the pattern onto a sweater. I opted for a relaxed, cozy fit with drop shoulders, garter ridges, a split hem, and understated bishop sleeves.
The sleeves sit at bracelet length on our fantastic model, Jarin, however; it’s super simple to lengthen them as the shaping occurs just before the cuff.
I wanted to create the perfect, infinitely wearable turtleneck. I know not everyone loves turtlenecks, but I sure do! Northbound was initially imagined as a proposal for a print magazine before I started working at Universal. I loved it, so I held onto the idea – the Light and Shadow collection seemed to be a perfect match.
Northbound has some of my favorite design elements: set-in sleeves, saddle shoulders, seed stitch, and cables. If you love a simple design with thoughtful details, this pattern is for you.
My final design is perhaps the most unique: Topography.
Topography features sculptural welts that move diagonally across the sleeves. The effect is simpler to construct than you might expect.
The sleeves feature traveling twisted stitches that are used as a guide to creating the welts. After you’ve knit the sleeves, stitches are picked up stitches along the legs of the twisted stitches. Then you simply knit and graft. Easy-peasy. Not a fan of the welts? Just stick with the twisted stitches and you have a simple wardrobe staple.
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!
