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Universal Yarn Creative Network Inspiration By Design Menu Visit us at universalyarn.com . Scroll down to content Posts Posted on May 10, 2024 May 9, 2024 Free Pattern Friday – Left of Center Cardi Happy Free Pattern Friday! Have you ever heard the phrase ‘everything old is new again’? Over the years, we make choices to discontinue yarns for various reasons, but whenever possible, we try to keep our timeless pattern designs alive and thriving. This week, we are releasing a reimagined version of the popular baby pattern, the Left of Center Cardi . Knit anew in two colors of Bamboo Pop , this layering piece will provide a punch of summery colors to your kiddo’s wardrobe. The Left of Center Cardi is a nice relaxing project for knitters of a variety of skill levels. A textured pattern is worked throughout, featuring basic increases, decreases, and color changes. My suggestion for this cardigan would be to choose two colors with quite a bit of contrast to ensure that the textured stitch pattern stands out. Raglan shaping for the sleeves provides a great fit, and the wide button band featuring 10 cute buttons gives you customization options! For our sample, we chose colors 139 Sundae and 226 Fresh Cut. Using a solid color with a multi makes this pattern even more exciting to wear! I have some alternative color suggestions below. The Left of Center Cardi is free to download and is sized from 3 months to 2 years. Tell us in the blog comments which color option you like the best! Happy Crafting, Aubrey Posted on May 3, 2024 April 30, 2024 Free Pattern Friday – Speck Cowl It’s the first Friday of May, and we have the perfect pattern for you! Today, the formerly paid-for Speck Cowl is now free forever! Originally featured in the Soft Simplicity E-Book , this accessory uses Uni Merino and Minou . There are two versions of the Speck Cowl, and both are free, so stick around as we learn more about this exciting freebie! Version A Version B Uni Merino is a soft blend of superwash merino wool and nylon, while Minou is an eyelash yarn made from a blend of baby alpaca, merino wool, and nylon. When these two yarns collide, the result is an impressive texture that feels comfortable close to the skin. Plus, designer Rachel Brockman included two versions: Version A (left) uses two skeins of Minou for a fluffier texture, and Version B (right) uses just one skein of Minou. One of the most exciting parts of any project is picking out the hues you plan to use! Uni Merino has a wide color palette, and we want you to get creative! Below, we have a few ideas of color combinations that have you stepping out of your comfort zone but don’t worry, we think these would look breathtaking. Minou 102 Lynx Uni Merino 127 Kingfisher Minou 101 Borzoi Uni Merino Neons 152 Neon Pink For a more sophisticated look, Minou 102 Lynx and Uni Merino 127 Kingfisher are an exceptional pair. But, if you’re looking to make a bold statement, we think Minou 101 Borzoi and Uni Merino Neons 152 Neon Pink will do that and more! This weekend, we’re offering 20% off the entire Uni Merino Family ! Plus, get an additional 20% off Minou and Minou Bag Quantities . These offers expire Sunday, May 5th, at 11:59 PM EST, so shop with us today and make your own Speck Cowl for less! Let us know in the comments which of these color combinations you would choose! Thanks for stopping by! Robert Posted on April 19, 2024 April 19, 2024 Free Pattern Friday – Whirligig Cardigan Happy Friday, Friends! This week we are releasing the Whirligig Cardigan , designed by Afifa Sayeed, which captures all of the whimsy and colors of spring! Two bold shades of Cotton Supreme collide with two punchy colors of Cotton Supreme Speckles to create swirly pinwheels all over. Cotton Supreme is a ridiculously soft, worsted-weight, 100% cotton yarn. It’s available in a whopping 45 colors and is a dream to work with and wear, but its versatility is the real kicker. It’s suitable for homewares like baby blankets, washcloths, stuffed toys, and more. However, Cotton Supreme truly is most popular for garments and accessories worn close to the skin. It’s an approved yarn for sensitive skin types, and is used by many for chemo caps, like the Hope Hat. Cotton Supreme Speckles is the variegated counterpart to Cotton Supreme. It has the same 100% cotton base and weight, and comes in 6 zippy colors, which can pair with their solid sisters in fun and exciting ways. The Whirligig Cardigan , and the Below blanket show off these complimenting abilities beautifully. If you’re unsure of which colors to pair up, rest assured that Cotton Supreme Speckles looks fabulous as a stand-alone-stunner. Check out the free Wildflower Tee pattern for inspiration! We love all of the ways you can pair these yarns, and are so excited to feature them in this week’s Free Pattern Friday. The Whirligig Cardigan is an Easy pattern, suitable for adventurous beginners. It’s constructed of 52 individual squares that are knit on the bias. Once completed, they are sewn together based on a schematic, and finished with picked up stitches for sleeve hems and edging. I personally love projects that assemble from smaller pieces – they are so transportable! This is a great cardigan to make on-the-go. So, what do you think you’ll make with Cotton Supreme or Cotton Supreme Speckles ? Get both for your stash with our weekend sale! Today through Sunday 4/21 both of these yarns are 20% off on our website . Share your projects with us here in the comments, or send photos on social media – we love to see what you’re working on! That’s all for now, happy stitching! Ashley Jane Posted on April 17, 2024 April 15, 2024 Spring Yarns For Your Stash Spring has sprung, and we’re thrilled to share some of our favorite yarns for the season with you! There are many things to look out for when searching for the perfect yarn for spring, including fiber content, weight, and color palette. If you haven’t heard of the yarns below, let today be the day you try something new! Let’s go ahead and get started with the newest addition to the Uptown Family of Yarns! Uptown Bamboo DK Subtle Shell Ruana Uptown Bamboo DK is a fiber blend of 80% anti-pilling acrylic and 20% bamboo in a DK weight. Each 100g skein has 284 yards of yarn, with 38 different colors to select from. Bamboo fibers are highly breathable and moisture-wicking, allowing you to keep cool in warmer weather. Uptown Bamboo DK is machine-washable, making it an excellent option for wearable pieces and baby projects. The color palette of this yarn includes plenty of beautiful hues for spring, like 515 Wisteria and 528 Breeze . Cotton Supreme Speckles Wildflower Tee Cotton Supreme Speckles is the newest member of the Cotton Supreme Family, and it’s already receiving so much love! This yarn is made up of 100% cotton fibers in a worsted weight, just like Cotton Supreme , but with speckles! Cotton is a plant-based fiber that is excellent for spring and almost any project you can think of. Due to the durability of cotton, Cotton Supreme Speckles is phenomenal for homewares, like the Seedling Washcloths . Additionally, this yarn makes for beautiful wearable pieces, like the pictured Wildflower Tee . Bamboo Pop Sabal Naturally, we wanted to include one of our staple yarns, so say hello to Bamboo Pop ! We already talked through the benefits of bamboo and cotton fibers, and guess what? Bamboo Pop is a blend of both! With that being the case, this yarn is breathable, soft, and exceptional for any project. One of our favorite things about Bamboo Pop is the versatile color palette. Both solids and multis are available, and many pair faultlessly with each other! Try a fun accessory with this staple, with the pictured Sabal poncho. Plus, if you love to make baby projects, you will want to add Bamboo Pop to your stash; it’s a customer favorite for such patterns! Rico Design Baby Dream DK Besties Speaking of baby projects, Rico Design’s Baby Dream DK is next on deck! With a...