Tag Archives: Brava

Brava Minis: Bite-sized Skeins for Bitty Projects

We love Brava, our 100% Premium Acrylic yarn. Gentle enough for sensitive skin, Brava is hard-wearing yarn that works wonders for projects where durability and easy-care is a must. Hypoallergenic and machine washable, there is no fiber more accessible and dependable than acrylic, perfect for children, new knitters, and charity projects. Brava is now available in tiny individual skeins: Brava Mini singles!

Sample the Brava rainbow with these mini skeins: perfect for swatching, small projects, toys—whatever your heart desires! Single skeins make it so convenient to get small amounts of yarn for colorwork projects and more.

Hands holding small balls of Brava yarn

Projects to Make with Brava Minis:

A wall hanging knitted in brown and black, with long fringe

Rowan is a modern wall-hanging that works up quickly and compliments any home! This piece could also be framed as a piece of art, or sewn together with other Rowan blocks to create a blanket. Pattern designed by Mollie Conrad.

hand-knitted colorblocked mittens in teal, hot pink, and gold

Who’s ready for a super cute stash buster project? This fun pair of scrappy mittens uses only 3 little Brava mini skeins. Family Scrappy Mittens are designed by Julie Lebouthillier.

hand-knitted striped balls in multiple colors piled in a basket

Stripy Spheres pattern: this easily customizable toy pattern is a fun way to play with colors. The small amount of yarn required makes it great for Mini Packs or stashbusting. Designed by Emily Kintigh.

a mug rug knitted with an image of a pumpkin

Want to knit a coaster for fun fall decor? Or do you just love pumpkins and reach for all the pumpkin spice this time of year? This cozy fall decor piece is worked from the bottom up and uses a combination of intarsia and fair isle to create the cute design. The Pumpkin Mug Rug pattern is designed by Briana K Designs.

knitted coasters made in shades of blue and white

Create this cute set of coasters while practicing some easy colorwork. Using simple slip stitches, each coaster is knit in one piece and thick enough to protect your table from both hot and cold beverages. Perfect for gift giving, the set can be worked up quickly in 3 different colors of yarn. Originally made in Dishie, these coasters will work equally well in Brava. Slip Stitch Coasters pattern by Emily Kintigh.

Knitted finger puppets that look like animals: ladybug, bee, frog, butterfly, caterpillar

These adorable little toys use a small amount of yarn and work up quickly. They’re a great stash busting project and are sure to delight any recipient! Garden Critter Finger Puppets by Emily Kintigh.

knitted stuffed animals that look like spheres with features: raccoon, skunk, frog, squirrel, fox

Woodland Friends by Jessica Zoz are soft and cuddly stuffies that your little one will love to play with. Each of these animals are created using similar construction but changing some details to create 5 unique animals. The finished animal is 3.5 inches tall and made from worsted weight yarn making these a perfect size for little hands and super quick to complete. Also, the pattern is designed to have as few seams that need sewing as possible.

A knitted headband in blue featuring front-views of sheep

A super-simple colorwork chart creates the happy sheep decorating this headband. Originally knit in Wool of the Andes Superwash worsted yarn, this project lends itself well for use with Brava worsted. Happy Sheep Headband by Trelly Hernandez.

Buy Brava Minis

Brava minis on a board background

Buy Brava Minis:


Pattern Roundup – Current Favorites

As the rain goes so does my pattern queue. It’s been a long wet season in the Pacific Northwest and I have added many projects to my list, especially as my skills grow.  A “problem” many of us can relate to, I’m sure, no matter what the weather.

Easy Stripes Blanket

There are the ones that you just have to make because: so cute! Like the Easy Stripes Blanket. The pattern is simple and with just two colors the possibilities are endless. Perfect for every room in the house. I’m already planning to make it in  Custard Brava Worsted and Dove Heather Brava Worsted, and another in Crest Preciosa and Blue Skies Preciosa. Bonus is the pattern is free and it only takes 6 100gm balls of worsted, making this a very budget friendly gift project.

Brava worsted

The Moxie Shawl caught my eye because it immediately made me smell flowers. I daydreamed of strolling in a park full of fresh spring blooms or the on boardwalk at dusk. Plus it will be a great way to test my crochet skills.

In a richer gem stone color it would make a perfect addition for an evening out. Biggest problem would be trying to narrow it down to one color of Luminance. Just look at the riches.

And because I can’t fight my love of whimsy, the Cowl’s Meow made it on to my list too. I love the colorways in Chroma and this looks like a fun project to step out of my comfort zone. Plus CATS!

Cowls Meow Pattern

 

What’s in your pattern queue?


12 Weeks of Gifting – Free Hue Shift Afghan Pattern!

Week 5 of our 12 Weeks of Gifting and we have a treat for you! This week, our freebie is probably our most popular pattern ever. If you haven’t got your copy yet, now is the time to get the Hue Shift Afghan!

Hue Shift Afghan - Free Afghan Pattern until Oct 31 2016 at knitpicks.com

It’s easy to see why this pattern is so popular – it’s beautiful way to play with color and the mitered squares are very addicting to knit. Since it uses Brava Sport, there are endless combinations of colors. We’ve included three additional colorways with this pattern – such as the pretty Soft colorway shown below.

Hue Shift Afghan - Free Afghan Pattern until Oct 31 2016 at knitpicks.com

All of use here absolutely love this pattern – I made my own version of it last year in fact!

Hue Shift Afghan - Free Afghan Pattern until Oct 31 2016 at knitpicks.com

I decided to knit mine in Mighty Stitch Worsted instead so it’s a bit bigger (it’s about a 60″ square, while the original is a 50″ square) and used a bit more yarn (about skein and half of each color, plus 3 for the border). I used colors similar to the original rainbow version and I just love how it turned out. The squares are so much fun to knit – garter and stripes are my favorite! If you’ve never done mitered squares, we have a great little tutorial to get you started. And best of all – there is very little seaming (my nemesis), as you are creating four panels of twenty five squares where, as you finish one square, you are picking up stitches for the next. Then four panels are then seamed together and the border is picked up. You’ll be finished in no time!

Hue Shift Afghan - Free Afghan Pattern until Oct 31 2016 at knitpicks.com

I can’t recommend this pattern enough. Be sure to download your version quick as it’ll only be free for one week only!

Handy Links!
Hue Shift Afghan – Free until Oct 31
Brava Sport
Mighty Stitch Worsted

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The Winter Blues Have Arrived!

I’m embracing the long winter months ahead with a delicious wintery blue Brava project. Like most everyone, I have a major crush on any rainbow palette – be it a full-on Crayola extravaganza or a subtle monochromatic transition. I was delighted when we expanded our Brava acrylic worsted palette to include just the perfect hues for my dream crochet blanket.

Brava Blues
Aren’t they gorgeous? In case you’re wondering, they are as follows:
Left to right: Marina, Cornflower,Peacock, Tidepool, Silver, Dove Heather, Clarity, White

Brava Blues

Brava Blues

I’m planning on doing a chevron pattern, like this one. Should create a lovely, wave-like effect!

What is your favorite set of colors? Any particular rainbow combinations you favor?


Knit & Crochet in Public Week: Knittin’ Out in the Open

Crafting started as something fun to do once in a while, like during a rainy day or on the odd vacation weekend. I have a few memories of making massive collages of tiny horses cut out of magazines, or sorting through a giant jar of buttons.

That was all before I picked up a pair of knitting needles late in high school. From that moment on I needed to craft. It became a lifestyle. I knit in class, on the bus, during movies, on car rides to the store and especially in parks on nice days. Today I always have a larger project to work on at home and a smaller portable project to work on when I’m out in the fresh air and I noticed during this past round of craft shows that I always love picking up purses and tote bags but my first thought was always “hmmm… how much knitting can I fit in here?” 20130610_0051

I’m not making a statement with my public craftitude, instead I’m simply keeping busy and working through my stash no matter where I am. I do get a little thrill whenever a stranger asks what I’m making or even just correctly identifies whether I’m sewing, knitting or crocheting (conversely, I HATE it when someone asks what I’m sewing when I’m clearly knitting… sheesh!).

I think the project that has spent the most time out and about with me is my Hue Shift Afghan. I bought the yarn after I saw the finished blanket when it came through the office, well before I even shot it for the catalog! I couldn’t WAIT to get started!

Well, almost exactly one year later I just finished weaving in the last end. It is by far my most long-term project and one of the least portable but I wanted to finish it so badly that I wound up lugging it around with me for the past five months.

20130610_0038

Now it’s officially done (complete with a photo!) so now the space in my purse for projects is freed up and I’m definitely at a bit of a loss for what to start next! I think I’m due for a few toys or mittens. Lately I’ve been grabbing a ball of yarn and a crochet hook instead of reaching for my circulars when I head out on a date or to a coffee shop. I love how portable and quick Amigurumi or granny squares can be!