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Review: Yashi by Universal Yarn

July 5, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Review: Yashi (raffia yarn) by Universal Yarn

We used Yashi (raffia yarn) by Universal Yarn in our Twins Face Off design challenge sponsored by Ewe and Me: A Yarn Boutique. Here are our thoughts about the yarn.

It is unique! We haven’t worked with anything like this. We love products that are new and different. This is definitely one to try.

Yarn Features:

According to the Universal website: “Yashi is a soft, papery raffia yarn especially well-suited for crafts and accessories.”

Worsted Weight: 99 yards/40 grams
100% Raffia: Hand wash, Dry Flat

Yashi Pros:

Fun Colors
Can be unwrapped to make a wide ribbon like yarn
Surprisingly Durable – Didn’t tear even after frogging several times
Color Fast – doesn’t bleed in cold or hot water (we tried)
Strong (even if swatch is soaked in water)
Long Run Out – Most raffia is made of short strands. Love that this is 99 continuous yards!
Soft when compared to other raffia

Yashi Cons:

Stiff – Can see kinks in stitches
Frogged yarn will be thinner/crunched
No flux, difficult to create good stitch definition with stitches of various heights
Coarse when compared to traditional yarns.

Yashi raffia yarn is fun for a variety of projects. It’s awesome for crafting and creates a unique look for crochet. Here are some patterns using Yashi:

Crochet with Raffia (from Twins Face Off)
Ravelry Patterns
Universal Yarn Patterns (click the patterns tab)

Filed Under: Review · Tagged With: review, yashi

Winners in the Raffia Twins Face Off

June 25, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Winnners in the Twins Face Off Using Yashi (raffia) Yarn

Congrats to Dana Bincer for winning the Yashi (raffia) yarn Twins Face Off design challenge sponsored by Ewe and Me: a Yarn Boutique. The Utensil and Plate Holders won with 80% of the vote! That puts Dana firmly in the lead with 3 wins to Deborah’s 1 in the Twins Face Off design challenge.

People were really curious about the raffia yarn when we told them it was our challenge material for June. It was really fun to use an untraditional material in our challenge.

Winners in the Giveaway

Congrats to the following two people who won in the Yashi (a raffia yarn by Universal Yarn) yarn giveaway.

1st Place:
The 1st Place winner is Darren S. He wins 7 skeins of Yashi yarn and the two crochet patterns.

2nd Place:
The 2nd Place winner is Cynthia J. She wins the two crochet patterns.

Another big thank you to everyone who participated in the challenge by voting and entering the giveaway. We really appreciate you.

All of the items made in the June challange are available in the shop in one pattern: Crochet with Raffia.

Crochet with Raffia Pattern on Etsy.

Stay tuned for our review of Yashi coming in a couple of days.

Filed Under: Twins Face Off Design Challenge · Tagged With: Twins Face Off, winners

Vote on Crochet Raffia Challenge and Giveaway

June 18, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Vote on the Summer Accessory using Yashi Raffia Design Challenge
Enter the Universal Yarn Yashi Raffia Giveaway

The challenge was given by Ewe and Me: A Yarn Boutique to us to crochet with Yashi raffia yarn (made by Universal Yarn). It’s up to you to choose which summer accessory you like better. After you vote, be sure to enter the giveaway to win the Yashi raffia yarn! If you’re in the Colorado Springs area, stop by Ewe and Me for a second chance to vote and win.

Giveaway here on the blog ends June 24, 2015 at midnight (Mountain Time).

Vote on Crochet Raffia Projects

Left: Picnic Set (Utensil & Plate Holders Right: Rosey Handbag

Below are more photos of the summer accessories. Learn more about the Crochet with Raffia patterns and see more photos in the shop.

The vote is annonymous, so vote with confidence.

Vote

[poll id=”8″]

Enter Yashi Raffia Yarn Giveaway

US & Canada Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Crochet with Raffia Patterns on Etsy.

Filed Under: Challenges & Contests, Twins Face Off Design Challenge · Tagged With: ewe and me, Giveaway, raffia, Twins Face Off, yashi

Twins Face Off – Yashi Sneak Peek

June 11, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Twins Face Off – Sneak Peek of Crochet with Raffia

Last week we announced that Ewe and Me is sponsoring the Twins Face Off crochet challenge using Yashi, a raffia yarn by Universal Yarn. We’re still working on our projects, but here’s a sneak peek at what we’ve got so far.

Summer Accessories (non clothing) – that’s the category Debbie, the owner of Ewe and Me, has challenged us with. Since it’s warm and sunny these days…we are loving all the possibilities.

Next week we’ll share photos and ask you to vote for the design you like better. We’ll also be giving away prizes.

1 place: Yarn needed to make the winning design and both crochet patterns;
2nd place: both crochet patterns.

Two Ways to Win!
Register to win (next week) here on our blog and in store at Ewe and Me.

See you next week!

Filed Under: Twins Face Off Design Challenge · Tagged With: sneak peek, Twins Face Off

Twins Face Off – Ewe and Me Challenge with Yashi

June 4, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Twins Face Off Crochet Design Challenge and Giveaway Sponsored by Ewe and Me Using Yashi Yarn by Universal Yarns

Ewe and Me: A Yarn Boutique in Colorado Springs is sponsoring this month’s Twins Face Off crochet design challenge and we are thrilled, excited and definitely challenged!

Yashi Challenge by Ewe and Me A Yarn Boutique to Yarn Twins

Debbie, Owner of Ewe and Me (pictured center) presents Yashi Yarn by Universal to Dana (left) and Deborah (right)…saying “Game On”

Debbie Golucke, Owner of Ewe and Me, presented us with a challenge to use Yashi. This is a fairly new yarn made from raffia sold by Universal Yarns. We were each given 8 skeins of this raffia yarn with Debbie tellling us, “Game On!”

Next week we will announce what cateogry of item we will crochet and we’ll share a sneak peek at what we’re working on. The week following that we will ask you to vote on the two designs.

There will also be 2 chances to win this yarn! Stop by Ewe and Me to enter the giveaway being held in store. Enter online here on Yarnovations.com. Giveaway starts June 19.

1st place to wins the yarn needed to make the winning design and the 2 patterns;
2nd place to win the two patterns.

A big thank you to Ewe and Me for sponsoring this challenge! Debbie also has some fun things planned in store…so be sure to stop by later this month.

Filed Under: Twins Face Off Design Challenge · Tagged With: ewe and me, raffia, Twins Face Off, universal yarns, yashi

Behind the Scenes: Baby Pink – Shelly Baby Set

May 31, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Behind the Scenes: Baby Pink – Shelly Baby Set

The Baby Pink Shelly Baby Set eeked out a win in the Twin Face Off design challenge using Bernat Softee Baby yarn in May 2015. I, Dana, thought I would share a bit about how the design came to be.

The blanket was the first project I created. I was inspired by swatches I found in the Crochet Stitch Dictionary by Sarah Hazell. From there I created a sweater, hat and booties that incoporporated the elements from the center panel and edging of the blanket.

As you can see in the photo above, I used a brown ribbon as an accent in the set. I adore the contrast in color. Ultimately I swapped the brown for a pink because I couldn’t find a button that coordianted without being overpowering. Don’t get me wrong, I adore the daisies…but I think they are a bit bright for the set.

That being said, I absolutely adore how the daisies look with the booties. If the challenge had just been baby booties, I definitely would have kept them. Perhaps I should have looked a little harder for a ribbon to go with the buttons…maybe a white or yellow.

This is the first time I’ve created a baby sweater, so it was the last thing I designed…and I was nervous about it. Deborah went through a baby sweater craze recently and honestly, I was a little intimidated to make one. She shared her basic pattern with me and I was able to modify it to create a cute little sweater that I’m happy with.

This particular challenge was really fun for me. I don’t often make girly items and I found that it was a blast! Deborah was thrilled to make a “boy” set because she’s got two little ones at home. So she was very interested in creating projects that she would actually use.

Our mom saw a sneak peek of the pink baby blanket before the challenge went live and she loved it! She wanted to make a blanket for her great grand son and asked for the pattern. So, she was the first pattern tester for the baby blanket. The blanket turned out great and looks adorable in baby blue. Good job, Mom!

Pink Shelly Baby Pattern Set on Etsy.

Baby Blue Pattern Set on Etsy.

Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, Twins Face Off Design Challenge · Tagged With: baby pink, behind the scenes, shelly baby set, Twins Face Off

Review: Softee Baby by Bernat

May 27, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Review: Softee Baby by Bernat

We used Softee Baby in our Twins Face Off Baby Set crochet design challange this month. Here are our thoughts about the yarn.

We love it! Not only is Softee Baby soft, as the name implies, it also has great drape. It is delightful to work with and makes beautiful finished pieces.

Yarn Features:

According to Yarnspirations website: “Bernat Softee Baby is a soft, premium acrylic yarn with a delightful range of shades. 100% acrylic”

Light Weight: 140g / 5 oz, 331 meters / 362 yards

Bernat Softee Baby Pros:

Soft to crochet
Soft finished projects
Beautiful drape
Glides smoothly over hook
Nice variety of pastel baby colors

Bernat Softee Baby Cons:

Colors limited to pastel baby colors

This yarn is perfect for a variety of projects including baby blankets, hats, sweaters and booties. We only wish it came in more colors!

Here are some patterns that use Softee Baby by Bernat:

Baby Pink – Shelly Baby Set on Etsy
Baby Blue – Hdc Faux Stockinette Baby Set on Etsy
Patterns from Yarnspirations

Filed Under: Review · Tagged With: bernat, review, softee baby

Winners in the Twins Face Off Baby Set Challenge

May 26, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Winners in the Twins Face Off Baby Set Challenge using Bernat Softee Baby

Congrats to Dana Bincer for winning the Baby Set Challenge with the Baby Pink – Shelly Baby Set. It was a close race. The pink set received 56% of the votes. Dana has pulled ahead – winning 2 contests to Deborah’s 1.

We received lots of great feedback. People said they liked elements out of each set and that it was difficult to choose which set they liked better! It was fun to have such a close contest.

Winners in the Giveaway

A big round of applause for the two winners in the Bernat Softee Baby yarn giveaway.

First Place: Vickie W. R.
Vickie wins 4 skeins of Bernat Softee Baby yarn (in color 0f choice) and the patterns for both baby sets.

Second Place: Elsa L.
Elsa wins both patterns for the baby sets.

A big thank you to everyone for participating in the Twins Face Off Design Challenge. It means a lot to us that you voted and entered the giveaway.

The patterns for both baby sets are available in the shop. Learn more about each pattern:

Baby Pink – Shelly Baby Set on Etsy
Baby Blue – HDC Faux Stockinette Baby Set on Etsy

Filed Under: Challenges & Contests, Twins Face Off Design Challenge · Tagged With: baby set, design challenge, Twins Face Off, winners

Vote on Baby Challenge and Giveaway

May 19, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Vote on the Baby Design Challenge and
Enter the Bernat Softee Baby Yarn Giveaway

It’s up to you to choose, which baby set you like better. After you vote below, enter the giveaway for your chance to win the yarn used in this month’s challenge as well as the patterns for both baby sets.

Giveaway ends May 25, 2015 at midnight.

Left: Baby Pink Shelly Baby Set Right: Baby Blue HDC Faux Stockinette Baby Set

Below are more photos of the baby sets. You can see more photos in the shop: Baby Pink Shelly Baby Set and Baby Blue HDC Faux Stockinette Baby Set.

It’s time for your vote – it’s annonymous…so vote with confidence!

[poll id=”7″]

USA and Canada Only

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Pink Baby Shelly Baby Pattern Set on Etsy.

Baby Blue Pattern Set on Etsy.

Filed Under: Accessories, Afghan, Baby, Challenges & Contests, Hat, Twins Face Off Design Challenge · Tagged With: baby, baby blanket, booties, design challenge, hat, newborn, sweater

Twins Face Off – Bernat Softee Baby Sneak Peek

May 12, 2015 by Yarnitect (Dana) ·

Twins Face Off – Bernat Softee Baby Sneak Peek

Last week we announced that we are raiding our stash for the Bernat Softee Baby yarn Twins Face Off design challenge.

Here’s a peek at what we’re working on:

Baby projects! That’s the category we chose for the yarn. We’ll be wrapping up the patterns this week.

Next week we’ll share photos and ask you to vote for your favorite design. We’ll also be giving away prizes. 1 place: 4 skeins of yarn (pale blue or soft red, color of winners choice) and the patterns; 2nd place: two patterns.