Did you catch the name change? YarnyBird is now Blackbird Mountain Designs!

 – Friday Faves –

I can’t believe it’s April already! April always makes me think about rainbows. Maybe it’s the old adage “April showers bring May flowers”, I’m not sure. But rainbow is the theme for this month’s Friday Faves.

This month I have both crochet and knit patterns in the same post, but I’ve split them into 2 different sections. If you only crochet or only knit, you’ll be able to jump to that section and see what’s what there.

All photos are the property of the original pattern designer. This post may contain affiliate links that support Blackbird Mountain Designs content. All opinions are my own.

 – CROCHET –

1. Little Rainbow Delight by Little Gems Craft Shop

© Little Gems Craft Shop

I can’t do a rainbow theme without including an ACTUAL rainbow. Why I love it…tassels! I’ve been seeing this one floating around on Instagram in ALL. THE. COLORS. and I’m in love. This would be a great stash buster. Think outside the traditional rainbow colors, and use what you have! You can leave off the tassels if you don’t like them. Change the size of the rainbow by using a thicker or thinner yarn, double stranded/triple stranded, smaller or larger hook. You can crochet a bunch of rainbows and hang them in the windows of your house so your neighbors can have a little sunshine when they walk by.

2. Rainbow Zebra Amigurumi by One and Two Company

© One and Two Company

Zebras are cuter in rainbow! Why I love it…he’s a stuffed zebra in rainbow stripes! Okay, duh, right? I can’t nail down for you why I love him, I just know that as I was scrolling on Ravelry he caught my eye and needed to be included. Maybe because he’s waving at me? Of course you don’t have to make this in rainbow colors – stick with black and white for a traditional zebra, pick a solid color, do whatever you want. However you make him, he’s going to be cute. Amigurumi are a fun baby shower or birthday gift.

3. Rainbow Stripes Baby Blanket by Sewrella

© Sewrella 2017

Why I love it…Blankets are my favorite, and this one works up quick. If you’re anything like me, you walk the yarn aisles, pick up & squish the Bernat Blanket Yarn, and then put it back because you can’t quite figure out what to make with it. This is your answer. Extra bulky yarn, basic stitches, and a video tutorial make this an absolutely PERFECT first project for a new crocheter.

4. Rainbow Cuddles Unicorn by One Dog Woof

© 2015 by One Dog Woof

Much like the zebra, this unicorn called out to me. Why I love it…spiral tail and super fun hair. Plus he’s BIG – nearly 15 inches tall! I love the chunky build of this amigurumi and I think that makes him extra cuddly. That hair and tail are so fun. You could leave the horn off if you just wanted a rainbow horse.

 

 – KNIT –

1. Rainbow Connection Socks by Crazy Sock Lady Designs

© Crazy Sock Lady Designs

Why I love it…stashbuster. You can use those sock yarn scraps for the rainbow portion, or that self striping yarn that you just can’t seem to find the right pattern for. The pattern includes tutorials to help walk you through the trickier bits.

2. Rainbow Caterpillar by Amanda Berry

© Amanda Berry

Apparently I’m really loving the rainbow stuffed animals right now.  Why I love it…flexibility.This is another great stashbuster project, and you can change up the size of the finished piece by changing your yarn weight and needle size, as well as just making larger pieces for the body. The pattern page indicates that the pieces are knit flat, so this would be a great beginner pattern.

3. My Rainbow Heart by Stephanie Lotven

© Stephanie Lotven

Why I love it…hearts! I love that these fingerless mitts don’t have individual spots for your fingers, because that can be really fiddly when you’re making it. If you’ve got enough yarn for the main color (gray), you can use scraps for the color work. The mismatched color scheme on the 2 mitts is really fun, but it would look great as a matching pair. There’s also a matching hat pattern linked on the pattern page.

4. Find Your Fade by Drea Renee Knits

© Andrea Mowry

Why I love it…what’s not to love? This pattern is so flexible in how many colors you use, and it’s a great pattern for using up some of those skeins of fingering weight yarn in your stash that you haven’t found a home for yet. There are tutorials for some of the trickier parts, but overall the pattern isn’t too difficult if you take your time.

 

And there you have it! This month’s Friday Faves. Don’t forget to email me your theme ideas for future Friday Faves.