Are you one of those people who can't resist buying those beautiful mini skeins of yarn? They always look so tempting, like rows of delicious sweeties, don't they? Some people use them in scrappy blankets and others, like me, just accumulate them with no clear idea of what to do with them!
For Christmas last year, I treated my knitting pal Snoopydog to a Twelve Days of Christmas yarn calendar from Pixie Yarns. And of course an extra one kind of fell into my basket for me too! Funny that! It was beautifully presented with 12 number stamped bags hanging on a cord which I was able to hang from my mantelpiece throughout the festive period. Each morning I opened a bag, and was totally thrilled with both the yarn and the thoughtful extras that Sophie included in each bag. Sometimes it was an edible treat, and other times a beautiful stitch marker or decoration. Have a look for yourself...
My initial plan was to knit a pair of socks with the yarn, but I decided against that as I knit socks cuff down usually and so I would be unlikely to use all of the colours before finishing the pair. Having been bitten by the crochet bug recently and really liking the effect of the linen stitch border on my Hyacinth blanket, I decided to use the skeins to make a scarf. I crocheted a chain until I thought it was long enough for a scarf and then began the rows of linen stitch.
I went up a couple of hook sizes to a 3.5mm because the fabric created is quite dense and I wanted it to be softer and floppier. Basically you double crochet, chain 1 along the row of chain stitches and then when you come back the other way, you double crochet into the chain space and make a chain where there was a double crochet.
I've now crocheted two complete repeats of the yarn and love how the colours look together. I'm not entirely sure that it's going to be long enough to wrap around as a scarf, so I might end up having to sew the ends together to make it into a cowl. That would be a great shame as I was hoping to leave all the ends as a fringe! And if it was going to be a cowl, I would probably have joined my initial chain together to make a massive ring so that I was crocheting in the round. Something to bear in mind if I make another one. And I probably will as I have loads of sock yarn leftovers sat in a box. It's a great way of using up all those oddments of precious yarn that you've been keeping. What do you do with all your yarn leftovers? xxx
6 comments:
Yarny advent calendars are fantastic aren't they. I really enjoyed mine too. I put a square of each into my cosy memory blanket and plan to start a scrappy crocheted stripy blanket at some point which will gobble up the rest. Your scarf is gorgeous - better finish it soon with snow forecast! xx
Love the scarf. It is so pretty. Regards, Robyn
That looks very pretty; I might borrow your idea for some of my sock yarn leftovers. It would probably work with handspun yarn leftovers as well (I hate throwing those away after all the work that went into making them!).
Have you seen the Beekeepers Quilt pattern from Tiny Owl Knits, available in Ravelry, lots of detail through Google too. Great portable project, mine has 412 hexipuffs, I’m now making more hexipuffs to join into a cushion cover.
Any 4ply yarn is possible, I use magic loop, warning the hexipuffs are addictive.
I’ve been knitting fingerless gloves with my leftovers. In a charity shop recently the assistant admired the pair I was wearing and in a lightbulb moment I realised I could make some for the shop to sell. However I have kept one pair for myself because taupe goes with everything and I just couldn’t let those leave the penthouse. I am good but not that good.
What a great idea! It's beautiful, and the colours are lovely.
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