A Brilliant Wrap for Minis or Yarn Leftovers

I love a good stash busting project, and that’s the first thing I thought of when I saw the Brilliant Brickwork Wrap by Amy Crumpton.

It’s actually designed to use mini skeins of fingering weight yarn, but I feel like you could use scrap yarns in harmonious colors to get the same kind of effect.

The pattern was written to use 24 colors of 10 gram skeins, as well as a 100 gram/400 yard skein of yarn. But there’s a design modifications section in the pattern that talks you through using 12 colors in 20 gram increments, 10 gram scrap balls or even three full skeins of yarn if you’ve got bigger amounts of pretties you want to use.

The wrap is worked in garter stitch and it’s sort of a log cabin style, where stitches are picked up from the edges of previous sections to build the next piece. It is worked in two sections that are joined in the middle with no seaming required. The pattern includes row by row written instructions and end of row stitch counts so you can keep your place easily.

The designer rates the skill level as for adventurous beginners and beyond. You’ll need to know how to knit, slip stitches and pick up stitches from a slipped stitch edge.

I do love the look that minis give you in this project because they are designed to work well together. (Check out more patterns great for mini skeins and advent calendar yarn.) But being me I’m always thinking about ways to use your yarn stash, and I think with proper planning this would be a great project for getting rid of some of those odd balls. You could also work the wrap in a different weight of yarn for a different look depending on what yarn you have that you need to use.

As written is measures about 14 by 60 inches, or 35.5 by 152.5 cm, but you can adjust the length without too much trouble.

Check it out and grab your copy from Ravelry.

[Photo: Amy Crumpton]

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Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns!

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil.

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn.

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point.

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up.

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.

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