A Fun Bag to Knit to Use Yarn Leftovers

You all should know by now that I’m a big fan of using your yarn leftovers in different projects. Sometimes I even challenge myself to use whatever yarn is left from one project in the next project I’m working on so those leftovers never really become stash.

Of course that’s not always possible to do (nor would you always want to) so there are also odd balls and leftovers that end up lurking deep in the stash, waiting for the right project.

I love what Cashmere & Beach did with their leftover yarn, making a fun multi-step project in the process. They used Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool, but any naturally colored wool could be used for this project (you can probably also do this with natural cotton yarn, but it needs a little more preparation, according to this post from Casale Crafts).

First they dyed the yarn with carrot tops, giving it an interesting green and yellow color. They then knit the yarn into a little zip project bag, with a knit twine base for extra durability.

Even if you don’t want to go to all that trouble, this is a good pattern for a little project bag that you could make with any worsted weight yarn (or use a different weight to make a bag of a different size). Make it with a single color of yarn or bring all your odd balls together to make a bag the size you like.

And of course you don’t have to use the twine on the bottom if you don’t have any on hand or don’t want to deal with knitting with it. It’s very choose your own adventure.

Best of all, you can get the pattern for free on Ravelry, and the designer has tutorials about the dyeing process and how to knit the bag on YouTube if you need more guidance.

[Photo: Cashmere & Beach]

Bags to Knit for Your Travels

A Bunch of Knit Bags to Hold Your Stuff

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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