A Scrappy Shawl Knitting Pattern to Use All Your Odd Balls

Since I’ve been writing a lot about using your yarn stash and leftovers from other projects a lot lately (see projects with two strands held together, patterns for leftovers, projects using minis, to name a few) the algorithms that be keep showing me more of that kind of content. And I can’t imagine I’m the only one with excess yarn on their hands (don’t call it too much), so I keep wanting to share them, too.

So it is with the Scrappy Knit Shawl from Morale Fiber. This one turned up after I was looking for stash-busting shawls for a forthcoming post, but I felt like it was worth mentioning because it’s such an easy and effective technique.

This is a triangular garter stitch shawl, easy as can be, meant to use up leftovers small and large. Start with your smallest balls while the rows are tiny, and use bigger balls as the shawl gets bigger. You can even incorporate the yarn ends into the fringe on the sides, and/or add it separately.

The fun thing about a project like this is you can make it with whatever weight of yarn you happen to have the most of, or you can hold two strands of a lighter-weight yarn together to make it closer to the weight of your other yarns. Gauge isn’t important and it won’t matter if a couple of rows look a little fatter or thinner than the others (and it’s actually a cool effect when this happens).

You can also make it whatever size you like. I love this big version, which measures 95 inches (241 cm) across and 20 inches (50.8 cm) long, but you could make a little shawl, a kerchief, or a blanket-sized shawl, whatever strikes you and depending on how much yarn you have. And the scrappier it looks the better!

Grab the free pattern from Morale Fiber.

[Photo: Morale Fiber]

As the temperatures start getting cooler as they are doing now where I live, all I want to do is knit blankets or be under knit blankets or be under a blanket while knitting it.

If you’re new to knitting or just looking for an easy and cozy knit blanket project, check out the Knit Squares Blanket from Mama in a Stitch.

The blanket is worked in bulky yarn all in one piece on a long circular knitting needle (though it is knit flat) and using alternating blocks of stockinette, reverse stockinette and seed stitch with a garter stitch border.

Though the original pattern has you working all in one piece across the blanket, and in a single color, this design got me thinking about lots of different ways you could work it.

Of course you could still work it in one piece and either add horizontal stripes of color. Just change colors at the end of a section of pattern blocks (and work a knit row all the way across on the first row of the new color to keep the color changes crisp) and you’ll have a different look. Or use two colors and change colors in the middle.

You could also make vertical stripes of color using intarisa. In that case I’d probably knit the border in a single color and then start the stripes after.

If intarsia isn’t your thing, you could also work the project in individual panels of 16 or 32 stitches and then sew them together by hand. In that case you’d want to work the border after the project is knit and seamed. And then you can easily make it bigger, too, by working more columns and making them longer.

And while you’re changing colors with abandon, if you’re working in panels you could also change colors every block to give it a patchwork look and use up all your leftover yarn. (If you don’t have lots of chunky leftovers try holding two strands of worsted weight together.)

Whatever way you knit it, this blanket looks to be a cozy addition to your home for fall and winter. Grab the free pattern from Mama in a Stitch.

[Photo: Mama in a Stitch]

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