Bust Your Stash with a Tumbling Blocks Afghan

It’s well know around these parts that I’m a sucker for knitting projects that are inspired by quilting (there’s a whole post full of quilt inspired knitting patterns you can check out for reference).

What I love even more? When knitting patterns that are inspired by quilts also lean into the scrappy nature of some quilt patterns to help you use your stash.

Of course the Tumbling Cubes Afghan from Lion Brand Yarn is designed to be used with their yarn (Vanna’s Choice, to be exact) you could also use whatever worsted weight yarn you have handy to make it your own.

Inspired by the tumbling blocks quilt pattern, this deign calls for 15 different colors of yarn, but for most of the colors a ball or less is needed, and you could always mix it up and use more colors as you like. Or you can keep colors in the same family as shown in the chart (so, like, all the greens are still green but you might use different shades of green for some of them) to help use up odd balls.

If you are using odd balls be aware that your finished blanket will need to be laundered according to the needs of the most finicky yarn you used. So if you have some wool in there, it will need hand washing. Stick to superwash wool, acrylic, cotton, etc., if you need it to be machine washable.

The pattern is charted and worked in stockinette stitch using the intarsia technique and with a striped garter stitch border that is worked one side at a time after the body of the throw is done.

The pattern is rated for intermediate knitters since you need to be comfortable reading a chart and working intarsia.

You can grab the free pattern from Lion Brand’s website. I don’t need another scrappy blanket project but I have to tell you I’m tempted by this one!

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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.

Have you read?