Fun Things to Do that Aren’t Exactly Knitting

I think most of us sometimes make things with yarn that are not knit, or delve into other crafty areas that might be somewhat connected to knitting. So here’s a quick roundup of projects that have come across my radar lately that aren’t knitting but are still pretty cool.

Neda at Second Skin Blog wove leather together to make her own sandals. How amazing is that? I’m sure you could do something similar with yarn/fiber. Maybe weave a patch do go over the hole in your Toms? (Or was that just me?)

CraftsnCoffee used some sweet chenille yarn to make a baby shower wreath. You could always knit a rectangular shape and use it to cover the wreath form, too, if you’d rather make it a knitting project.

And DIY Everywhere has a good list of craft projects to use up leftover yarn, from jewelry to string art and beyond. Lists like this are always inspiring for paring down the stash of odd balls! I love the heart dreamcatcher shown above, which is from Molly Moo Crafts.

Next Pattern:

Once you get past the rush of the holidays, it’s time to focus on yourself and your home and what’s going to make you feel good for the rest of winter. For me, that’s having a homemade blanket in every room. I’m currently working on a granny stitch crochet blanket, but I wanted to share some cozy knit blanket patterns with you in case you’re on the lookout for something great to knit yourself or someone you love.

I have really been enjoying log cabin projects lately because they’re a great way to use stash and I love the connections between knitting and quilting. This log cabin scrap blanket pattern is free from Very Pink, and it includes a video tutorial if you haven’t done log cabin knitting before. It’s worked in garter stitch and has blocks that are connected by borders in a single color.

Speaking of scrap busting (since that’s on my mind all the time, but particularly when New Year’s resolution time rolls around), the Hue Shift Afghan by Kerin Dimeler-Laurence is worked in a huge array of colors in garter stitch mitered squares. The pattern has options for working with sport weight or worsted weight yarn, and the blanket is worked in quarters and then sewn together, but the individual squares in each section are worked off each other for minimal finishing. Get the pattern from Knit Picks.

If you’re looking for an easy pattern that has a lot of texture, this quilted knit throw from Mama in a Stitch is a great choice. It uses chunky yarn in a single color to make a simple knit and purl pattern that looks like diamonds. The designer notes that a lighter colored yarn is helpful for making the stitch pattern stand out, but you can try whatever color you like.

Or go even simpler with the Bella Vita blanket from Christaco Design. This one uses super bulky yarn (or make it a stash buster by holding two strands of worsted weight yarn together). The pattern has a seed stitch border and allover knit and purl pattern, and includes sizes from baby blanket to California king.

If instead you want a project that will challenge you and occupy your mind as well as your needles, try the Aran texture cable afghan knitting pattern from Pattern Professionals. This gorgeous design features panels of cables and other textured stitches, and the pattern is originally form the 1970s. It uses worsted weight yarn and each pattern strip is worked individually and sewn together (though you could combine them into one big panel if you’d rather).

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