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General Stash-Busting Project Ideas

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stash bustingOver the next week or so I’m going to be sharing a lot of different specific patterns that would be good for stash busting, but first I wanted to offer some general considerations for using bits of stash in projects to get you thinking.

If you have a bunch of odd balls that you’d like to use in a project, stripes are of course the classic. Whether you add stripes to a simple hat pattern or make a horizontal scarf in which you change yarns every row (I have one over at About if you want to see how it’s done), using stripes and a simple stitch pattern is a classic way to use up bits of yarn.

You could also use each ball to knit a swatch (all the same stitch pattern or a variety) and sew them together into a blanket.

Another option is to work a project mostly in one yarn and use an odd ball to work a single stripe. Alternatively you could work just the cast on in a different yarn for a interesting look.

Stitch Patterns for Stash-Busting

Both garter and stockinette are great choices when you’re going to be working random stripes, but stockinette in particular looks best if you’re consistently changing yarns on the same side of the work.

Other stitch patterns that are great for stripes include chevrons, fan patterns and patterns with slip stitches like linen stitch and bamboo stitch.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on stitch patterns and projects that are great for stash busting, and stay tuned for a ton more ideas.

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Comments

  1. I made a blanket of hexagons, each knit in the round, outside edge to center. You don’t really have to worry about where the yarn runs out, so long as you leave a tail to weave in. I hate, loathe, abhor and abominate sewing blocks together, so I picked up stitches on edges, and made it seamless. Sort of the ultimate “un-vented” pattern.

Have you read?

Knits with Sheep

It felt like it had been a while since I’d done a roundup of knitting patterns involving sheep, and if search is any indication, that is true. I found a roundup of patterns for knit sheep from a few years ago, but the only one with v I could find is from 2015. So it’s definitely time to revisit this fun genre of knitting patterns.

This all started with a headband. Alyssa Kaat’s Icelandic Sheep Headband (free on Ravelry) to be specific. Ravelry showed it to me as a pattern highlight and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look. It’s worked with two colors of worsted weight yarn and alternates sheep with stars around your head.

Another great sheepy headband is this one from Loch Fyne Crafts on Etsy. These sweet little sheep are worked in bulky yarn and you can make the background look like field and sky or work it in a solid color.

Or make a headband (or a hat, cowl, or all three) covered with a flock of sheep with this set of patterns from New Age Knitting CA. These pieces also use the field/sky coloring, but you can use whatever colors of worsted weight yarn you like.

Speaking of hats, there’s also the sheep hat from Lynann Knits Designs. The sample was worked in Icelandic wool to make the sheep and the hat extra fuzzy and warm, but any worsted weight yarn will work.

There’s also the Wandering Sheep hat from Kat Hudon (on Ravelry), which features a fun collection of speckled sheep that can be worked in different yarn weights to make different sizes of hats for kids and adults.

And lest you think sheep need to be knit in traditional stranded colorwork, check out the Rebel Sheep Mob blanket by Deborah Moore. This one is worked in mosaic knitting using fingering weight yarn. In mosaic knitting you’re only working with one color per row so it’s pretty easy. You can find this pattern on Ravelry.

I can’t possibly share sheep knitting patterns without mentioning the amazing Black Sheep Shadow Shawl by Mark Jamieson. Shadow knitting is a technique I want to do more of, but it involves working two rows alternating in two different colors and the pattern emerges when you look at the design from an angle. It’s so cool and the sheep on this one are amazing! It’s not a beginner project but well worth the work. You can find it on Ravelry or at the designer’s website.