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Giveaway: Scarves and Shawls for Yarn Lovers

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scarves and shawls for yarn lovers giveaway

Congratulations to asteride!

There are a lot of great yarns out there that might be called “novelty,” yarns with a lot of texture or that use fiber in unexpected ways. Ribbons, eyelash yarns, slubby, super bulky and multi-textured yarns are sometimes thought of as being too trendy or not serious enough by some knitters, but using these yarns is really a lot of fun.

They’re particularly great for newer knitters — once you get over the fact that it’s sometimes hard to see stitches made with these kind of yarns — because they hide mistakes and are wonderful to use with simple stitch patterns in easy projects like scarves and shawls.

Carri Hammett’s Scarves and Shawls for Yarn Lovers pairs interesting yarns with simple stitches and shapes to make fun projects suitable for all skill levels. None of the projects here are too difficult, and the funky yarns make them look a little fancier and more complex than they would otherwise, which is great.

This is a somewhat old book (it was revised in 2010) so you may not be able to find the exact yarns used in the projects, but there are good pictures of the yarn used so you can choose yarns with similar textures or fibers to get the same kind of look.

If you’d like a chance to win this book, leave a comment on this post before the end of the day Sunday, February 15. Why don’t you tell me about your experience with novelty yarns or what sort of yarn like this is your favorite? I really love yarns with lots of texture that offer surprises while you knit.

Thanks for visiting, commenting and sharing. Good luck!

 

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Looking for more amazing shawl patterns? Check out these Knitting patterns we found on Etsy.

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Comments

  4. I have been playing with both novelty yarns and regular that were donated to our prayer shawl ministry- I’ve enjoyed combining them with more fuzzy, such as Divine, to blend the textures and colors to create new “blends of color”- fun!

  7. I have enjoyed using the ribbon yarns for shawls and scarves: they don’t look like they are soft on the skin, but they are and quite light.

  8. I love doing scarves and infinity scarves with novelty yarns for different looks. People always wonder how I come up with some of my pairings. Would love to win u our book.

  9. I love novelty yarns and have used a wide variety- ranging from ultralight to a heavy weight with pompous every few inches. Using specialty yarns always make a scarf or shawl look very high end.

  10. Just taken up hand knitting and am experimenting with different types of yarn. Would love to have a copy of this book!

  11. I have some novelty yarn in my stash, but not sure what to make with it. This book looks fun and might solve my problem!

  16. I haven’t knit with many of the novelty yarns but have my eye on some of the silk sari recycled yarn and would love to have the book of patterns to inspire me.

    Darla

  17. I’m a fan of novelty yarns. I know others don’t like them but I think they are a nice way to easily dress up your project.

  18. I have been wanting to try Tshirt yarn and also silk sari yarn. This book would be a great way to try a new project.

  20. I use lots of novelty yarns to make my projects just a tad different,I love the ladder and eyelash yarns.The book looks like a wonderful addition to someones library!! Good -Luck everyone.

  21. I taught myself to knit. The first things I made were scarves and purses using homespun and fun fur (this was a while ago). This was probably the most difficult way to learn to knit.

  22. I made the ruffle scarf with the ruffle yarn that gets so popular around Christmas. It was fun, but I haven’t worn it or gifted it. 🙂

  23. i enjoy knitting scarves and this book seems to be loaded with new patterns. now off to learn some new scarves to make. Enjoy““““`

  24. I too love yarn with texture but I don’t always like the finished product. Would like to see this book. Thank you for the giveaway.

  27. As a beginner knitter, I bought a whole bunch of novelty yarns hoping I’d know what to do with them someday. I’m all ready to go, just need to win this book!

  28. I would love to have this book…it looks so interesting to knit with different types of “yarn”…is that regular ribbon? :>)

  30. I love using eyelash yarn along with a base yarn to add a bit of pizzazz. Looks like a good book. Thanks for the chance to win.

  34. I like sparkle yarn…thread or sequins. I also like yarn with different colored textures…its like a surprise as you knit.

  35. I just finished a scarf using a yarn from Japan – it is called Noro and this particular one is 60% wool and 40% silk. The colors change and the texture does as well. It makes for an interesting look (I have it on now!)

  38. Mixing different types of yarn within the same color family has yielded some beautiful “artsy” results. It could be a great way to use up various scraps of expensive yarns in scarves or shawls.

  40. Scarves made of novelty yarns make great gifts! I don’t need an elaborate pattern ’cause the yarn is the main interest.

  43. I love playing with different yarns. I go to thrifts, watch for in store sales and use coupons. The book look s exciting! I am a beginning weaver and a love to knit using different materials. Love to have this book! Thank you!

  44. Looks like a great book. My husband is the knitter in our family. He would love to try something new.

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Knit a Sweet Striped Vest for Kids

I’m trying to include more knits for kids in my posts because I know a lot of people do a lot of their knitting for the little ones in their lives. 

This child’s striped vest from Lion Brand Yarn is not only cute and great for kids who might find a full sweater too hot, it’s also an easy project if you’ve never knit a garment before. 

Lion Brand rates it as level 2 easy/beginner +, probably just because there’s a little shaping and seaming invovled, but it’s nothing you can’t handle. 

The pattern comes in three sizes that are meant to be for ages 6, 8 and 10. The finished chest measurement is 30, 31.5 or 33 inches, which is 76, 80 and 84 cm respectively. This makes the vest a little roomy and makes it easy to slip on over a T-shirt or other top. 

It’s worked in two pieces from the bottom up, with the neckband and armhole bands worked in the round after the body pieces are sewn together. One benefit of knitting stripes on a project like this is that it’s easier to make sure your pieces are the same length because you can just count the stripes (it’s also a little easier to seam because you’re always lining up the stripes). 

If you’re knitting the smallest size, you only need one skein each of the two colors you choose, and for the larger sizes you will only need two, making this project a pretty good value. The suggested yarn is Color Theory, a worsted weight acrylic yarn that comes in 18 relatively muted colors. Of course you can use any worsted weight yarn you like. Keep it acrylic for easy washing or use wool to make this a warmer garment for kids who live in cooler climates. 

You can grab the pattern for free from the Lion Brand website, or get a kit that includes the yarn you need (and needles if you don’t have them already). I think this would be a great basic to knit a kid for back to school in their school colors, or make it holiday with red and green, or whatever colors the child likes. 

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]