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Layer Cake Cowl is a Great Stash Buster

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I’ve been trying to clean up and organize my stash recently, so I’m appreciating projects that would allow me to use up bits of stash without looking too scrappy.

The Layer Cake cowl from Tiffany Perry is a project like that. It uses stripes of four different colors of yarn on a solid background, but you could also use more or fewer colors if you wanted depending on how much yarn of each you had on hand. It has a fun cross hatching stitch pattern that adds interest but isn’t too difficult to stitch.

It calls for DK weight yarn but could be made bigger with worsted, or you can adjust the size by changing the stitch count in multiples of 4.

You can check out the pattern and grab a copy on Ravelry.

[Photo: Tiffany Perry.]

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Spider Knitting Patterns

Spooky season begins in my house on Sept. 1, so you know all the knit pumpkins are out and I’m thinking about new ways to add yarn to our fall decor. How about some knit spiders? They can hang out among the pumpkins, be added to a holiday wreath or add some spooky flair wherever you need it.

Let’s start with the smallest ones, in case you need an instant gratification project, or a tiny spider to hide somewhere to scare someone. This one from Cute Knit Toy on Etsy is knit in the round and has I-cord legs, and quite a few eyes and other embellishments.

The Itsy Bitsy Spider by Lara Breese (free on Ravelry) uses DK weight yarn and also has a body worked in the round and I-cord legs. This one was designed to dangle from a knitting bag or be a small toy for a child. It’s a great use for a precious little bit of yarn, too.

Eek the Spider by Susan Claudino (on Ravelry) is super cute and relatively small, and would be a good use for some leftovers if you want to make it in different colors or with striped legs as shown. This one can be made with any weight of yarn, but the ones listed on the pattern page are worsted weight and make the spider about 6 inches/15 cm long.

Shelia Bond’s The Friendly Spider (also from Ravelry) can use any weight of yarn but the designer says they use leftover sock yarn, which is a great idea and makes them all unique and colorful. These take just a few minutes and a few yards (25-35, or 23 to 32 meters) of yarn, so it’s a great project to make with leftovers.

So Simple Knit Studio on Etsy has a cute pattern for a spider that’s just a little fuzzy thanks to the fun yarn choice. You can use any yarn with a bit of a halo or pick a smooth yarn for a different effect.

Arachnophobia Spider by Revati Poole (free on Ravelry) is probably the most involved project in this list of spider knitting patterns. It uses bulky weight yarn and the pattern notes say the body is easy but the legs are a little fiddly. If you scroll the finished projects you will see lots of different ideas for how to add legs if you need an easier way.

Finally, if you’re a circular knitting machine user, you can make this lovely spider pattern from Peace Love and Moki on Etsy. It looks like if could be made with any size machine and use small panels or an I-cord maker to make the legs.

Batty Socks to Knit for Halloween

Halloween Hat Knitting Patterns

Jack O’Lantern Halloween Knitting Patterns

 

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