Stitch Up a Colorful, Stash Busting Headband

I recently rearranged my yarn stash so that most of it is arranged by color, and it’s inspired me to take a new look at what I have, and to realize that I have a lot of odd balls and little bits leftover from other projects.

I intend to do some big stash busting projects, too, but right now I’m focusing more on little projects that can be done with those little balls, like headbands and earwarmers. These sorts of projects are great for using stash, and they make great gifts, too, and it’s never too early to start thinking about that, right?

The Striation Headband from Lee Meredith for Knit Picks is a great option for using up leftover bits of sock yarn. You can knit it with a single skein if you like, or pull out all the little leftover bits to make a colorful and cozy headband.

Because we all know a pair of socks never quite uses the whole skein, right? I have so many little tiny balls of sock yarn leftovers, and this would be a super fun way to use them.

The pattern is worked in garter stitch, so all you have to do to make it look harmonious is use the same color for at least two rows (one ridge of garter stitch) and alternate colors after working two rows. Always change colors at the end of a row and always on the right side and it’s sure to look great.

Or if you have a skein of self-striping yarn that you don’t know what to do with, just work it by itself and this project will still be super cute and done in a flash.

You could even try the same method with leftovers of different yarn weights, but maybe cast on fewer stitches for a heavier weight yarn so the project doesn’t get too wide.

You can grab the free pattern from Knit Picks.

[Photo: Knit Picks]

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Blankets are a great blank slate project that you can change up in a million different ways. From color to stitch pattern to size, the possibilities are almost endless.

Jared Flood, the designer behind Brooklyn Tweed, was inspired by a log cabin quilt his mother made in 1995 to re-create that design in knitting, which led to more blankets and ultimate Brooklyn Tweed’s Knit and Crochet Blankets, which includes 25 patterns from an array of designers using different skills and techniques to make cozy, pretty blankets.

The patterns are divided into three aesthetic themes: traditions, minimalism and colorplay. The patterns are rated on a scale of one to five, with one being the easiest, and there aren’t any pieces rated five. Two blankets are rated one, 14 are two, eight are three and one is four.

In addition, three of the 25 patterns are crocheted, but they either use single crochet or granny stitch, so they are pretty easy even if you don’t do a lot of crochet. You can see all the patterns on Ravelry.

Some of my favorites include Rattan by Rastus Hsu, a chunky blanket worked in knits and purls with simple crossing stitches to make a raised woven look; Homewood by Seth Richardson, covers in dramatic, loopy cables; Ainur Berkimbayeva’s Tessellate, one of the beginner projects that doesn’t really look beginner but is totally worked in knit and purl stitches; Warp + Weft by Aist? Butkevi?ien?, which is mostly knits and purls but makes a fun woven look fabric that blew my mind a little bit; and the same designer’s Canyonland, a multicolored blanket with wavy stripes.

The patterns tell you how to resize them for different dimensions and include information on pattern repeats where it is possible to make a totally custom size.

Many different techniques are included here such as cables, lace, shadow knitting, intarsia and other colorwork techniques, as well as modular knitting and lots of sewing pieces together. The patterns are all presented with charts, but there are line by line written instructions available on the Brooklyn Tweed website if you need them.

The book ends with a deep dive into log cabin knitting, telling the story of the quilt Jared’s mom made and how he made it in knitting, as well as the multitude of variations you can make if you want your own log cabin style design.

The back of the book includes a little written information about some of the special techniques needed, but there are no photos.

This is a lovely book full of inspiration for knitting and crochet blankets for any skill level. If you like to make blankets as gifts or aspire to have a handmade blanket in every room of the house, these designs would be a great place to start.

About the book: 192 pages, paperback, 25 patterns. Published 2024 by Abrams Books, suggested retail price $24.99.

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