Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Strategies for Using All Your Yarn

by

I make my interest in using your yarn stash pretty clear (I mean, I have actually written an ebook about it), and one great way to use your stash is to make sure that you use as much of the yarn you have in a particular project as you can so you won’t add leftover yarn to your stash.

Since I’m often making things up as I go along (whether that’s because I’m designing on the fly or working from a pattern without being sure I have enough yarn to make it) I’ve come up with a few tips that might help you if you’re trying to use all the yarn you have on a particular project.

The story behind this post was that I had some really great yarn I wanted to make into a tank top. I found a pattern (the tank top from KnitCroAddict) and I thought I had enough yarn based on what the pattern called for. But I also tend to like tops to be longer than a lot of patterns suggest, so I wanted to make sure I could make my top as long as possible without running out of yarn.

The main strategy that helps with this process is to do whatever finishing you can before the garment is actually finished. If you’re knitting a sweater, knit the sleeves first. In this case it was knitting the edgings on the neckline and the armholes.

Of course it’s also possible to work in a different yarn in a stripe or another way if you need your yarn to go farther, this was more about wanting to use all of a great yarn that I had and not really having anything that went with it to add in.

Check out my other strategies for using all the yarn and how my tank top turned out over at Our Daily Craft.

Knitting Patterns to Use Your Bulky Yarn Stash

Knit a Basket with Your Chunky Yarn Stash

Is There Such a Thing as a Perfect Yarn Stash?

Next Pattern:

Have you read?

Summer Headband Knitting Patterns

Some knitters have trouble coming up with projects they can both knit and wear when it’s warm outside. Especially if you’re not ready for garments (thought tank tops and summer tops are great first garment projects!) it might seem like there’s nothing to do when it’s hot outside.

One way to remedy this situation is by knitting headbands. Headbands are great any time of year to keep hair out of your face and make you look a little more pulled together without any effort. Wider headbands double as ear warmers when it gets colder, but skinnier ones are great throughout the year.

A couple of great examples are from designer Elly Donner, who has a set of headband knitting patterns on Ravelry you can buy individually or as an ebook. Homebody, shown here, is worked in garter stitch (the ties are crocheted but you could also use I-cord), while Slipstream uses slipped stitches and garter ridges, and Sounds of Spring has little cables. The patterns use DK weight yarn and are a great way to use a little leftover yarn from another project.

I also recently came across the lovely Plush Braided Headband by Yevgeniya Li. A free pattern on Ravelry, this wider design is covered in lush cables for a sleek and fancy look. It uses worsted weight yarn and you can customize the length for a perfect fit.

Celeste Knitwear’s Spikelet is a simple twisted headband with columns of eyelet lace to keep it from being too heavy. It’s worked flat and sewn together to make the twist, and uses DK weight yarn. It has three sizes available.

This skinny lace headband from Lusi Knits is another cute choice. It calls for fine weight cotton yarn, but you could use heavier yarn if you have it on hand to make a wider headband (or use any fine yarn you have available). It uses ties to customize the fit.

And if you want to go super basic but still really cute, try the easy ring headband from Lulu Pattern. The sample is knit pretty wide, but you could make a narrower version if you want, and the little ring turns it from a plain loop into a bow with very little extra work. It calls for worsted weight yarn but you could also use whatever weight you like for this one to change up the look and size.