Use All Your Yarn Scraps on This Great Cardigan Knitting Pattern

I am perpetually trying to use up all my little leftover yarn bits. I also have a goal to knit a sweater every month this year (well, or crochet, as I’m working on my first-ever crocheted sweater this month). But I don’t feel like I have a sweater quantity of anything, so I have to figure out ways to use odd balls and leftovers to make it look like they are meant to go together.

Bohemian Scrapsody is a great example of how to use leftovers to make a cohesive looking project. Designed by Winter’s Weather Knits, this oversized cardigan fully embraces the mixed-up look by having you hold multiple strands of yarn together as you knit.

It comes out to a worsted weight kind of gauge, which you can get with a DK and a sport weight yarn held together, or mix and match as you need to use the stash you have. Of course you’re also changing colors whenever you need to, and the reverse stockinette side becomes the front, which mixes it up even more.

You can make the ribbed edges and cuffs all in one color if you want for a more cohesive look, or leave it all scrappy.

The project is designed to have 4-6 inches of positive ease and comes in nine sizes, up to a 63.5 inch chest circumference. It doesn’t include buttonholes but you could add some of you wanted to.

The pattern is suitable for advanced beginners with knowledge of working flat and in the round, short rows, Kitchener stitch, mattress stitch and picking up stitches. The pattern also uses an Italian bind off and includes a tutorial for that technique if you’ve never done it before.

This cardigan has a sweet boho look and will definitely help you to use up all those little odd balls! You can get the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Winter’s Weather Knits.]

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If you’re new to lace knitting or just aren’t sure how to incorporate the technique into garments, check out these tops and sweaters that use lace as a decorative element.

The easiest lace out there is eyelets, and you can practice them plenty with this eyelet covered sweater from Knitcro Addict. It uses light/DK weight yarn and is worked in four pieces knit flat. It’s intended to be a little cropped and a little oversized, and includes sizes XS to XXL in the pattern.

If you’re in parts of the world where it’s getting colder as you read this, the Nora sweater from Bummbul might be a good choice. This is actually a great one for learning lace because it’s worked in super bulky yarn, which makes it easier to see what you’re doing and makes the lace super graphic. This one just comes in one size, with a 42 inch (106) cm bust, but that could fit a variety of people depending on how much ease you like.

Minimi Knit Design has a cute allover lace cardigan worked in one piece from the bottom up. It’s worked in lace weight mohair held double, which maybe isn’t the best for those new to lace (because it can be hard to rip out) but it sure is pretty. Sizes range to fit from 30 to 66 inches/76 to 168 cm bust measurements.

If you’d rather not have lace all over your sweater, you can knit the Lumi sweater from Originally Lovely, which has a chevron lace pattern on the yoke and is otherwise worked in reverse stockinette stitch. (It’s worked inside out so you don’t have to purl every stitch.) The pattern has 9 sizes from XS to 5XL and uses worsted weight yarn.

Or try the super romantic sookie blouse from Trust the mojo (available on Ravelry). This sweet top is started working flat from the bottom up and has a V-neck and I-cord edgings. The sleeves are worked separately in the round, and the pieces are all joined together to work in one piece to finish off the top. It comes in eight sizes and is available in English and French.

You can also pair lacy sleeves with an otherwise plain top, like on the Starflower Wrap from Annelise Driscoll Gingrow. This intermediate pattern makes a wrap sweater with generous lacy sleeves and a double wrap belt. The pattern has nine sizes, from XS to 5XL, and is available for free from Hobbi.

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