Use Welts to Add Color to a Circular Bag

One of the easiest ways to use a little bit of leftover yarn in another knitting project is to add stripes. The Lollipop Crossbody Bag from Ainur Berkimbayeva gives you a chance to use leftover yarn (or new yarn for that matter) in several colors, or in one color if you prefer.

Her version shows three contrasting colors but there are six welts, so you could do most of a rainbow, or an ombre with several shades of the same color, or even just a single color or one multicolored yarn to see what would happen.

The pattern has options to work the bag with fingering, sport or DK weight yarn, and I imagine you could do it with worsted as well. It’s written for one size but since it’s worked from the center out you can just keep increasing in the same manner and adding tucks regularly to make the bag whatever size you like.

It also includes the option of adding a zipper and a felt lining to make it more functional as a bag. I also think this one would be fun to try making larger than described and felting it to make it more solid.

The designer suggests a wool yarn or something with good elasticity for making the welts. The original was worked with a wool blend on the welts and a cotton base. It requires between 155 and 185 yards (or 140-170 meters) of yarn depending on the weight of yarn you are using. The pattern includes a video tutorial and a color planner to help you figure out how you want to stripe your welts.

This project looks like a lot of fun and would be a great little summer bag, especially with bright candy colored stripes. You can get the pattern on Ravelry.

[Photo: Ainur Berkimbayeva]

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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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