Knitting

Patterns, projects and techniques

Use Your Stash Faster by Holding Two Strands Together

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One of my favorite ways to use up stash fast is working on projects where more than one strand of yarn is held together while you knit. This is an easy way to make a heavier weight yarn using what you have, and it can make fun effects in your project when you use two (or more!) different colors at the same time.

>>> While you are here check out our post on funny Valentine’s Day cross-stitches. <<<

You can use two yarns held together on whatever project you want as long as you get the correct gauge, but if you’re looking for patterns that were designed to be worked with two strands held together, here are a few patterns to get you started.

If I haven’t been giving you enough patterns to use your leftover sock yarn, the Scraptastic Stash Busting Blanket is definitely the way to go. Designed by Samantha Johnston, it’s a bias knit garter stitch blanket, and you can use two strands of sock yarn held together, or try sport weight held double, or DK or worsted held single (I think maybe DK and sock together would work too). The gauge doesn’t have to be perfectly consistent and this blanket can be as big as you want to use all your leftovers. Grab the free pattern on Ravelry.

Another project you can make with lots of different weights of yarn is this headband from Skeinny Dipping, which is also free on Ravelry. The idea is to come out with a super bulky weight so you can use that alone or combine two or more of any other weight of yarn to make a similar thickness. And because it’s worked from a short side it doesn’t matter if you get gauge, it might just be a little wider or narrower than the one shown in the pattern.

Hold two strands of worsted weight yarn together to make these cozy fingerless gloves, a free pattern on Ravelry from Alisa Hartzel. This comes out to a bulky weight, which makes them super quick to knit and warm to wear. They come in one adult size.

Or try the stash busting Happy Hat from Soly Mossy, which also uses two strands of worsted weight yarn to make it cozy and scrappy. These look really cute even when you’re using a bunch of odd balls, but you can make it more harmonious if you like.

Another great thing about holding two strands at once is that it can make projects more durable, like these dorm boots from Kriskreafter. There are options for men and women, and they’re worked with two strands of worsted weight to make them a little more padded but they also should wear better this way, too. They’re knit flat and seamed and the designer says they can make one in a couple of hours.

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Bucket Hat Knitting Patterns

As I was starting to write this post I thought that it was true that I’d never done a roundup of bucket hat knitting patterns before. But then I looked, and I actually did one last year (which you can find here) but there are plenty of cute bucket hats to do another post about, right? 

The one that made me want to write about this (again) is the Red Heart Knit Fanfare Bucket Hat from Yarnspirations. This cute striped hat can be worked in team colors, and while I might prefer a non-acrylic yarn for a summer hat, it would be fine when it’s not too hot outside (or try a cotton yarn instead). 

Claire Slade’s Sunlit Bucket Hat has an angled brim to help keep the sun out of your eyes. It’s worked from the bottom up using worsted weight cotton yarn, and comes in three sizes. You can find the pattern on Ravelry. 

Get a little air flow in your bucket hat with the Shady Bucket Hat from Wool & Beyond. This one uses DK weight yarn and an eyelet pattern throughout the body to keep it cool. It comes in sizes ranging from newborn to adult large, and is worked in one piece from the top down. You can grab the pattern (in English or Swedish) on Ravelry. 

If you’re looking for a fun, floppy sun hat for kids or adults, this pattern from Muki Crafts is a little more slouchy than a traditional bucket hat but it’s super cute. It comes in baby, toddler and bigger kid sizes and adult. I uses worsted weight yarn and is worked from the bottom up. 

Another variation on the classic bucket is this one that’s more of a cloche style. Made by branda, it uses bulky yarn so it’s more of a winter bucket hat, but now’s a fine time to knit it if you live somewhere that’s warm right now (or even more so if you live somewhere that’s cold right now). 

Another one to get you ready for colder weather is Tirmety, a two-layer bucket hat from ViTalina Craft, which has a textured stitch pattern on one side and stockinette on the other. You can wear either side out or even make them different colors if you want. The pattern is sized for toddlers, kids and adults. 

And if you want to add some extra cuteness to your bucket hat, I love this (of course totally optional but also totally adorable) embroidered deatila on the New York Bucket Hat from Pauline Fanguin. It uses two strands of DK weight yarn held together for extra sturdiness, and uses changes in needle size to shape the hat. Of course you could also knit stripes or use different textures of yarn to change up the look. This pattern is made to fit your head and is available in French and English.