Use Your Stash to Knit a Blanket That’s Full of Charm

I have been working (if you use the term working incredibly generously because I haven’t touched it in a couple of years) for many, many years on what I hope will one day be a giant (6 foot by 6 foot) garter stitch blanket worked in strips that are joined as I knit.

It’s a great winter project because it’s big enough to sit under while I knit, and it’s a good place to put all the random odd balls I’m not using in all my other projects.

I was reminded of that giant stash buster when I came across the pattern for the Charm Blanket from Purl Soho.

Like the classic yo-yo quilts that use little bits of fabric left over from other projects, this blanket is designed to look like it was assembled from random bits of leftover (though in reality it calls for 40 mini skeins of fingering weight yarn in a wool, alpaca and linen blend).

The yarn is held double in this project, made of individual garter stitch octagons that are joined as you work.

Of course if you have tons of leftover solid colored (or even multicolored) sock yarn or want to buy the kit you can absolutely do that, but I noticed that the pattern calls for size 8 US/5 mm knitting needles, which would be perfect for making this blanket with single strands of worsted weight yarn instead.

And I, for one, have a lot more bits of worsted weight yarn lying around than I do fingering weight.

Whichever way you choose to make it, this blanket as shown measures 36 by 48 inches, or 91.4 by 122 cm. You could of course continue in the same manner and make it as big as you like. Maybe it can be your never-ending project like my giant garter stitch strip blanket.

You can grab the free pattern at Purl Soho.

[Photo: Purl Soho]

Bust Your Stash and Keep Warm at the Same Time [Knitting]

Not too long ago I did a test knit for another designer that was for a cabled cardigan. It’s really cozy and nice but it just about broke me in a ton of different ways. I couldn’t get gauge, which I suppose is my own problem, but mainly I was somehow both bored and forced to pay attention at the same time.

Because it used the same cable all over, I always had to know what row I was on, but nine out of ten of those rows, nothing in particular was going on. So I couldn’t stop paying attention, but what I needed to attend to was boring.

It may have ruined me for knitting cabled sweaters, but maybe I just need something that’s more engaging. Like this Modern Aran Cardigan pattern from Lion Brand Yarn.

This is a reworking of an old pattern from their archives, and you can tell that form the classic look of the cables and the oversized feel (nothing cropped about this one!). It has allover cables, but like a classic Aran sweater it’s not the same cable, so you’ll have to pay attention to what row you’re on and what cable turns happen for which cables on that row.

Because of this, it’s considered an intermediate knitting pattern, but if you’re comfortable working from multiple charts at once it shouldn’t be a problem for you. There are three different charts and seven different cable moves.

Also because the pattern is so big and boxy there are only two sizes available, with a finished chest measurement of either 49 or 63 inches (that’s 124.5 or 160 cm). It’s up to you to decide how much ease you would like and whether that will work for your body.

The pattern uses worsted weight yarn (and calls for another classic, Lion Brand Fisherman’s Wool). It calls for six buttons and includes pockets to make it extra cozy.

This one looks like a great winter project to make and to wear if you’re up for a bit of a challenge. You can grab the free pattern or buy a kit with the yarn needed direct from Lion Brand Yarn.

[Photo: Lion Brand Yarn]

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