Tag Archives: scraps

Stashing Down Scraps

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I am still riding the wave of accomplishment from finishing my scrappy DK Hibernation Throw last week. I was cleaning up the project bag it had been living in to put the needles and notions away and noticed how small the pile of scraps were at the bottom of the bag. When I started I had two gallon sized ziplock bags full of scraps and a CONE of undyed sock yarn. Now I’m left with two quart sized bags and one sandwich sized bag of scraps that don’t have a plan.

Now, full disclosures these are not all my scraps or mini skeins. I still have my mitred square memory blanket going. I “tossed the stash” so to speak and aired out that bag to make sure all my yarn was in good order. It’s safe to say I I have plenty to work with, lol.

I’m just the kind of knitter that gets a thrill from using up as much of every skein of yarn I possibly can. I like the idea of scrappy projects where I can remember all the cool things I made with the full skein. Its akin to checking completed items off a list for me.

I’m curious, are most knitters this way? Do you keep your scraps?

Knitting For Warmth

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It’s a mix of rainy/cold and snow/cold here today. So I’m super glad my Hibernation Throw is at the point it makes a nice blanket as I knit!

Can I say how exciting it is to be on the downhill slide of a blanket project? The rows on this project are only getting shorter and shorter as I go. I still have plenty of scraps to add to this blanket. I really think this is going to be a nice personal sized blanket when I’m done. I can admit I have googled more coned sock yarn in a grey color because I’m already planning a second throw….sheepish grin….

I’ll try to spread this blanket out and take proper photos of this blanket when I can grab some sunlight. Happy Knitting!!!

Darn Counting Anyway

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I am an accountant and I have the degrees and fancy certificate to prove it. But oh man, did I have a fail at counting. I have been religiously knitting away on my Hibernation Throw. And last night I looked down and swore a little. (Okay, a lot)

I had knit right past where I was supposed to add the next eyelet row. I failed to count to where I had five garter bumps. I was watching TV and the show must have really captured me because I was on auto-pilot. I do have the pattern memorized….I just lost count. I had added two extra garter bumps in my delirium.

I think I’m going to grab some smaller needles and thread in a lifeline to rip back. I just randomly grabbed US 10s when I hastily cast on this blanket. The fabric seems nice so I’m glad I made a lucky guess. But I think I’ll find some US 3s or 4s to thread in and see if I can rescue this without tinking two yarns held together.

I’m still over the moon with project because I love to see all the stripes forming AND seeing my scrap bin shrinking and shrinking. I just wish I could have remember to count, darn it!!

Happy Knitting!!

Dusting Off The Memory Blanket

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After blocking my Progression Shawl I had enough scraps left of the various colors to knit a square into my memory blanket. And I just couldn’t resist doing it RIGHT away.

It’s kind of cut out of the photo but it’s the newest square towards the top right. This blanket is starting to cover a sizable amount of my king sized bead. And I still have a BUNCH of scraps to work through. I feel like cackling like an evil genius…..

Happy Knitting!!

Marled Northeasterly

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Yesterday I talked about my memory blanket and it really gave me the itch to pick up my Northeasterly.

I managed to add three more colors and use up those scraps to the very last inch! That aspect of this kind of project just makes me so happy. I love to put every little bit of amazing yarn to good use. I am finding the white sock yarn to be a bit more rough than I’m used to with the indie dyed yarn I have been working with lately. But I think it will all balance out in the end with a good wash.

Happy Marling!!

 

Gradient Squares

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My memory blanket has kind of faded to the background with my mojo shifting towards shawls lately. But I have recently finished my Mini Solutions Scarf and had just the teeniest bits of yarn left of each color.

So I decided I could manually fade them into my memory blanket. It is totally a BUNCH of ends to weave in but the squares are just so gorgeous! I made the first square in the same order as the shawl. And then had enough yarn to reverse the order and do a second square.

I mean the second square really was using up every last inch of the yarn so it’s not as evenly graduated. But I think that just makes each square unique plus I had ZERO leftovers!! These two squares piqued my interest in my other blanket and so I just HAD to work on that one as well. Stay tuned…

Happy Knitting!!

Preparation

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I have been itching to work on my memory sock yarn blanket. And it’s been pulling all of my knitting focus. But close on its heels is my Northeasterly blanket. I have scraps, needles, pattern and my coned yarn to hold doubled all kitted up in a bag. And after a helpful comment on this blog about coned yarn….I decided to wind off a skein of the white yarn and wash it.

This being for two reasons, one to wash off the spinning grease that is used to manufacture coned yarn and two to see if the yarn blooms and shrinks up. I wouldn’t want wonky fabric after spending so much time knitting a blanket for Pete’s sake! So I stole some quiet time while PB was napping and while hubby and Jellybean were out building a snowman last weekend. I had yarn and a podcast….it was heaven!

I wound off yarn until I felt like I had a decent amount and tied off a skein. Don’t mind the dog hair, it’s just considered extra fiber content in this house. (Dex is blowing his coat yet again and I’m now vacuuming almost daily and still can’t keep up!)

The skein has since had a bath and is drying (slowing) in the laundry room. When sufficiently dry I will wind it into a cake to be ready for blanket knitting! Jellybean seemed keen to work my yarn swift and sad I finished my skein without him. So as a mommy and me project we might make a second skein to wash one of these evenings. We will see if his interest abides ninja figures and magnetic tile building.

Happy Knitting!!

A Little Blanket Knitting

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I loved the Lemonade Shop’s Stormy Day yarn so much that I couldn’t wait to add it to my memory blanket. I wanted to make sure I got my square done before I got started on the Rainbow mitts too.

I haven’t touched this in awhile and I kind of forgot how beautiful this blanket is. I have an itch to work on this, but it won’t earn me any points in the football KAL I’m playing in so I have kind of let it sit in my bag.

My better angels may win out and this may see some action this fall. Especially after I show you some mini madness I have earned. But that needs to be it’s own post. For now I’m going to pet my pretty blanket and snuggle under it.

Happy Knitting!!

A New Bag

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My memory sock yarn blanket had been living in the plastic packaging that some sheets had come in. At first I was happy with the see-through plastic bag that kept things nice and tidy with a zippered closure. But the bag now has seen better days and the blanket has grown to size that it doesn’t fit inside the bag with the scrap anymore.

So in a hormone fueled Etsy shopping incident, I may have procured a large project bag from Bags by Awesome Granny.

I went with a donut print and that may have been influenced by the never ending hunger that PB has foisted upon me as she packs on those last few baby ounces. But I think it’s pretty darn adorable regardless. And the pink lining makes me happy because who doesn’t love pink polka dots?

My folded blanket and scraps fit nicely inside, for now. This bag won’t see the project through to the end but it’s a 1,000% improvement from what I had. My blanket and scraps are both now safe from sticky three year old fingers. And the craftsmanship by Darlene is impeccable. This bag will hold many a project I’m sure in it’s tenure with me!

Do you have a bag maker that you discovered and loved?

Blanket Resurrection

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I recently cleaned my large knitting tote full of WIPs that lives on the chaos of the “mail table” as we call it in this house. I sorted needles, notions, and yarny bits and bobs back to their rightful places that had collected. I also took some WIPs to the craft room for longer term storage. Call it pre-baby knitting nesting if you will. Really it was a task I had been putting off for too long mostly due to the prolonged morning sickness and just general hair on fire craziness at work.

As a reward for completing a boring but necessary task….I treated myself to pulling my memory blanket from hibernation and adding two new squares!

I added a square of deep royal blue from my Midas Hat and as I talked about I added a stripey square from my Accidental Travel vanilla socks. I found I really missed this project! I think this blanket might be the perfect post-partum maternity leave knitting plan. It’s easy to pick up and put down as well as soothing garter stitch. It allows for some quick mini-victories after completing each square that should be good for a soul that doesn’t have many knitting minutes left in the day. Not to mention it’s just lovely and cheery to look at.

I am preparing myself for the joy and total time-suck that is nursing and caring for a newborn baby. And this go around I will also have an active young-ling that will also need his own attention. Knitting is important to me and I’m not going to give that away. But I am mentally preparing for the (temporary) shift in schedule and priorities. I wasn’t able to do that with Jellybean as I literally had no clue what was coming as a first time parent. I want to be kinder and gentler with myself this go around. My littles will only be small for a short time and I want to soak up every second…no matter how exhausting they are!

Happy Knitting!!