Scrap Yarn Afghan - Another Sneak Peek from Crafting A Colorful Home + a Color Lesson

Photo by Rikki Snyder from Crafting a Colorful Home

Several of you have remarked about the current header photo on my blog. This is a photo taken by Rikki Snyder from my new book Crafting a Colorful Home. The project is called The Scrap Yarn Knit Afghan. I designed it to be a project that can be knit over the years. The afghan is made in 5 pieces that are then seamed together. The vertical edges are picked up and worked in garter stitch. 

This is the kind of project that you can pick up and put down many times. The stitch pattern is easily memorized and it is worked back and forth on a circular needle. The stitch is called Reverse Stockinette Stitch Ridges and is an easy stitch I return to again and again. It looks good on both the front and the back. It is the stitch I used to make my very favorite extra long scarf that I wear every day of the winter and have worn for at least the last ten years. Can you believe I haven't lost it? I love this scarf. To accommodate the changes of colors and the ends, I looped some new pieces of each color yarn at the end of each stripe. Then I braided them to form a heavy fringe that has worn well over the years.

 

I do not have a pattern for my favorite scarf but there is a similar one in my book Color By Kristin. It is shown on Matthew below. What a cute boy. He is almost 17 now. How do they grow so fast?

 

Back to the afghan. Here is how I handled the backside. I tied the ends close to the fabric. I then tied the tails again, a little farther from the fabric. This will hold the yarn tight and creates a decorative fringe that will felt and mingle together over the years. Although it is not a finish that all of you will love (I can never make everyone happy), it is an alternate to weaving in lots and lots and lots of ends. I wouldn't recommend the fringe finish for baby blankets as little fingers may get stuck. 

The secret to making this afghan successful is the placement of the colors in the stripe pattern. As you can see, there are no repeating patterns of colors - it is all random. That was the idea - as if the colors were being pulled out of a knitting bag in no random order.

There was a plan though and I will let you in on it. Before I sent the Color By Kristin yarn out to be knit, I wanted to make sure my knitter Bonnie knew what I was looking for with the "random color placement." I worked up a little "cheat sheet". I cut 2 strands of each color yarn about 3" long. Then I cut two pieces of cardboard 2" wide and about 8" long. I covered the cardboard pieces with a central stripe of glue.

I arranged 2 strands of each of the colors next to each other as I wanted them knit. I didn't want colors that were too close in value (lightness and darkness) next to each other. Nor did I want colors that were to similar next to each other (like orange and gold, or green and teal). The exception to this rule would be two similar colors but one very light and one very dark. I wanted the stripes to pop against each other. 

I know this look isn't for everyone because the colors are very saturated. Some of you prefer more sedate projects, less colorful. That is okay. You can use your own color sense and odds and ends. Color By Kristin is a worsted weight wool/mohair/alpaca but you can use any weight of yarn - as long as all the colors are the same weight yarn. A heavier yarn will make a larger afghan; a thinner yarn will make a smaller afghan. If you want a smaller afghan than the original, omit a section and shorten the length. 

 

Yesterday in the mail, I got this sweet little illustration from Shell, one of my longtime readers and commenters. Thanks Shell. Love it! Your book is on the way. 

Half Way

Half way through the week. Bit of a frustrating day. I was supposed to be on the Webs Podcast today with my fellow Knit and Crochet-er Ellen Gormley. There was some kind of snafu and although I was waiting on the line, they couldn't get back to me. Bummer. Missed talking with the lovely Kathy. She does a great interview.

 

Tomorrow I'm going to be on Marly Bird's YarnThing Podcast at noon Eastern Time. You can actually call in and talk to me, Candi Jensen (the producer of Knit & Crochet Now), and Marly. The number is (347) 539-5589 if you want to say hi. The podcast will be archived so you can listen to it anytime. Isn't technology marvelous.

It's pretty much the end of Wooly Bear weather here. I guess they are all hibernating somewhere til next year. It's funny how they are all over the place in the fall. 

I caught this one on my stone steps and I couldn't resist bringing out the Wooly Bear I knit for my 50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet and Felt book. The poor little guy was a bit confused I must say.

Check out this awesome Granny Square decorating here.
This looks like a beautiful new French Chicken book. Too bad it isn't available in the US.
Look at this incredible crocheted flower wreath by Lucy at Attic24. Beautiful.

I don't usually....

... blog about products from stores but seriously, these cement pots from Terrain are perfect for knitters. They come in three sizes - Small, Large and Low. It says they are for indoor use and have no hole in the bottom. Great for knitting needles? Maybe they could be painted for those of us not fond of cement color gray.

Has anyone seen them in real life? I have never been to a Terrain store. Anyone been to one? Worth a trip?

Stash Busting Your Novelty Yarns with Knit + Crochet Sunflowers

If you are a yarn shopper, you have them.... those odd skeins of yarn that you just couldn't leave behind. Lots of times, it's hard to find a project for them.You purchase just a little bit because you can't resist the color. I've got an idea for you. Break out the little bits and start making some sunflowers this summer. 

For my new book 50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet and Felt, I had the pleasure of using some beautiful hand-dyed yarn from my friend Gail Callahan, The Kangaroo Dyer. In the knit sunflower below, you can see a fine sock yarn that was in perfect sunflower shades. I doubled it for the center of this flower. The pom poms were made of odds and ends of a worsted weight wool. The petals were made of Northfield from Valley Yarns. 

For this knit sunflower, I used Gail's sock weight doubled again to make the multi-colored fringe on the center of the sunflower.

I can't believe how much this flower looks like a real sunflower. It was the multi-colored yarn that really made it.

Perhaps you have some "furry fringy yarn" hanging around from the heyday of scarf knitting. I used Brazilia from SMC Select for this crocheted sunflower. 

 

Once again, it really does look like a "teddy bear sunflower, doesn't it? I couldn't get the real dark gold shade but texturally, it is right on.

For this crocheted sunflower, I used Lion Brand's Fun Fur for the fringy part of the outside of the center. It's a quick way to add a bit of texture.

And because I couldn't resist, I knit a Wooley Bear Caterpillar out of the same Fun Fur. Pretty cute if I do say so myself!

These little projects are perfect for summertime knitting when you don't want to haul around a big project. They are quick and fun to make and are perfect gifts. Or plunk one on your sunhat or beach bag. 

You can purchase my 50 Sunflowers to Knit, Crochet, and Felt on my new website. Here's the page. Have a great weekend everyone!