Let the Yarn Stash Party begin

Enough is enough

For many years I have felt slightly guilty about having a large-ish yarn stash. Sometimes I wonder where it all comes from as I don't buy yarn week after week; it's more like now and again.

But because I tend to buy yarn and not use it straight away, I now seem to have a yarn stash mountain that is every growing,

Are you the same?

I must confess that I find it frustrating and a little overwhelming, and if you feel the same way too, then you're in the right place.

Let the Yarn Stash Party begin!

I think it's time to celebrate our yarn stash and the opportunities that it holds.

I've decided to celebrate my yarn stash instead of feeling guilty, and I've decided to embrace the colours and gorgeous fibres, and try to be more resourceful with my knitting by using up what I already have.

Thanks to my yarn stash I will:

Feel warm and cosy with all the winter accessories I can make;
Create beautiful gifts for family and friends;
Add some colour to my home with blankets, decorations and cushions; a
Enjoy every stitch and be amazed at the potential that lies in every ball or skein of my yarn stash.

I'm so excited and I'd love you to join my Yarn Stash Party. Make sure that you sign up to my weekly newsletter so that you receive my yarn stash patterns and tips.

Is your yarn stash overwhelming?

But first things first, if the thought of finding that 'special' skein or ball of yarn is just to overwhelming, then I have the perfect thing for you. My free guide to organising you yarn stash is available right here. If you click the image below it will take you to a page where you can sign up and download the guide. Then each time I post some yarn stash inspiration, I will let you know.

Download my FREE guide '5 Easy Steps to Organising Your Yarn Stash'

What can I make with my yarn stash?

I think it's fair to say that we can make anything from stash yarn.

But of the common issues with my yarn stash is that I don't quite know exactly what I have, and therefore when I visit a yarn shop I often buy something that is very similar (or sometimes the same) as yarn that I already have. Even worse, I buy with no firm idea of what I will make with my new purchases, which means that when I finally reach a decision a few months down the line, I then realise that I didn't buy enough yarn for that particular project.

For example, at the moment, I would love to knit or crochet a few jumper and a cardigan, but I have no if I already have a jumper's worth of yarn hidden away in my cupboards.

The other issue I have is that I struggle with random colours being used in a project, so if I were to. create a blanket purely from stash, I would need to curate it well and gather similar colours of yarn together so that I can choose my colours carefully. I managed to do this recently with a blanket and I was really pleased with how it turned out.

So this is where my yarn 'Stash Party' idea has come from. I will start to share projects you can make from yarn, including projects from single balls, two balls, 3 balls, 4 balls and more. Some will be patterns from books/magazines/Ravelry, and I will share how I have adapted them for stash yarn, whereas others will be brand new patterns that I'll share here.

We can make all sorts of knit or crochet projects, from practical washcloths and reusable face pads, to stylish accessories and blankets to keep us warm and cosy during the winter months.

Together we will blast through our yarn stash and use the resources we already have, before buying more.

How to knit a yarn stash cowl in 4ply (sock yarn) leftovers

You will need:

Yarn:

8 x 20g oddments of 4ply/sock yarn in your favourite colours.

1 x 20g in a dominant colour

I used a mix of solid, tonal, speckled and variegated colour but you can choose all solids, all totals, or whatever you love to knit with.

I used:

1. Pale mustard (variegated)

2. Mustard (solid)

3. Pale blue (solid)

4. Off-white (speckled)

5. Purpley-pink (tonal)

6. Turquoise/pink (speckled)

7. Turquoise blue (solid)

8. Denim blue (solid)

9. Black (for dominant colour) (solid)

Needles: 3.75mm circular knitting needles (length 40cm).

Extras: 2 stitch markers.

Tension: 28 stitches and 36 rows to measure 10 x 10cm, in stocking stitch in the round, using 3.75mm needles. Note that tension is not critical and a larger needle is used in order to create a soft drape.

Finished measurements: Approximately 22cm deep and 94cm long (before joining)

To begin: With colour 1, cast on 120 sts onto a 3.75mm circular needle.

Bring needle tips together and place a stitch marker on the right-hand needle.

This marker indicates the start/end of the round and you will slip it after every round.

First round: P1, k59, place second marker, p1, k59, slip end of round marker. (120 sts)

Next round: [P1, k59, slip marker] twice.

Last round sets the pattern and is repeated throughout.

The purl stitches create a side seam that helps the cowl to lay nice and flat.

You can work in whatever colour sequence you like, or follow my colour sequence below.

Colour sequence for rounds:

16 rounds x colour 1

8 rounds x colour 2

8 rounds x colour 3