Summer of Stashbusting: Part 2
Old Yarn, New Projects
Welcome to the second instalment of my new summer series: The Summer of Stashbusting! In Part 2, we’re going to reflect on the projects from last time and set some new themes for the next 2 weeks. If you missed Part 1, you can easily catch up by clicking here. This series is all about using up the odds and ends from your yarn stash and turning them into summery makes- it’s fun and practical!
For Week 1, the theme was bookmarks. I’m no stranger to a handmade bookmark; I’ve made plenty of them as gifts, and have several around the house for myself. The reason I chose this project for Week 1 is that you can really use any shade, weight, and amount of yarn that you have lying around. If you have really small scraps, you can pick a design that accommodates for tiny amounts of different colours. If you have a larger amount, you can pick a nice stitch and create a rectangle in any size that you like.
For my stash busting bookmark, I used a small amount of pink Hayfield Bonus DK that I had leftover from making a crochet baby set almost 3 years ago. This has been hanging around in my stash for ages, and it was a big enough amount that I didn’t want to be wasteful and throw it away. I knew it would come in handy one day! It was exactly the right amount for the bookmark pattern I found. I was able to make the bookmark in one sitting, and enjoyed it so much that I ended up making a second one in an oddment of pink Ricorumi DK. Click the link below to see the free pattern I used:
Birgitta’s Bookmark by Torun Johansson (crochet)
For Week 2, I chose the crochet Mohnblume Poppy pattern. Flowers are great for using up those really tiny amounts of yarn, as you can use a variety of colours for each different part of the flower. I used an oddment of green cotton for the centre, a bit of Ricorumi Spray for the second round, and a very soft cream yarn for the petals. I have no idea where the cream yarn came from or what it was previously used for, but I’m glad I’ve finally found a use for it! I was thinking I might add a safety pin to the back of the flower and pin it onto a tote bag as a summery accessory.
That completes my roundup of Part 1 - let’s take a look at Part 2!
Which projects did you make for Weeks 1 and 2?
Welcome to Part 2!
For Week 3, we’re going to keep going with the small stashbusters that use up the tiny amounts of yarn hanging around in your stash. Keyrings are a great project for this, requiring very little yarn in any colours you like. I’ve picked out some summery themed designs that will make great projects to pop in your bag and take out to the garden/ beach with you.
Week 3: Keyrings
Mini Cactus Keychain by A Crafty Concept (crochet)
Flip Flop Keychain by Whistle & Ivy (crochet)
Strawberry Keychain by Free Cute Knit (knit)
Mini Bag Keychain by Wintogreen (knit)
Week 4: Coasters
In Week 4, we’re going to move on to a project that is still relatively small but that you can make as many of as you like: coasters. You can use a small amount of yarn to make a one-off design, or if you have a larger ball of yarn, you can make a whole set for your home. It’s completely up to you!
Rainbow Coaster by Chou D’Iris (crochet)
Daisy Coaster by Whiskers and Wool (crochet)
Venezia Palina Coaster by Clover Blog (knit)
Hot Cuppa Coaster by Chan Tyman-Levy (knit)
