Ozzy White Scarf

Well this is the very last of the stash yarn.
I started this and then put it to one side as I realized I would need some of the yarn to make the cuffs of the Sea Spray mittens
The yarn is beautifully soft and very easy to knit with
A super easy pattern
Very easily memorized

A lovely final product
All soft and not a bit itchy around my neck
Not sure how durable this will be as it is very fine yarn and there are lots of holes to get caught on things
Still I love it and will keep it for special occasions

Whilst I have knitted up all the yarn in my cupboards, I am probably still going to knit but I am going back to the way it was when I first started.

I would buy a pattern and then buy the yarn I needed rather than trying to find a pattern which matches some yarn I just saw

Pattern: Feather and Fan Short Scarf by Kelly Faller
Size: 15ins x 55ins
Yarn: Shepherd Baby Wool Merino 3 ply
Colour: White

Ozzy Blue Sea Spray Mittens

 I love this pattern.  It was very easy to follow

Now I have a matching hat and mitten set

As I did not have a complete ball of blue yarn left after knitting a long cuff on the hat, I had to use some of the 3 ply white wool which I had designated for a lacy scarf.

The yarns are very soft and warm.  

The lacy design means that these will be worn on car trips or inside thicker mittens

I made the mitten cuff longer so that it will tuck inside a jacket

I had to add several stitches to the thumb after pick up so that it would go around my fat thumb

When everything is done, I'll have a scarf to go with the hat and mittens too

Note:  Colour in this picture is right.  The hat picture is too pale

Pattern: 0-1369 Sea Spray Mittens by Drops Design
Size: 64 sts
Yarn: Shepherd Baby Wool Merino 4 ply
Colour: Pale Blue Variegated
Yarn: Shepherd Baby Wool Merino 3 ply

Colour: White

Ozzy Blue Sea Spray Hat

I bought this yarn in 2015 in Melbourne, Australia
I really had no idea what to do with it so it has sat in my stash
Now this is all the yarn I have left in my stash and I need to use it up
It is beautifully soft and of course quite fine
I liked the look of this hat

The hat is actually much bluer than it appears in the photo
This was an easy pattern to follow
I made the rib band twice as big so that I could make it double
I had hoped to join it in to my knitting and have the join inside the hat but that didn't work out 
Then I tried sewing it up but that didn't work either so it is left to be turned up from the outside

It is a very pretty soft hat. It may not be a good winter hat but it will  be great for cool days in spring and fall.

Pattern: 0-1369 Sea Spray Hat by Drops Design
Size: 136 sts
Yarn: Shepherd Baby Wool Merino 4 ply
Colour: Pale Blue Variegated

NZ Possum Shawl

 I bought this lovely soft lace yarn when on holiday in New Zealand back in 2015

I really had no idea what I was going to do with it. I just knew that it was the softest yarn I had ever touched.  There wasn't a great selection of colour in the little local yarn store in Hastings but this soft blue aqua was the nicest.

It has sat in my stash ever since

Now that I am eliminating the stash, I had to find a good use for this

It most definitely was going to stay with me and not be gifted to someone else.  I searched and searched to find something appropriate.  The problem was that I only had two 50g balls.  In the end I accepted that I could make a short scarf or a small shawl.  

I didn't want a scarf so it became this shawl.  It really was an easy peasy pattern 

I love the final product but whether I will ever wear it is another question.

We'll see what happens this winter.  It is beautifully soft and will tuck inside a coat or jacket easily

This photo shows the pattern more clearly but the first photo has the colour right

Pattern: Easy Peazy Scarf/Shawlette  by Megan Delorme
Size: 22" deep by 44"wide
Yarn: Woolyarns New Zealand Bleached Possum
Colour: Aqua

Terracotta Seaside Market Bag

 Still using up yarns from stash

This is made from a cotton yarn bought back in 2016 on sale at 50% off

There wasn't really enough for this bag but I really couldn't find anything else suitable

So I shortened the pattern panel to 11 inches rather than 14.

I did  two rows less of garter stitch at the bottom and increased the number of decreases in each row to 14 from 10 

I still needed to go to decreasing every row at the end

It is still a useable market bag 

Serviceable if not beautiful!!

Pattern: Seaside Market Bag Worsted Version by Carol Petersen
Size: 14" deep by 32" round
Yarn: Sirdar Simply Recycled Aran
Colour: Terracotta

2020 Blomidon Hats

After I finished up all my bits of worsted yarn to make hats to give away at Christmas through NCQG, I looked out all the left over DK yarn.

Definitely enough for more hats but not enough for anything bigger

I chose this pattern as it seemed a little more exciting than plain knit or rib

Turned out to be a lovely pattern and easy to remember

Just enough yarn for 6 hats of differing sizes

 Finally I have used up all the leftover bits of yarn in the stash.

That's a great feeling.  

The yarn was put to good use and not thrown away and now there will be some warmer heads somewhere in the county this winter

Pattern: Blomidon Hiking Hat by Ana Watts
Size: Various
Yarn: Various
Colour: Various

2020 Bankhead Hats

 I have been using up all my bits of worsted yarn to make hats to give away at Christmas through NCQG

I had thought that there would be enough of the navy yarn left from K and B's sweaters for one more but there is definitely not enough.  

As I have now no worsted yarn in my stash that is it for this year

6  hats in total which is way better than last year!

Pattern: Bankhead Hat by Susie Gourlay
Size: Various
Yarn: Various
Colour: Red, Green , White, Aran

B's Navy Cardigan

 Had quite a bit of yarn left over from K's sweater - way too much for hats so decided to make another little sweater for B

I used the basic raglan v neck Cardigan and added a decorative border

This yarn is very thin so I used a 4 mm needle but stuck to the 2 year old size. 

I think it should fit as the Cloud cardigan I made for her was definitely a little big

No issues at all 

Found these bright coloured buttons in my button box.  They have little white flowers on so they brighten it up nicely

Pattern: Child's Knit V Neck Cardigan by Yarnspirations Design Studio
Size: 2
Yarn: Lion Brand Pound of Love
Colour: Navy

B's Pretty in Purple Cardigan

Had quite a bit of yarn left over from R's Pretty in Purple so decided to make one for B
As I was using up different lengths, I knitted the body in one piece
As it turned out I didn't like the dark grey as it seemed too heavy
Managed to find some white DK yarn and used that to lighten things up

There probably would have been just about enough yarn without the white but it looks better to my eyes

Of course I now have some grey, purple and blue yarn left over!!
Definitely not enough for a sweater but may be some charity hats for next year

Pattern: Sirdar 4229
Size: 3- 4 years
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish DK
Colour: Amethyst Heather

Colour: Sugar Plum
Colour: Marble Heather
Colour: Wonderland Heather
Colour: Twilight
Yarn: Mary Maxim Mellowspun
Colour: White

K's Navy Sweater

 Needed to make sweater for K as I had one for each of his sisters

Bought a huge ball of yarn which seemed thin enough to knit up as  DK knit UK style

I found this old pattern which seemed just perfect for a growing school boy

so here it is:

If I was to knit this again I would change the raglan to cast off 5 at the armhole and then decrease one stitch at each side on every knit row.  Decreasing 2 for the first 2 knit rows gives a very steep curve

Pattern: Bellmans 608
Size: 26 ins
Yarn: Lion Brand Pound of Love
Colour: Navy

R's Pretty in Purple Cardigan

 This yarn came from a kit for a scarf and hat
Finally realized that I am never going to make that so I used the yarn to make this cardigan

All the yarns are DK and coordinate well
There maybe just enough of the other colours to make a little one for Miss B too

Quite happy with the way it turned out
Knitted the body in one piece to the armholes so that the stripes match exactly
Had a bit of a panic that there wasn't going to be enough purple yarn so added the green stripes.  
As it turned out I had a whole ball of purple yarn left at the end but I wasn't about to rip all that knitting out

Pattern: Sirdar 4229
Size: 7 - 8 years
Yarn: Knit Picks Swish DK
Colour: Amethyst Heather
Colour: Sugar Plum
Colour: Dove Heather

Colour: Wonderland Heather

Bankhead Hats

 Needed to make hats for the other members of the family

Still have lots of left over yarn.  So father and son hats it is

Here is the one for KDR

This was a very easy pattern very clear and no issues at all

I thought the crown decreases might not work but in fact they make a really nice finish

Very happy with the result

I made Adult Large to be sure that it isn't too small.  The rib can easily be turned back if needed

Here's the one for G

Pattern: Bankhead Hat by Susie Gourlay
Size: 100 sts
Yarn: Patons North America Decor
Colour: 244087 Pine
Yarn: Patons North America Decor
Colour: 87714 Barn Red

B's Lacie Gracie Hat

Found some scraps of left over yarn which were just enough to make a little hat for Miss B.

This looked like a great pattern but as usual I found I needed to make some modifications 

I didn't like the rolled edge so ripped it out and used 4 rows of K2P1K2P2 rib

The lace rib looked quite clumsy with this thicker yarn so just did two repeats.

After that I followed the pattern

The hat came out quite long but should fit the little one easily

Pattern: Lacie Gracie by Claudia Szitar
Size: 77 sts
Yarn: Patons Canadiana
Colour: 150 Light Pastels

Trafalgar Hats

Had quite a lot of this navy yarn left over

Thought I would be able to make a hat with it

Turned out that there was enough for 2

Luckily I had a tiny bit of the same yarn in pink 

So I made Mother and daughter hats for KJMR and MRR

I think I'll give the navy one to Momma and the pink and navy to MRR but then I happen to know that KJMR loves the pink and navy combo 

Pattern: Trafalgar Hat by Cold Comfort Knits
Size: 135 sts
Yarn: Cascade 220 Sport
Colour: 8393 Navy

Yarn: Cascade 220 Sport
Colour: 7805 Flamingo Pink

B's Cloud Cardigan

Had enough yarn left from my Cloud Cardi to make one for little Miss B.

Found a basic v neck pattern

It used 5mm needles which are too thick for this yarn so I went down to 4.5mm for the whole sweater except for the button bands. 

The 4mm needles I used for the button bands showed that this yarn is closer to DK weight than worsted

I added a vertical eyelet panel to each of the fronts to add some visual interest to what would otherwise have been a very plain sweater.

I think the finished cardigan may prove to be a little slim but I hope not.

Pattern: Child's Knit V Neck Cardigan by Yarnspirations Design Studio
Size: 2
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes
Colour: 23432 Cloud

Sort of Gray Cardigan

Over 10 years ago, I bought a kit to make a Kimono wrap
Well it sat in the cupboard and never got started
Decided to use the yarn to make a sweater

Loved this pattern last time I made it so I modified it to make a sweater for me

I am calling it Sort of Gray because of the modifications I made:
Went up a needle size as I have Aran weight yarn
Made the entire sweater 15 ins to armhole cast off
Sleeves and armholes as per pattern
Made neckband and button bands wider - 6 rows
Used 10 buttons
Started both cables at the bottom of the fronts
Started to move one cable just before armhole cast off so that it finished at mid shoulder cast off (near enough!)

May be a little roomy but then it is thick yarn so it will be an outer layer

Love this pattern. It adapted well too!!
Would happily make another if I thought that I needed another sweater


Pattern: A Gray Cardigan by Sally Melville
Size: 122 sts
Yarn: Mary Maxim Aran Irish Tweed
Colour: Aran Tweed

B's Little Green Cardi

This is the second little sweater from stashed Astra yarns
It turned out really well
I used the pattern for stitch and row counts but nothing else

The body was knitted in one from the bottom up to the armholes

This was easier when trying to use up odd lengths of yarn and made sure that the stripes matched across the whole garment


Pattern: Lace Bouquets Cardigan form Sweetheart Knits by Patons
Size: 18 months
Yarn: Patons Astra
Colour: 2217 Country Green
Yarn: Patons Astra
Colour: White
Yarn: Patons Astra
Colour: Dark Green
Yarn: Patons Astra
Colour: 2755 Blue Aqua

B's Aqua Lace Bouquets Cardi

Had quite a lot of leftover Astra yarn in a variety of green colours
I have no idea how long I have had it but it needed using up
Should be enough for 2 little cardi's for little Miss B

This is sweater #1

There was almost enough of the Aqua but not quite so I used some white as contrast.

I think it worked out very well

I did not do the lacy bits on the sleeves as little fingers can so easily get caught in the holes and I had the stripes to contend with too!

Pattern: Lace Bouquets Cardigan form Sweetheart Knits by Patons
Size: 18 months
Yarn: Patons Astra
Colour: 219 Aqua Sea

Yarn: Patons Astra
Colour: White

Cloud Tristan Hat

After finishing the Cloud cardi, there was still some yarn left over that had been ripped out at least 3 times

I didn't want to throw it out so decided to make a ribbed hat where the wrinkles wouldn't be too noticeable and I could easily weave in the ends






I had more than enough for this simple hat
It knitted up quickly

I used 4 mm needles as recommended in the pattern and I knit tightly

The advantage of the rib pattern is that it could stretch more

I could have used 3.75mm as it fits without stretching and the yarn is relatively thin

I still have 3.5 balls of unused yarn. Maybe a little sweater for Miss B?
I am putting my needles away for a bit and will see how I feel for next winter

Pattern: Tristan Hat by DROPS Design
Size: 129 sts
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes
Colour: 23432 Cloud

Cloud Rhona Cardi

This has had very chequered start to life

I bought a pattern from Knitpicks for a Fiddlehead Cardigan
I loved the intricate cables and the all over design
Well there were numerous errors in the pattern
I did get an updated version so ripped out the partial sleeve and started again. 
This time I don't know if it was me or the pattern but I could not get it right so once more a sleeve ripped out.  Put everything away for some months

Decided to try using an old raglan sleeve pattern and adding the cable pattern to that .  
At least this time it all worked out and I had all the pieces for the cardigan
Then I  stopped to check the measurements
Oh my I am not that slim!!!  I had not allowed enough for the extra for the cables
So once again ripped it all out

This time I decided to just buy another pattern
So it became the Rhona Cardigan
The pattern is clear and easy to follow. The measurements all match

I am disappointed that the cables on the front don't meet the cables on the back but am not about to rip everything out again.  The yarn wouldn't stand for it!!

I went up several sizes as the sleeves are very slim. They fit but do feel tight.  Will they loosen with wearing?  I do hope so 
I was knitting to gauge but didn't block to full size as it would be too big

I love a cream Aran style cardigan.

For my taste the fabric is very loose with a 4.5mm needle. I would rather have used a size smaller needle but wasn't going to try to alter anything this time around


Pattern: Rhona by Glenna C
Size: 126 sts
Yarn: KnitPicks Wool of the Andes
Colour: 23432 Cloud