Stashbusting, and other stuff

[pensnest]

I've been doing a fair bit of stashbusting lately. As I started my knitting as a Kaffe Fassett disciple, I have untold quantities of single or part-balls of various yarns, and it's hard to find something to make with such a miscellany.




The Camp Sparkle shawl. I may not have finished it in Brighton, but I certainly knitted most of it there. It uses the Stash Buster Shawl recipe by UrbanGypZ Designs.

This one is similar, but has two 'spines' for a more rounded effect, which sits rather better on the shoulders.



Then there is:



I have a bit of a Thing for pink and yellow (I blame the Dowager Duchess of Denver for telling me I can't put them together), so I produced this cheerful scarf from the vast collection of cotton yarns in my chest of drawers. It's basically a simple garter stitch knitted diagonally, and as I took care to do the colour changes on the same side, I then added little tassels to disguise the lumpy edge. Here's another look:





As you may notice, this scarf isn't a stashbuster at all. It's the "Not A Celebrity Scarf" knitted in something chunky that I fell in love with but cannot now find the label for. Three balls, almost exactly, and I love the colours!

Finally, my current pride and joy:



It's Petala by Ines Sousa, and I'm very proud of myself, particularly since I got to the "increase 15 into 1 stitch" part the first time and realised I'd gone wrong, and had to do most of it again. :-(

A closer look:



I have been most fortunate to receive a set of blocking wires as a belated birthday present from Beast. It certainly made blocking the Petala shawl a lot easier when I could put wires through the smooth edge and use about a thousand pins on the spiderwebby bits. It could probably have been blocked even harder, had I the courage, but anyway. I'm very pleased with it. Again, not a destash, as I used a single skein of a very pretty sock yarn (the label is tucked in the middle of the much depleted ball, so I can't tell you what it is).

I should probably develop a scarf-wearing personality now. Hmm.

Comments

[watervole]

All gorgeous, especially the last two.

If my elbows ever stop playing up, I want to try knitting a shawl.

[pensnest]

I get a great deal of satisfaction from knitting, these days. Have you tried the Continental style? I can do it, with quite a bit of concentration - it strikes me as much more efficient than my regular method, and possibly it would be easier on the elbows.

[watervole]

I learned to knit continental a couple of years ago and find it easier than English - and it's fantastic if you want to do two colour work as you can do one colour with each hand.

[pensnest]

I managed exactly that when I knitted a Dalek hat not so long ago, and was *very* proud of myself!

[chalcopyrite]

Those are all lovely! I am most impressed by the spiderwebby bits! (Ugh, blocking.)

[pensnest]

Ugh, blocking, indeed - but it's essential for lace stuff, I'm finding. And blocking wires make it a *lot* easier!

[iadorespike]

They are all beautiful - such a lot of work! But I especially love the yellow and pink+ scarf - my favorite colors and just lovely. :)

Great job with everything - I'm terribly impressed. :)

[pensnest]

Thank you! I am very fond of the yellow and pink scarf myself (I've called it Not The Dowager Duchess of Denver's Scarf on Ravelry), and it is very cheerful to wear.

[turlough]

They're all lovely! The colours in Not a Celebrity Scarf are so cool and the blue and green yarn in the Petala is beautiful.

[pensnest]

The Not A Celebrity yarn was an irresistible impulse buy. Pity me, for in a couple of weeks there is a show called Fibre East a few miles from here. There will be terrible temptation there!

[turlough]

I'm so sorry for you! *envies* ;-P

[zcat_abroad]

Beautiful use of stash! I loved the purple gypsy shawl - exactly my colours! And am very impressed with all the colour changes. I'm pretty much sticking to one colour until I get the hang of things...

(Visiting from Knitting comm.)

[pensnest]

It's such a useful pattern for using up my kind of stash, which is full of not only different colours but different yarn thicknesses and textures too. And although I have recently discovered the joy of tension (!), and very much love the subtle colour-changing yarns I've been stoking lately, I must say that I do enjoy being in control of the colour changes.

[rainbow]

oh, those are *lovely*!

[pensnest]

Thank you!

[untonuggan]

PRETTY WANT ALL THE COLORS. I may have to try some of these patterns...especially the second one. *g*

[pensnest]

When you *have* all the colours, it's the only way to go ;-)

[turps]

Those are gorgeous. I especially like the pink and yellow scarf.

[pensnest]

Thanks - me too! :-)

[muladhara]

Whoever that was who told you you can't put pink and yellow together was talking rubbish. Pink and yellow go together wonderfully.

*ahem*

That aside, all these shawls/scarves are beautiful! I don't have much patience for them (and they're not my style), but I do appreciate the work that goes into them, especially the ones with lacy patterns on (something which is WAY beyond my knitting skills right now).

[pensnest]

'Twas the Dowager Duchess of Denver, although to be fair, I wouldn't decorate a room with pink and yellow either.

Oddly, I don't actually wear shawls myself, unless I'm wrapping myself in one in the middle of winter while I watch the telly. But they're very quick to knit (except for the lace one).

[muladhara]

Well, I definitely wouldn't do a room with pink and yellow, but as for clothing and wearable items, I don't see why not.

[ephemera]

Not The Dowager Duchess of Denver's Scarf looks fabulously summery - like icecream, and the blue lace is so pretty!

[pensnest]

It is very summery - particularly as it is all cotton too. And I'm proud of the blue lace one, definitely!

[rikes]

The green shawl looks very comfy! The pink/yellow one seems like a lot of fun, too.