Thursday, March 10, 2011

Stash Fest

Stash Fest was really all made possible by Ravelry's pattern browser.  It was super easy to just go through my stash, say, "I have x yards of x-weight yarn" and find a good pattern to eat it up.  It was also a bit stressful, because I had limited amounts of yarn, and I was determined not to buy more to finish a project.  The point was to use up the yarn, after all.

First was the scarf.  For this, I picked a nice stitch pattern, decided on a width, and knit until I ran out of yarn.  My sister later said she liked it, but it was too long, so I ripped out several inches.  I had also made a cowl out of the same yarn, but it looked awful, so the remainder of this yarn got turned into two hats.  They look a little silly, and I don't have pictures of them.

Stash scarf
Stitch detail
Blech cowl (that has been ripped)
After that, I had lots of single balls of yarn, so I made lots of hats.  Not much to report on these.
Laid flat
Stitch detail
Laid flat
Top View
Weird chenille hat.  The white ones look just like this.
And then, I tackled the Gap duster yarn harvest.  Okay, so I said I made a Sahara out of it, but at that gauge, the fabric was weird and too tight.  Also, I got over-zealous with the waist decreases, so it was too snug and I didn't want to re-do the body, so it stayed as a UFO for a really long time.  Finally, I decided that it would be better to turn the yarn into something else, something at a looser gauge.  I was right: at this gauge, it makes a nicer fabric.

Blocking
Neckline detail
Sleeve detail
Next, I had several balls of gray yarn, from back when I first started crocheting (like in 1998-2000).  It became mitts and two hats, which I have no pictures of.  I think I was too caught up with emptying out my stash to document it.  Oops.

Then, I had most of a skein of sport-weight acrylic, I don't remember what it was called and the label is long gone.  It was one of the yarns with the word "baby" on the label.  Anyway, I knit and ripped a few things with this, because it was an odd amount of yarn: too much for some things, not enough for others.  I made Little Shells with it, but I added several repeats of the shell pattern to really get it all used up.

Little shells
Shell detail
Also, I swear I blocked it, and I really don’t know why it’s curling so much. Right after I blocked it, it curled a little at the bind-off edge, but not as badly as it is here. When I blocked it, I pulled it super-tight, and the edge curled a little as a result. That may be to blame. It got blocked again after the pictures were taken.
In going through my stash, I found two lone balls of Patons Grace, one in black, and one in blue. I remember buying them, but what I planned to do with only one ball of yarn still escapes me.
I had been looking through a lot of shawl and shawlette patterns when I made Little Shells, and a few had stuck in my head. So I bought a few extra balls of yarn so those lonely little balls could become shawls: Haruni, instead of taking up space in my stash.
Modeled by my floor
This shawl got blocked twice, due to size reasons. Take note, users of Knit Picks’ blocking mats. I have one box of mats, and my shawl (knit following the pattern to the letter) is too big to fit. The middle of the shawl and the last three sets of leaves on either side got blocked in the first blocking. The second blocking was really for the rest of the leaves (I only got it selectively wet the second time around). That’s also why it’s hard to photograph: the leaves flare out, and laid flat, they bunch up on themselves.
Leaf detail
Stitch detail
The peacock shawlette was more difficult.  I could have no hope of matching dye lots for a ball of yarn bought four years ago, but considering it’s a big yarn company, I hoped it would at least be close. It wasn’t.
Since the dye lots didn’t match (and rather egregiously at that), I gave up on my lonely little stash ball and bought one more new ball to finish the project. That mismatched, four-year-old ball of yarn is still in my stash.
Pictures are pre-blocking.
Laid out
Feather detail

Stitch detail
There were more things in my stash after I'd finished these, but at this point, I was pretty tired of stash busting, and I felt like I had put a big enough dent in it that I could move on to new projects without guilt.  Also, my sister had requested that I make her some things, and I was eager to oblige.
First were the Fishnet Knee-Highs.  They flew by, and they look great on her.  Perfect.
Knee-highs
Pattern detail
Toe detail
Next were the Basic Stockings.  I'm sorry to say that in the end, they were too big around the calves, and my sister's legs are too slender for them (by rather a lot).  I want to make her a fresh pair, but I haven't gotten around to it.  Also, the elastic at the top, though I think it's great to hold them up, was a pain to put in.
Finished, pre-seaming
Lace detail
Toe Detail
Ribbing detail
I had yarn left over from both projects, and in the interest of continuing my busting efforts, I immediately turned it into hats.  I timed it right, too, so that at Christmas, my sister got two pairs of stockings and two surprise hats.
Free hat!
Modeled by my hand
StASHley
Okay, now we've reached Christmas 2010.  Almost all caught up!
After Christmas, I began Riding to Avalon.  I think I'll stop before discussing that one, because it was, truly, a saga.  And rather heartbreaking, too.  But, I've discussed everything, all the way up until the end of last year.  Not much more to go!

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