One of the sad things about being restricted and having to stay at home has been the not being able to go into a real live shop and make a purchase (other than for food). This applies especially to materials for crafting and, in my case, especially to yarn. However, what it has done is made me look at the yarn I already have and consider how I would like to use it. Over the past year I have made various things out of yarn in my stash and using scraps left over from other projects:
As time has gone on, the amount of yarn I have has reduced and I have been looking at some that sits firmly in the “?” category. One such yarn was some 5-ply gansey wool that I won a few years ago in a raffle. There was plenty to make an actual gansey, but the more it sat there, the more I realised that I didn’t actually want one. So, after the success of the Southern Pines sweater (made from wool that I did get new this year), I thought I’d have another go at the pattern and tweak it a bit. Being the wrong gauge of yarn compared to the pattern I had to slightly adjust the sizing, plus I decided to make it longer and slightly A-line in shape. It turned out to be a relatively quick make and I managed to remember to wear it for an outdoor photo-op with the hounds:
It’s not a colour that I would normally have chosen, but actually I think it’s going to be quite versatile and the wool will certainly be hard wearing. Now I’m rummaging though my remaining yarn and trying to think of even more creative makes with what I have available.
The Snail of Happiness 
polesparadise
/ March 12, 2021I love it! My kind of jumper and I like the colour. Your other projects are just brilliant, I love the wreath especially, and the curly haired little creature is just adorable. Well done you!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 12, 2021That’s an echidna… now residing in Australia, where they belong!
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iamsimplyhooked
/ March 12, 2021It’s beautiful. I love the colour – and it suits you. Win, win, win!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 12, 2021I’m very surprised how much I like the colour.
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Laurie Graves
/ March 12, 2021Does this qualify under the category that it’s an ill wind that blows no good? Beautiful examples of how you used what you had on had. You really are a wonder.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 12, 2021Yes… I have really enjoyed using what I have.
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Going Batty in Wales
/ March 12, 2021It looks lovely Jan! I remember you telling me about the book ‘Wheesht’ about how restrictions can increase our creativity and lockdown certainly seems to have done that for you.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 12, 2021I was actually rather surprised how much I had done when I looked back through my pictures.
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anne54
/ March 12, 2021Clever you! If I don’t have wool in the right gauge for the pattern I give up immediately. I love the colour of this jumper, and I loved the colour of the one you showed us last post. Now i just hope that soon you will be able to tuck them away for Spring and Summer and bring them out to wear again in Autumn!
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 12, 2021Still chilly here, but today we heard that we can meet up with friends outdoors once again, so I think the woolies are going to be getting a bit more use for a while.
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Rosemarie's Kitchen
/ March 12, 2021All beautiful. We are finally seeing a few outdoor markets opening up for people to sell their crafts. I’ve worried the artists we’ve lost this year. And I’ve missed chatting with people in person. So hard.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 12, 2021It has been hard. We’ve been trying to support as many small producers as possible over the past months, but I think that artists and crafts-people have been particularly badly hit.
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katechiconi
/ March 12, 2021That’s lovely! I know you tend more to the blue and purple side of the spectrum, but the colour suits you, it’s pretty and looks comfy and cosy. Big ticks in all the boxes for an excellent jumper. I would really, really iike to see you make more of those wreaths, I’d definitely buy one from you if it was available, especially if you could use ‘Australian’ colours so I could bring it out for Christmas here. Just a thought… For a ScrapHappy some time?
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 13, 2021I have been distracted by sewing recently… plus I’m just having a bit of a foray into Fair Isle knitting, but I am mulling over possibilities for various wreaths.
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katechiconi
/ March 13, 2021Fingers crossed, then….
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Nice Piece of Work
/ March 13, 2021A great make, and I think the colour is fantastic. You might find it a more versatile colour than you realise.
Although I often prefer my own company and sometimes make the choice to be alone instead of socialising, I realise I’d go completely out of my mind if there were regulations in place that prohibited me from seeing people at all. I really hope this doesn’t continue much longer for all of you over there. I have many friends in the UK, and I know that some of them are genuinely battling.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 13, 2021I’m so pleased to say that from today we can meet up with other people – only outside and only in groups of no more than 4 from a total of two households, but it is such a relief. I can’t wait to spend a bit of time having real live contact with my local friends.
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Nice Piece of Work
/ March 13, 2021Great news 🙂
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tialys
/ March 13, 2021I am even more enamoured of the Southern Pines pattern now you’ve showed us your second version and I admire your skills in adapting the gauge to the yarn you have, I think I’d get in all sorts of trouble if I tried that,
I’d be interested in trying to make one of those lovely wreaths and I’ll have a rummage through your past posts to see if I can find the pattern you used – unless you made it up yourself of course which wouldn’t surprise me.
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The Snail of Happiness
/ March 13, 2021The pattern for the wreath was from Little Box of Crochet, although I didn’t follow it slavishly. It’s a fun make with lots of variety, and perfect for using up oddments.
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cedar51
/ March 18, 2021well you’ve made some drop dead gorgeous items with your stash…
I’m about to try and deal with some of my stash – well not sure “when” but considering it. But not because of a lockdown rather more about dealing to some of the stash that was originally bought or created for something, and not achieved.
We may not be able to get supplies easily (even I who isn’t locked down, but unwell) we might not have a pattern/guide but the “net” has so much. I was thinking about making some “knitted toys” and I know I saved some patterns in my Ravelry library file.
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