What I miss about making afghans is that I would use more colors because the blankets are meant to brighten a space in addition to giving warmth. Some people don’t want to wear as many bright colors. There are ways to make something colorful without being garish. Using a dark and light yarn together or two yarns can create houndstooth or stripes or a block pattern. I’ve been looking at old posts from several years ago and the afghans were so colorful. I still use color but in a different way. Depending on the group or age of the clients of certain organizations that receive donations, would be comfortable wearing something super bright. That doesn’t mean that colors are relegated to neutrals only. It’s still possible to use darker or even neutral colors to give some style and patterns. The neutral color or a solid dark with a color block adds flair without making someone look like they are a walking billboard.
The colors and patterns can speak for themselves whether it’s a light and dark color or two complimentary patterns. Colorful doesn’t mean looking like a bioluminescent creature in a sea of darkness. Colors can be blended to create something subtle and lush. Two complimentary patterns or stripes of different shades, hues or tones with a solid primary yarn puts pigment center stage.
Revising my goal
Since I have already completed 85 sets for the year and it’s not quite September and I have three sets in varying states of completion, I have decided to make 100 for the year which still give me a chance to work on a couple of other things that I want to make for myself and maybe a gift or two. In previous years when I set goals, I have mentioned that I want to crochet faster, especially get faster with colorwork. Now is the time to practice that since there are four months left in the year. Even if I made some sets with one multicolored or self striping yarn in familiar patterns, I feel that making 15 additional sets is doable.
Happy Crocheting!
Too often, I have leftover small balls of yarn that I want to use without buying more of the same yarn if it doesn’t have a dye lot. Instead, I have been making an effort to create unique looks with stripes or gradient colors that coordinate and aren’t too garish. Taking marled or color striping yarn and combining it with a solid – oatmeal/aran, gray, or other neutral is one way of doing things, but taking similar yarns with subtle shade variations can create an appealing set and also use up yarn.
The lack of stores that carry washable, budget-friendly yarns you can try in person has made me more creative about trying new ones. Several months ago, I got a few different yarns at a yarn swap during World Wide Knit in Public Day. I was happy to score a ball of yarn that I wanted to try, but didn’t want to pay $10 shipping for yarn that I might or might not like. Now that I’ve tried it, I found that an online shop that I purchase from frequently, which has free shipping with a threshold that I would meet from other purchases carries the yarn.
There are still containers of larger remainders – half skeins and balls as well as a basket with assorted colors of tiny balls – in my stash that I can’t bring myself to toss. Though I haven’t been on a yarn buying hiatus, I have become more intentional about what I want to buy, try and give away. There is a lot of yarn that I don’t want to go to waste which I am making into eye-catching one of a kind sets!
The mystery balls that I made were lurking about in my view again. Initially, I made them with the intention of making an afghan. After several false starts, I used one ball to make a couple of sets, then tried using another in a new stitch pattern. Nothing fancy, but the way the colors were stacking looked great. I tried a new stitch pattern for the scarf, and it’s looking great. The set is colorful but in a more subdued manner. While it may not look like or cost hundreds like a high-end designer’s items that use “scrap yarn,” I’m pleased with the outcome, how it will turn out, and mostly that it will keep someone warm.
Things don’t always line up. After making a hat, I had a couple of false starts on the scarf. The yarn is not forgiving and does not want to unravel nicely. It snags and rips. After two false starts, I decided to go with the basic double crochet. While working on the project, I decided to try a different edging, which made the scarf wider, because I didn’t count the number of stitches I had in each row. When I realized my mistake, I regrouped and kept going. For a more forgiving yarn, I would have ripped it out. For this snaggy yarn, I just kept going.
This is going to be a colorful year. I have already decided that I want to get faster with working with color in my creations this year with multiple yarns, not just colored yarns themselves.
Then, the next day, I had an opportunity to go to a day crafting group gathering. While chatting with friends, I made a hat using two colors and figured I could do that more. It was a simple hat, but I want to experiment with more elaborate patterns and incorporate oddballs into my work.