News — projects

So you have some lovely hand-dyed or unusual fiber sock-weight yarn, right? Single skeins you've purchased over the years, or maybe just two little balls of yarn... stash-bound beauties that have no set purpose. What can you make, besides, you know, socks? Here are 10 projects that you can make with a single skein (or its equivalent yardage) of fingering-weight yarn, and that aren't that one shawl everyone makes with a single skein of sock yarn. You know that one. All images are from the Ravelry page for the pattern, and all patterns are FREE! 1. Taylor by Jennifer Lysen...

Our customer Kath created this gorgeous bandana-style cowl out of one skein of Dragonfly Fibers' Traveller DK in African Daisy. The brilliant colors in the yarn really pop in this adorable and easy project. We love it! To make one for yourself, pick up a skein of Traveller DK, a super-soft hand-dyed merino in any of Dragonfly Fibers' stunning colorways, then head over to Kath's Ravelry page for the project, where she gives easy instructions for making your own bandana cowl. Great job, Kath!   

Haps are a particularly warm and simple shawl, usually associated with the Shetland Islands. The word Hap itself is simply Scottish for shawl or wrap. While fine lace shawls are also associated with the Shetland Islands, it is the humble Hap that I think of most often when I think of Shetland shawls. Traditionally, Haps were knitted with a construction technique that began with a central square, usually knitted back and forth. From there, a border was knitted in the round, encompassing the middle square. This method of construction is still associated with most Shetland lace shawls and the more...

Now that we've added Jamieson & Smith's lovely Shetland wools, 2-Ply Jumper Weight, 2-Ply Lace Weight, Shetland Supreme Jumper Weight, 1-Ply Cobweb, Shetland Heritage Colors, and Shetland Heritage Naturals, you may be looking for a bit of inspiration! Fair isle patterns and traditional Shetland lace patterns can be intimidating, but they don't need to be. For Fair Isle, if you can knit with two colors, either in both hands or using a guide on one hand, you can make fair isle, as each row is knit with just two colors. The transitions from one color to the next on ascending rows is...

These projects, which can all be made with less than $12 worth of our beautiful yarns, prove that everyone can afford to make gorgeous stuff! Most of these can be made for under $10 (the laceweight yarn threw me off!). I have deliberately looked for free patterns, to keep the cost at a minimum. I organized the patterns by yarn weight, and then listed the yarns you can use for those patterns by brand. Some patterns require just one skein, others require two, but every one stays under $12. All of these patterns are downloadable on Ravelry -- just click on the picture...