Journal

A few things to take with us

One of the things I’ve enjoyed most about my Scrappy Log Cabin Blanket and scrappy Cruiser Cardigan is choosing the next colour as I go. There’s something very satisfying about finding a place for a small leftover, especially when it brings a combination I wouldn’t have thought to plan.

A shade can look quite different beside a new neighbour. A little fluffy yarn can change the feel of a section, and a familiar colour returning later can bring everything together. Those small discoveries are part of what keeps me interested in picking the project up again.

You might have found something quite different through your own making. Perhaps you’ve discovered that you love a regular stripe, that a quieter colour helps your brighter scraps settle, or that you enjoy having very little planned at all. It’s useful to notice what makes the process enjoyable for you.

Make it easy to pick up again

A scrappy project can be lovely company over a long stretch of time. There might be weeks when you add a little every day, and others when it stays tucked in its bag while something else has your attention.

Keeping your project with a small selection of scraps makes it easier to return to. You don’t need your entire stash beside you; just a few colours you’re enjoying, your needles or hook, and whatever notes will help you find your place. If you’re putting it aside for a while, a quick note about where you stopped can be a kindness to your future self.

There’s no need to keep up a particular pace. A few rows when you feel like them will still move your project along.

Let a little discovery become another idea

If a combination catches your eye, take a photograph or jot down the colours before you forget. Two scraps sitting beside each other might suggest a palette for a future sweater, or a small section of texture might be something you’d love to explore on a larger scale.

You don’t have to turn every discovery into a new project. Sometimes it’s simply lovely to have a record of something you enjoyed, ready to look back on when you’re choosing colours another day.

All four weeks, ready whenever you are

If you’re beginning now, or would like to revisit an idea, here are our four weekly pages together. Start wherever feels useful; there’s no need to work through them in order.

If you’d like somewhere to begin, our free Scrappy Log Cabin Blanket recipe is here too. It’s a lovely project for adding to gradually, choosing each new section from the scraps you have.

Keep showing us what’s growing

I’d love to keep seeing your projects beyond October, whether you’re just gathering colours, somewhere in the middle or weaving in those final ends. Share your making on Instagram with @skeinyarn and #SkeinScraptober, or reply to one of our newsletters with a photo and a little about your project.

If you’re happy for us to feature it, let us know whether we may share your photo on our website, in our newsletter or on Instagram, and how you’d like to be credited. It’s been lovely having this little window into what we’re all making.