Using it up, reducing my stash

Whilst I was tidying up my sewing room I took the opportunity to sort out my stash.  Mostly fabrics for quilting but there is a little yarn too.

I discovered some yarn I had bought at a Charity shop last summer.  There were 6 balls: 2 cream, 2 dusky pink and 2 hot pink. Nice soft cotton DK, with bobbles in it. I loved the colours and had imagined making a lovely striped crochet baby blanket.  Of course when I tried to crochet I discovered that the yarn wouldn't work - the bobbles made it hard to do and you couldn't see the stitches.  So away it all went in a bag in my stash cupboard.  Until about ten days ago when I found the bag and decided to make a baby jumper.  I had a pattern for a plain jumper but realised I would not have enough of any one colour so invented a striped jumper with ribbed welt, cuffs and neck edge knitted in dusky pink.  I eyeballed where to make the striped bands, keeping a note of the rows knitted so front and back would match up and then did my best to make the sleeve striped band come in line with the front and back striped band.  Amazingly it worked out!

 

There are 3 buttons on the back raglan sleeve which were also from my stash:

I am very pleased with the result, especially that my striped bands worked out so well.  I am gifting the jumper to Helen for new baby Etta, a jumper she can keep for when Etta is a little older.

I have 2 complete balls left over.

And remnants of the others:

They are all now in a Ziplock bag and will be donated to a Charity Shop tomorrow.  I know I won't use them and perhaps someone else can.  This is a good way to use up stash - use what you can and then pass the rest on.

During my Sewing Room Springclean I re-organised my sets of blocks, some from Bees I had participated in a few years ago. I hope to make these into tops before the end of the year.

I went through my scraps, reorganised how I stored the larger scraps, cut some into strips and squares and threw some small bits away. At least I am now more aware of where everything is and what I really should be finishing.


On a different note. One of my Patchwork Group will be 100 years old next month. She is celebrating by having three "At Home" days when she has invited lots of family and friends to "pop in" for a drink and nibbles.  Unfortunately three of the group (including me) won't be able to attend so we called round last week.  I made a simple sponge cake and another friend made some Danish shortbread. We lit the candle on the cake and sang Happy Birthday.

Win enjoyed our visit. As there were only the four of us we were able to have a good conversation and Win told us quite a few stories from different parts of her very long life.  An amazing lady, still sewing and doing the smallest of stitches, all very even!