14 Jan 2020

by Jellybean Junction

My Yarn Advent Project 2019

I have always loved treating myself to a bit of hand dyed yarn, in fact throughout 2019 I purchased more hand dyed yarn than I ever have before but that’s something I will talk about in another blog post. In this post I want to talk about mini skeins and how we can use them. Specifically how I used the 24 x 10g minis I recieved as part of a yarn advent calendar.

There are several indie yarn dyers that offer a ‘Yarn Advent Calendar’, most include a 10g or 20g mini skein per day with a few specific fibre options. I decided to treat myself to a Vicki Brown Designs calendar and opted for the 10g DK yarn option (all of Vicki’s yarn advent options were in her Merino/nylon yarn).

I can not tell you how excited I was when I received it! I couldn’t wait for December 1st and when it was time to start opening it I was not disappointed. Each day was a delight, the variation of colours and a few extra treats included from time to time (bag to keep the yarn in, stitch markers, fruity tea and some SOAK hand wash).

When I was approaching the last few days of advent I started thinking about what to do with the mini’s I had received. 24 x 10g is a fairly good amount of yarn on it’s own, enough to make a snood or a lightweight scarf or shawl perhaps? I wanted a project I could work on over the Christmas break, a quick project that would be relaxing and show off the gorgeous colours in the yarn.

I decided to make a scarf using the advent yarn held together with some lovely DK acrylic yarn I had in my stash (Deramores Studio DK in ‘Silver’). I put the mini skeins into a bag and pulled them out one at a time, randomly working colours as they were picked. I used a 6mm hook and a simple c2c (corner to corner) stitch pattern to create my scarf. I have written the pattern up below, it’s a great way to use your advent yarn or mini skeins you have in your stash.

A yarn advent calendar was a real treat for me, they are not cheap and I took advantage of Vicki’s payment plan option in order to spread the cost. Keep an eye out for information on yarn advent calendars around the middle part of the year, most indie dyers give you plenty of notice so you save your pennies and treat yourself.

2019 Advent Scarf Pattern

You will need:

• Mini skeins in various colours (I used 24 x 10g DK minis)
• DK yarn in a neutral colour (I used 250g Deramore Studio DK in ‘Silver’)
• 6mm crochet hook (go down a hook size if you are using 4ply mini skeins)
• Piece of thick card to make the tassels.

Terms:

• ch – Chain
• tr – Treble crochet (US Double Crochet)
• ss – Slip Stitch

Pattern:

To make the scarf you will be using the c2c or Corner to Corner crochet technique. You can find lots of tutorials online if you are not used to this method, I have included the link to one of the best tutorials I have found – https://makeanddocrew.com/how-to-corner-to-corner-crochet-c2c-for-beginners/

1. Using your first mini skein and strand of DK yarn held together make 5 tassels.
2. You are now going to work a c2c rectangle which is 8 blocks wide, using your DK yarn held together with your mini skeins. Use up the remaining yarn from your first mini skein and then pick one at random every time you run out.
3. When you reach your last mini skein make 5 more tassels to match the first set of 5 made, then finish your scarf with the remaining yarn. By making the tassels at these points you will know you have enough yarn for them.
4. Sew in all of your ends and then attach 5 tassels evenly across each end of your scarf.

There are so many things you can do with mini skeins and I will share a selection of these ideas in another post. For now I hope my scarf has inspired you to dig out the minis in your stash and make yourself something beautiful. Don’t let them get forgotten about!

Happy Hooking xx

Posted in Projects