Making an Ugly Sweater
Hi my name is Eve and I’m a yarn hoarder.
I’m not the worst hoarder out there, but that is because I’ve acknowledged this condition that runs in the family, quite early on and resisted it. Periodically, I’ll go through my storage cabinets and throw stuff out, but not the good stuff.
Someone who has knitted for 15 or so years, obviously will acquire a lot of yarn through the years and there is never enough time to use it all up. There is always a new project that requires different colours and types of yarn, and then the old yarn are left gathering dust.
I used to make solely wool socks and mittens, so most of my yarn is suited for those. I have gathered a huge storage container full of these yarns, that now does not inspire me at all. I have been smart enough to hoard only two different sock yarns and all from the same company, so they can be mixed together, if only the colours work. I don’t know why I have mostly colourful yarns, when I mostly wear neutrals. Well, that’s probably because I always use up the neutrals and am left with the pops of colour.
Long story long, I’ve decided that I need to start using up these sock yarns if I want to keep buying other yarns for nicer projects. I would not recommend or use these for a sweater in any other circumstance but for the one I’ll be using them now. I’m gonna make an intentionally ugly sweater that won’t be precious and I can use while doing house work or whatever and I don’t have to worry about it.
I found a suitable pattern that I’ll use as a base, but will probably add on so that I can use more yarn. This is also a great way to see why colour choice and combinations are so so important to get right for colourwork knits. The original pattern has beautiful colours so it’s a beautiful sweater, but mine will be a mess!
I have no idea what my sweater will end up looking because I’ll just keep adding colours as I go and just trying to use up as much as I can. Stay tuned for the monstrosity of a sweater!
Looking forward to see the result of the color mixed sweater once it’s finished :-)
You and me both 😅
I believe the sweater will be nice.
It’ll be ugly nice 😝
Beautifully made thanks for sharing @eveuncovered
This is a good idea. I have skeins and skeins of sock yarn and only recently realised that I don't like making socks. I prefer to work with thicker yarns and needles and I find the magic loop method tedious - I like a nice long stretch of knitting and keeping the rhythm going. When I look at some of my sock yarns (multi-coloured), I wonder why I bought them, I like the ones that knit into fake fair isle but the random stripes, well, I'm not sure of the purpose of them, I can't honestly say they look beautiful 😂.
Are you using any threads double? It would certainly be a good way to get into colourwork. Perhaps I should ditch any whole, still in their label, skeins to the nearest charity shop and see what's left.
I am not a fan of the magic loop either, so I use double pointed needles for socks, mittens, arms etc.
Fake fair isle, I’ve never seen a yarn like that! Does it really work when everyone has different tention etc? I like multicolour yarns together with a neutral yarn. Here is an example on how I use multicolour yarn:
But yeah, I feel ya, ”why did I buy all this yarn” 😅
Not using anything doubled, but that would certainly do the trick on trying to use up yarn 😂
I've just bought some sets of double pointed needles after this disastrous experiment with magic loop. Fake fairisle works pretty well, certainly at a distance (it doesn't bear up under closer inspection). Here's a similar sort of yarn and I think Crofter baby yarn is a similar idea. I love the mittens, that's a great way to use up yarn without ending up with something too grotesque.
That's an interesting idea. My grandmother used to accept odds and ends of yarn from other people and she would make an afghan every year that was raffled to raise money for charity.
That was very generous of her. I’m not that nice, but I do like making knitwear to loved ones :)
I personally don't think it is a problem to have a stash of yarns on hand. :-) That said, my goals lately have been to put my yarn stash into project bags and start making various items like shawls and sweaters to use the yarn and have less stash. We shall see!!
I think what you have started looks beautiful (and not ugly at all). I cannot wait to see the sweater when it has been completed!
It is a problem if no matter how much you knit, the yarn stash just keeps growing 😝 Wow, you are very organised and a great planner if you have designated bags of yarn ready for projects, good for you!