Adapting a simple Crochet Pattern

I kicked off my 'Use it or Lose it 2018' campaign by randomly selecting a book from my book shelf. I chose a book that I reviewed last year, by Nicki Trench, called Crocheted Scarves and Cowls.

I have to admit that whilst I read the book thoroughly in order to write a review, I haven't yet made anything from it, which is a shame because there are so many lovely designs hiding within the pages. Nicki also writes her patterns clearly and simply and with all the direction you need to re-create her gorgeous designs.

In order to keep this book, the rules of my campaign state that I need to make something from it, using yarn from my stash. It wasn't difficult to choose a pattern as there are about 5 or 6 designs that I would definitely like to make (eventually), but the scarf that shouted out at me the most was the Coast Scarf. Isn't it gorgeous.

Now, the main problem is that I didn't have enough of the suggested yarn in my stash (or anything similar). The pattern calls for 250g of Louisa Harding Amitola DK, and I don't have this in my stash. 

But what I did have in my stash was a pack of recently purchased mini skeins from Riverknits. Owners Becci and Markus create the most amazing array of stunning shades and I would definitely recommend a visit to their Etsy shop. If you'd like to meet them in person and squish their gorgeous yarns (and buy some too) you could follow them on Instagram to find out where they are exhibiting this year (links are below).

I bought 'The Mouse King' set before Christmas and for each pack sold, Becci and Markus donated a whopping £5 to Medecins sans Frontieres. They had 4 packs on offer with the theme of The Nutcracker, and I couldn't resist (and bought more than one, eek!). They raised £255 in total, which is a great achievement and very generous of them.

photo used with permission: @riverknitsuk on Instagram

Now, I know that the yarn called for is DK but I wanted to use my mini skein pack. I knew that I had significantly less than the recommended amount, so what was I to do?

I decided that I would reduce the recommended number of stitches and hopefully end up with a thinner and slightly shorter scarf, but a wearable one.

How did I do this:
First, I looked at the dimensions of the scarf. The finished width is 30cm. With the small amount of yarn I had, I knew that this would need to be reduced by around half (or thereabouts).

The pattern itself is made up of a series of pattern repeats for each row, with few extra stitches at each end. These stitches at each end must be kept and maintained, so that you don't mess up the pattern. 

You can only reduce the stitches down by any multiple of the pattern repeat and in order to do this, you need to work out how many stitches are used for the repeat sequence.  

Finding the pattern repeat within a row or round:
The pattern repeat is usually identified by the use of an asterisk * and you will repeat the instructions that follow the asterisk as many times as stated. Alternatively, brackets may be used to identify the repeat sequence. For example,

Row 1: 1dc in 2nd ch from hook, *miss 2 ch, 3tr in next ch; repeat from * to the last 3 ch, miss 2ch, 1dc in last ch.
or 
Row 1: 1dc in 2nd ch from hook, [miss 2 ch, 3tr in next ch] to the last 3 ch, miss 2ch, 1dc in last ch.

So if you look for the * or brackets (if used instead) you will read:
miss 2 ch - so this step uses 2 sts
3tr in next ch - so this step uses 1 st
Total stitches used for this repeat is 3 sts.

I would therefore need to reduce my stitches down by a multiple of 3, such as 3 or 6 or 9 or 12 etc.

Simply deduct this number from the total number of stitches stated at the start of the pattern.

Let's assume you want to reduce the pattern down by 12 stitches. If the pattern had told you to ch53 for the starting chain, you would deduct 12 from 53 to make 41ch. So you would ch41 instead and follow the pattern as set.

For my coast scarf, the total number stated for the starting chain is 102.
The number of stitches used in the pattern repeat is 10.
I deducted 40 sts from 102 and started with 62ch instead.
I then followed the pattern with my revised stitch count.

I do hope that helps you to tweak your patterns to suit your needs.

I absolutely love my gorgeous scarf. It's so rich and vibrant in colour and reminds me of a heather moorland in it's full glory. And even better, it matches my new boots.

How is your #useitorloseit2018 going? Are you getting more sorted? Is your craft room more spacious yet?

I have a long way to go, but we have all year, so I'm taking it steady.

If you want to join in, you can join my Ravelry group and/or use the following hashtag on twitter #useitorloseit2018 - you're all welcome. I'm really look forward to getting to know you and to seeing your makes.

Click here to join the group

You can also join me on social media and be the first to hear about new pattern releases, free patterns and offers by subscribing to my website here.
Happy Crafting, Lynne x

Links:
Riverknits etsy shop
Riverknits on Instagram
My use it or lose it campaign - the guidelines

Use it or lose it 2018 - Working through my stash, one ball at a time

Whilst I love and embrace my yarn/book/magazines stashes, I'm at the point where drastic measures are needed in order to create a studio that is both inspiring and comfortable to work in.

At the moment, I'm feeling very hemmed in by all of the 'stuff' that's piled up around me. It's quite claustrophobic and stifling and definitely not the best place for creativity to flourish.

But despite one part of me wanting to get out the bin bags and just clear everything out (yes it's really that bad!!!), the rest of me wants to make sure that I look through my various stashes carefully to find the things I will use and the things I will clear out and send to new homes.

I will therefore be spending the whole year on my USE IT OR LOSE IT 2018 campaign.

I've pledged not to buy yarn this year until I've made a significant dent in the lovely yarn I currently have.

I started this campaign last year, but didn't have enough spare time to keep on top of it, so I already have a Ravelry group set up for this, which is a great starting point.

I would really love you to join in, share your progress, inspire others and make some lovely projects along the way (link is at the end of this post).

Use It or Lose It: What's it all about?
There are a few activities that form the basis of my 'Use it or lose it 2018' campaign. Each will form it's own blog post, but here is a quick summary for now:

Activity 1 - Books:
Look through your craft books, one at a time, and if you want to keep a book then you have to make something from it, preferably using yarn from your stash.

Mooch through your stash to find the most suitable yarn to use and pair it up with the pattern you've chosen. If you don't have suitable yarn then create a list called "projects for the future" and add this project to your list.

This list will come in handy when you visit a yarn festival or shop, because now you'll be able to buy with a purpose. If nothing takes your fancy in the book, then the likelihood is that you'll never use it, so give the book to a friend or charity shop, or if it’s like new, you could sell it.

Activity 2 - Magazines:
Flick through your magazines and remove any patterns that you'd like to make, or any useful tutorials or 'how-to' guides.

Mooch through your stash to find the most suitable yarn to use and pair it up with the pattern you've chosen. If you can't find yarn in your stash to suit your pattern you can add your project to your "projects for the future" list.

The rest of the mag can be passed on to a friend and complete magazines could be donated to a charity shop or local care home or school.

Activity 3 - Stash Yarn:
Go through your stash and identify what yarns you have that hasn't already been allocated to a project (from Activities1 and 2 above). Note down the yarn types and quantities you have and decide what you're going to do with it.

Once you've decided, pop the yarn into a project bag, and add a note to remind you what you'll be making with it. 

If you really can’t decide what to make with the yarn, then consider giving it to a friend or donating to charity, or if it’s new and still in neat balls with yarn bands, then you could sell it. If you can't think of projects to make for yourself, then you could make a gift and keep it in a box, ready for birthdays and Christmas.

I have made a list of things I'd really like to knit or crochet this year for myself, including socks, scarves, shawls, cushions and blankets. I've also made a note of family and friend's birthdays so that I can also make suitable gifts in time for them.

Activity 4 - Works in Progress:
Find your Work's in Progress (WIPs) and decide whether you're going to finish each one, or let it go/frog it and reuse the yarn for something else, because if you've left a WIP languishing in a bag for a long time, then the chances are you've lost the love for it. 

So there we have it for USE IT OR LOSE IT 2018.

Some things you may find useful throughout the campaign, are notebooks and pens, yarn/project tags (you can make these yourself from cardboard and string), files, clear filing wallets, storage boxes, mesh bags for your yarn and patterns.

If you find this process a little drastic, then you can simply place the things you don't have a use for currently, into a box and keep it for a year. If you haven't missed these things after 12 months, then you may feel happier about parting with them.

If you want to join in, you can join my Ravelry group and/or use the following hashtag on twitter #useitorloseit2018 - you're all welcome. I'm really look forward to getting to know you and to seeing your makes.

Click here to join the group

You can also join me on social media and be the first to hear about new pattern releases, free patterns and offers by subscribing to my website here.

Happy Crafting, Lynne x