I’d gotten out of the habit of doing pattern collection posts until last December when I couldn’t resist a Krampus-themed one. Now I’ve been thinking about all the scrappy projects I’ve done, and decided I’d do one focused just on my pattern offerings because hey, what am I here for anyway 😉

Scrappy projects are those that utilize scrap lengths of yarn, leftovers that aren’t big enough for full projects. Technically any project can use scrap yarn if you want it to, but these are projects I designed to feature the nature of scraps in some way, or create an easy way to use them – i.e – strategize a way to feature unwoven in ends & short stripes, or create a pattern flattering to frequent color changes. Let’s see ’em!

Scrappy Patterns

1. Scrappy Granny Shawl – FREE. Super easy to customize and looks great in virtually any yarn. The Granny block stitches are a familiar and easy semi-open pattern that breaks up the color changes creating neat colored patches to the eye. Plus you just gotta feel like a boho damsel in this one!

2. Wayfarer Ruana – This giant ruana is a FREE pattern that combines both knit and crochet. The knit body of the ruana utilizes some very small scraps and is a serious scrapbuster! I also designed the garment with a fringe that incorporates the loose ends of all those scraps, so you don’t have to weave in. The edge of the piece is a sewn-on strip of granny squares, because why not? Hidden within this blog post pattern is a detailed, free, and easy tutorial for crochet granny squares designed for beginners, because I wanted to 😉

3. Pixie Belt Tutorial – Inspired by less traditional styles (or perhaps FAR more traditional styles depending on your views of the little folk) comes the supremely fun to create Pixie Belt. This project is great for mixing and matching yarns, using up small scraps, and even busting some of your fabric stash. I make them and sell them as costume pieces to friends and festival-goers, or perhaps you know a little folk yourself who needs a mini-version 🙂 The free tutorial for customizing your own comes as a series on my blog but is also purchasable as a single collection in one PDF.

4. Scrappy Knit Duster – The free knit tutorial for this western duster coat follows in the heritage of the Wayfarer Ruana, using small bits to knit long panels of color, leaving the unwoven ends as part of the fringe which is incorporated into the design. This garment provides a more snug fit than the ruana – and sleeves of course – because I wanted something that I could use for more everyday wear.

5. Rhiannon Hooded Cowl – I originally made these using scraps, then decided to write a pattern for the design to sell and used preplanned commercial yarns. Eventually, I decided it needed an aesthetic renewal and returned it to it’s scrappy state where I think it truly functions best, offering it both for free on my blog (via the link at the beginning of the paragraph) or in purchasable PDF format via my shops (linked at the top of the blog). I love that this design lives a double life <3 appropriate.

6. Sun Dogs Throw – This free throw blanket crochet pattern was a result of my desire to destash a lot of colorful worsted weight acrylics – though I chose a rainbow so I could have a bright, fun camping blanket this season, this throw works great in any color combination and the 8-point expansive design makes it extra cozy and wrappable. The center uses up small scraps neatly and the outer edges eat up whole spare skeins 😉

7. The Flower Child Pullover – One of the few exclusively paid patterns on the list, you can find it in my pattern shops linked above or through the blog post linked just here 🙂 Though technically I could list the cousin pattern the Mandala Top in this collection as well, I won’t because the Flower Child pattern has a feature that makes it specific to scrap busting – a list of the approximated yardage requirements for each round, for #4 worsted weight yarns. Hopefully that chart makes it easier to use up scraps by taking away some guesswork!

8. Daydreamer Poncho – Another pattern originally sprung from scraps, written for preplanned commercial yarn, and then remade in the image of Scrap 🙂 I guess I do that a lot. Anyway, I also revamped this design to include a skirt look, making it convertible too. The Daydreamer Poncho is a paid crochet pattern available in my pattern stores (linked above) or linked on the page given here with more info <3

9. Scrappy Knit Shawl – Basically just the shawl version of the Scrappy Knit Duster, this even-easier knit project uses the same strategy: plush and drapey garter stitch knitted on big needles so you can utilize all kinds of yarn weights (hold 2-3 strands together to use up really thinner yarns) and the yarn-ends incorporated into the fringe. The increases at each end of the rows make a very long, thinner triangle so this piece can be wrapped around your neck as a super thick scarf!

That’s it for my scrappy offerings today, though I’m sure more will occur in future. Looking back at all these patterns, I’m entertained at how they are pretty evenly split between faerie and rustic, fantasy and romantic western. Am I, at heart, a fairy cow girl? The historical evidence is fairly damning. Lol!

-MF