small ideas

Here it is – as promised! Things to do with Mini Skeins!

Perhaps the most talked about project of the last year is The Beekeeper’s Quilt.  It is made out of knit hexagons that are stuffed and joined together.  This cat seems to enjoy it very much.  One skein = one hexagon.

This Fair Isle Hat from the Purl Bee was made to use Koigu Skeinettes.  Pick several colours that gradate to make this hat.  This same technique could be applied to other fair isle projects. Fiddlehead Mittens anyone?

I like these mittens.   Choose a different colour mini skein for each “pearl chain” for these Pearl Chain Mittens. Other fair isle projects from mittens to sweaters will no doubt be happy to employ a skeinette or two as accent colours.

If you are making the adorable Love Socks choose your favorite mini skein for the heart heels.

Elbow patches- not just for professors anymore! There is a fine tutorial here on how to make patches with duplicate stitch.  Apply this technique to add embellishments to other knitted goods.  Monogramming could be fun. Little skeins of Koigu are definitely up for this task!

If you have actual holes to cover over, say -some sock heels have worn from too much stepping, or a sweaters comes home wounded from a Moth War. Then, a little darning might be in order.  Pick a pretty skeinette and go to work.  Here is a how-to.

More yarn decorating can be done with embroidery techniques. Felted goods by Dadaya with beautiful embroidered details are something to aspire to.

“Koigu Needlepoint Yarn”- it says so clearly on the packaging.  Although I do not think we should be limited to this decree, let us not discount it either.  Check out these sweet coasters  by Cresus Artisant.  FYI – The Knit Cafe has a needlepoint class coming up in August!

Another needlepoint project – the Purl Bee Clutch.  Those bright embellishments come courtesy of Koigu.

Making little critters always involves a dab of this and a touch of that, for ear-innards, eyeballs, paws and manes, or in this case ↑ belts and hair-buns! These Star Wars figures come care of Lucy Raven. She sells patterns too.

Mini skeins will also come in handy if you are making these Toadstool Rattles! Add extra colour-oomph with a skein or two for the toadstool cap’s polkadots or the mushroom’s gills.

Speaking of colour-oomph – these Saarte Bootees have it in spades.  Use mini skeins to add details to your knitting projects.  Straps for booties, stripes on sweater yokes, boarders on cuffs and sock tops etc.

Mystery Monkey Socks could really take advantage of mini skeins too!

I love hidden details on garments.  Pocket linings in contrast colours, are hidden treasures and a great thing to add to hand knits to make them totally unique.  There is a tutorial for this technique here.

Here is another wonderful example of pocket highlighting from this clever knitter.  A few skeinettes could make some pocket-dreams come true!

Intarsia projects might also benefit from a skeinette intervention.  Intarsia always seems to call for small amounts of this colour and an even smaller amount of another.  Skeinettes might make for fewer leftovers in these cases.  Here are a few examples to illustrate this point. Traditional Icelandic Mittens on the left and a perfect pair of dog-walking mittens from Studio Morran on the right.

More hidden gems in hems! A hat or a sweater’s inside hem will be more fun made with something colourful.  I found this lovely example on the Quantum Tea Blog.

Here is another blanket that does not shy away from colour, or from using up extras in the yarn stash.  In such projects fresh mini skeins can be helpful for rounding out your colour pallet, augmenting your leftovers, and melding all the hues together. This wonderful crocheted blanket is called Babettes Blanket.

Got mini skeins? Make Pompoms!
The picture above is from the Knit Cafe’s Nuit Blanche Event from 2007.  Does anyone remember the Late Great Pom Pom Exchange? Folks were making pompoms all night long!  If only we had had mini skeins then.  A multi coloured pompom like the one on this team spirit hat might also need a mini skein!

Other small embellishments like crocheted or knitted flowers need mini skeins too!

The Purl Bee loves Koigu Skeinettes almost as much as we do.  Here is another project where they put them to good use. Find the pattern for these crocheted arm warmers here.

Last – but certainly not least, use your Koigu mini skeins to make Chair Socks! The Knit Cafe has posted details on how to make both knit and crocheted versions of these floor protectors here.

Please, please – if you have any other ideas about how to make use of mini skeins, then pass them along.  I would love to here them.
Craftily yours
Kristin