Breaking The Stash Habit
Evaluating our existing stash is a great way to save money whilst living through a financial squeeze. We all have those heavily discounted/ last chance/ discontinued yarns from fairs that we simply had to have and purchased with no regard to their eventual place in our wardrobe. But let’s be honest, this cost-of-living crisis has hit us all this year and it’s time to look at those impulse buys and put them to use.
I love a chunky yarn. Rowan’s brushed fleece has a high presence in my wardrobe and the only downside is it takes up a lot of space. I have just finished a T-shirt that I’ve been wanting to make for years. It’s a gorgeous circular knit, so took no time at all and it called for a chunky yarn similar in weight to Brushed Fleece. No surprises why I was drawn to it.
Looking at the pattern gauge and sifting through my stash, I found 3 cakes of Rowan Sultano Fine in pewter. I have been looking for a pattern to use this and here was the perfect choice. Although Sultano Fine is a DK weight the tension came up well on 6mm needles called for in the pattern. As a knitter, I do feel that enhancing one’s repertoire of skills includes the need to expand understanding of different fibres. Had I not been happy with the tension I would have played around with needle sizes until I was happy and perhaps made the garment in a larger size.
The result is a beautifully drapey fabric with quite open stitch work. I had intended this to be my Christmas sweater but I’ve also found being silk and cashmere blended with mohair, this is perfect for springtime evening wear as it is warm yet incredibly lightweight. Perfect for a trip to Cape Town to wow the relations and know that I’ll get plenty of wear out of it when I return and Autumn kicks in!
Pattern: BoHo blouse from Glam Knits -Stefanie Japel https://www.ravelry.com/
Yarn: Rowan Sultano Fine sh300 pewter
I made the smallest size and used under 2 of the three cakes, larger sizes could be comfortably accommodated by available quantity.
Photographed in Fraanschoek,SA
Photo: Jonny Allen
