Well, here we are again on the cusp of February and here I am to confess my sins. And by “sins,” please understand that I mean “a silly number of scrap blankets.”
My WIP list is neither as long as most nor as short as some (what the heck was up with that one year I only had 4 WIPs? Who was she?) I’m rocking a total of fourteen WIPs, eight of which are in-progress blankets. Of those eight, a plump and meaty six are scrap yarn blankets with no clear finish date in mind.
With that in mind, I’m going to list my WIPs a little differently this year. I’m going to list the “regular” projects first, and the six scrap blankets separately at the end. They are long-term projects that I’ll add to as the spirit moves and the scrap yarns pile up. They aren’t focus projects, but I do want them to make steady progress every year. They’ll be done when they’re done, is what I’m saying.
Enough prologue. Here are the lists, oldest to newest, as is tradition. And let it be noted that my oldest not-blanket WIP is just over a year old. I don’t know what that’s meant to prove, but there it is.
Note that the links go to my Ravelry notebook.
1. Glittering Snowscape Shawl by Stephen West, using Miss Babs Yummy 2-Ply. Started January 1, 2024. I loved every bit of knitting this shawl right up until I hit the knitted-on border. I don’t mind that as a construction technique generally speaking, but this particular application was a bit fiddly, if we’re being honest. I also don’t mind weaving in ends, but a woman has her limits. The border involves knitting in short bursts of one of the previously used shawl colors every repeat. The effect is lovely, but I was not having it last spring. The plan for this one is to pull it out and get myself reoriented. I’m going to try another repeat or two and see if I can get into any kind of rhythm. Failing that, I’m ripping what I have done of the border out and redoing it all in one color.
 |
| Pictured here with appropriate fortification. |
2. it only gets brighter from here (half-granny triangle shawl, modified), using the 2023 Advent from The Fiber Seed. Started January 21, 2024. This one’s fun. The main things that derailed me were a) imaginary internet points, and b) figuring out the best way to use up all of the yarn. I am working with a full 24 mini skein set in a rainbow gradient, and as the triangle got bigger, each mini went less and less far. Which totally makes sense since I was increasing every row to maintain the triangle shape. I decided to play around with the design, and I’m crocheting two right triangles that I plan to attach to each other to make a parallelogram. The first triangle uses minis 1-12, and the second starts with 24 and goes through 13. I have some black Miss Babs Yummy 2-Ply that I can use as an outer border and if it works, it will be a big rainbowy wrap that will be awesome and funky. If it doesn’t work, I’m going to be really annoyed. (It should work. Why wouldn’t it work?) Anyway, I’m nearly there, just wrapping up adding in the last mini to the second triangle. Wish me luck.
As a side note, I shared this plan with my middlest child - who seemed very concerned that I might wear it in public.
 |
| I shared this plan with my middlest child, who seemed very concerned that I might wear it in public. |
3. always our self we find in the sea, using assorted called for acrylics (mostly Stylecraft Special DK). Started April 13, 2024. While this is another blanket, it’s neither technically a scrap blanket, nor is it meant to be a long-term project. Well, a long-ER term in any case, because I always intended to take a year to make it. This is the Beach Walk blanket by Marion Mitchell. I’ve done several of her blankets in the past, most recently the Spice Gem blanket. This one’s a bit bigger than the others, and I gave myself a long runway to get it done. I’m on track for a finish by March 31, and after that I’m likely to start the Winter Walk blanket.
4. guess what? Using Malabrigo Yarn Silky Merino, KP Wool of the Andes Tonal (that is at least 100 years old), and various and sundry scraps when I get there. This, my friends, is going to be an emotional support chicken, if I can get on with finishing it. We are firmly in the spatchcock phase of chicken construction. She’s going to be glorious when she’s done.
5. test (this poor blanket doesn’t even have a proper project name), using Stylecraft Special Aran and Loops & Threads Impeccable. Started June 1, 2024. This is (was) a test for one of Mio’s granny square blankets. I got completely side-tracked, missed the deadline, and just have a pile of squares. I need to get this back on track and finished up, so I have some another not-Christmas winter blanket to throw on the couch.
6. a poncho of invisibility is not quite as good as a cloak of invisibility (but they’re cheaper and easier to crochet), using Lion Brand Mandala yarn. Started October 24, 2024. This is actually the Wasilla Poncho by Jennifer Renaud. My penchant for clever project names might be finally getting away from me. This just needs a little dedicated attention and it’ll be sorted out. I’ve added one out of three cakes to it – when I’m out of yarn, I’m done.
7. sweet you rock and sweet you roll (vanilla socks), using Truly Wool Rich 4 Ply Sock Yarn. Started January 24, 2025. These are bog standard vanilla socks in a 75/25 commercial sock yarn. These are background project, pull out during a meeting, keep in the purse socks. As one does.  |
| This yarn is absolutely giving Sweet Tart packaging circa 1983. |
8. she's been living on the highest shelf, using Knit Picks Swish DK. Started January 25, 2025. I’m back on my bullshit and trying to knit myself garments that I will actually wear. Riptide is a cute sweater vest situation with a simple lace panel down the front and back. Easy-peasy, lemon squeezy (she says, tempting the knitting goddess to smite her for hubris.) I added this pattern to my 2024 unofficial Make 9 list… I want partial credit for starting it at all, even if I am a year late.
Okay, that’s it for the “normal” projects, and honestly having written it out this way I feel a lot better. Only two of these are more than a year old (and barely, at that). If you squint, I’m not doing too badly. Also, if you ever need a rationalization for something, I’m your girl.
On to The Scrap Blankets
Look. I can explain.
No. It is too much. I will sum up.
I’ve got six different scrap blankets on the go, and they are each serving a different purpose. There’s one for commercial sock yarn, one for brights, one for neutrals, one for muted, moody colors, one for all that leftover Christmas sock yarn, and one for little bits and bobs of Stylecraft Special DK.
If you think about it, I’m basically being responsible by using up my scraps. This is practically an exercise in virtue. All I’m saying is that there’s a very clear and logical explanation for how we got here, and this is all very sensible, if you think about it.
Anyway.
9. all used up, using various commercial sock yarn scraps. Started March 26, 2023. I’m a pretty prolific sock knitter (I mean, I’m no Crazy Sock Lady, but I do alright). My socks tend to take about 70 grams or so, give or take, which often leaves me with an awkward bit left over. This blanket is designed to take care of that problem – I’m holding the yarn double and crocheting a simple 5 round granny square. Each square takes about 10 grams of yarn, and I’m getting a cool marled affect from the doubled yarn. Once I finish the squares, I can set my Ravelry stash page to “all used up” which is just the little serotonin boost that one needs in trying times. I plan to lay the squares out in a pleasing order that distributes the colors across and join using a JAYG method, so I can’t start joining until I’m done making the squares. I need to stop, count my squares, and do some math to decide what the target is. In the meantime, I’m just adding new squares whenever I finish a pair of socks in Opal, Regia, Online, Lion Brand, etc. yarn.
 |
| This is the same photo I used last year. I've added a ton more squares, but don't have a picture. |
10. no YOU started a new scrap blanket, using various merino/nylon sock yarn scraps and minis. (You can tell by the project name that I was on to my own shenanigans at this point.) This is the Sweet Shop Blanket by Laura Penrose, started September 11, 2023. I really dig quilterly knit and crocheted blanket patterns. This one uses a simple half-square triangle in fingering weight yarn held double. I’m prioritizing muted and moody colors for this one.
11. nobody can resist a jelly baby, using various merino/nylon sock yarn scraps and minis held double. This is the Jelly Roll Blanket by Kay Jones, started November 18, 2023. Here’s where the neons and the brights come out to play. We love a modular blanket in this house, and this one is no exception.
 |
| Don't let the winter lighting fool you - this really is a bright and cheerful blanket. |
12. for its own joy, using Stylecraft Special DK, started January 1, 2024. African Flowers blanket, by Stouto Creative Crochet. If we’re being honest with ourselves, here just amongst us friends, I’m not sure I’m really making this blanket. I did one square last winter and that’s it. I found it a bit fiddly and then it didn’t turn out particularly square (the pattern doesn’t build up the corners very well moving from the central circle out to a square shape.) I could figure it out if I wanted to modify it … but I’m not sure I’m feeling it. Maybe it’s a pillow?
13. oops all neutrals, using various merino/nylon sock yarn scraps and minis held double. Started January 6, 2024. The greys, browns, and creams end up here. I really love how this is working up. I’m doing 4-round granny squares and JAYG on the last round, so I’m building the blanket as I go.
14. here we come a’wanderin’, using leftovers from the #25boxofYulesocks project, started November 15, 2025.. It’s been a minute since I knit a mitered square scrap yarn blanket. I finished my last one up in 2020, and have been miter-free since. I have 24 pairs of Christmas socks in my box of Yule socks, which means I have a silly amount of Christmas sock yarn leftovers. Enter the sock yarn blanket. It’s going to look like the North Pole went on a bender and threw holiday cheer up all over my couch when I’m done with this thing. I do plan to use each color more than once in a bid to actually use these yarns up (my previous iteration had over 200 unique yarns in it… I’m crazy, but I’m not that crazy.)
Plans
And that’s the story: eight things I’d like to finish in 2025, and six more I just want to work on. I don’t want to carry any of the not-scrap blankets into 2026, so the primary goal is to finish them. But that said, I’m not above frogging if I can’t get it together in the next 10 months.
As for February, I plan to finish the improvised rainbow wrap, the socks, and to make significant progress on Riptide. Once I finish the socks, I’ll add the leftover yarn to all used up. I’m also planning to crochet the outer border’s worth of granny squares for the Beach Walk blanket in February, so I can join them in and do the remaining border rounds in March.
Other than that, I’ll pick either the emotional support chicken or the poncho to finish, in order to knock the list down a bit.
Plus, I’ll be cross-stitching, but maybe we’ll talk about that another time.
