Top: knitted mitered square blanket, Bottom: crocheted granny square blanket

A tale of two blankets

Both are sock yarn blankets and both are well loved.

But the crochet one took a fraction of the time (about 3 months vs 3 years) and weighs a heck of a lot more. I haven’t done the exact maths but my knitted mitered square blanket weighs about 400g (that’s approx 1600m sock yarn). The crocheted one is a bit smaller in size and weighs over 650g (well over 2500m sock yarn)

As much as a mitered square blanket will always be my first love there's no denying that a crochet blanket is a speedier way to work through my leftovers. I know that there is some debate on whether crochet does actually use more yarn than knitting but at least in my experience, the giant crochet granny square has freed up a lot more space in my leftover yarn drawer than the mitered square one ever did.

Just to seal the deal further I’m now contemplating a crochet blanket holding yarn double for even more stashbusting potential.

Our February theme for the Stash Appreciation Society is going to be holding yarn double/triple so I think I'm going to have to give this a go - in the interests of scientific research if nothing else.

If you are interested in what we are up to in the group you can find out more information at the link below - or just pop me a question.

Stash appreciation society

With advent and festive preparations in full swing it seems weird to be thinking ahead to the New Year but if I’ve learned anything from my few years in business, it’s that December vanishes in the blink of an eye. One minute you are getting out the advent decorations and planning your Christmas card list and the next minute you blink and everyone is talking about New Years Resolutions and Dry January.

So I wanted to briefly mention a new project of mine now - before the tinsel bedecked craziness of the next few weeks hits us.

Something new I’ve been dreaming about for a while now, something that I hope will become a fun new part of your knitting life - The Stash Appreciation Society.

A monthly membership club where we will most definitely not be undertaking any form of yarn diet. The Stash Appreciation Society is all about enjoying your stash, appreciating it and making the most of it.

It’s hub will be a dedicated facebook group and there will be the choice as to whether to pay a monthly subscription (for the price of a posh coffee) or go for the years membership at once.

Each month will see a new challenge or focus as we aim to end the year with a better relationship with our stash than when we started it. January will kick off with a DIY yarn club where we will aim to pair up yarn/patterns from our stashes and to make some plans to liberate all that amazing yarn we have hidden away from the world.

There will be KALs, swaps, and random acts of kindness-type events, geared at building a friendly, inclusive and warm woolly community. There will also be a few exclusive patterns from me along the way and you’ll also be the first to hear about my exciting plans for a 2020 podcast.

If this sounds like your kind of thing please do make sure you are signed up to my email list - further details and early sign-ups will be available in the next few weeks - and I’d love to see you there

Louise