I still can’t seem to spin anything lighter than Aran/Worsted weight. So the yardage I get from a 100g braid of fibre is going to be pretty low. As I mentioned in my first post on Patterns for Handspun, Part 1, the obvious thing to do is simply search for patterns are 150 yards or less. However that will ignore many projects which combine contrasting yarns.
Using handspun as the contrasting yarn means you can get a larger project by combining with commercial yarn. You could pick from many striped patterns and the many colorwork patterns, but I’ve tried to find ones which would make the most out of nubbly bumpy handspun and variegated colours, and not compete with the colourwork. Of course not *all* handspun is coloured! But that is the focus in this post.
Loop by Casapinka is a perfect example. This pattern does indicate 400-600 yards. But actually it only requires contrasting yarn 130 yards for the small version and 200 yards for the large in a 4ply/fingering/sock weight. I’ve just completed Casapinka’s Dot shawl which requires 225 yards of fingering weight for the contrast yarn, and this is a great example of a hand-spun loving pattern.
Selected contrasting colour work patterns to show off handspun
Colourwork is a gigantic category, there are some useful projects for “scrap yarn” too. However, I tried to think of how plain commercial yarn would work with a more textured and coloured handspun. These are some of my favourites.
- Moonraker by Melanie Berg
- Cap Sleeve Lattice Top by Purl Soho – freebie. This would be cool with the handspun as the bodice, and a plain commercial yarn as the yoke.
- Loop by Casapinka – love this! It’s been outlined for fingering, but there are examples of heavier even worsted weights, you can stop whenever ya like.
- Pop Spots by Juju Vail. That looks like fun.
- Dot Shawl by Casapinka. I knit this and I can attest to the addictive nature of this pattern. I really miss working on it.
- West Desert Hood by Virginia Catherall – freebie.
- Pigment by Lee Meredith – Pigment can worked at any gauge in any weight yarn, which is a nice bonus!
- For the Love of Remnants by Kate Hiester – freebie. This was made specifically for remnants, but I think handspun would work for the yoke too.
- Fibonacci Twist by Ela Torrente
- Col Très Perso by Camille Coizy – freebie. How cool is this? A simple idea where the creative hand spun yarn with tortillons really makes this project special.
