Granny Pillow

For this tutorial I took a 20x20 pillow and simply crocheted a classic Granny Square from various textures of handspun art yarn to hand stitch to the pillow cover. This pattern will work for any square shaped pillow (18x18, 20x20, 24x24, etc.) - simply crochet until your square is the right length & width.  You can also use a pillow form and make a complete cover. 

MATERIALS

• Square Pillow (mine is 20x20), or Pillow Insert (if you are making two squares or using fabric for the back)
• Square Pillowcase (these are cheap at Ikea, Amazon, and Hobby Lobby) that matches your yarn
• Sewing needle & thread for hand-sewing your pillow cover onto the pillowcase
• Handspun Art Yarn - I used about 80 yards. You may use more or less depending on how bulky your yarn is and how big your pillow is. 
• Crochet Hook appropriate for the bulkyness of your art yarn.

PATTERN

Following the video below, crochet a granny square until it's the size of the pillow you are covering.

You could also crochet two granny squares and cover the entire pillow (instead of just the front). But I just did the front.

Block with Unicorn Fibre Rinse.  Gently pat dry, reshape and dry flat. 

Seam the granny square to the pillowcase , or to fabric to make a true pillow cover, and enjoy! 

Floor Urchin

There are many free tutorials for different styles of this floor pillow / ottoman on various websites - but none of them use handspun. Here is the one I came up with that's a little different than all the others - but still has the same principle.

MATERIALS

• Size 19 circular needles , 32 -40 inches (we will be knitting this floor urchin in the round)
• 200-250 yards of handspun bulky art yarn
• Two bags of polyfill stuffing
• One pillowcase (make sure it matches your yarn in case you see it)
• 1 Yard of strong Cotton Yarn
• Large eye Yarn Needle

PATTERN

Cast on 47 stitches. For a larger pouf cast on 60-80 stitches.

Knit in the Round until your tube is 18 inches long (if you're knitting a larger pouf -knit until your tube is 30 inches long)

Do not bind off. Rather, take your yard of cotton yarn and cut it in half so you have 1.5 feet of cotton yarn. Then loop this cotton yarn through all the loops on your needle using a yarn needle to thread the cotton yarn through. Take a loop off the needle, and put the cotton yarn through it. When all your stitches are on the cotton yarn - pull the cotton yarn tight and tie it into a knot to create the bottom of your urchin. 

Turn the urchin inside-out so all the purl stitches are on the outside. If you prefer a knit side, that's fine too. I just thought the purls looked more urchin-like. 

Take the two bags of polyfill and stuff them into a standard sized pillowcase. Try to stuff the pillowcase so it's the shape of the urchin you want (rounded without too many bulges of stuffing). 

Twist the top of the pillowcase tightly into a flat bun-style knot. Now stuff the urchin with the pillowcase with the bun-style knot as the very bottom part of the urchin. 

Take the other 1.5 feet of cotton yarn with your yarn needle and loop it through every other stitch along the cast on edge of your tube. Pull it tight and knot tightly to secure. Cut the ends and tuck them into the inside of the urchin.

Reversible Texture Hat

Sometimes you feel like wearing a super textured hat. Sometimes you don't. I knit this hat using the video method below (Knitting with Texture) to push all my art yarn texture to the "inside" of the hat - leaving the "outside" plain - resulting in a reversible hat. Inside-Out is super textured, and Outside-In is less textured.

MATERIALS

• 80-100 yards of Bulky Art Yarn (I used 4 different remnant yarns from my stash)
• Size 15 16-inch circular knitting needles, or set of Size 15 8 inch DP needles (this piece is knit in the round)

PATTERN

Cast on 20 inches of stitches (for my bulky yarn this was about 27 stitches - your number of stitches may vary)

Knit in the round and switch from one texture of yarn to another (if you're using multiple skeins like I did)

Use the "Knitting With Texture" technique video below to push all the yarn texture to the "inside" of the hat.

Continue knitting in the round until the piece measures 8 inches tall

DECREASE Rounds: K3, K2tog*  continue decreasing until you have 7 stitches left on your needle. Switch to DPN if necessary.

Pull the yarn tail through all remaining 7 loops on your needle and pull tightly. Tie in a tight knot on the textured side of the hat.

Weave in the ends.

Block with Unicorn Fibre Rinse.  Gently pat dry, reshape and dry flat. 

Emmagene

I love the way circular shawls drape, and I wanted something that was easy to shape and showcased my handspun yarn beautifully. So I used a crochet puff stitch in the round for the back piece (accented with two art yarns) and I knit the flounce on circular needles in the round. Then I seamed the flounce to the back - leaving two holes for arms - and it was done in about 4 hours.

This is a very intuitive pattern. Being able to crochet circular shapes with yarn of varying gauges is the hardest part. If you aren't very savvy with crochet, I recommend using a commercial yarn for the back so it's easier to follow a gauge pattern and keep your circle flat. If you feel confident, try using different yarns for the back (adjusting the stitching for the bulkiness of the yarn) in a freeform type of style, maintaining a flat circle, until your back piece is as large as mine.

MATERIALS

• 80-100 yards of Commercial Chunky Yarn for Backpiece and Flounce (YARN A and YARN B)
• Large Crochet Hook for Backpiece (Size P or above)
• 150-200 yards of yarn for the flounce (I used Handspun Art Yarn, of many different lengths; YARNS C-F )
• Size 19 circular knitting needles, at least 32 inches long

PATTERN

CROCHET BACKPIECE: I followed the video below on how to crochet a puff in a circle (I did not shape it into a square, but continued the circular shape) using YARN A and accented with two skeins of handspun art yarn at random points of the circle. I continued crocheting the circle until it had a diameter of 20 inches. 

KNIT FLOUNCE: Cast on 100 stitches (this will be the outside / widest point of your flounce).  Join for knitting in the round, being careful not to twist stitches.  Knit in the round using a Simple Elongated Stitch.

I used commercial YARN B to cast on so that I didn't run out of yarn during my cast on (many of my handspun skeins are under 30 yards - not enough for a good few rows of 100 stitches.  A good way to conserve yarn is a knitted cast on).  I also wanted to have a boucle' accent around the outside edge of my flounce.  To do this, I knit in the round until I was competely out of yarn. Then I knit with handspun art yarns C, D, E, F until I was out of those yarns. I continued knitting in the round until the piece was 20 inches long. Then I bound off tightly - this tight bind off will be the part that we seam to the crochet circle. If you need extra allowance for your arms, don't bind off too tightly.. You can always cinch your bind off edge with the crochet circle when you're seaming.

SEAMING - Seam across the back of neck and lower back as pictured below - leaving two holes open for the arms. Use mattress stitch or visible seaming method for more drama.   

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FINISHING - Weave in loose ends. Block with Unicorn Fibre Rinse.  Gently pat dry, reshape and dry flat. 

Backyard Garden Loom

I have always loved the idea of a garden loom, but I was disenchanted when the leaves and flowers and twigs I wove into it wilted and turned brown in a day and turned it into a modern art / composting display piece instead of something pretty. So I decided to turn it into an all weather art yarn loom. I built it by attaching 4 branches together and mounted it deep into the ground. Then I used art yarn to warp it.

Then when I hosted a backyard spinning retreat last summer I asked each artisan to "Weave their Mark" by weaving a yarn in the loom. I love the way it came out. 

Convertible TuniCowl

This tunic top can be worn frontwards or backwards, or as a cowl. I love creating art yarn pieces that are multi functional. For the front of my tunic I used 30 yards of recycled sari silk ribbon. This ribbon was sewn together from black to a small strip of blush pink and then ivory. Then for the back of the tunic I used 30 yards of handspun boucle textured yarn in a double elongated stitch. I knit the sari silk into a rectangle, and the boucle into a rectangle, and then I seamed the shoulders and sides - leaving plenty of room for the armholes. To wear this tunic as a cowl, just drape it around your neck and use one of the armholes as the second wrap to shorten. 

MATERIALS

• 30 yards recycled sari ribbon yarn or handspun yarn
• 30 yards handspun yarn
• Size 35 knitting needles
• Crochet Hook for seaming
• Extra matching yarn (I used black) for seaming

PATTERN

Front

Cast on 12 stitches with your recycled sari ribbon yarn (or handspun)

Knit in a double elongated stitch until the piece reaches 20 inches long.

Bind off tightly (this is the neckline)

Back

Cast on 14 stitches with your handspun yarn

Knit in a double elongated stitch until the piece reaches 30 inches long

Bind off tightly (this is the back neckline)

SEAMING

• Seam the shoulders together with a crochet hook and yarn, matching the necklines of the front and back. You can adjust the width of the shoulders by seaming more or less yarn from the sides.
• Seam the sides together with a crochet hook and yarn - leaving large holes for the arms. For a ruched effect, pull the extra ten inches of the back up and seam to the corner of the front side. 

Ophelia

This scarf is an amazing way to loosely display handspun texture and can be completed in less than 10 minutes. All you need is to know how to make a crochet chain with your hands. Try using multiple strands of art yarn, or commercial yarn, into a gorgeous scarf that can also be pinned and worn as a cowl. For thinner yarns, try finger crochet for a tighter, smaller braid. 

MATERIALS

• 30 yards of textured handspun art yarn (yarn A)
• 30 yards of commercial yarn (yarn B) - I used Loops and Threads Woolette in Ivory (Superbulky, boucle.  Discontinued).
• More yarns or threads, if you want a thicker or more textured braid

PATTERN

Holding the ends of yarn A & yarn B together, make a slipknot.

Crochet a loose chain using your hands. Each loop of the chain should be large enough for your fist to fit through.

Continue crocheting a chain until you reach the end of the yarns. Pull the ends through the last loop to secure.

Chain the chain. Make a slipknot from the large chain of yarn you made, and crochet it with your hands into large loops until you reach the end. 

Optional: Use the remaining commercial yarn ball to make into tassels for the ends of your braid scarf.

Honeyberry

MATERIALS

• One ball of Loops & Threads Chunky Braid Yarn (Michael's brand; Yarn has been discontinued, use a comparable bulky yarn)
• 10 yards of bulky art yarn (I used a yarn with "twists" spun into it to make fringe - you could also use "tailspun" style art yarn with long locks for your fringe).
• Size 19 needles (I am a loose knitter, so this size worked for me, but if you find it too tight, you can use size 35 needles)
• Large Crochet Hook

PATTERN

Cast on 8 stitches with your bulky yarn.

Knit the entire bulky yarn skein using the Raspberry Stitch in the video below. 

Bind off and weave in the ends of bulky yarn.

Using a crochet hook, crochet the art yarn as a chain along the end of the scarf, up one side of the scarf, and along the other end to create the fringe. You can also choose to only fringe the ends, like a traditional scarf, or to fringe all the way around the scarf. But I only added fringe to 3 sides (leaving 1 long side fringe-free)

Block with Unicorn Fibre Rinse.  Gently pat dry, reshape and dry flat. 

This video shows you how to work the Raspberry Stitch, also known as the Trinity Stitch. Pattern instructions: Rows 1 and 3: Purl all stitches Row 2: K1 *(K1, P1, K1) into next stitch, P3tog* K1 Row 4: K1 *P3tog, (K1, P1, K1) into next stitch* K1 Repeat these four rows for the pattern.

Twinkle Garland

One of my favorite things about winter is decorating my home with tiny lights. I love the cozy ambiance they create. But I'm not a fan of all the wires. So I thought - why not crochet over the wire of my twinkle lights? And here's the result - I love it!

For this project I used 20 yards of bulky art yarn and an appropriate crochet hook. Your yardage will vary based on the length of lights you're crocheting over. I recommend battery operated LED lights because they don't get hot and can be displayed away from an outlet.

You could crochet over the wires of your Christmas tree lights and make a homespun inspired garland. Or crochet over lights and wrap it around a grapevine wreath for your front door. The possibilities are endless.  

MATERIALS

• Battery Operated LED Lights
• Handspun Yarn 
• Crochet Hook

INSTRUCTIONS

To cover the wire I found it helpful to do a yarn over on my hook, put it under the wire, pull up a loop over the wire (creating three loops) and pull the third loop thru the two other loops. Then with one loop on my hook, I'd yarn over (2nd loop) and put my hook under the wire, bring up a loop (3rd loop) and bring the 3rd loop thru the 2nd and 1st loops (leaving just one loop) and continue.

If you do lots and lots of crochet on your wire you end up with a thick ruffle effect. Enjoy!

Featherplucker

This is a great 20-30 minute scarf for featuring handspun art yarn. Add as many different yarns as you like in all different colors. For this yarn I used a bulky handspun yarn spun from local natural wool locks, a thinner yarn plied with chicken feathers, and a commercial yarn by Loops & Threads called Woolette in the color Gold (Yarn is discontinued; use a bulky/super bulky with texture for a similar look). Below is a video if you've never arm knit before to teach you how to make this scarf stitch by stitch. 

MATERIALS

• 30 Yards of Bulky Handspun Art Yarn (Yarn A)
• 30 Yards of Handspun Feathered Art Yarn (Yarn B)
• 30 Yards of Commercial Boucle' Yarn (Yarn C)

PATTERN

Cast on between 7 - 12 stitches (I cast on 9)

Arm knit until you run out of Yarn A & B (waste not!)

Bind off with Yarn C

Cut Yarn C leaving a 18 inch long tail.

Seam the edges together with the tail of Yarn C, but only seam up halfway, leaving half of the rectangle to hang open for extra drape and shaping. 

Wear & Enjoy!

Bias Bulky Blanket

This is a easy blanket pattern you can complete in an afternoon. This pattern can be customized to any square size. Since you are knitting it from corner to corner (on the bias), it will always turn out square regardless of the size. I've attempted to knit several bulky art yarn blankets from top to bottom, and always end up with an awkward rectangle because I cast on too many or too few stitches and then run out of yarn. Knitting from corner to corner works best for me.  Knitting on the bias works great, and it adds a design element too!

MATERIALS

• 200-250 yards of Commercial Bulky Yarn
• 200-250 yards of Bulky Handspun Art Yarn
• Size 35 Circular Needles, 32-40 inches long (blanket will be knit flat)
• 80 yards of Yarn for Corner Tassels (optional)

NOTES

The pattern is below, but to create the striped / textured effect on your blanket simply rotate through your stash of handspun & commercial yarns while you knit, creating stripes of colors and textures. Knit big stripes or little stripes. Whatever looks beautiful to you. I did not include my exact stripe pattern (how many rows with yarn A, how many rows with yarn B) because my yardage of each skein will be different than yours. 

PATTERN

• Cast on two stitches
• K1, YO, K1 (now there will be 3 stitches on your needle)
• Row 3: K1, YO, Knit to End (now there will be 4 stitches on your needle
• Row 4+: Knit 1, Yarn Over, Knit to End until your blanket is as wide as the widest point of the square that you desire (my widest point was 5 feet because I wanted a throw-style blanket)
• Across the widest row of your blanket (before beginning decreases to complete the square) Knit 1 row of Simple Elongated Stitch 

Now start decreasing to make a square.

• K1, K2TOG, K to end
• Repeat the above until there are 5 stitches on your needles
• Knit 2, Drop stitch, Knit Two (this center dropped stitch will create the loose dropped stitch row from corner to corner of your blanket). Gently unravel the stitch. 
• K1, K2TOG, K to end
• When you have two stitches on your needle, bind off.

Create Tassels for the corners of your blanket by following the video tutorial below and attach to each corner of your blanket. My tassels are 8 inches long and I used about 20 yards of chunky weight handspun yarn for them. 

Instructions & Photography by Ashley Martineau

Steampunk

This scarf is great for displaying your most textured handspun art yarns. I used commercial yarn to break up the texture. It is knit length-wise.

MATERIALS

• Size 35 circular needles, 32 inches long (we will be knitting flat)
• 50 yards of textured handspun art yarn
• 50 yards of bulky commercial yarn (I used Wool & the Gang 'Crazy Sexy Wool')

For this scarf I knit my "chained" and "laced" handspun techniques from my SINGLE series masterclass. Here is what the yarns looked like before they were knit:

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PATTERN

Cast on 60 stitches on the size 35 circular needles with commercial bulky yarn

Knit flat in garter stitch, alternating rows of commercial yarn and handspun art yarn based on what you are working with in your stash. 

Continue knitting until the scarf is 6-8 inches wide

Bind off using a stretchy / loose bind off

Block with Unicorn Fibre Rinse.  Gently pat dry, reshape and dry flat.