“Can I use more than one color?”
This is one of Christmas at Sea’s most frequently asked question, and I appreciate why.
Let’s take a look at the math:
A hat uses 3 ounces of yarn, a skein weighs 3.5 ounces, leaving a balll of leftover yarn weighing .5 ounces.
A scarf uses 5 ounces of wool, 2 skeins make up 7 ounces, which leaves 2 ounces of left over yarn.
A frugal knitter will want to use up those leftover bits of yarn, so what’s she to do?
STRIPES! Stripes are a great way to use up leftover balls of yarn, while adding a little design interest to your finished garment. Knitter Mary Evans Downs from South Dennis, Massachusetts, knits up the most charming vests, and incorporates all of her leftovers.
In years past, Christmas at Sea has asked that knitters use only one color in each garment.
Here is an example illustrating why this request has been made:
This scarf is knit neatly and evenly, but it is clearly made out of leftover scraps of yarn. As nicely as this item is knit, it will not be used. Our volunteers here will rip back and attempt to finish the scarf in all one color, or incorporating the beige and the red as stripes throughout the entire garment.
A little planninng can help you turn your leftover balls of yarn into attractive stripes and beautiful, dignified and personalized seafarer’s garments.
Thanks so much for the clarification! It’s good to know that I can use leftover yarn so long as I can make the stripes a deliberate design element.
Comment by Amy — June 11, 2008 @ 10:05 pm
I have some beautiful Manos del Uraguay verigated wool in fall color scheme. Can I use it to knit a hat or scarf?
Comment by Yvonne — June 14, 2008 @ 9:38 pm
Yvonne,
Please do use that beautiful Manos! What a gorgeous hat or scarf that will be–just make sure to label your item: HANDWASH ONLY.
Comment by jeanette — June 17, 2008 @ 5:20 pm
Happy to hear about being able to use stripes throughout the scarf….or perhaps we could just include in our package of knitted scraves, hats, etc…the leftovers for your volunteers there to use whenever…..I had not knitted in a very long time, when I remembered your church in an article I had seen a while back and went looking for your website…so happy I found it and began knitting again. A package will follow soon…I hope they’ll all o.k. Thank you….
Comment by Patricia Marrazzo — June 26, 2008 @ 10:44 am
I’ll make a hat or scarf in the Manos and send it with the hat and scarf I just finished in Cascade 220 Superwash. It’s very soft and came out great. What a great project this is!
Comment by Yvonne — July 3, 2008 @ 6:00 pm
Found this project at a knitting site (can’t remember which one, unfortunately). However, I am now finishing up my first project to donate: a watch cap.
Next will be a helmet, then maybe a couple of scarves. Am happy to find out that we CAN use more than one color in our projects (knitting all the same color is SO boring!) but to be in “good taste” for men or women. I understand.
Plan to offer this project to my fellow Curves members, and also at our blog spot. Maybe more knit/crocheted items will follow from that. I hope so.
I think it’s a wonderful project, serving people who are often forgotten about but who work very hard in unforgiving circumstances. Thanks for offering it to us.
Comment by Karyl — July 27, 2008 @ 5:06 pm