One Ball Crochet! Who Knew!

New items in My Little Crochet Shop on Etsy.com

Wow! I don't know how I didn't think of this before! Glad I realized it in time for gift-making frenzy late in the year! One ball crochet projects! It is amazing! No color-lot frustration, no "oh, I need one more ball of yarn for that" ... just "here you go!" I was the star of Christmas (again!) <sly grin>

Actually, my sister found a one-ball scarf pattern on the RedHeart Boutique yarn "Sashay" and decided to try it. If it was not too much trouble, she would make several for gifts. It must have been fairly simple, as she completed two within a week even with painting and packing in preparations to move! So, when I returned home, I decided to give it a go. Wow! Ok, this is technically a knitting project, but it is SOOOO simple! And, the resulting scarf is FAB-YOU-LUSH! One tip for you: different styles of "Sashay" have different ball lengths, so the scarves are different lengths if you finish to the end of the ball. For example: "Sashay sequins" (very fancy! has  sparkly sequins along the decorated edge) is only 20 yds per 100g, but the original Sashay (no special name) "Sashay metallic" are 30 yds per 100g!

 The "sequins" makes a scarf approximately 5 ft long (when I make it... depending on your stitch spacing, your scarf may be different). My finished teal scarf is shown above. The ivory scarf at left is 6 ft long from "Sashay Sparkle" (35 yds per 100g). 

If I had been paying attention to this, I could have stopped when I was at the length of the other scarves...but, I kept on to the end of the ball...

So... another is fingerless mittens (fingerless gloves)! I messed around with some previously used patterns. I didn't particularly like how the mittens fit. They were too short on my wrist, too open at the fingers (too much cold air gets in and they are floppy at the pinky), and the thumbs are not well insulated. Wow! That is a list of complaints! I had to devise my own pattern to make snug mittens that are long enough for tall people (with longer bones) and protects the thumb. Ta-Dah! I bring you... my one ball fingerless mittens!

New fingerless gloves

Well... usually one ball.. I honestly don't know what happens! I am using LionBrand HometownUSA yarn in solid colors (81 yds per 5 oz - multicolor are 64 yds per 4oz, so I know to use 2 balls there)... and I use the same J/10-hook (6.00mm).. and the same pattern, carefully counting stitches and rows.. and sometimes, I have a little yarn left over (less than 3 yds) and sometimes I am a couple yards short! I don't think changes in yarn tension can account for this much difference. I must be doing something that adds yarn.. maybe I slip to join rounds where I previously crocheted in the round? One mitten is 18 rows, so that doesn't quite add up to a few yards? I just don't know.
Not to worry, remember those extra yards from some mittens? I use them to put a stripe in the short ones. Now, that is smart! And the multicolor yarn that I need 2 balls give back enough to make cuffs for a new pair. All is well that ends well! - Happy New Year! May you enjoy good health, fabulous wealth, and great friends!