Week 1: Gather Your Scraps

Scraptober at Skein · Week 1

Let’s see what’s in your basket

Every scrappy project begins with a little exploring. This week, we’re pulling out our leftovers, seeing what’s there, and finding colours we’re excited to make with.

You don’t need a finished palette or a project already underway. A few scraps and a little curiosity are enough to begin.

Colour inspiration for scrappy knitting and crochet projects

This week’s Journal guide

How to Choose Colours for Scrappy Projects

Choosing from a basket of leftovers can lead to combinations you might never have planned. Our guide explores sorting your scraps into colour families, choosing a loose direction, balancing light and dark, and leaving room for something unexpected.

There’s a handy colour cheat sheet to keep nearby as your project grows, too.

Read the colour guide

Give it a little try

Find a bit of space on a table or the floor and spend a few minutes getting to know your scraps.

  1. Spread them out. Look at what you already have before deciding what your palette should be.
  2. Gather colour families. Group similar shades together. Notice which colours you have plenty of and which ones catch your eye.
  3. Pull out a few possibilities. Choose a loose colour direction, then try adding a supporting shade or a little pop of something different.
  4. Leave room for surprise. Try an unexpected scrap beside your favourites before putting it aside. You might discover a combination you love.

There’s no need to decide every colour change. This is simply a starting point.

This week’s photo prompt

What’s in your scrap basket?

Show us the leftovers you’re gathering, a few treasured colours, or your whole wonderfully jumbled basket.

Your scraps don’t need to be sorted or styled. We’d love to see them just as they are.

Share on Instagram

Tag @skeinyarn and use #SkeinScraptober so we can find your photo.

Or send us an email

Reply to one of our emails or send your photo to hello@skeinyarn.com . Tell us a little about your scraps and what you’re thinking of making.

Let us know if you’re happy for us to share your photo in our newsletter or on Instagram, with credit to you. Include your Instagram handle if you’d like us to tag you. We’ll only share with your permission.

From my scrap basket

I’m gathering yarn for another Scrappy Log Cabin Blanket, this time with lots of neutrals and little pops of orange and peach. I suspect a few greens will find their way in too.

I’m also planning a scrappy version of my Cruiser Cardigan. It’s another lovely opportunity to explore colour combinations using the yarn I already have.

For now, I’m looking through my leftovers and seeing which colours I keep reaching for. I don’t need to know where every scrap will go just yet.

From your scrap baskets

We’d love to fill this space with glimpses of your scraps and starting palettes. Send us a photo and let us know if you’re happy for it to be featured here too, with credit to you.

Looking for the free blanket recipe or the details of our Scrapalong? You’ll find them on the main Scraptober page.

Back to Scraptober

A little sorting, a little colour play, and the beginnings of something lovely.