In Between Projects

I've already pulled the pattern and all the yarn for my next crochet project, an Ocean Tranquility throw with pretty cool colors. Yet before I jump onto that I might take a break from my own ambitions and crochet something smaller as an in between project. These are things I can make in a day or two, and clear some of the stich repetition cobwebs out of my brain; otherwise I can have trouble transitioning to a different pattern. It's nice to take a break, too.

For inspiration I go to my stash, which I can now see all at once thanks to moving it out of bins and onto bookcase shelves. Variegated yarn is my favorite to work with, so I usually start here (and I have two shelves of it, so there's a lot to get my imagination humming. Right now I see a Mandala sparkle scarf, or maybe a small basket or container out of that Bernat blanket breezy yarn that I've never tried. I also wanted to try making a wrap from the variegated Sashay yarns I thrifted.

Green is my favorite color, so that's also where I look for ideas. I usually go for lighter greens, which make nice scarves and wraps, and I have the most yarn in those shades. I wouldn't mind doing something along the lines of home decor or amigurumi in darker greens -- there's no such thing as a bad shade of green.

Finally I look to my blue yarns, which remind me of the sea, and calm me. That helps sort out the ideas in my head, too. Blue yarn is my default when my thoughts are chaotic.

Another tactic you can use when deciding on an in between project is to look at labels. Often Red Heart and other brands offer small project patterns like this scarf on the inside of their labels, and they can be fun to make, too.