Do You Pick the Yarn or the Pattern First?
Which comes first—the yarn or the pattern?
For me, the answer is both!
Sometimes I see a yarn and immediately fall in love with it. I don't necessarily know what I'm going to make with it yet. I just know I want to work with it.
Other times, I see a pattern and think, I have to make that! Then the hunt begins for just the right yarn and colors.
Either way, one of my favorite places to start is Ravelry. It is such an awesome source of information and inspiration!
When the Yarn Comes First
Let's say you have a beautiful skein of yarn sitting in your stash—or maybe you just found one at the shop that you couldn't leave without—but you have absolutely no idea what to make with it.
Look the yarn up on Ravelry under the Yarns tab.
From there, you can look through projects other people have made using that yarn. This is something I do all the time. You can see how the yarn looks knit up, what patterns people chose, what colors they combined, and how their finished projects turned out.
One project can lead you to a pattern, which can lead you to another yarn, which can lead you to another project...
You know how that goes!
Sometimes I already have a general idea of what I want to make. Maybe I know I want a shawl with a lace border, but that's about as far as I've gotten.
Ravelry lets you start there too.
I can search for shawls with lace and then narrow those results by yarn weight, number of colors, needle size, or even yardage. That last one can be especially helpful when you're trying to use something you already own and only have a certain amount.
Instead of trying to force your yarn into a project that isn't quite right, you can keep narrowing things down until you find something that works.
When the Pattern Comes First
Of course, sometimes the exact opposite happens.
I find a pattern I love, and then I need to figure out the yarn.
When that happens, one of my favorite things to do is look through the projects other knitters have made from that pattern. I love seeing the different yarns and colors people chose.
A pattern can look completely different depending on the yarn.
Someone might use a color combination I never would have thought of, or substitute a yarn that gives the finished project an entirely different look. Browsing through those projects gives me so much inspiration.
It can also give you a little more confidence before you cast on. You're not just looking at the designer's beautiful finished sample. You're seeing the pattern made by lots of different knitters using different yarns, colors, and modifications.
Don't Forget to Shop Your Stash!
Before you decide you need all new yarn for a project, don't forget about the yarn you already own.
I love looking through my stash and figuring out what I can use.
There are so many projects I've made where I already had most of what I needed. Maybe I only needed to buy one additional color or a small amount of another yarn to make what was already in my stash work.
I've decided to look at my stash a little differently.
It's my own personal yarn store—and it's filled entirely with yarn I love!
How great is that?
Sometimes all it takes is pulling things out, putting a few colors together, and looking at them with fresh eyes. That yarn you bought two or three years ago because you loved it might be exactly what your newest pattern needs.
There Really Isn't a Right Way
Yarn first. Pattern first. Stash first.
I do all three.
That's part of what makes knitting fun for me. I don't want to have one way that I have to choose my projects. Sometimes a beautiful yarn starts the whole process. Sometimes a pattern does. And sometimes I go digging through my stash and discover something I'd almost forgotten about.
There is no right or wrong way to find your next project.
And personally, I prefer the variety!
So now I'm curious...
Which comes first for you—the yarn or the pattern?
Or are you like me and the answer changes every single time?
And while you're thinking about it, maybe take a little trip through your own personal yarn store. You might already have the beginnings of your next project sitting in your stash.
Happy knitting!
Betty Jo