Stash-buster crochet Taos wrap, final Make Nine for 2025

This is 9 of 9—Make Nine, that is! My final project for 2025 for the “yarn” prompt is completed, blocked, and ready to wear.

My Taos crocheted wrap. Make Nine 2025.

My “yarn” prompt: pattern and project parameters 

In late Spring, I decided the "Yarn" prompt project for my Make Nine 2025 challenge was a commitment to use a collection of leftover yarns I had from a shop-and-swap. The parameters were:

• a pattern intended for a variety of yarn colors, or one that could be adapted for my collection of disparate yarn leftovers (a stash buster), 
• an easy-to-memorize pattern—something that required little concentration (no stitch markers, or the need to carefully count stitches),
• a flexible finished size,
• portable for traveling—perhaps something with modular units,
• and, if possible, I wanted it to be a crochet project this year.

I mentioned my search for a portable, scrappy yarn project to Pati, the owner of Louisville Fiber Supply, a lovely yarn shop in Kentucky. She turned to her earmarked collection of patterns on Ravelry and shared inspiration with me. 

Make Nine 2025 “yarn” prompt: the Taos wrap.
16.5” x 66.5”

The Taos wrap

The pattern that had the most potential for what I was looking for was Taos by Cristina Mershon [found on Ravelry]. It checked all the boxes.

Shawls are perfect for stash-busting because they don't require exact yardage and can easily be made wider or longer with additional rows or blocks. The Taos wrap, with its modular units, could accommodate the diversity of colors and fibers that I planned to use up (for example, for fingering weight and sock yarns, I sometimes used two stands held together). The resulting piece would be a beautiful tapestry of my leftover balls and impulse buys! 

Swatching

 

Swatching the motif.

After doing a few test swatches of the units, I realized I needed to modify the pattern because my initial swatching efforts produced diamond shapes rather than the squares. I also needed to accommodate the different yarn weights of the leftover yarns. This meant being flexible with stitch count and adding border rounds of single crochet (if needed) to get them to a 2.75” size (the size of my units). This project was a true exercise in intuitive crochet.

Wrap stats

I worked on this Make Nine wrap from mid-August to early October. The finished piece incorporates yarns of many earthy colors that reflect nature’s end-of-summer to early-fall color palette.  

• motif size: 2.75” square
• 6 x 24 = 144 motifs
• finished size: 16.5” x 66.5”

Here are “before” and “after” photos of the yarns used.

Collection of leftover yarns.

After completing the wrap:

Remaining yarn after the project’s completion.
Several small balls were completely used up. 

I incorporated these yarns from an impulse buy (before photo):

Impulse buy yarn.

I made a dent in reducing these—especially the two balls of the blue-green yarn that was used for joining and the edging. (I actually had to introduce one new blue-green yarn that very closely matched the original in order to have enough yarn to crochet the edging around the perimeter.)

Remaining yarns after completing the wrap.

One of the fun parts of making the motifs was using the variegated yarn. It had long color changes, so I could usually crochet the entire inner or outer motif section before the color changed. The color combinations reminded me of the changing colors of the leaves in the landscape—especially with the leaf-shaped motif of the Taos pattern.

Using a variegated yarn resulted in a variety of motifs.

One of the not-as-fun parts of making many independent motifs with two colors of yarn is weaving in the tails. With 144 motifs… there were A LOT of tails! Here is my thread tail jar [ORTs (odd random threads) jar] from making Taos. 

Empty mayonnaise jar with yarn tail cut-offs—ORTs.

The picot edge

The final detail, and perhaps my favorite, is the picot edge. The edge had 3 rows of single crochet plus the picot row. 

Pico edge detail.

This simple, elegant border treatment provided a beautifully finished look that added a delicate little design element to the wrap. It took minimal extra time to crochet the picot edge, but that detail was so worth it!

Taos wrap with a picot edge.

A stash-buster project is the perfect way to honor the yarn you already own by turning “potential” into “purpose” in a truly unique item. This one came together in a harmonious color story that was not planned, but worked out very well.

I was able to finish and block my new wrap just in time to show it to Pati when I visited her shop again this past week. 

Make Nine 2025 is complete

Make Nine 2025 is “a wrap” (so to speak). I finished this Challenge earlier than usual (in October) and will be looking forward to Make Nine 2026. I’ll post a Make Nine 2025 recap—with photos of all 9 projects—some time before the close of this year.

Make Nine 2025 tracker.

Every year, the Make Nine Challenge pushes me to tackle a new technique, work with a new material or art supply, try a new-to-me pattern, or finish projects languishing on my to-do list. Each project and finish is very rewarding. 

If you’ve been thinking about doing Make Nine or tackling your fabric or yarn stash, let this be your sign of encouragment. Sometimes the best projects are the ones you build from what you already have—and the people who inspire you along the way.

Stash busting on-the-go: a scrappy crochet wrap

One of my favorite things about crochet (and knitting) is how easily it travels. Whether I’m on the road in a hotel room, or catching a few quiet moments outdoors, this small project has quickly become my portable, go-to project—and it’s made entirely from the yarn stash. 

Crocheted modular leaf blocks.

Fulfilling my Make Nine “yarn” prompt

Since early this Spring, I had been searching for a stash-busting project to fulfill my Make Nine 2025 “yarn” prompt. I wanted to use up a stash of odd, abandoned balls of yarn that I collected from a swap shop. I’m combining them with an “impulse buy” that never found a home. It turns out that when putting these stash bin finds together… something beautiful is happening. 

The collection of abandoned balls of yarns.

An “impulse buy” from the sale bin at a yarn store.

The Taos pattern

I modified a crochet pattern [Taos by Cristina Mershon, found on Ravelry] to make the leaf-shaped modular blocks. I’m also having to adjust on-the-fly to compensate for the different yarn weights/thicknesses—sometimes holding two yarns together, or crocheting and extra row around the perimeter to get size.

The format of the modular blocks is perfect for portability. The pattern is easy to memorize, and each block becomes its own little surprise when choosing different yarns. I’m especially intrigued with how the variegated yarns play out in these blocks—the color shifts in the skein produce a new color combination every time.

The leaf-shaped centers of these units were created from the same ball of variegated yarn.
They all look different.

My units finish at about 2.75”. While I don’t know the exact finished format and size or the wrap yet, I’m leaning toward a rectangular shawl that I can toss on around my shoulders in cooler weather—something cozy and full of color. The Taos pattern is an L-shape wrap, so that’s an option, too. Either way, my wrap will be a wearable memory of abandoned bits. The yardage of the odd balls, along with the impulse buy, should yield an ample size.

Portable yarn project: tools and supplies in a zipper pouch.

My crochet hook, yarn needle, and yarn stash are packed in a small zipper pouch. For now, I’m just enjoying the crochet process, exploring color combinations, and making bunches of leaf units.

The Inclinations Shawl—a Make Nine finish

 My Inclinations Shawl, a stash buster yarn project for Make Nine 2023, is finished (and not without a few froggings)!

Make Nine 2023 finish: yarn stash buster project, the Inclinations Shawl.

This is my second Make Nine 2023 finish, and fulfills the stash buster prompt. You can't go wrong with a stash buster project that also has stripes. It's always an exciting knit!

Inclinations Shawl, a stash buster project. 68" x 42.5"

2-row stripes with variegated yarns

At first, I thought I'd use a monochromatic blue yarn [Classic Shades from Universal Yarn] and interject brighter, more colorful stripes using Poems [Universal Yarn]. However, the more the variegated colors of Poems interacted, I became fond of the colorplay effects achieved within the single skeins.

Starting the Inclinations Shawl.

So, after the Classic Shades skein was used up, I busted through various skeins of Poems and let the colors in this variegated yarn play on its own terms across the rows. This is how the center glow was achieved with the lighter colored skeins of Poems.

Inclinations Shawl showing the lighter colors in the center.

I busted through 10 skeins of yarn from the stash. A nice dent, I'd say.

Over 10 skeins of yarn used.

When the remainder of the 10th skein of Poems was all brown and all the same value, I stopped knitting. By this time, I had 174 stitches on the needle and the shawl was well over 75" on the diagonal side. The last color change was a stripe of bright magenta... and ending on a bright note was my signal to wrap it up.

Striped, I-cord bind-off.

In the pattern, there were several options for a bind-off.  I chose the 2-yarn, striped I-cord version. The bind-off took quie a long time, but well worth the investment. 

Project Stats

Here are the specs for my Inclinations Shawl:

• Over 10 skeins of worsted weight yarn: 9+ skeins of Poems [100% wool, 109 yd, 50g]; and 1 skein of Classic Shades [30% wool, 70% dralon, 197 yd, 100 g]
• finished size: 68" x 42.5" with a hypotenuse of 78" (unblocked)
• size 5 needle
• 174 stitches at the bind-off
• 262 rows.

Frogging did occur!

I had a difficult time figuring out how to fix errors with the half Fisherman's rib stitch. The floats that are created when you knit the stitch below made it confusing for me. I tried a couple of times if I caught an error in one row beneath, but going down several rows was chaos.

Trying to fix mistakes several rows below was not successful.

Frogging did occur. Twice. With about 3 - 4 inches of knitting each time—at the wider side of the shawl. Not fun, but a cleaner result once it was re-knit. Luckily, the "stickiness" of the wool yarn helped preserve the live stitches so it was easier to get them back on the needle after ripping out the rows.

Frogged!

Make Nine 2023 progress: 2 of 9

This is my second Make Nine project for this year. It was finished 3 days prior to the start of The 100 Day Project in which I am participating. 

Make Nine 2023 worksheet: stash buster prompt fulfilled.

My Inclinations Shawl.

I've used this shawl several times already. It's warm yet light weight, squishy and snuggly. I love the color changes and I'm happy to have created something new with stash and leftover yarns.

The Inclinations Shawl: a great start to Make Nine 2023

A "yarn stash" project looks to be my Make Nine stash-buster project this year. Last week, I started knitting the Inclinations Shawl.

Starting the Inclinations Shawl for Make Nine 2023. 

Why I like the Inclinations Shawl for a stash buster knit

I was researching a portable project that was mindful and relaxing. It needed to be something interesting, but not involving a lot of complex brain power—like having to follow a pattern line by line and row by row. The Inclinations Shawl by Andrea Mowry, Drea Renee Knits, was the solution.

The Inclinations Shawl from the Drea Renee Knits web page.

This knit is "perfect in every way" for a portable project that uses leftovers—a stash buster. It's a project that's easy to pick up or put down and work when you have a few minutes here or there. (I actually knit a few rows while waiting in the parking lot for my carry-out this week.) 

This shawl's attributes include:

• colorwork,
• I-cord edges,
• a half Fisherman's rib stitch that elevates the knitting beyond garter stitch,
• an asymmetrical triangular shape,
• a non-critical gauge,
• colorwork that can be customized,
• flexible sizing—make it smaller or larger, as desired (or bind off when you're out of yarn),
• an easy-to-remember pattern in which you can "read the knitting."

With luck, I had several single and partial balls of variegated yarn in my stash that were the same weight and compatible fiber content that could be used—and used up!

This project ticks all the boxes for a Make Nine stash-buster!

Using leftover yarns from the stash

I'm using leftover and partial skeins of worsted weight Poems [100% wool] and Classic Shades [70% / 30% dralon/wool] from Universal Yarn. I've made projects with these variegated yarns in the past and the yarns are easy to work with and feel good in your hands. 

With several lonesome skeins of different colorways, it will be interesting to watch the interchange between the colors as the knitting progresses. I'm anxious to finish off the first skein and join another colorway.

Day 8 progress on the Inclinations Shawl stash buster project.

A plan for a quick finish

As January and February still have colder temps in store for us, I'm planning a fast finish for this shawl—so I can wrap up in this soft, wooly, squishy accessory. 

You know it's cold when there is a 2 or 3 kitty pile-up in the kitty beds.
Stan Leigh and Sox are snuggling together.

An added perk to using these yarns is there will be no tails to weave in. Because of the wool fiber content, the yarn tails can be felted together (or "spit spliced," as knitters affectionately call it) when joining a new skein. Splice... spit... felt... keep on knitting.

What could be faster... and easier??

Improv knitting for my Make Nine stash-buster wrap

It's looking promising for a 9-for-9 completion rate for Make Nine 2020. This post documents the completion of my eighth finish—a yarn stash-buster knitting project. This is my Improv Garter Stitch wrap.

Knit wrap in garter stitch.

This making process spanned nearly the full year. It was started in January with a rough sketch and the "weave in the ends" step happened November 22, 2020. 

Garter Stitch wrap. Knit improvisationally with random stripes.
Finished size: 59" x 24"

Project parameters

For this Make Nine project, I wanted an easy, relaxing knit. Something that I could pick up at any time and just enjoy the knitting process—no challenging pattern to follow, no stitch counting, no repeated motifs to track. 

I chose "good ol' garter stitch." Garter stitch makes a stable, reversible fabric with no fuss. To use up stash leftover bits and balls of yarn, I incorporated randomly-placed stripes—to add interest to the design and the knitting. Below is a sketch/road map I did to determine an approximate size. After swatching (4 stitches per inch on size 5 needles), I had an idea for the number of stitches to cast on.

Wrap diagram.

To allow for the stripes to go in different directions, I used the log cabin technique to pick up stitches and knit in another direction. A little bit "Mondrian" with the dark outlines and boxes of color and a nod to a Hudson Bay blanket's stripes.

Here is the remainder of the ball when I decided to call it "finished."

The bind-off with just a wee bit of yarn remaining.

Make Nine 2020 stash-buster knit wrap.

Project stats

Yarn: Fibra Natura Heaven [Universal Yarn] from my yarn stash. Main color: chili pepper. 
Fiber Content: 50% Merino wool/50% silk. It has a light, springy feel but is quite warm.
Gauge: 4 sts/in on size 5 circular needle
Finished size: 24" x 59"; which was pretty close to the diagram.

Stan Leigh wanted to check it out while I was photographing.

I've been wearing this wrap a lot since it's been finished. I like the color, the weight and feel, and overall I'm very pleased with the end result. 

The silk fiber content makes this wrap light weight and drapey, but the wool makes it warm. Turns out it was a great yarn choice for a wrap!

Improv knit wrap is complete.

I'm sure another knit project will be on my Make Nine project list next year.

I'm taking the "Make Nine" Challenge 2019

With the lingering exhilaration and motivation from participating in the 100 Days 100 Blocks Challenge in 2018, I'm excited about joining Rochelle and other makers for the Make Nine Challenge this year. Anyone else want to come along for a fun and creative making journey? (Beware—I'll be sending out personal invites to a few of my creative BFFs).

My Make Nine Challenge 2019 List

After reading details about the Challenge on the Make Nine Challenge website, one of the appealing things is embodied in the tagline on the Instagram image: "A gentle, self-guided slow fashion initiative for fabric and yarn lovers."

Make Nine Challenge 2019 #makenine

The keywords for me were "gentle, self-guided." This makes it a better fit for my unpredictable schedule these days.

The inspiring Instagram posts (#makenine) showing how participants were documenting their 9 makes also got me intrigued.

Gathering ideas and supplies
When I made up my mind to take the plunge, I thought it would be fun to go and buy a new sketchbook to document the adventure. (Much like shopping for school supplies at the beginning of a new school year.) With a personal goal to use materials I already have for upcoming projects, I re-thought a trip to the art supply store and found an 8" x 10" sketchbook I already had. Check.


My Make Nine 2019 project list
Be sure to download the free planning worksheet from the Lucky Lucille blog. It will help you organize your thoughts and give you a visual reference of your project choices. A gazillion potential projects immediately popped into my head, but I pared down my Make Nine to a "most-desired" list... and left a little flexibility in the list as well.

Three patterns for Make Nine projects. Picasso Top, Raggy Jacket, Collins Top.

1. Picasso Top, pattern from The Sewing Workshop
2. Collins Top, pattern from In the Folds
3. Jacket using Diamond Textiles yarn-dyed wovens. My go-to pattern is Raggy Jacket because I already have it fitted to me.
4. A yarn project—hat, socks or an easy vest
5. Pillowcases—I didn't make new ones for us last year
6. Tote or project bag with a zipper
7. Project incorporating vintage textiles, recycled or re-purposed elements
8. Project with visible hand stitching, embroidery, kantha, sashiko
9. Wild Card—I'm on the lookout for something to make with rayon fabrics

Fabric Pulls
Here are fabrics for a few projects on my Make Nine list. I'm going to try mixing knits and wovens for a Picasso Top.

Fabrics for the Picasso Top. Knits from Art Gallery.
Cotton wovens from M&S Textiles Australia.

Pillowcases:

Fabrics for pillowcases (Art Gallery Fabrics).

Vintage quilt blocks with a coordinating Art Gallery print from the Soulful collection and a gray yarn-dyed woven from Diamond Textiles.

Vintage quilt blocks coordinated with new fabrics.

Personal Challenge Objectives
I decided to write down goals and objectives for my Make Nine. For projects not yet nailed down, this will guide choices for fabrics and materials.

Personal goals and objectives for Make Nine 2019.  #makenine

I've pasted these objectives and goals in my sketchbook.

• use existing resources/stash
• incorporate a new technique from a workshop, book, etc.
• finish or incorporate abandoned UFOs or WIPs
• document in sketchbook and digital (blog, social media)
• upcycle, recycle, repurpose or incorporate something vintage or rescued
• have a mix of challenging and easy projects
• incorporate visible handwork
• sustainable
• infuse care and creativity into the making, be flexible, enjoy the process, wear proudly

With a plan in mind, I hope to make good progress in 2019 through this Challenge. I'm confident I'll be inspired and motivated by fellow participants. 

It's not too late to join! Make a list and share your progress and successes.

A Stash Buster Sweater Coat

Wraparound Jacket with Rowan Spray by Erika Knight.

A few months ago, I lucked up on a knitting book, Classic Knits by Erika Knight, at my local Tuesday Morning store. It was $5.99—a bargain even if I made just one of its 15 projects.

Over the holidays, I was flipping through the pages and found this pattern, the Wraparound Jacket. Hmmm... chunky yarn, big needles, quick project, yes? And, it happened to call for a yarn I remembered having in my stash for quite a while. (You know, two waves before the current extra-chunky yarn trend. Or at least since 2006 when the book was published.)

I went to my stash and pulled out several balls of Rowan Spray. Of course, I had about 4 different colorways, but not enough of any one to make the entire project (isn't that always the way??).

STASH BUSTER Time!
Taking the colorway of the called-for yarn that I had the most of, I pulled other yarns from my stash to mix with it. Seven different yarns in mostly neutral and earthy tones were initially chosen to participate. The fiber content was predominately wool.

The sample swatch using the A-B-C color sequence indicated everyone played well together.

On to the knitting: With a size 13 circular (I'm a loose knitter), I cast on for the back. The two fronts were next, followed by the sleeves. I wound the yarn into multiple balls, to insure a similar blending sequence for both the back and front. My Knitting Inspector assisted.

Left and right front sections.

The knitting went quickly—all stockinette with 1 x 1 ribbing at the collar. I was able to finish each piece in about 2 evenings. Unfortunately, the garment patterns in this book do not have schematics, and the photos did not show 1.) a back view of this sweater, nor 2.) a view with the model standing up (she was always lounging in a semi-seated position). A real disappointment. I wonder if all of Erika Knight's patterns are void of a schematic.

The partial skeins of the various yarns disappeared quickly and I needed to add other yarn when it came time for the sleeves. A blue colorway of the Rowan Spray (not shown in the original photo) was added and I unravelled a previous UFO to gain more of the variegated Reynolds Smile yarn.

Additional blue yarn and UFO that gets unravelled.

The sleeves have more blue coloring, but still blend well with the rest of the sweater. I like the bits of burnt orange and pinks from the Reynold's Smile.

All in all, the Stash Buster Sweater Coat turned out well. The sweater is comprised of many yarns. The A-B-C yarn sequence worked like a champ. The final tally of different yarns used (those that still had their ball bands, anyway) was nine. NO NEW YARN was purchased for this project (and the book was even a marked-down price). Yay!

Here is the finished piece. It is very warm and snuggly. A belt would serve it well and pockets would be another good addition.

Completed Stash Buster Coat.