What pattern could it be the leftovers from?

The 3 Rs and a U

Lindsay Lewchuk Announcements, Eco Elements, eco world, Pattern Related, Puddles, Q&A, Yarn Leave a Comment

cowl in yarn gift wrapping

Mom’s birthday present wrapped in yarn scraps come pompom!

Rounding out our look at “reduce, reuse, and recycle” is the late societal addition to the 3R’s… the U of “upcycle”! I love upcycling yarn leftovers into wonderfully unique designs – anything from a hair tie to gift wrapping to another publication. Something about the challenge of knowing I have this much yarn and not a strand more lends an exciting boundary box to the infinite design possibilities!

Twisted Upcycle (left); Color Flow sweater (right) both with one 6 skein set of The Unique Sheep's Organic Cotton & Bamboo Worsted weight yarn
Twisted Upcycle (left); Color Flow sweater (right) both with one 6 skein set of The Unique Sheep’s Organic Cotton & Bamboo Worsted weight yarn

Whether it be a time of pure experimentation, like Twisted Upcycle, where I learned mobius knitting; – and subsequently revealed that the twisted rib of “Color Flow” is indeed a secret passion for twisted rib over standard rib that I didn’t know existed within me –

Solar Flare Circular Shawl (left); Sun Fire (beret) (right) both using one 6 skein set of The Unique Sheep's Organic Cotton and Bamboo fingering weight yarn
Solar Flare Circular Shawl (left); Sun Fire (beret) (right) both using one 6 skein set of The Unique Sheep’s Organic Cotton and Bamboo fingering weight yarn. I inverted to colors for a little extra fun!

Or a way to make a design more accessible (and less scary) like Sun Fire, an upcycle from Solar Flare.

Snow Gazer Headband is the upcylce on the left; Snow Gaze cowl, the original design on the right.  Both use one skein of Birdies Knits hand dyed organic cotton yarn.
Snow Gazer Headband is the upcylce on the left; Snow Gaze cowl, the original design on the right. Both use one skein of Birdies Knits hand dyed organic cotton yarn.

Typically, upcycling leftover yarns at Knit Eco Chic fall immediately within the time frame of the original publication, like with Snow Gazer’s upcycle Snow Gazer Headband.

But the pattern design related to our look at the 3Rs in crafting is a late bloomer in comparison… just like the late addition of Upcycle to Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. With this sneak of the yarn can you guess which was the original design?

What pattern could it be the leftovers from?
What pattern could it be the leftovers from?
Matcha tea during the WIP and photo shoot with The Unique Sheep organic cotton petite DK yarn color "matcha latte" deliciously!
Matcha tea during the WIP and photo shoot with The Unique Sheep organic cotton petite DK yarn color “matcha latte” deliciously!


If you guessed “Matcha Summer” you are correct!

sneak peek Outdoor Studio
Oh look another leftover upcycle! I finger braided that little bit of yarn on the drive over to the shoot :-).


Coming soon to your knitting needles, “Outdoor Studio.” As the test knitters finish up their WIPs, so does our look at the 3R’s. Which is your final heads up… any pattern you love from the “reduce” Curator’s List blog will be gone Monday morning (June 4th), so don’t wait any longer before snatching them up!

Je Ne Sais Quoi MKAL count down image
Cast on tomorrow!


Moving forward keep an eye out for “Outdoor Studio” mid-June. In the meantime, we will turn our attention next to the eco principle of fair trade. This year’s mystery knit-a-long, Je Ne Sais Quoi, features fair trade yarn from Vegan Yarn. Due to this: the MKAL blogs will be interspersed with the Fair Trade topic blogs. Fair Trade is a topic I’m so interested in exploring with you all! Feel free to PM me with any questions you’d like me to address as we continue through our “Eco Elements” year.

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