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Emily Wessel

Hi! I’m Emily Wessel, I design fun-to-knit patterns and helpful technique tutorials. I live in Edinburgh, Scotland with my husband and two kids, where I like to run, knit, learn languages, and hang out with friends. I am co-founder and designer at Tin Can Knits - www.tincanknits.com

24 Comments

  1. Lindielee
    November 19, 2017 @ 5:57 pm

    I’ve been searching the internet for a jumbo size hook (19mm) and I can’t find it anywhere. Can you tell me where you purchased it? Are you in the USA? The largest I have is a 10mm. thanks.

    • alexaludeman
      November 22, 2017 @ 9:30 am

      Hi – I got mine at Urban Yarns in Vancouver, and I think Emily got hers online at loveknitting.com

  2. faeriecrafts
    September 25, 2016 @ 2:51 pm

    I’ve amassed quite a bit of yarn recently that I need to “get rid of” in a useful way. I’m not sure if I have quite the stash depth needed for such a thick throw blanket, but it does remind that I can collect yarns together to use in bulky projects. I’d definitely be happier seeing tons of fluffy projects laying about instead of plastic bags and bins of yarn.

  3. Rachel
    September 12, 2016 @ 6:55 am

    I have a small box and a few bags and I am currently hitting the 2ply Shetland bag to get that one down. Say hello to Christmas in July v.2.0. Mostly I have single left over and occasional lux purchase. So not too much guilt there. Fabric stash is a little less guilt free…

    Yarn horde aside, is the fab blue and white stencil on your bedroom wall a stencil or wall paper and did you paint it yourself? I love it!

    • alexaludeman
      September 13, 2016 @ 10:24 am

      Emily painted it freehand, she is amazing!

  4. Olivia
    September 11, 2016 @ 7:28 am

    My stash is rather new so when I set it up, I bought crisis cross shelves. It is a thing of beauty and I proudly set it up in my new Craft Room. Since I knit so many baby things, my extra balls of yarn are thankfully small and I tend to use them right up. I’ve always hated clutter so it stands to reason. I was in awe of what you did with your stash. Usually not a fan of crochet, that blanket is genius and gorgeous!

  5. miss agnes
    September 10, 2016 @ 2:00 am

    I’m actually preparing a blog post about my stash, but I think it is under control as I haven’t bought yarn in months. This blanket is gorgeous and a wonderful stashbusting idea. I want to try a pompom carpet with my bits and pieces from past projects and maybe a pillow or two. Love the ombre rainbow effect.

  6. villa zeezicht
    September 10, 2016 @ 12:12 am

    Wonderfull!!! I really admire this blancket :)

  7. Ruth
    September 9, 2016 @ 3:15 pm

    This is beautiful, and I love this idea. I too have amassed quite the stash, and since having my second child have significantly less crafting time than I used to. Perhaps in the new year I’ll be working something like this – it looks quite squishy and cozy! I like that you used multiple weights together – it looks lovely!

  8. chrisknits
    September 9, 2016 @ 1:37 pm

    Some of it makes me feel guilt, the items I picked up and now don’t care for, but can’t bring myself to get rid of! I am thinking to use a beige throughout and pick up my fall colored partial skeins to do a blanket of sorts. Your idea has sparked my interest, so it will be added to the “at a later date” pile!

  9. Sara A.
    September 9, 2016 @ 9:49 am

    I’ve been doing more stashing than knitting lately, so I’ve curtailed my buying until I work through more of the stash. It’s really hard though, there’s so many beautiful yarns and patterns out there that I want to make, but limiting myself to what I already own means that I’m not breaking our budget.

  10. salpal1
    September 9, 2016 @ 4:56 am

    It looks beautiful! My stash fluctuates. I once kept it all in one upstairs closet, but it has migrated to baskets and bags behind the couch. No display for me. The really good stuff and stuff I think I will use soon lives in a rolling cart in the living room. I have it in my mind to make an Elizabeth Zimmerman surprise sweater someday with those beautiful one-skein indulgences but not sure it will ever happen.

  11. carolynmcb
    September 9, 2016 @ 4:05 am

    I have a sizeable stash, but nothing so big as yours! Mine is a combination of balls left over from my own projects, as well as other’s. “Here, you knit, I don’t do it anymore, you take these five grocery bags of yarn odds & ends”, builds up after a while! I have bins and bins worth, and last night my partner dropped a subtle hint she’d happily take a sweater if I wanted to take it on.

    A hefty percentage is sport weight, which I use for socks and blanket squares for Warm Up Canada.

    You know, I’ve been wanting to try Tunisian crochet…I might take your lead and make a blanket. No way would it be as gorgeous as yours though!

    • alexaludeman
      September 9, 2016 @ 9:07 am

      Hi Carolyn – haha, I do know how those bags can build up! I’m sure you could pull off something just as beautiful, sometimes it’s just a creative meshing of colours that is needed.

  12. barb
    September 9, 2016 @ 3:52 am

    The majority of my stash was bought with a plan however more plans than I can knit in a lifetime. I keep falling in love with pretty colours, bases and projects. I’d love to make a blanket like this just not sure I have the right combos or can give up my plans! What weight did you use?

    • alexaludeman
      September 9, 2016 @ 9:05 am

      Hi Barb – oh how quickly the stash of good intentions can build up eh? I sometimes look at a ball of yarn and think ‘I know I had a plan for this but what was it…..’

      We used all different weights held together, a few strands of worsted with a couple of strands of sock, a strand of chunky, dk and lace held together etc.

  13. Aude
    September 9, 2016 @ 2:11 am

    It is a beautiful blanket! Love the colors !!!! I’m wondering where did you find such a huge tunisian crochet ? ? ?

    • alexaludeman
      September 9, 2016 @ 9:08 am

      I think Emily bought hers from LoveKnitting.com and I picked mine up at Urban Yarns in Vancouver

  14. florapie
    September 8, 2016 @ 7:58 pm

    It’s so lovely! How much does it weigh?

    • alexaludeman
      September 8, 2016 @ 9:17 pm

      Long story short: so much. It is a heavy blankie!

  15. Greta
    September 8, 2016 @ 5:01 pm

    I just finished reading the tidying book, a week before leaving on vacation. It is on my list for when I get home!!! I LOVE this idea!! I was wondering what to do with all the hand dyed, hand spun wooly stuff that I know I didn’t buy enough of for anything decent, or that doesn’t suit anyone …. This will be perfect … Once I get to that part.. thanks for posting this.

  16. Katie Lynn
    September 8, 2016 @ 3:40 pm

    I have very little in the way of stash. Most of it is leftover skeins from projects (when I still adhered to the “plus 20%” we were all taught to purchase), or partial skeins. I knit almost exclusively in fingering weight, and only buy a handful of brands, so everything mixes pretty well. Every once in a while I’ll go through my small tote that holds partial skeins and put together a pallette that goes together and look for a pattern that will fit what I have. Right now I’m making a raglan top-down striped sweater from some leftovers in shades of pink, orange, and yellow. Otherwise, I purchase yarn for a specific project.

    • alexaludeman
      September 8, 2016 @ 9:20 pm

      Hi Katie – I love that you work mostly in a single weight of yarn, it keeps all the little bits useful doesn’t it?! I have a bit of a DK stash (okay, a big DK stash) of Tanis Fiber Arts, which mixes well with Sweet Fiber and SweetGeorgia DK and it is great for colourwork and striping for sure. No wee precious hand dyed scrap to waste!

  17. patricia Bolgiano
    September 8, 2016 @ 2:11 pm

    I have enough yarn to last several lifetimes and I have been seriously thinking about stash busting blankets. I wonder if all my swatches would do…