Orphan balls of yarn. Every knitter has them. Sometimes I buy a bit too much for a project, couldn’t resist a little gem in a sale bin, or became infatuated with a de-stashing listing on Facebook Marketplace. And as a result, I have one ball of this, ball and a half of that - you get the picture.

So, I’ve been trying to figure out ways to start using up some of my bits and bobs. Enter the “one-ball wonder” type of pattern. I’ve made use of these in the past, but this time decided I’d try to come up with a few on my own.

If you follow my blog, you already know I’ve developed a fondness for mock cables (which I’ve dubbed the barnacle stitch), so I’ve come up with a couple of quick projects that can help use up smaller quantities of yarn, but still result in a gift or treat for yourself.

This pattern uses 125 yards of two yarn, held together throughout. It is available for free on my blog.

I like cowls in different lengths. Some are dense knits designed to break the cold wind when pulled up over my face while others are meant for more versatile wear. I always have a few shorter cowls that go lovely over a jewel neck t-shirt in the winter. Often it’s all I need to feel comfortably warm throughout my time indoors.

This next cowl uses a ball of Patons Classic Wool DK Superwash in Marine, and about 125 yards of Sugar Bush Drizzle in the Periwinkle colorway. The mohair silk carried along with the workhorse DK adds visual interest without changing the gauge very much.

I will confess I was playing chicken with the DK yarn and had next to nothing left at the end. The picture shows how little DK remained!

If you are worried about having enough yarn, You might want to consider casting on 104 or 108 stitches instead. Or, if your neck isn’t as long as mine, you might do five pattern repeats instead of six.

The final dimensions of the cowl were 5.25 inches high and 9.5 inches wide unstretched (12 inches stretched). A few less stitches would still provide plenty of circumference for most people. The overall ribbing keeps this cowl tidy and standing upright, showing off the colors and the stitching.