How many mini skeins and leftovers are lurking in YOUR stash? This improvisation guide is designed to work with any of them! Included are customizable recipes for wraps, scarves, cowls, and shawls as well as stitch ideas and guidance for finding and using gauge to plan your project. Use this guide again and again for a unique result each time.

(Please note that the Freeplay Improvisation Guide is not a true pattern but a recipe that provides guidance on creating your own design using the stitches provided.)

SIZE
Finished measurements will depend on yarn and needles chosen, rows worked, etc. Pattern includes gauge-based planning guidance.

YARN
The recipes will work with different yarn weights, colors, and fiber contents.

NEEDLES
Select a needle size that allows your chosen yarn to drape when blocked and a cable length that will accommodate all your stitches. For the triangular shawl, 40” 100 cm or longer circular needles are recommended to accommodate large number of stitches.

NOTIONS
All recipes require a tapestry needle and an optional removable stitch marker. Additional recipe-specific notion requirements:

• Cowl: waste yarn, crochet hook in a size similar to your working needles, second pair of needles in the same size as your working needles, additional needle (circular, straight, or DPN) of the same or similar size for three-needle bind-off (you may also use the non-working end of one of the pairs holding the live stitches)
• Triangular shawl: 1 stitch marker

GAUGE
Gauge will depend on the yarn and needles you choose. Pattern includes guidance for making and using a gauge swatch.

TECHNIQUES
All recipes use single increases, single decreases, and yarn overs. Additional recipe-specific techniques:

• Cowl: provisional cast-on, three-needle bind-off
• Triangular shawl: garter-tab cast-on The guide includes links to more information about required stitches and techniques.

Here’s how testers described Freeplay: Easygoing, “fun fun fun,“ exciting, experimental, quick, colorful, random, relaxing, meditative, simple, flexible, spontaneous, thoughtful, compelling, rewarding, encouraging, creative, addictive, delightful, an “amazing stashbuster,” fully customizeable, “incredibly re-knitable,” a great source of inspiration,” a “choose your own adventure,” and “a great opportunity for a beginner to step out from ‘behind the patterns.’” As one tester put it: Freeplay “gives you the opportunity to feel like a designer. You can create a thing that no one else has.”

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