Crochet Stash Buster Lap Throw

Crochet Stash Buster Lap Throw by Simon Henry

What Is Being Made

The Crochet Stash Buster Lap Throw is a square blanket designed to help crocheters use up leftover yarn from their stash. This intermediate-level project creates a finished throw measuring 50 inches (127 centimeters) square, making it an ideal size for draping over a lap, armchair, or sofa. The design is specifically engineered to work with DK weight yarn and allows crafters to incorporate multiple colors throughout the project, making it perfect for stash busting with paint box yarn or similar multi-color yarn packs.

Techniques and Stitches Used

This crochet pattern employs fundamental crochet techniques suitable for intermediate-level crafters. The primary stitches featured in the pattern include:

• Single crochet (sc) – the foundational stitch used for establishing tension and structure
• Half double crochet (hdc) – a medium-height stitch that adds dimension
• Double crochet (dc) – a taller stitch for varied texture
• Treble (tr) – an even taller stitch for open, airy sections
• Double treble (dtr) – the tallest stitch in the pattern for dramatic height variation
• Chain stitch (ch) – used for foundation and spacing
• Slip stitch (sl st) – employed for joining rounds and finishing edges
• Puff stitch – a special abbreviation stitch created by yarning over the hook, inserting into the next stitch, wrapping yarn and pulling through to create textured, dimensional elements

The pattern uses US crochet terminology throughout. The combination of these stitches at varying heights creates visual interest and texture variation across the finished throw.

Materials and Tools

The Crochet Stash Buster Lap Throw is worked using DK weight yarn, which is a medium-weight yarn ideal for creating fabric with good drape and structure. The designer used a 10 x 100 gram multi-color paint box DK yarn pack from Lovecraft for the project. A 4mm crochet hook is the recommended tool size for this pattern when working with DK yarn.

Tension and Sizing

The pattern establishes a specific tension measurement to ensure consistent sizing: 16 stitches and 19 rows over single crochet with a 4mm hook measures 4 inches (10 centimeters) square when using DK yarn. Achieving this tension is important for the finished throw to measure the intended 50 inches (127 centimeters) square. The designer notes that using a thicker yarn weight will result in a larger finished throw, allowing crafters to customize the final size based on their yarn selection.

Important Yarn Considerations

A critical note for this project: all yarn used throughout the throw must be consistent in both thickness and fiber type. The designer specifically cautions against mixing different yarn types, such as combining cotton and acrylic yarns, even if the combination appears visually appealing during construction. Mixing fiber types can cause problems during washing, as different fibers may react differently to water, heat, and detergent, potentially compromising the integrity and appearance of the finished blanket.