These handwarmers are scraptastic indeed. If it’s long enough to weave in two ends and make a stitch in the middle, it’s fair game!

The two handwarmers are fraternal twins rather than identical ones to accommodate the full range of scraps. A family resemblance is maintained by matching cuffs (made from larger part-balls) and a two-color wave motif. Color harmony comes from using part-balls of leftover striped sock yarn throughout. The second color is provided by the smallest scraps - change color whenever you need to, and enjoy choosing color combinations.

The handwarmers are a quick project which provides a simple introduction to stranded (Fair Isle) knitting. The end result has a cheerful, circus-like feel, and the stranding provides extra insulation.

Oh, and the pattern title? “Scrapple” is a word (unknown in the United Kingdom) which appears on the breakfast menu in a glorious inn in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, where I stay for work sometimes. None of us has dared eat it, but it’s a great name.

PATTERN NOTES

Construction method: The handwarmers are mostly knitted in the round from the bottom up, with a section knitted flat to provide a thumb hole. Very simple stranded knitting is used to provide the wave pattern in the stockinette section. The arm and hand cuffs are worked in 2 x 2 ribbing. Stitches are picked up round the thumb hole and the thumb cuff is worked in 1 x 1 ribbing.

Yarn information: This pattern is ideal for using up scraps. For a cohesive look, use the same solid color for upper and lower cuffs, and the thumb edging – this is the CC1. For the charted colorwork pattern, a fixed-striping yarn was used for the MC, as above, and for the CC2, a variety of scraps of solid-color sock yarn.

The patterning is most effective if you use solid/nearly solid colors, or long-run fixed stripes, rather than busy variegated yarns. These would look great if you used a solid color for MC, too. Or consider using scraps for both MC and CC2, for a really colorful effect. All samples used a variety of solid-colored scraps for CC2, some for as little as two rows, others for 10 or more rows.