Ah, Christmas: a time to gather together with family.  A time to stare at your in-laws across the dining table, trying to think of something interesting or witty to say. A time to mask social awkwardness with knitting.

Who hasn’t experienced this?

Last year, my husband’s Aunt decided to remedy this problem with an ingenious solution: communal crafting. She brought a suitcase loaded with kits for knitting beaded wrist warmers–a wonderful stash-busting strategy. I knitted two sets before I left and snagged a third to give to my mother.

This year, I decided the communal crafting should continue. So, I’ve proposed a new group project: Frankie Brown’s Woodland Wreath. 

This project is a stash-busting extravaganza. Frankie Brown has been releasing daily patterns for the leaves, flowers, mushrooms, hedgehogs and other critters that make up the wreath.

Each wreath element uses minuscule amounts of yarn in a DK weight. I don’t have a lot of DK scraps lying around, but I do have lots of worsted and a goodly amount of sock. I’m sure the patterns can be easily adapted. I haven’t seen such a good stash-busting project since the Beekeeper Quilt.

Bonus: All of the patterns are free, although donations to Ms. Brown’s chosen charity are encouraged:

All my Ravelry patterns are free to download but, if you enjoy them, please consider making a donation to the Children’s Liver Disease Foundation, a charity which funds research and supports the families of children with a liver disease. You can do this easily by going to my fundraising pagewww.justgiving.com/frankiesknittedstuff

In the next couple of weeks I have set myself the task of rooting out all the yarn scraps in my stash that have potential for this project. Almost no scrap is too small. I’ll stuff my suitcase as full as it can be stuffed. I hope no one else tries to open it.