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I keep all my leftover sock yarn in a Kallax-sized storage cube and it’s pretty much packed to the brim, so I’ve been looking for a project to use up some of it. I’ve been considering Wool & Pine’s Sea Glass Cardigan, but then they released the Mix Tape Tee pattern and it immediately captured my imagination for what I could do with my scraps!
I decided to pick the stripe colors as I go rather than to plan them all out in advance. I want more of a random look and I guess the best way to achieve that is to select the colors somewhat randomly, right?
The Stripe Rules
I made up a few rules for myself to follow so the stripes won’t get muddy. In essence, I’m going to keep an eye on three variables: temperature, value, and intensity.
Rule One: I will try to switch up at least one of the three dimensions in each color change. Example: a pastel yellow is warm, muted, and light. It could be followed by a pastel blue (cool, muted, and light) but not a pastel pink…. get it?
The basic idea is that if you look at the stripes in black and white, they should all be distinct.
Rule 2: I’ll try to avoid having more than three touching stripes in a matching dimension. Example: after three warm colors, I need to switch to a cool color.
Project Details
Pattern: Mix Tape Tee by Wool & Pine
Yarn: All the sock yarn scraps!!! (Mostly Stroll)
- Stockinette Stripe: requires 13.1 yards (about 3.25 grams of Stroll)
- Garter Stripe: requires 14 yards (approx 3.5 grams of Stroll)
Materials & Items in my Photos
- Knit Picks Prism aluminum needles in size 6. I love that they are pointy and light. Plus, a colorful project demanded colorful needles, right?
- Barber cord and a toggle to hold the stitches instead of waste yarn.
- Boring needle stoppers and Adorable Needle Stoppers
Notes & Such
- I noticed that some of my fingering yarn is a bit lighter, and when I’ve used it in garter stripes, it looks very loose, so I’ll go down a needle size on those corresponding stripes on the front.
Updates:
- [10/3/26] I’ve finished the back and am now 2 stripes into the front! I’m going to match them up. I was genuinely surprised how well my stash provided all the colors for this top! I even had a few leftover that I didn’t have room for!
- [9/26/26] I’ve experimented with a few dark stripes, but none as dark as the first navy one. I’ve also avoided pure white. I’m about 2/3 done and starting to run out of color options, so I’ll incorporate a few repeats.
- [8/30/26] I did a dark navy stripe right at the beginning, and I don’t think I’ll do another stripe that dark again. It’s not sparking joy for me.
