Digging through the stash for so many amazing patterns!

Ok, around my birthday...I tend to splurge on yarn and patterns. I had been pretty good and then...there is an awesome brown or an amazing coral yarn...or there is a fabulous pattern (yes, I do pay for patterns). My birthday funds were spent on yarn. In the end it means that there won't be new clothes in my closet or more activities aside from a fun run in March. The splurges stop now...then a pattern or two later...stop!  Here are the paid patterns that I tempted me too much:

Breaking Plaid by Carissa Browning...I've been seeing pictures of these cowls popping up on Instagram. I'm excited to employ the stitch in some lovely scarves to send to family.

Hands Entwined by Xandy Peters...isn't this gorgeous! I love Xandy's stitch techniques and being a fan of her other patterns, I can't help but fall in love with this one too.Purchase of this pattern in the first year supports Handspun Hope, which employs marginalized women in Rwanda. Here is a picture of Xandy's sample.

Twin Peaks Cowl by Xandy Peters...for the love of stripes and contrast!
Huldra Swater by Tatsiana Kypryianchyk of Lilla Bjorn Crochet...I'm in love with the yoke and the fabulous drape of the short sleeve version. I have some whirl waiting to be used :). Here is a picture of the short sleeve for Tatsiana's sample.

All You Need is Love by Swift Yarns...such an adorable hat and once again the profits go to charity. The proceeds go to Girl Up, a UN Foundation that focuses on empowering girls, fighting gender inequality, and social injustices.

The main reason that I'm attempting to curtail my spending is that my hubby and I are putting our funds this year aside for a down payment. We're paying off debt and trying to get solid feet on the ground. It's the down payment that makes the process difficult. Tapping retirement to buy a home really scares me.  At least, there is still hope and that feels good in itself.

With the yarn splurge, my four year old fell in love with some red alpaca. The yarn is set aside for a specific project and there isn't enough for what he really wants...a big blanket. I've been looking around for scrap happy projects. I have an awesome corner to corner crochet pattern with an Incredibles theme, but I definitely don't have enough red. Maybe a vintage style chevron/wavy blanket would be nice. Strips or modular pieces would be best to eat up my stash. Any recommendations?

I'm feverishly working on a test sweater. I need to make a hat and a puppy dog too! Also there's 55+ hours of work, paying attention to my kids, and regular household stuff each week. The fun never stops :)

Have a great week and happy crafting!