What projects are good for leftover yarn?

shaney63 · Mar 21, 2012

I have loads of little balls of yarn leftover from various projects, and I'm looking for ideas...

What is your favorite way to use up leftover yarn?

Bluebonnet · Mar 21, 2012

This is completely silly, but I've been thinking of 'yarn bombing' things in my home office with yarn scraps.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yarn_bombing

Otherwise, hats, maybe? Baby hats? Or use the scraps to make a striped scarf?

HandyFamily · Mar 21, 2012

NJgardengal · Mar 21, 2012

I use leftovers in so many ways-small items mostly.
I also like motif blocks.
This site has what seems to be a baby blanket (site is in Spanish,pictures are labeled in Russian.) It is certainly a stunning inspiration.
http://lacasitademabely.blogspot.com/2011/07/me-encanto-precioso-proyecto.html?spref=fb

I've seen many projects here using the "magic ball" idea which is where you join random lengths of yarns into a ball and then work with that. There are picture here and on the web showing results.

Small amounts are useful to save and use later for trim or accents, even flowers or other decorative motifs to embellish later works. It can be fun to prepare a resource bag of these items for practice and be prepared when the need arises.
The only suggestion I would definitely make is that if you are working a single project, keep in mind the cleaning requirements for the yarns and don't mix things that would require different methods unless you are prepared to do a great deal of hand washing and perhaps reblocking.

Knitting Nanax2 · Mar 21, 2012

I have started a "hoge-poge" afaghan; knit or crochet squares of various sizes. Good for doll clothes too.

Bluebonnet · Mar 21, 2012

NJgardengal said:
The only suggestion I would definitely make is that if you are working a single project, keep in mind the cleaning requirements for the yarns and don't mix things that would require different methods unless you are prepared to do a great deal of hand washing and perhaps reblocking.

That reminds me of a baby doll blanket my grandmother crocheted for me when I was little. It was striped in all kind of odd-ball colors and one stripe ended up felted, over the years of washing.

I took it to her once, many years later, to show her I still had it and treasured it. She didn't remember making it (she had Alzheimer's by then) but she said, "It looks like you got my scraps, bless your heart!" lol

I was going to get it out and post a photo, but I can't seem to find it right off hand. I'll ask my daughter when she gets home if she knows where it went. I handed it down to her to play with when she was a little girl. She doesn't play with dolls anymore, so it may be packed away somewhere.

knitter61 · Mar 21, 2012

I make little granny squares and keep them in a shopping bag until it's full enough to sew together to make a blanket. This is a quick and portable thing to do with them. I can take a bag full of yarn with me and turn them into squares while I wait in a Dr. office or anywhere.

DickWorrall · Mar 21, 2012

I have made some this way.
Just using up the scarps to make squares
and then put them together.
When I do this, I try to only buy yarn for the
boarder of the squares or the boarder of
the afghan.
Dick

DickWorrall · Mar 21, 2012

I roll the left over yarn into balls
and put them in bins.
That way, I have it handy when I need it.
Sometimes, you just need a little more
to finish something or make something
and I can find a matching color that I can use.
Dick

DickWorrall · Mar 21, 2012

I was just looking at the picture of the bin
with the white balls of yarn in it.
At the top left, looks like a gun in the
picture. It is a tripod handle. I have had that tripod
for years. I used to use it with my 35mm camera.
I don't have any guns in the house...LOL..
Dick

Joy Marshall · Mar 21, 2012

The hats you see on my avatar.

jjane139 · Mar 21, 2012

I make baby hats for a hospital here and for one in Africa. I cast on 32 or 28 stitches, do 5 rows of ribbing, knit for 3 inches, k 2 tog across, k or p across, k 2 tog, k or p across, and sew up. I made three last evening and finished one I left half-done at bedtime the previous night. I can use even a yard of yarn for one or two stripes. The hats end up very cute, and I know that the yarn is going for something really useful. I am envious of those drawers full of yummy pastels and creamy whites. I am almost inspired to try a bit of burglary, since the yarn is not being used (yet).

Linda6885 · Mar 21, 2012

Motifs are usually my choice. But a new thing now is called a magic ball. Which is nothing more than winding yoiur left over yarns together in different lengths and then knitting anything with them. If you search on youtube, or google you can probably find a hat and jacket made this way.

DickWorrall · Mar 21, 2012

You could use the Russian Join method to make
the yarn continuous.
http://community.knitpicks.com/notes/Joining_Yarn_-_Russian_Join
Dick

DickWorrall · Mar 21, 2012

Magic ball.
http://upislandeggs.com/magicball.html
If you used the Russian Join, you wouldn't have
all the ends.
I have seen crocheted afghans done this way also.

http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/secure-html/onlineec/instructionalArticle.asp?iaid=55

http://www.tamemymind.com/blog/2006/12/03/magic-scrap-ball-ripple-lap-blanket-scraps.php

Dick

shaney63 · Mar 21, 2012

Wow these are some great ideas! Knew I could count on my friends at KP!!! Keep 'em comin! xoxo

Suo · Mar 21, 2012

WOW on that project. Wish the text was in Spanish as I could have my husband translate!

grandmann · Mar 21, 2012

Too Bad you missed the stash swap

We are suppose to send partial skeins and not new skeins. So far I didn't get my pkg. I can't wait until I see what I get. I might be asking the same question you are asking what do I do with my scraps.

kiwiannie · Mar 22, 2012

I knit different patterned squares and make afghans or cot blankets with left overs.

fayemike · Mar 22, 2012

You could join colours and knit beanies, little pair's of socks,finger puppets[ I have a pattern for these]

What projects are good for leftover yarn?

shaney63

Bluebonnet

HandyFamily

NJgardengal

Knitting Nanax2

Bluebonnet

knitter61

DickWorrall

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DickWorrall

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DickWorrall

Joy Marshall

jjane139

Linda6885

DickWorrall

DickWorrall

shaney63

Suo

grandmann

kiwiannie

fayemike

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