bits and bobbins

creative projects to use up (worsted weight) yarn bits?

bits o' yarn

calling all knitters & crocheters who happen to read this here blog!

what’s your favorite way of using up your random ends of yarn? particularly your worsted weight yarns? can you recommend a favorite pattern or several patterns that are just the ticket for yarn oddments?

i have a gazillion little leftover bits of wool and wool blend yarns, the remainder from the myriad of projects i’ve completed over the last six (!!!) years. they are up there in the photo above. and that’s only a small fraction of what i have…it’s merely the tip of the remnant yarn iceberg, if you will.

so far, i’ve put them to use as a wavy crocheted blanket, numerous cowls, a random stripey kids sweater, and a few more things…

i can think of a few more ways i might want to use it: to make striped legwarmers, striped mittens (for me and maybe a bunch of other folks!), more cowls, a top-down raglan fitted cardi for moi, a granny square or circle blanket for p., and, hrm…i’m still thinking ha!

anyway, i’m putting a call out to you, to ask for help for genius ideas to do with all this yarn. can you help??

maybe it will help more than just me!

do share!

December 31 2009 | Posted in crafty cool., creative dabblings., yarn insanity.

Comments

30 total remarks on this post.

  1. December 31 2009 at 1:45 pm

    jill

    why don’t you make a little stuffed creature for your bubbaloo? :)


  2. December 31 2009 at 2:11 pm

    Liza

    I bust my stash by making either granny square or kaleidoscope afghans. They’re perfect for using up all those random scraps. The randomness is their charm!


  3. December 31 2009 at 2:43 pm

    hillary

    The perfect pile of yarn for a Hudson Hat!
    http://familyrootsfibers.com/category_1/Patterns.php

    (pic here:
    http://familyrootsfibers.com/gallery/albums/knitted-items/2068765027_5e1f9e440d.jpg)

    I’m not affiliated with the pattern, just think it’s a cute way to use up scraps!


  4. December 31 2009 at 2:48 pm

    yvette

    if you really have a ton, do something in crochet – it uses a lot of yarn! start with granny squares! or, i also love to make colorwork hats and mittens too…


  5. December 31 2009 at 3:22 pm

    Katie

    While I have *much* less odds and ends of yarn left over at the moment, I did end up using a lot of my ends for a few Christmas gifts this year. A Fair Isle hat (uses twice as much yarn as straight stitched hat). I also knit some feltable sweaters for soaps (can’t re-use them, but they are good little trinkets for people).


  6. December 31 2009 at 3:43 pm

    Thriftgoddess!

    I use them as accents in making notecards, or to tie up packages (like birthday gifts, or xmas gifts).


  7. December 31 2009 at 3:57 pm

    julie mack

    I definitely love the idea of granny squares!
    I’ve also been on a kick of knitting boxes (to be felted) from the Mason-Dixon knitting book. I think they would look quite lovely all in stripey goodness & the pattern is blissfully mindless!<3


  8. December 31 2009 at 7:28 pm

    Jenn

    http://simpleknits.blogspot.com/2008/03/500-patterns-to-knit-with-1-285-yards.html or scrumbling in knitting or crochet.


  9. December 31 2009 at 10:17 pm

    Lexi

    I like to crochet granny squares or make circles until I run out of yarn.
    Headbands, multicoloured pompoms, chain stitches used for hair ties/ribbons/shoelaces, strange little stuffed creatures, lots of things! I’m awful for keeping every single tiny scrap of everything possible. I’m convinced that I can repurpose just about anything!


  10. January 1 2010 at 6:21 am

    Franca

    I tend yo make stuff with stripes – stripy mittens, hats and scarves. And I’ve made a few ipod/cell phone cases. You’re lucky to have lots of stuff that is the same weight, at the moment I have lots of wee balls of all different thicknesses, but not enough of any one weight to make anything with. Oh, and there’s a flickr group called odd balls knitting and crocheting that you could check out for inspiration.


  11. January 1 2010 at 10:05 am

    Kellie

    I made a pom pom garland this past Christmas with some of my left over yarn. I used reds, oranges, pinks and white but any color combination would be cute for decoration. It turned out great. I did a couple of different sizes of pom poms. I also knit hats so which is a great way to bust your stash.


  12. January 1 2010 at 10:22 am

    Annika

    I’ve been seeing a ton of granny square projects lately, which I always love. I also saw a really lovely crocheted star garland (here: http://ellenbloom.blogspot.com/) that I’m thinking of replicating with some of my scraps.


  13. January 1 2010 at 11:59 am

    Kari V

    I am hooked on these…. http://www.domestifluff.com/2008/10/how-to-make-pom-pom-flowers/#more-61. You might have to do a little more trimming with a worsted weight yarn for the “flowers” not to look stringy, but they turn out very cute!


  14. January 1 2010 at 4:49 pm

    jules

    I’m working on a rug made up of random shapes, granny squares, and little bits from my friend Linda’s book *Crochet Adorned*. I can work on it here and there and double up like colors to make a more durable yarn. It’s purrrrdy!!


  15. January 1 2010 at 5:13 pm

    Louise

    POM-POMS! Make loads and loads of pom-poms and hang them EVERYWHERE! x


  16. January 1 2010 at 10:55 pm

    Meghan

    Hi there, I collected some crochet flower patterns here that you might be interested in. I’m gonna make brooches to put on hats, lapels, scarves, purses…


  17. January 1 2010 at 11:08 pm

    Marijke

    how about knit up some stripey cushion covers – have one side knitted and one side a fantastic vintage fabric/tea towel etc…..


  18. January 1 2010 at 11:24 pm

    emily

    i saw the CUTEST display involving balls of yarn at Heritage in the mall the other day! they just hung them in clusters from the ceiling, but it was very adorable and creative!


  19. January 2 2010 at 1:25 am

    Carla

    I’ve used my scrap yarn to crochet Swiffer covers and dish scrubbers (Japanese tawashi) The Swiffer covers work better than the cloths that you can buy and they’re totally washable/reusable … now that’s being green!) Here’s a couple of websites to check out:
    http://www.craftstylish.com/item/44816/how-to-make-a-reversible-swiffer-sock
    and..
    http://www.craftstylish.com/item/43848/how-to-crochet-a-tawashi

    Have fun!


  20. January 2 2010 at 2:31 pm

    beth

    i have a bunch of colorful bits of wool yarn (from frogging a thrifted sweater). i’m planning to make lots of mini pompoms and felt them, then fashion a wreath out of ‘em, and use the rest as add ins for my spinning. afore mentioned wreath should have been completed prior to the ‘09 holidays, but there’s always twentyten to look forward to.


  21. January 2 2010 at 3:50 pm

    Martha

    After you have used all the other ideas take the really small bits that are still left and cut them up in to 1 inch or so pieces and put them outside for the birds to use as nesting material in the spring, put them near where you have seen nests before, in the crotch of a tree , etc. They really like wool!


  22. January 2 2010 at 7:31 pm

    PepperReed

    If you knit instead of crochet, try modular (or mitred) knitting. Sometimes it’s also called Domino Knitting. Some great examples and patterns (although you can find plenty free ones online and the Domino Knitting book at the library).

    Have Fun!

    http://www.gotyarn.com/results.cfm?Category=113&Entrelac%20&%20Modular
    http://modulong.blogspot.com/2007/03/noro-kureyon-blanket.html
    http://myartfullife.wordpress.com/2007/01/29/finished-project-modular-mittens/
    http://www.needlesandpins.ca/yarns/koigu/modularcoat.jpg


  23. January 3 2010 at 6:14 am

    The Window Display Blog

    I like the cluster idea, it could be like a random chandelier, maybe you don’t even have to knit all of it, just let it hang loosely.
    Fancy doing something myself..


  24. January 3 2010 at 6:44 pm

    jules

    ok. forget the rug. HERE is the answer:

    http://knittaporfavor.wordpress.com/2009/12/31/just-one-more-teeny-tiny-post/


  25. January 4 2010 at 1:23 pm

    Linda

    How about needle felting. You take a plain sweater (or piece of fabric), a felting mat, and a felting needle tool, which is a small cylinder-shaped tool with five needles attached. You gently (or not so gently) pound, pound, the piece/bunch of yarn on the sweater randomly or in a pattern. Plain sweater becomes fabulous. It is a fairly easy project and one that you can do with a latte or a show on in the background. I was taking a couture sewing class last year, and we each needed to present a sewing technique. One of my classmates presented this technique…not so much sewing as it is embellishment, but in her hands it really became central to her designs. You can make a really stylish sweater, i.e., color blocking, shapes, etc. There’s my left-over yarn idea!


  26. January 4 2010 at 1:33 pm

    Anna

    I don’t have any ideas for projects I’m afraid, but I recently bought the Alison Lurie book that you mentioned, and wondered if you could recommend any other good books on the same subject?

    Thanks!


  27. January 4 2010 at 3:40 pm

    Lisa

    Thank you for the mention in the suggestions, PepperReed. You might also enjoy using your stash bits for some colorful Lizard Ridge squares. You can see my finished Lizard Ridge blanket here: http://myartfullife.wordpress.com/2007/10/15/girls-getaway-weekend-in-vermont/
    The pattern is a freebie on http://www.knitty.com.


  28. January 5 2010 at 2:02 pm

    kathy

    related to martha’s suggestion from january 02 –

    i have seen small metal/hard plastic cages that used to hold suet cakes for birds filled with scraps of yarn. hung near bird feeders and on trees, the cages help contain the yarn until birds can get pieces to build their nests.

    i think that is a great idea for our leftovers!


  29. January 7 2010 at 10:01 am

    jayne

    I’m saving my scraps and am planning to modify some of the lion-brand toy patterns for friends’ children. Can you imagine some of the little animals in the colors you have?

    http://cache.lionbrand.com/cgi-bin/patternFinder.fcgi?search=Search&searchText=toy&I2.x=0&I2.y=0&I2=Search&craft=0&categoryKey=&subcategory=Any&size=&edition=&cost=Any&componentCategoryKey=Any&yarnClass=Any&searchType=0


  30. January 20 2010 at 2:21 pm

    meghs

    http://zona.livejournal.com/2008/09/11/

    This is a great pattern for a scarf that used up alot of my worsted scraps!