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cats
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
503 Posts |
 Posted - 07/19/2004 : 12:40:01 PM
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| What do you do when you finish a project and have half of a skein of yarn left? As I'm actually finishing up some WIP's, I'm finding that I am starting to build up a stash of leftover yarn and there doesn't seem to be enough of one kind to really do much with but too much to throw out. I don't see using it to mend the item in the future since it's mostly been hats, scarves, dish cloths, wash cloths, etc. that I've been making - no real garments yet. |
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RoseByAny
Permanent Resident
USA
12598 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2004 : 12:46:11 PM
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Always have a ball of it and old needles in your bag for pushing -excuse me- teaching purposes, to try out a new stitch or method...
You can also use a whole bunch of them for a funky scarf, or (what I'm doing is) making a blanket for critter knitters or a similar organization since the animals won't care. It's a great way to try out stitch patterns without wrecking something that has to look nice.
"Choose your friends by their character and your socks by their color. Choosing your socks by their character makes no sense, and choosing your friends by their color is unthinkable."
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jade
Permanent Resident
USA
1543 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2004 : 1:19:09 PM
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I use bits and pieces sometimes for a contrast trim to a garment - an edging to a collar or hemline, or to jazz up a dull design with something splashy. I do a fair amount of color knitting which sometimes needs a lot of colors in small quantities, so my leftovers come in useful for this.
You could make cushions, colorful afghans and throws, or scarves out of leftover yarn. The more color, the better.
I have yet to mend anything that I have knitted, I never thought of keeping yarn for this purpose!
Cheryl |
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Elizabeth
Permanent Resident
USA
1557 Posts |
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graciebell
Gabber Extraordinaire
377 Posts |
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SweaterGrrrl
Chatty Knitter
USA
334 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2004 : 2:27:59 PM
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I make doll clothes and toys, either for kids I know or to donate to charity. I also make afghan squares for charity.
SweaterGrrrl |
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klfrazier
Permanent Resident
1745 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2004 : 3:02:26 PM
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Don't forget that notebook that records your projects. I like to keep scraps of yarn in there because pictures just don't capture everything. Also, i do have a scrap bag because you never know when those little bits are going to come in handy for repairs...a sripe in an otherwise dull pattern...something fun for the toddler to play with...so many things!
One other suggestion. Check with local schools/arts programs to see if they could use the yarn for kids craft projects. The nonprofit I worked for used yarn for the most unusual things!
Kristin |
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mokey
Permanent Resident
15375 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2004 : 3:38:23 PM
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I keep them for a couple of years, and then either give them to my mum, who likes to knit squares and then make things out of them, or if she doesn't want them, I throw them out.
"There is no beauty in the finest cloth if it makes hunger and unhappiness." Gandhi |
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Tam
Permanent Resident
Australia
2810 Posts |
Posted - 07/19/2004 : 4:17:59 PM
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I keep them and use them for a small contrast on a jumper or a pair of gloves, or I use them to knit squares to swap with other people.
Happy Knitting,
Tam in Melbourne
http://photos.yahoo.com/lillysmum2002
2004 Stats: 17 FOs, 1 WIPs, 1 frog
Everyone has a photographic memory, most people have no film in the camera. |
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achrisvet
Permanent Resident
USA
5986 Posts |
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nanetteb
Chatty Knitter
220 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2004 : 5:38:28 PM
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Spin-Off magazine last year had a wonderful pattern for Spontaneous Scarves. On a long circular, cast on enough stitches for the length of the scarf. You simply do seed stitch with a different yarn each row, leaving about 6 inches of yarn tail at each end for fringe. You can also do this by knitting each row but the seed stitch gives it a nice woven look.
You can use all weights of yarn and whatever needle size you have for these scarves. They're really quite fun!
Another idea is called Magic Ball knitting. You keep any length of yarn you have acquired over about 24". Tie together all the different pieces of yarn (with knots) and keep adding to it until you have the equivalent of a skein or two. Then you can knit with it, either just working the knots to the inside of the garment or undoing the knots and working in the ends. This is sort of the knitting equivalent of the huge ball of aluminum foil. :)
Nanette
http://knittingincolor.blogspot.com |
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busygirl
Permanent Resident
Australia
1672 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2004 : 9:55:46 PM
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I sometimes use leftover yarn to knit scarves,but if I really don't feel like making a scarf, I just put the wool away until such time as I can think of what to do with it. I have several balls of leftover 8 ply yarn in pastel colours ,and am thinking of crocheting a throw or baby blanket with it,just to make use of it.
Leslie |
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celia
Permanent Resident
Australia
2454 Posts |
Posted - 07/20/2004 : 10:18:44 PM
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I just put away the extra ball till I can think of somethign to make out of it.
If I only have a few yards, they become stitch markers.
celia
View my completed items here
http://img65.photobucket.com/albums/v197/celiang/ |
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Knit Twit
Chatty Knitter
USA
257 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2004 : 5:25:16 PM
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I like making crazy scarves - the other day, I saw a yarn in a catalog that was made up of a bunch of random yarns tied together, and it was insanely expensive...why not do the same thing for a lot cheaper?  Also, I have seen people sell leftover yarn on eBay for more than I thought they'd get for it, especially sock yarn leftovers. Good luck!
Terri :)
Discretionary Spending = Yarn and Teddy Bears |
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Lyntintin
New Pal
40 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2004 : 8:19:36 PM
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| Leftover yarn?? Between my kids and my cats, I barely have enough for my project!! |
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Ditzy Girl
Permanent Resident
USA
4712 Posts |
Posted - 07/21/2004 : 8:27:04 PM
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There is a new book out called Dazzeling Knits by Deb Werner, the sweaters are made out of squares with ea square a different yarn they were really pretty.
Zola, Seattle, Wash.
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Jane
SustaYning Member
USA
4292 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2004 : 03:46:03 AM
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I let it pile up so that it takes up too much space in my yarn baskets, then I get cranky and decide that I'll move it somewhere else as soon as I have time. After that, I forget about it for another few months. Then I repeat the process. It's worked so far!
Jane
My album: http://jane.c.home.mindspring.com/ |
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cableready
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
385 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2004 : 05:33:25 AM
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I have a glass container into which I put any yarn that is less than a ball - I often use this yarn to make catnip mice. A while back Wendy Johnson of www.wendyknits.net had a catnip mice knit along to benefit an animal shelter. There are patterns for these on her blog.
These catnip mice make great travel knitting. It is easy to locate the yarn in the glass container, and it looks pretty with these odd balls in it.
Pamela :)
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knit-n-dog
Warming Up
USA
81 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2004 : 05:38:01 AM
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This groups takes knitted/crocheted squares and sews them together to make what they call loveghans. She takes all size squares and saves them till she has enough. http://www.online-angels.org/
If you have little kids around you can make yarn people, or yarn animals (I remember making octopus when I was little). They are pretty easy let me know if you need instructions.
Ann |
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Knitterbugs
Chatty Knitter
USA
277 Posts |
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~rosie~
Gabber Extraordinaire
USA
435 Posts |
Posted - 07/22/2004 : 06:18:44 AM
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Funky striped socks. The girls at the LYS just gave me their random odd bits of Encore and I have now nearly completed the first of what's going to be a really cool pair of socks. I wouldn't have thought to do that myself until they suggested it.
I'm hopelessly addicted. I'm strung out on yarn. |
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