Save Money By Using Your Leftover Yarn
Today is Frugal Friday...
One thing that we knitters often have plenty of is leftover yarn. You know, all those bits and scraps of yarn from projects we've tackled in the past. If you're like me, you've held on to it, because it seemed wasteful to simply throw it away - especially if there was a good handful or more left.
On the other hand, you may sometimes wonder, "is there anything I can do with all this leftover yarn?" That's a particularly pertinent question if you're on a strict yarn budget and would appreciate being able to use the yarn you already have rather than spending limited funds on more yarn.
Fortunately, the answer to this question is a resounding YES. There are many wonderful ways you can use leftover yarn - from baby hats to washcloths and many others in between. Below are a wide variety of patterns that will allow you to use up the leftover bits in your stash and have fun doing it!
Jewel (Free Baby Hat Knitting Pattern)
Great way to use up scraps of sock yarn, and it's also a perfect way to introduce yourself to knitting with mitered squares.
Mochimochi Land
This blog is filled with the most adorable knitted toys you've ever seen. All perfectly tiny, all perfectly suited to scraps of yarn. These tiny toys make great gifts, or even donations to charities catering to young children or animals (be sure to check with the charities first to see if they would accept the donations).
Starfish Cloth
This dishcloth pattern was designed to be used with self-striping cotton yarn, but you can easily see how it can be used for leftover cotton yarn as well. A very easy pattern that makes a great gift!
Katja
Although this particular baby girl top pattern is shown in all one yarn, one stylish, enterprising friend of mine knit a top for her baby girl using scraps of cotton yarn, and it looked absolutely adorable. The pattern as written uses very little yarn, making this an ideal project for leftover yarn.
Socktapus
One of the cutest knitted toys I've ever seen, Socktapus can be knitted using either sock yarn or worsted-weight yarn. This pattern was designed specifically for using up scraps of leftover yarn; it even offers ideas for different ways you can use your leftover yarns to achieve different looks.
Twilight Garter Stitch Scarf
This garter stitch scarf couldn't be easier! This is a beautiful way to use up sock yarn remnants. I'm guessing if you alter the number of stitches you cast on, you could probably use it for slightly heavier gauges of yarn as well.
Felted Purse
If you have leftover wool yarn, here is a fun felted knit purse that's also practical. Be sure you don't use superwash wool yarn, as it will not felt. For a felting tutorial, check this out:
This is just a small cross-section of the many patterns and ideas available for using up leftover yarn. I'll share more in future newsletters, but this should be enough to get you started!
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Today's Featured Blog:
Mason-Dixon KnittingWhat can be said about a knitting blog that's been in existence since 2003? Probably more than this space can hold, but to sum up: this blog comes in the form of letters between two friends, Kay in Manhattan and Ann in Nashville. They write about their adventures in crafting, offer lots of photos, provide lots of practical and beautiful free patterns, let loose contests and giveaways willy-nilly, and allow for plenty of laughs along the way. Whether you're southern, northern, coastal or somewhere in between, you're likely to enjoy the warmth and humor of Kay and Ann's blog.
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Today's Featured Product:
Mason-Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitter's Guide: Stories, Patterns, Advice, Opinions, Questions, Answers, Jokes, and Pictures by Kay Gardiner and Ann Shayne
The above-mentioned blog blossomed into this book and has become an invaluable resident of many knitters' libraries. The authors have interwoven all the charm and humor of their blog into this book and created a tremendous resource, with beautiful and practical patterns that can transform nearly every part of your home. I love a knitting book that offers patterns for cushions, curtains, blankets, towels, rugs, washcloths, and Moses baskets! As an added bonus for the knitter looking to use up those leftover scraps of yarn, there's a tutorial on the Log Cabin Blanket, a technique that can allow you to knit a blanket from yarns of any weight. This book is a must-have resource for the frugal knitter!
