Yarn gals (knitters and crocheters) -- stash question

[BikeBookBread]

How do you determine when to keep and when to pitch the yarn leftover from a project? I am drowning in leftover yarn.

 

Is there an "amount leftover threshold" that you use? I'm not talking about yarn that you turn out to not like...pilling, whatever...but stuff you like.

Edited January 26, 2010 by BikeBookBread

[Trixie]

How do you determine when to keep and when to pitch the yarn leftover from a project? I am drowning in scraps of yarn.

 

Generally, if it's too little to be knit up and felted into a small pouch, I ... errr ... well, I keep it in a separate bin from the larger bits of my stash. :blush:

 

I'm a terrible pack rat about my yarn stash, so I'm afraid I'm no help whatsoever. I'm convinced I'll need even the little bits for repairs or trimmings or gauge swatches.

[smrtmama]

As long as I have at least a yard, I'll keep it. A yard of yarn is useful for all sorts of small project.

[gingersmom]

I have yarn going back 20 years. Really awful stuff that I bought at Woolworths for 99 cents/skein. But I can't part with it for some bizarre reason.

 

I have plastic totes filled with odd skeins of yarn.

[Melanie]

I keep it all. And I'll use it all eventually!

[Mom2absh]

How about doing Free Form Crochet? You basically just stitch however you want, with as much or as little a plan as you want. I tried adding a link, but I don't know how to do that here :blush:. You could just Google "how to do free form crochet."

 

J

 

[Medieval Mom]

I keep it all, and end up using it in projects. Every once and a while I'll get on a stash-buster binge and make knitted balls (and use scraps to stuff them), or make masses of mittens in fair-isle (using yarn for a line of color in a pattern), or an Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern (like the Surprise Jacket for Babies) or knit heels and toes of socks in fun colors, etc.

 

I try to keep to a certain space limit. If I can no longer close the door of my craft closet, I know I need to knit up what I have, or donate the yarn to another knitter or charity (or find some room in the boy's closet, in the basement... ) :D

[knit247]

I keep it all. And I'll use it all eventually!

Yea...what she said :lol:

[Jane in NC]

Yup, I keep it as well as all of my fabric scraps and weird little notions and marvelous bits of paper for paper projects and....

 

Craftily yours,

Jane

[mom2jjka]

If it's less than 4 yards...it goes into the kids stash.

(So I guess I keep it anyways...)

[runamuk]

I keep anything over 1 yard to use in other projects. I've used scraps to make bean bags for my niece and nephews or in funky striped hats. I put the scraps in a ziploc bag so they don't get tangled in the big (unused) balls of yarn.

[Mothersweets]

Stephanie, have you seen this pattern? http://familyrootsfibers.com/category_1/Patterns.php

 

It is pretty easy and it is a great way to use up all those leftovers! Are you on Ravelry? You can see lots of examples of it there, too. hth

[OH_Homeschooler]

I usually just toss some when I get sick of it getting in the way and/or the kids get a hold of it and I COULD detangle it but realize it's just not worth the effort. So whenever the mood strikes me, I toss some out. (I'm trying to find small ways to keep clutter out of my life and this is one thing I can toss without much guilt...but for the most part I'm talking cheap yarn I've had for years. I might have more trouble getting rid of more expensive yarn).

[pageta]

I've struggled with this too. I keep certain yarns that I knit with fairly regularly, like basic wools such as Cascade 220, Plymouth Galway, Knit Picks Wool of the Andes, etc. I keep yarn that is leftover from projects my kids are still wearing or will wear, in the case of hand-me-downs. I have made projects with leftover yarn, but i find them boring and would rather be doing other things. If there is enough yarn left for a hat I might keep it. Or a ball or two that I could use as CC in a future project.

 

As for the rest of it, you can donate it to a local charity. We have a good charity where they are very good about using whatever they can. For instance, you can donate clothes with holes or stains and they use them to make rugs and such. Yarn that is acrylic or appropriate for babies could be donated to a charity where knitters/crocheters make things for babies. Often those women are very good at making something out of scraps as well, and they are very happy to receive such donations. If you donate it to somewhere like GoodWill, they may just trash it for you. I've heard of some knitters using small balls by cutting them into short lengths that the birds can use to line their nests - seriously. Schools/preschools/daycare centers might be interested in using the yarn for crafts.

 

Those are some ideas for you off the top of my head.