by joy

Created on: October 13, 2008

Waste wool is inevitable for any knitter or crocheter. It may be that after you have completed a project you have a full ball of yarn left over, or you may only have some small lengths of yarn. So what do you do with those scraps? After all, there is little gain in either throwing the scraps out or in trying to return an old ball of yarn to the store. Do not despair, there are a number of things you can do with your scrap yarn.

One of the first things you should do with your "scrap yarn" collection is sort it by thickness and type. You may use plastic storage bags for the yarn, or you may keep them in separate boxes or bins, depending on the size of your collection. Another inexpensive storage technique is to cut up some box board, like cereal boxes, and poke or cut holes in it. Then you can loop the yarn through the holes and tie them on. You can label the yarn by writing on the cardboard. Often it is easiest to try and store scraps of yarn of the same thickness on each of the pieces of cardboard, so you do not have to sort it again later.

Critical assessment of your scrap collection is essential as you are sorting it for storage. Did you like working with the yarn? Many knitters find that there are some inexpensive yarns that are difficult to work with because they split while being worked. These pieces are often ones that you may wish to truly scrap, by turning them into stuffing for future projects (like pillows or stuffed animals). Scraps of yarn that are too small to make a full row of knitting may also go into a stuffing bag.

Consider the current projects that you are working on, or are planning. Would a sweater look even better if you use a different color and type of yarn for trim? For example, some of the novelty yarns look great being added as a row or two around the sleeves, neck or bottom of a sweater.

Be creative about what you might be able to do with some of your scraps of yarn. You could make toys that catnip can be stuffed into with little yarn. What about making Christmas tree ornaments? You may need some scraps of yarn to act as hangers. You can also knit Christmas tree ornaments with some of your remnants. After all, it doesn't take much yarn to knit up as a square, and then decorate with a contrasting yarn to be made up like a present (bow and all). You are only limited by your imagination.

One of the easiest ways of using up scrap cotton yarn is by making yourself a dishcloth. Many dishcloths are made with about a half a ball of yarn. A dishcloth is functional as well as a fun and quick project, so start using up your scraps. If you want to be really creative and have a number of colors of cotton yarn, you may want to create a pattern where you change color frequently. You may also start by knitting up the first scrap, then changing the color and so on. It may not be the most beautiful cloth you have ever used, but it will likely make you smile.

If you do not want to use up your waste wool, consider posting an advertisement on www.freecycle.com. You may be surprised by the number of people in your community who would like to take your scraps off of your hands.

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