Every knitter I know has yarn bits n’ bobs. You know, little leftover balls from the numerous projects you have knit up over the years. I have gone into my B & B containers a few different times, looking for the leftovers of some yarn that I need for darning or mending purposes. I’m always glad to find it. I figured a long time ago that these colorful balls should be out on display. I like keeping them in glass containers. (I think this came from Home Goods, a couple of years ago.)
Big bowls – wooden, ceramic, metal – are another good storage idea, and it’s easy to have one or more of these sitting out on display. (Although then you have to dust them. Another reason to like glass containers with lids.)
I think many people have all of their B & B’s stuffed into bags and plastic containers as well.
And others of you don’t let them sit around at all because you’re using them up in your Sock Blankies, or you have bought this great pattern of Wendy’s and you’ve turned them into other useful things.
Here’s the contest question of the month (and we’ll randomly draw winners next week for Loopy Ewe Gift Certificates): What do you do with your leftover yarn bits? Leave your answer in the comments and we’ll let you know who won, next week!
Thinking about holiday gifts already? I’ll have some knitting ideas for you next week. But for the people in your life that don’t get the knitting (or when you want to give a “just because” gift in September, for instance), how about these amazing cookies in a cute bag? You can even download the gift tags from the post. This is my new favorite blog and it just so happens to be written by one of my very favorite friends, Monica. In some of her recent posts, I also learned that Hydrogen Peroxide is the perfect cleaner (tried it on my bathroooms over the weekend), learned that there was a much easier way to make iced tea (and the flavors – oh, my!), decided that I needed to make up a big batch of pesto, and … well, you can check it out yourself to see what you learn. 🙂 It’s really a “yummy” website with great recipes and ideas.
Sheri who’dhavemoreyarnbitsifshe’dfinishmoreprojects
insteadofcontinuallystartingnewones,FPS
Going to the basement to look for glass jars…
My leftovers usually just end up stashed in a ziploc bag with the rest of the yarn.
I put my leftovers in a couple of boxes. Occassionally I look at them, but mostly I ignore them as they sit in my stash cupboard.
In the future mine will reside in a glass jar with lid. What a beautiful idea! I love the open basket or bowls , but my cats tend to steal unattended yarn. I’ve just been stuffing them in random corners of my stash until now…but no more! A glass jar it is!!! 🙂
I’m saveing all my left-over sock yarn for more socks. I’ll get a few of the Loopy’s new solid yarn colors that will pair well with my multy colored leftovers & make some pretty new socks……Also I love the idea of putting the balls into glass containers. Very pretty. I think I’ll do that this weekend untill I start useing up my leftovers.
I try to save some of my leftover bits in case I have to darn a sock. But I have also used them to make some tiny socks. I made a few christmas ornaments last year that turned out pretty cute. Someday I want to try and make a whole pair of socks from leftover bits.
Mine are also stashed in a plastic bin; I’ve made some baby socks, but – since we’re between babies in the family/friends, I may try that mitered square blanket.
I use clear plastic bags and clear plastic containers.
My B&Bs dwell in a big glass bowl with a bunch of antique knitting needles stuck into them…reminds me of a tossed salad with salad forks in it!
My bits and bobs float around from basket to bag to chest.
I keep all of my B&B in with my yarn stash in plastic bags stored in duffle bags. At some point in time, I plan on making a sock blankie and also use some of Wendy’s patterns for small items to make with left over yarn.
I keep mine in a container in the closet. One day when I have enough sock yarn left over I plan on making a very oddly colored pair of socks. I am glad that I keep my leftovers because one day I received an email from a lady who ran out of a certain type of yarn I had bought on TLE and she needed just a little bit to finish her project. She had seen on Ravelry that I completed a pair of socks so that is how she knew I had used that certain yarn so even keeping the bits in my stash help!
I use these bits and bobs to make cat toys/blankets usually for donation to the local humane society or no-kill shelter. It’s a great way to get rid of the pieces that aren’t big enough to make a full project and it’s going to help some furry friends in need.
While these are waiting to be made, they usually reside in a small plastic bag near my stash.
My bits and bobs are in baskets for a future afghan, I love looking at them from time to time and thinking about the projects that were created from them. I think the idea of glass jars is very cool.
Mine are shoved in a bag, but I’m going to keep my eye out for a jar now.
I donate medium sized leftover balls of yarn to a group of young knitters (5th and 6th graders) at an elementary school in Omaha, Ne.
Medium-sized leftovers, long enough to make at least a hat stripe, I keep in 2 large zipper-top plastic bags in my closet. But smaller lengths go in a special bag to use for stitch markers, stuffing, stitch holders, “magic balls”, etc.
Mine are in ziploc bags in the stash closet or in the darning bag. I try to include the ball band if I still have it. I never thought of putting them out in a glass container, which is such a great idea.
I have used more of the little leftovers for darning socks than I ever thought I would. I’m not really sure if I get a lot more wear out of them, but I just can’t bear to throw out handknit socks without at least trying to save them.
Most of my leftovers are in a plastic bin. Some go to my oldest daughter who is learning how to knit.
My leftovers are in a plastic bag inside a plastic bin. I love your idea and may take a trip to Home Goods soon to see what I can find.
My bits and bobs are currently in several large wooden bowls located on the stairs. I like looking at them on my way up and down the stairs and think about what I could make out of all of them. It is a colorful collection! Others are stored in a very large Longaberger basket nearby. I like the idea of storing them in glass jars.
They make great scarves for dolls — not too big a project for little ones to get bored with the knitting. (stuffed in a drawer of an old dresser).
I use them for the lining of mittens I make for a local charity hats & mittens collection.
for sock yarn bits i make socks for my youngest brother. with heavier bits i use’em in afghans like crazy quilts. or they end up in the bottom in the yarn box until i find them again 🙂
I am saving all of mines in a zip lock baggy at some point I want to make a sock blanket. I love your ideas for your B&B’s
Most of my bits and bobs are in zip locks waiting to turn into a sock blanket, but I’m so busy making new stuff, I need to remember to get back to that. I keep my new yarn in the glass jars so maybe that is why I don’t get back to the blanket.
So far I leave my B & B stuck in bags with the stash. But I keep contemplating using them for other project. They also make good baby booties, if you need a quick baby shower gift 🙂
The sock yarn bits are in a plastic tub. My Malabrigo bits are in a glass jar with a lid. My Cascade 220 and other wooly bits are in a basket on top of my scrapbooking shelves. Sometimes the yarn bits are given to my daughter to play with. (The latest ended up as a “spiderweb” that went up and down the stairs )
I have my bits and bobs in a glass jar in my home office and use them for provisional cast ons and yarn holders and repairs. The latest use was hair for homemade dolls! I’d like to do an artful display when my kids are older. The 18 mo old does horrific things to my projects and supplies when she gets a hold of them.
with only 2 days down time with no internet service, I’m so glad I didn’t miss this completely. (miss reading this blog in the mornings). I will need to check-out homegoods/TJMaxx and see what they have in glass containers. I have my many little left-overs in plastic bags, in plastic bins, and one large plastic container (forget where I got that one, maybe from seasonal candy items at BJs?). I really could enjoy seeing the yarns decorating windows instead of hidden in snap-wear plastic boxes.
I’m slowly, SLOWLY making a sock yarn blankie. I keep my b ‘n’ b’s in a little rubbermaid bin & once I have a number of colors to choose from, I add more mitered squares to my blankie design. It’s such a fun ongoing project- because I can only do a few squares at a time, I never get sick of it. In fact sometimes I swear I’m knitting so many socks just to have more color choice options for the blankie. 🙂
I usually save but not organized enough probably to find them again. I usually grab the last one that will work for loop yarn markers. Years ago I went in a local yarn shop to by ring markers and was told to use yarn loops instead. These do not pop off. I have many of the pretty jewel ones but usually just look at them.
Mostly I just save them — I make a lot of socks, and I have lots of left-over sock yarn. I recently began knitting them into a linen-stitch scarf, but it will take a while before I have enough complimentary left-overs to finish. Still, it’s off to a good start!
Right now I keep my b&b’s in an ugly plastic Utz’s Pretzels jar, but I like the idea of jars displaying the balls. Then in the spring I place little 6-10″ strings out on the branches of our landscaping so that the birds have something to help them build their nests. This puts the scraps to good use until I can make up little squares or make the 10-stitch blanket!
My leftovers are tiny little walnut sized balls because I use all my larger balls for baby socks. The little ones are all settled to the bottom of the bag with the larger ones on top. Sometimes I use them for two toned or striped baby socks when I get enough that match.
I usually end up using my bits and bobs for swatching new design ideas.
I store mine in those nice see through plastic zip things that blankets come in. That way i can see everything easily.
I just store my yarn extras in a plastic shoe box. I think I shall have to find a lovely glass apothecary jar. Lovely.
Sigh. I too throw them away.
I have been using all my leftovers to make granny squares. I am compiling lots of squares to make a large blanket for my bed. My goal is to have as many colors and textures as I can. The more mis-matched the better! Plus, it will serve as a sort of “scrapbook” of past projects.
My bits and bobs are in a rubbermaid container, like much of my yarn. I have been debating what to do with them, as I think I need more space for yarn. I have also been looking for more reasons to use them up. Making coffee cozies and scrap squares for all the new babies in my friends’ lives is helping with the scraps bin!
O keep my leftover bits in a zip lock for the time being but hoping to end up with enough to display in a nice vase.
I am saving mine for a sweater pattern I have called “Leftovers”, which uses several hundred yards of solid sock yarn at the sleeve cuffs and neck and bottom ribbing and sock yarn leftovers in sqaures in the sweater, making each sweater unique!
I’ve been making cell phone and iPod cozies, fingerless mitts (striped if I don’t have enough of any one color) to keep my hands warm while typing in my frigid office, and cat toys. I’ve seen several “Monster Socks” made from random lengths of leftovers tied together but I can’t give up enough control over my project to try that.
Sock yarn is (mostly) accumulated in a zip-lock baggie with the intention of someday making a glass jar or vase display. Other project leftovers are in whatever random tote-bag was used for that project, with the intention of someday actually cleaning them out… Procrastination, I haz it!
I wind them ito a tight little ball and my cat and dog play with them. Karen
I’m accumulating them in ziplock baggies to eventually make one of the sock blankets
I had been saving them in ziplock bags by yarn weight or content…but this summer, I got busy and knit 115 baby hats for charity from the bits and bobs of my stash! Even the smaller balls made lovely little hats for NICUs! And now….I’ve got lots more room for new yarn!
I use my leftovers to make sampler color afghans.
My left over bits just sort of hang out making friends with each other in a dedicated cabinet. Every once in a while I raid the collection for use in colorwork, but mostly they just sit.