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
I keep mine in zippy bag inside a tote bag. I love the look of your glass container, though, so I’m thinking I should do that.
My leftovers are kept in a ziploc 2 gallon bag safe from my cats. I have made several bookmarks for gift giving from them and plan to make a shawl with them someday.
As many have already said, I leave mine in plastic bags along with any full skeins left over. I usually buy at least one more skein than it calls for so always have enough leftover to make something else. These bags are generally stored in a tote of the same color or if lace a lace tote.
Yarn bits are everywhere! I’m planning to make mittens and hats one day, hopefully they won’t be too ugly. But having all those little scraps from projects and gifts together will be a good reminder of why I do this! It is always nice when a project uses enough that there aren’t many yards leftover though.
I usually toss my leftovers into a bin in the yarn closet…but thanks to your lovely inspiration, I’ll be fishing them out and putting them in a pretty glass container very soon!
I have a couple of baskets in my dining room that hold my leftover yarn bits and bobs. I love being surrounded by the colors and textures. Luckily, I am married to a tolerant man! He doesn’t complain about all the yarn everywhere!
I toss my leftovers into a basket that I have on display in the living room! I do love how they look in glass jars like that though.
i dab them with lavender essential oil and pop ’em into the drawers and linen closets. 🙂
If my leftovers are fingering weight, I keep ’em in a big tote bag in the closet. I’m sure one day I’ll have enough for a gorgeous sock blanket. If the leftovers are another weight, they go to my 7-yr-old daughter, who loves to use them in her arts and crafts.
Mine live in a plastic bag in my yarn bin. My plan is that when I have enough of the same yarn in different colorways to make crazy striped socks with the leftovers. It may be a while though… Last year for Christmas, I made a bunch of felted snowmen, and put a dent in my leftover stash making them all hats and scarves. This year I think the same thing is going to happen because I just found a super cute pattern for little penguins.
I have a glass jar that holds, or should I say, held my yarn bits. I finally went over the limit and now I have bits and bobs on my window sill in my bedroom. I started something similar to a sock yarn blankie, but still my jar overflows. What a problem to have!
Wow! I love the glass jar idea. Mine are currently in plastic bags in various places, most of which I can’t see so they don’t inspire me at all. That is why the glass jar is such a great idea. I am one of those who usually buys an extra skein (just in case) for every project so I have lots of “leftovers”.
I’ll be putting mine in a covered glass jar after seeing what you do with yours! Just been making mini socks and mittens or putting them in a ziplock bag. (have several)
I give my leftover bits to a friend who crochets and is making a blanket out of all the little bits. It’s the yarn equivalent of a crazy quilt 🙂
Sarah/scienceprincess
I keep my bits and bobs in a see through plastic tote. I dig through there occasionally and make a fun scarf with different colors and textures. I LOVE your glass display case- what a great idea- yarn is displayed but protected from bugs! Thanks for the update and contest!
I keep mine with the rest of my stash. But I use them for swatching, trying out stitch patterns or to keep my three-year old away from the good stuff.
I keep mine in a plastic tub that used to hold spinach. I haven’t used many of them yet.
One of these days, my leftover yarn bits will become a sock yarn blankie (but, uh, don’t look at my Ravelry page because I’ve in no way started…) In the meantime, I use scraps to work on other projects- like a Hermione Cable Bobble hat and the like 🙂
My leftovers are all over the place-in ziplock bags, laying on shelves or tucked in baskets with other yarn or fabric odds and ends. It never even occurred to me to disiplay them in some way. I might even get inspired to use some of them up.
I have grand plans to make a sock yarn blanket, but until then, they’re stored in a bag amongst all of the rest of my stash. If I had a craft room I’d love to display them because I love your glass jar idea.
I mostly knit socks, so I’m working on a Barn Raising Square Blanket with my left overs.
I have my leftovers in a large plastic pretzel jar. I use my leftovers to knit little ornaments – mittens and socks mostly. Sometimes I make bookmarks.
PS Love your Longaberger items… I have some of the same ones in my house! 🙂
Well, it’s a sorry thing to admit but a lot of my leftover bits-n-bobs are sharing project bags with all-but-finished projects. I have finishing issues.
My bits and bobs are all over the house. They are in knitting bags, in lunch bags, in shopping bags, and in old briefcases. I need to organize both my stash and my bits and bobs. It will make repairs so much easier to do! I will send pictures when all is done….don’t hold your breath!
Now back to my YO’s!
I designed a pattern for a blanket to deal with my b&b’s. Its called Siesta.
http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/siesta-baby-blanket
I’m ashamed to say that I have a lot of odds and ends all over the house. I have given some thought to your way to keeping them as works of art! I just never thought of leftovers that way!! Thanks!
My bits and bobs are randomly included in my stash. In an attempt to not feel overwhelmed by the “excess” yarn I have. As I “cull” through the stash, I find these bits and remember the project I completed with it. I may squeeze a small ball of cushy soft bugga! from a pair I knitted last year, and it motivates me to start and finish another pair. The bits serve as a reminder of what a joy it is to follow through with a knitting project, and reap the rewards of it.
Usually mine just get stashed away with the intention of one day doing the Scrap Project to End All Scrap Projects (probably mega stripey socks or a blanket), but sometimes I use them to do contrasting trims on garments.
I never through them out. I can’t throw *anything* with crafting potential out 😛
My leftover bits tend to get shoved into a plastic baggie until I find a project to use them with…sometimes they get used and sometimes they don’t. I also am the sponsor of the knitting club at the school where I teach so I put the leftovers in a basket for the kids to use too!
Bits & Bobs?
I like to use my leftovers for charity knitting – small things like for children. Or practicing colorwork. I am making a 10 stitch blanket with my left over sock yarn. I also have a display of left over sock yarns in candle holders vase thingers on my kitchen table.
I’m collecting mine (mostly sock yarn) to make a pair of motley socks. I have a long way to go, but I’m excited about the project!
I’ve decided I want another of Kaffe Fassett’s Tumbling blocks sweater. I did one back in the late 80’s out of odds lots of yarn, so I’m saving my bits and pieces to accumulate enough for that. Loved the original and wore it until the roommate from hell stole it when she moved out! (As much as I missed it, small price to pay to have her gone.)
I have, however, knit socks for various iPods out of the leftovers for socks yarns. Cast on as if you’re knitting from the toe up, pick a pattern, do a bit of ribbing at the top and go.
I keep my leftovers in a jar in my “knitting room” and use them as needed for charity projects–esp nice for blankets!
My left overs are tucked away all over the place, but sometimes I use them to crochet or knit leaves and flowers to make greeting cards.
I have some sock yarn leftovers in a tall flower vast which sits on a bookcase in the living room. Last year for Christmas I made a dozen or so tiny sock ornaments that I gave as gifts.
My leftovers are stashed all over the place too. I usually try to be creative, but we just moved to our new house, so they haven’t found their way back to their normal place yet.
If they are big enough, I donate them to the local senior center
I have all of them in a plastic bag along with other stash, but I really like the idea of displaying them in a glass container. I will use them to knit baby socks. They are so much fun and make great gifts.
I put all my small leftover balls of yarn in one of those zippered bags that a blanket or set of sheets came in from the store. I go into it when I’m knitting for charity. The women get striped hats & scarves and I use my bigger balls of yarn in darker colors to knit the men hat & scaves.
DH works at a homeless shelter so I could not knit fast enough to give everyone something. I knit from April to October, then give everything I’ve finished & stashed and then during the winter I give things away as I have sets done. A hat & a scarf or a couple of hats.
I use leftovers of projects to knit bookmarks for my violin students for Christmas presents. Extras are left out for students to take home for weaving or knitting their own little projects.
Some of my leftovers do get put in lidded glass containers – no open bowls or baskets due to pet interest – but lately I’ve been collecting them and knitting them into small squares which I’m stringing on ribbon and using as Prayer Flags. I’ve only got a few at the moment but hope to have lots of them soon. When I have enough I’ll strew them throughout the house and on the property.
Every year, I use my leftover sock yarn bits to make Christmas ornaments for my friends and family. Three years ago, I made mini socks. Two years ago, I made mini hats. Last year, I made Christmas lights. This year is my absolute favorite – I’m using all the leftovers to make mini sweaters (http://chewyspaghettifos.blogspot.com/2007/01/free-pattern-ornamentla-mini-sweater.html) , and fashioning hangers out of wire. It’s a great way for a grad school student to make a thoughtful gift for everyone without breaking the bank, and I don’t feel guilty for throwing away my leftover yarn! Plus, it’s become a tradition in our family, where everyone tries to guess what sort of ornament they’ll get this year 🙂
I like the B&Bs in the glass jar, too, but I LOVE the Longaberger basket. I think being a Longaberger consultant for several years was just God’s way of preparing my house for my learning to knit and now I have plenty of baskets to hold my yarn, my needles, my books and patterns. And my work(s) in progress 🙂
I just have mine in tied plastic shopping bags that I store in a reusable shopping bag in my closet. I need ideas for stash busting projects!!
i like using my leftovers in other garments- hats and mitts are good scraps projects.
Hi Sheri and Elves 🙂
Right now I’m saving leftover bits for an eventual blanket, but I’m loving how you display yours. My yarn leftovers are whining now that they want out of the plastic and into a glass display jar…I’m listening but not sure it’s gonna happen (for now).
Love your blog.
I am currently using a lovely pedestal bowl, but am in search of something fantastic with a lid. I use up the sock scraps for the sock blankie..love all the colors the yarn brings nto the room:)
Long ago I came across a sock pattern called “Crazy Eights” that used up those little balls of yarn in eight row pattern repeats. I have turned out some amazing socks using this. It is an easy to remember pattern with a good texture. Using a main color and a variety of variegated sems to work the best. I have even used a hand-dyed solid and interspirsed(sp?) a few random rows of variegated here and there. I wish I could send you a picture, but alas the camera is not working.
I can’t say I do anything very fancy with mine…I do have a sock-yarn blankie in progress, but it’s been a while since I worked on it. I’m doing one in a worsted weight too! 🙂 I did, however, just find a pattern called the “Student Bank Account”, which is essentially a very large scarf made out of remnants and blocked all to hell when finished.
I can tell you what I do with my wound balls, though…I keep them in a jar that used to house peppermint patty chocolates (wrapped up), so whenever I go to use a new ball, they smell kinda sweet.
I wear, my socks. I mean WEAR them so my left overs stick around for darning. When the cock has finally given up the ghost, I use what’s left for wild color, kid’s socks. The crazier the color combos, the more they are loved.