Organize Leftover Yarn For Future Projects

Knitters and crocheters everywhere have one common plight: They are prone to accumulating yarn. It begins innocently enough. You have a ball or two left over from a completed sweater or afghan. After this happens a dozen or so times, you have quite a pile of leftovers. Another way you end up with excess yarn is to find some lovely yarn you can’t pass up on sale. Either way, before you know it, you have your very own “yarn stash.”

Making new projects is always the most fun, but having ideas to use up those odd balls of yarn is indeed satisfying. Here are some ways to get started:

Begin by organizing your yarn. Get it all out and arrange it. Put it together by color and/or yarn type. For example, if you have enough creamy and beige yarns, they could be perfect for a pretty cardigan or pullover.

Even if several yarns are not the same fiber type, they may work well together. Mix cottons, wools or other fibers with interesting results.

Try grouping balls of the same kind of yarn. Experiment by putting together some color mixes that you’ve never thought about before. You might try joining colors such as turquoise with cream, brown or black, or grouping corals, rusts and reds. Put your leftover tweeds and variegated yarns with solid colors.

When mixing yarns, however, think about the care of the final project. If you are making a child’s leftover-yarn sweater, eliminate any fragile, highmaintenance yarns. If you intend to machine-wash your finished garment, make sure all the yarns in your group can be washed.

Check colorfastness of the yarn. Before you make a bright red sweater accented with bleached white, you should make a swatch and wash it. Most yarns are colorfast, but it’s better to find out for sure before you make the sweater.

The next step is to find the project. The amount of yarn you have in your grouping may well dictate the type of piece you make. If you have a great deal of material, you could make an afghan or coat. Use smaller amounts for hats, mittens, scarves and the like.

If you don’t have enough of one color to make a complete garment, you must plan carefully. Take an existing pattern and work in all the colors you have in your pile. Its ease will surprise you. If you have more of one color than all others, use it as a main color for ribbings and edges. You can work in stripes or simple color patterns with the other colors. Many sweaters are made with each piece in another color. Unify it by making all the edges from the same color.

Join leftovers by doubling the yarn. This is especially fun if you use a flat yarn with a hairy one, such as a mohair or angora blend or a brushed acrylic. Try mixing a novelty yarn with a plainer yarn. Try different variations before you begin.

When combining yarns, make sure that they all have approximately the same gauge. A very thin and very thick yarn in the same garment wouldn’t be very successful.

Most of all, we suggest that you be adventurous and get creative. Have fun using up those odd balls of yarn.

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: EASY COLORFUL AFGHAN Perfect for using up leftover balls of yarn, today’s crocheted afghan combines seven different colors in a beautiful hexagon pattern. It’s fairly easy to crochet, and you’ll have fun with different color combinations unified by a single-color border.

To obtain directions for making the Crocheter’s Delight, send your request for Leaflet No. 021196 with $2 and a long, stamped, self-addressed envelope to: The NeedleWorks, The Spokesman-Review, P.O. Box 419148, Kansas City, MO 64141. Or you may order Kit No. 021196 by sending a check or money order for $44.95 to The NeedleWorks at the same address. Kit price includes shipping charges, full instructions and worsted-weight acrylic yarn in your choice of pink, rose and off-white, or blues, greens and off-white. For kit orders only, you may call 7 a.m.-2 p.m. weekdays to (800) 873-9537 to order by phone.