Monday, May 12, 2008

The Hanks Question of the Week

If you over-buy for a project - not by much, maybe by a skein - what do you do with the rest? Are you like me and you have an entire bin filled with half- and three-quarter sized balls of yarn that you're planning to do... something ... with? Someday? Personally I've found baby garments to be a great use of these ball ends, but... am I the only one who does this? Are there people who just throw them out or donate them?

8 comments:

Betharoopie said...

I don't have a binful (yet), but I do have a goodly-sized bag of oddities. So far I've used them for bits of toys (when a small bit of a contrasting color is needed), and I make mini-stockings and ornaments out of leftover sock yarn to tie onto Christmas presents.

I have grand visions of some kind of off-kilter blanket or throw, but that'll take a while to accumulate...

Anonymous said...

I have a bin with all those partial skeins that I feel would be wasteful to throw away. I use them for contrasting edging or to try out new stitches. I use the really pretty stuff for wrapping presents - big frou-frou bows can use up leftovers pretty quickly.

Anonymous said...

I have a medium sized bag that I use for allsorts: mittens, wristlets, narrow bracelets, gift bags. If I have only a little yarn leftover then I'll use it for provisional cast-ons.

Like Betharoopie I have big ideas about a multicolored, multi yarn weight blanket but I never seem to get around to it! :D

Kim Mears said...

I have a ton of random single and partial skeins of old acrylic. I use it for toys and have been donating some, as well. For sock yarn (an addiction of mine that is fairly new), I am doing a sock yarn scrap blanket (like the one Shelley Kang did). That has become a bit of an addiction in and of itself.

Anonymous said...

If the yarn is no longer available, I join yarns of same content, make up a skein of about 200-250 yards, then overdye the whole batch. If I have 2 or more skeins, I try to do a series of the same colours, from dark to light. Even cheap acrylic yarn can be dyed, and using a favourite colour means I'll use it more quickly.

Lorena said...

Ooo! I am totally adding "bows" and "overdyeing" into my list of things to use scraps for.

MauveFrog said...

I don't have a lot of remainders yet. I'm looking forward to it though. I've got ideas. :-)

I like the idea of over-dyeing. I'll add it to my list. It would be a good way for me, as a non-spinner, to have a chance to try out dyeing.

Now I just need to knit faster, do more projects, so I can collect remainders to dye. :-)

Kenyetta said...

I don't have a binful yet either but if it's worsted weight, I make fish for my tessellating fish afghan. Sock weight I have made baby socks, and ipod cozies.