How little yarn would you call a scrap?

"Do you save even the smallest scraps? How little yarn would you call a scrap?"

This was a question I was asked recently.

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Yes I do keep even the smallest scraps!  

Throw too-short pieces in a bowl and use them to stuff small items instead of, or along with, fiberfill. Natural fibers 6"-8" can be stuck in a tree for the birds to use as nest material.

Granny squares use an 18” piece for the very center, and a 24” piece for the next row.  And that still leaves enough length to weave in both ends!  In this water lily pad granny, the center yellow stamens (inside the yellow petals) could be any color, or a combination of colors to be pretty and unique.

Crocheted Iris

When designing, I often need to experiment with small bits.  For example, the latest design I’m working on is an iris that uses a piece only 18” long - a pale orange strip in the center of the yellow part of the petal.

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Another example of elements of an item using small amounts:  Tiny amounts of scraps were used for the eyes & tusks of the elephant, the butterflies, flowers, caterpillars, and bird. A specialty yarn - an eyelash/fun fur with a ladder ribbon wound together - was separated, and tiny lengths of the eyelash part were used to make caterpillars, and the ladder ribbon made a cute snake. 

Easter Peace Lily by Moogly
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Then there's an afghan for my mom, where I want to put a different type of naturalistic flower on each granny square, such as this Easter Lily by the talented Tamara Kelly from Moogly.  As discussed before, flowers often use tiny amounts - look at those stamens, and the tips on them.

Or, make fun flowers to decorate a teen/kid's room using a different color for each petal! 

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Little bits can be used to applique spotted or striped designs, make numbers or letters of the alphabet, put borders on small embellishments, etc.   

Lots of free patterns are available for small, cute, quick gifts such as luggage tags, purse and cell phone dangles, key rings and more - just do a search for "scrap yarn patterns".

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This scrap blanket from Red Berry Crochet works up the scraps as soon as there are some.  Instead of weaving in ends, she knots the pieces together, trims the ends short for a tufted effect, and puts all the knots on one side.  One side is smooth, the other has a rustic textural effect.  I LOVE the idea of doing those little scrap pieces right then - it makes working in another afghan it so amazingly easy and do-able!



Here's a video showing how to join yarn together and clip the ends off entirely.  The knots are tiny, don’t come loose, and it is definitely a pain-in-the-neck saver if you want to use up a lot of pieces in something like an afghan:  How to join yarn by making a double (invisible) knot.

Tip:  Keep yarn scraps tidy until ready to be used by wrapping them around clothespins; secure the end in the clip.

More yarn scrap ideas

• Crochet Challenge: Make a scrap yarn project
• More About Yarn Scraps
• From Yarn Scraps to Bird's Nests, Part 1
• From Yarn Scraps to Bird's Nests, Part 2

I'd love to hear your ideas!

Until next time!
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#yarn-scraps #ideas #tips