# Leftovers



## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

What do you all do with your little bits of left over yarn? Granny squares can only carry me so far. I have bags and bags of those end bits to a skein and sometimes feel like the old man who had a box of string labeled "pieces too small to save." 

Sometimes I will use up bits to put a contrasting fringe on a scarf. My mom crochets butterflies that we use to embellish whatever. 

What are some good ideas to use up these bits? I wish I knew someone who LIKED making granny squares - I would donate them! Someone posted a picture of the socks of many colors which I thought was great but my bits are heavier yarn than sock yarn and I don't know how to knit socks.  

What do you do with your leftovers?


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I knit stash buster scarves from my handspun.











or double layered crocheted pot holders/trivets (again using wool handspun)


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I just finished this one and I'm starting another one. Leftover hand spun knit with leftover commercial sock yarn.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I have multiple bags of either Hexipuffs, or Mitered Squares. Both get turned into blankets, or scarves ,eventually. 
I keep types of fiber separated, but not weights, that way when they get sewn up, care instructions are much simpler.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Hexipuffs? Love the name . Off to look them up :whistlin:


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Marchie, they are wonderful little gadgets!!
Little Hexagon shaped puffs of fibery goodness, each takes only about 11 yds or so.
http://tinyowlknits.wordpress.com/the-beekeepers-quilt/


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## Texasdirtdigger (Jan 17, 2010)

I use some as felting.


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## 7thswan (Nov 18, 2008)

I make fair isle/intarsa hats. Tiny snips from weaving ends in got into a suiet feeder for the birds.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

I've never heard of hexipuffs - that beekeeper's quilt is a great idea! 

I like the idea of using snippets in suet feeders, too. I had forgotten about those! A friend of mine who raises alpacas would use the material that was too short to spin and actually make designs. She might layer them so they were striped or she would make a heart design in the center with a contrasting color. She sold them like hotcakes to an upscale bird-feeding store in the city.


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## freelove (Jun 17, 2005)

I was saving all of the little bits left from spinning projects, the few yards left on the bobbin after plying and all sorts of odd bits of yarn and finally came up with the idea to keep a continuous shawl on a spare set of needles. Nothing fancy, just a garter stitch "dish cloth" shawl. I finished one and started another from heavy scraps, finished that, too. I have worn the first, lighter weight one so much it is getting worn edges (I wear it to work in) and the second, heavy one is so warm and large that I often wear it instead of a coat. I have gotten so many compliments on it. I am getting ready to start a small, shoulder poncho from some heavy, Lopi like yarn bits or maybe I will keep knitting until ... who knows.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

Freelove - do you have a picture? That sounds like a great idea, too!


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## freelove (Jun 17, 2005)

Kasota, no, sorry I don't have a camera.

I really love these shawls. I just keep knitting and add new yarn as the one I am working runs out with only a little thought to colors.

I cast on 4 stitches. R.1 Knit across. R.2 Knit 2, yarn over, knit to the end of the row. Repeat row 2 until it is the size you want, bind off.


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## betty modin (May 15, 2002)

I use the small ends of skeins to make little 'stress balls' which I fill with rice or flax seed inside of those little knee high hose or thin old socks. One year I made one for nearly every child on my case load. I made some for a group in need of 'fidgets' and then every one wanted one.

The balls use very little yarn, and 'bits and pieces' can make interesting patterns. They fit in the palm of your hand. My Mom warms hers in the microwave and then kneads in her hand to loosen up her fingers in the morning. People seem to like them best when they're made from handspun or a good wool. 

I also use the little bits to make short mitts-fingerless gloves that are basically mittens without a cuff. I knit a basic mitten pattern with a thumb placement up to about the first knuckle on the thumb and about half way to the first knuckle on the fingers and then bind off.


betty


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## frazzlehead (Aug 23, 2005)

A friend of mine just ties the leftovers together leaving the tails to dangle. She knits plain garter stitch mats (her dogs love them, they also make good boot mats) out of two or three strands held together ... they turn out great!


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## Ana Bluebird (Dec 8, 2002)

Flowers, crocheted or knitted, to add to anything: hats, scarfs, purses, headbands, or even to make wreaths or bouquets.


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## bergere (May 11, 2002)

I ply all my left over singles together to make 2 ply yarn... then toss them in the basket. 
Some day, will do something with them. LOL 
Some is used to tie my skeins up.
Not that helps you.

Love seeing all the fun stuff everyone does with theirs.


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## weever (Oct 1, 2006)

I've been enjoying this thread. Hubby makes socks on his sock machine, which leaves us with lots of little balls of our wool yarn leftover. Every once in a while he will make random socks with the leftovers. He plans a bit, making them match. These socks always sell more quickly than his regular colorful ones.


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## Taylor R. (Apr 3, 2013)

I've donated a ton of little acrylic scraps to my kids' art teacher. I've had a couple projects come home with bits of my yarn on them, too, so it seems like it's being used. I've also made little granny square 'hobo' blankets (you literally just tie the squares together rather than seaming up) for our local animal shelter from acrylic scraps, also.

I haven't accumulated enough wool scraps yet to force me to do something about them...my day will come and I'll be back at this thread looking for ideas.


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## mathchick (Aug 13, 2013)

I just made a pair of socks where I changed colors every 2 - 3 inches. They turned out okay - would have been cool had I done a better job matching color schemes and lining up with the shaping of the sock. 

Here's a really cool idea from Ravelry, using stripes of leftovers with a stripe of a more neutral color between each to make it more cohesive.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/Hypercycloid/hypercycloids-toe-up-sock-recipe-3


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Mathchick ... NEED pictures!! I bet your sock looks great!


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## Pearl B (Sep 27, 2008)

Lately Ive started just tying the ends of scraps together into big ball. Im thinking of saving it for making crazy colored thick/thin crochet blankets. Ive figured out how to hide the knots on one side!!


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## mathchick (Aug 13, 2013)

I've been meaning to take pictures of them - I'll do that sometime this week. dh kept telling me how silly they were going to look the entire time I was making them - but even he had to admit they weren't too bad when I finished.


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## Kasota (Nov 25, 2013)

I saw this on Ravelry and thought it was a very neat idea! I'll bet these would sell well at craft fairs, too. 

http://www.ravelry.com/projects/SierraPelona/water-bottle-cozy


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

I combine little bits of this and that, try to match the fiber content and then make socks, baby booties, slippers, hats and decorative trim for other projects. I have made hair ties also...wild ones for me. I do put colors together and set aside til I have enough to play with. It reminds me of that song my Step Mother used to play, The Coat of Many Colors by Dolly Parton.... Thick remnants I use for slippers, crocheting may make little amounts easier, not sure...but easy enough to hook another color in...fun stuff happens....head bands, ear warmers......


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