How To Use Up Your YARN STASH | NO MORE WASTED YARN!
Written by: Elise Speed
Published on May 18th, 2024
How to Use Up Your Yarn Stash is full of practical tips and inspiration for using up the yarn you already have! No more wasted yarn!
I have a lot of yarn. And I know a lot of you do as well.
So today I’m going to go through my stash to find the perfect projects for the yarn I already have.
Plus I’ve got a free downloadable worksheet that I’m going to be using to help me keep track of it all. And if you would like it as well, scroll down until you see the box to put your email in and I’ll send it right over.
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How To Use Up Your YARN STASH
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Get Your FREE Yarn Stash Busting Worksheet Here
HOW TO USE UP YOUR YARN STASH in 2024
I don’t know how it happened but my stash is multiplying. I’m afraid if I don’t start using up some of this yarn, I’m going to run out of storage in my craft room.
What I typically do is find a project and buy the yarn for it and that’s why I think I’ve ended up in this situation.
Have you ever heard the phrase “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach?” My parents always said that to me because I would pile my plate full of food and get halfway through it and realize I couldn’t eat it all.
I think that’s what happens to us crocheters. We overestimate the amount of time we have to crochet and “Our eyes are bigger than our hands!”
Check Out How to Organize Your Yarn Stash for Your Personality Type Here
So I’ve gone through my stash and found 10 yarns that I would like to find patterns for. I’m documenting it all in my worksheet so that I don’t forget about it.
KnitPicks Palette
The first yarn I would like to find patterns for is Knit Picks Palette.
This is an absolutely beautiful yarn and I have 14 skeins of it in my stash. It’s 231 yards and 50 grams. It’s 100% Peruvian Highland Wool and it’s a number 1 fingering weight yarn.
It comes in so many gorgeous colors and there are 156 options to choose from. Full price it’s $4.99/ donut, but you can get it on sale at KnitPicks.
I originally bought this yarn because I thought it would be great to make amigurumi.
One of my favorite knitted toy designers and makers is Suzy Marie Knits and she creates the most gorgeous knitted toys with this yarn. But I quickly found that it was too thin for me to use for crocheted toys so I wanted to find something else to make with this yarn.
I found the Pretty in Pink Triangle Crochet Shawl from Briana K Designs. I absolutely love the look of this one. It’s a free pattern on her website and there’s also a video tutorial on her YouTube channel!
She’s using four different colors and the pattern shows how many yards you will need for each color.
For the cream color you need 1 ball, for the blush and tea rose you need 2 balls, and for the final color Victorian you need three balls.
Check Out 15 FREE STASH BUSTING Crochet Projects To Help REDUCE YOUR Yarn Collection Here
Because I don’t have multiple balls of the same color for this yarn, mine would end up looking a bit different because I would have to alternate colors more often, but I think it would look absolutely amazing anyway!
This is also a beginner friendly pattern. And even though I’m not a beginner, I enjoy easier projects like this to give my brain a break!
Find the Pretty in Pink Triange Shawl Here
Bernat Lattice
I recently went to the H+H Americas conference in Chicago, Illinois. All of the big and many small yarn companies were there and lots of them were giving away free yarn.
And I was too tempted to say no.
I ended up having to pay a $100 fee for my suitcase coming home because it was overweight. It wasn’t overweight on the way there, but it was on the way home because my bag was stuffed full of yarn.
It was totally worth it.
The moment I saw the Bernat Lattice yarn, I knew I had to have it. I only snagged three skeins even though I wanted to take a lot more. It is absolutely gorgeous.
It’s 54% polyester, 28% acrylic and 18% nylon. It’s 7.8 oz or 220 grams. It’s 389 yards or 356 meters. This is a nice big skein. And It’s a #4 worsted weight yarn.
I got it in the colors Bark, Cherry and Charcoal.
It comes in 12 different colors and full price it is $13.49 per skein on the Yarnspirations website.
I love this speckled look and the website says that it has high stitch definition, which I really like.
I found the Color Blocked Crochet Blanket pattern on the Yarnspirations website and I think it would be so gorgeous in these colors. There are also lots of other patterns featuring this new yarn on their website.
The only issue is that I would need one additional skein (I knew I should have picked up one more). But I feel like it would be justified so that I could use up the three colors I already have…. I would go with the cream color because I think it would look better with the three colors I already have.
Find the Crochet Color-Blocked Crochet Blanket Here
Premier Cotton Fair
Another yarn that I collected at H+H Americas was the Premier Cotton Fair. I already had a good amount of this in my stash, but I picked up an additional 6 skeins….
This is one of my favorites and I have been hoping that Premier Yarns would develop some new colors and they did!!
As of right now at the time I’m filming this video the colors still aren’t on their website but I added the Taupe and Goldenrod to my stash.
This is a #2 Fine Weight yarn that currently comes in 22 colors, but they will be releasing new ones very soon.
It’s 52% cotton and 48% acrylic and it feels like buttah. It’s 3.5 oz or 100 grams and 317 yards or 290 meters.
If found the Lavender Fields tank on their website and depending on the size you either need 2, 3 or 4 balls. I would 3 for my size. It’s a free pattern on the Premier Yarns website and the skill level is Intermediate. This would be perfect for the warmer summer months or to layer under a jacket for the cooler temperatures.
Find the Lavender Fields Tank Here
Premier Minikins
I have a lot of Premier Minikins yarn in my collection and I’ve already made a gorgeous little granny square table runner with it. And I was curious what else I could make.
The Premier Minikins comes in 42 beautiful colors and is 50% cotton and 50% acrylic. It’s an incredibly soft yarn! It’s 158 or 145 meters and is 1.75 oz or 50 grams. It’s $2.99 full price but you can wait for those great sales that Premier frequently has.
This is an ideal yarn for amigurumi toys and they recommend a 2.25 mm crochet hook if you’re using it for that purpose.
The Minikin Mermaids are the project I want to make with this yarn!!! How adorable!! It’s almost summer now and I cannot wait to go to the beach and this would be the perfect project.
I love that you can make the mermaids in any color and you can get crazy with the hair color and their mermaid tails!
Find the Minikins Mermaids Pattern Here
Berroco Vintage Baby
The next yarn I would like to use up is Berroco Vintage Baby. I have six skeins of the most beautiful colors and I’m itching to make something with them.
This is a #3 weight DK yarn that comes in 29 different colors. It’s 52% acrylic, 40% wool and 8% nylon. It’s 1.7 oz or 50 grams and 145 yards or 133 meters.
Find Berroco Vintage Baby Here
I have six skeins of this in beautiful soft baby colors and I found a sweet little blanket to make with it.
This is the Berroco Baby Eden Blanket, which is a free download on the Berroco website. It calls for five skeins.
The pattern only uses 3 colors and all six of my skeins are different. But I still think this could be a very pretty project and would use it up!
Find the Baby Eden Blanket Pattern Here
Berroco Vintage
Speaking of Berroco, I have a booty ton of Berroco Vintage, which is their super popular #4 worsted weight yarn.
I have made so many amigurumi toys with this yarn, but I’m on the hunt for something a little different.
Berroco Vintage is 52% acrylic, 40% wool and 8% nylon and it’s one of my top favorite yarns to work with.
It comes in over 80 gorgeous shades! Each hank is 3.5 oz or 100 grams and 218 yards or 200 meters.
I have so much of this yarn in my stash so I am going to need a project that is going to use a lot up.
One of my favorite places to look for patterns is on Ravelry. In the search bar you can look for patterns that feature this yarn and it’s so easy to navigate.
There are loads of patterns for this yarn but one of my favorites is the Vintage Vineyard Blanket by Susan Carlson from the Felted Button dot com.
The pattern calls for 14 hanks in 7 different colors and that won’t be a problem. When I said I had a lot of this yarn, I wasn’t joking!!
This one is a paid pattern and you can find it on Etsy. Make sure to check out all of the other patterns she has in her shop, they are gorgeous!
Find the Vintage Vineyard Blanket Here
Happy Place
I’m not trying to brag but just last week I met my idol, Toni Lipsey of TL YarnCrafts. It was an absolute dream come true for me. And I am happy to report that Toni is just as wonderful in person as she seems on camera.
Toni has her own line of yarn from Hobbii called Happy Place and it is fabulous. I made on rectangle granny square blanket from the yarn that I gave to my mom. And I’m currently making another, but I will still have several balls left over.
Happy Place is a 50% cotton and 50% wool blend and it currently comes in 20 melange colors which is a mix between a solid color and white which gives it a heathered look. It also comes in 19 solid colors.
It’s 3.5 oz or 100 grams and 273 yards or 250 meters and it’s a number 3 Light Worsted/DK yarn.
I’m obsessed with the Open Book Wrap pattern which is a free download on Hobbii’s website and uses 6 different colors.
It’s absolutely stunning and it could be made with so many different color combinations.
Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash
The next yarn in my stash that I would like to use up is the Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash.
This is a 100% #3 DK yarn that comes in a whopping 139 colors!
It comes in 3.5 oz or 100 gram balls and it contains 220 yards or 200 meters.
This is a workhorse of a yarn and there are so many amazing things you can make with it.
Find Cascade 220 Superwash Here
One of my favorites is the Thea Bag from Sarah Korth of SEK Handmade. I AM OBSESSED!
Look at how gorgeous this bag is!!!! One of the best parts of this pattern is that Sarah shows how to make it exactly like hers or to customize it to make something totally unique.
I had the great privilege of meeting Sarah at the Crochet Business Summit and she is a delight. She has a laugh that just makes you want to laugh, even if you don’t know what the joke is! Sarah also has a knack for putting colors together so I would make sure to check out all of her other stunning projects!
Find the Thea Bag Pattern Here
Spincycle Yarns Dyed in the Wool
Once upon a time I bought some fancy-shmancy yarn from a yarn shop in Black Mountain, NC. At the time I knew exactly what I was going to make with it… but guess who didn’t write it down.
This guy.
So now I’m having to go back to the beginning and look for a project to make with it.
This is one of the most expensive yarns I’ve ever purchased and it was worth every penny.
Spincycle Dyed in the Wool is a 100% American wool, sport weight yarn that comes in 200 yard hanks.
Find Spincycle Dyed in the Wool Here
What makes this yarn truly unique is that it is dyed before spinning and the colors are truly stunning.
While you can find a plethora of knitting projects featuring this yarn, but it can be difficult to find crochet patterns specifically for it.
But I found one on Ravelry that took my breath away. This is the Comfy Keyhole Scarf and is made using a unique crochet technique that creates a three dimensional project.
Find the Comfy Keyhole Scarf Here
Paintbox Simply DK
Last year I purchased a yarn that I was sure I was going to love for amigurumi, but I didn’t.
And that is Paintbox Simply DK.
This is a 100% acrylic, number 3 DK yarn that comes in 63 different colors.
It’s 3.5 oz or 100 grams and is 302 yards or 276 meters.
Find the Paintbox Simply DK Yarn Here
And while I didn’t love it for crocheting toys I believe that it would make a great yarn for a lot of other projects.
The one showstopper project I found using this exact yarn is the DK Granny Squares and Striped Cardigan by Beth Povey of Realm Designs.
How gorgeous is this granny cardigan??? Although the description on Ravelry doesn’t give the details about how much yarn you need for this, I’ve got a decent amount of the Paintbox Simply DK in my stash, so I don’t think I would have any trouble being able to complete it.
I also love that this project has 4 & 3/4 stars from 688 votes!!
And I want to start this one right now!!
Find the DK Granny Squares and Stripes Cardigan Pattern Here
HOW TO USE UP YOUR YARN STASH in 2024
Finally, don’t forget to get your free Stash Buster Planning Worksheet!
I hope you enjoyed seeing all the crochet projects I found to use up my stash and that it has encouraged you to go on the hunt for projects that get you excited to use up the yarn you already have!
