People who knit and crochet fondly refer to the extra balls and skeins of yarn in their possession as their “stash.” Whether it is remnants from completed projects or discontinued styles purchased from discount bins, crafters hold onto these scraps to use for small projects or to combine in larger projects.
Why Collect Yarn?
Why collect yarn if it isn’t used for knitting or crocheting? Braid scraps of yarn into bracelets or bookmarks. With the appropriate glue, attach yarn to the edges of lampshades, pockets, and book covers. Tie several strands of yarn onto a zipper pull for quick identification of luggage and backpacks. Use scraps of yarn wherever pieces of ribbon would be used.
Nowadays, yarn comes is a wonderful variety of textures. For non-knitters who remember the smooth acrylic yarn their grandmother used to knit an afghan or mittens for them, a peek at the yarn corner of the local craft store will show them the choices out there today. Once parents and children start thinking about what they can do with small pieces of yarn, they’ll want to have an assortment on hand.
Building a Yarn Stash
A second look at those skeins of yarn at the store will show parents the high cost of some yarns. For the person who doesn’t knit or crochet, don’t worry about building a stash with skeins of yarn. Instead, ask family, friends, co-workers, and neighbors for scraps of yarn. (Even if this person isn’t a close friend, they may be thrilled by a request to share part of their hobby.)
Adults don’t have to worry about imposing on the crafters around them. Those crafters are probably holding onto balls of yarn so small that they don’t know what they’d do with them. Parents can explain that they want scraps of yarn for future craft projects with their children.
In many cases, one-to-three feet of yarn is all kids need to embellish their artwork. Parents only need mention that they are looking for a variety of yarns in different textures to receive a diverse collection of colors and textures.
Organizing a Mini Yarn Stash
Take those short strands of yarn and wrap them around index and middle fingers to create a coil. Set the coils into a plastic food storage bag. If the selection of colors runs the gamut of the rainbow, sort bundles, by color, into zipper lock snack or sandwich bags. Another option is to set the coils of yarn into a divided storage box or even the sections of an egg carton. Avoid keeping too many coils of yarn in one bag because kids will get frustrated faced with a tangle of knots.
Ask friends, family, coworkers, and neighbors for scraps of yarn. Creating a varied collection of yarn adds a new element to embellishing art and craft projects. Try making yarn rope, weaving on twigs, or learning finger crochet.
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