Knitter’s all have stashes – it’s an inescapable problem. Even if you’re a knitter that doesn’t buy yarn without having a project in mind, there’s always that question about what to do with leftover yarn. These stash-busting knitting patterns will help you use up those leftover, half-used skeins.
The stash-busting project ideas in this article are divided into the following categories:
- Scrap blankets
- Baby items
- Shawls
- Fair Isle projects
If you’re looking for projects to use your half-used balls and skeins of yarn, these categories are made for stash-busting as you can use even short lengths of yarn in some of these projects. But, if you love a project so much and you want to cast on right away (and you don’t have enough stash yarn) I’ve included links to recommended yarn as well.
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Scrap Blankets
Scrap blankets are the perfect stash-busting project. You can use short lengths or larger half-used skeins and create a multitude of blankets that you can use or give away as gifts. The following five scrap blanket knitting patterns are a great way to bust your stash of leftover yarn.
Safe at Home Blanket
The Safe at Home Blanket is probably one of my favorite scrap blanket projects. While the original pattern uses specific yarns, this pattern is so easy to customize by using up all your bits of yarn (even some fairly short lengths will work here for the little windows or stripes in the roof). The size would also be easy to customize by making fewer houses and rows.
It’s worked all in Garter stitch and you use Intarsia and seaming to create each of the rows of houses. It can feel a bit confusing at first but once you’ve knit a house or two you’ll get into a good rhythm. Each little bit is so small that even if you have just a few minutes you can add a little bit more to your blanket.
Get the pattern: Safe at Home Blanket
Get the yarn: Malabrigo Worsted
Polygon
Use your DK weight yarn scraps to make small hexagons that can be seamed together with the Polygon pattern from Tin Can Knits. Each hexagon is worked in Garter stitch and uses just 20 yards of yarn so it would be easy for on-the-go knitting when you might just want a small project in your bag.
It’s also easy to customize as you could add or subtract the number of hexagons used in the finished blanket. There are even half-hexagons used along the edges and the blanket is finished with a Garter stitch border.
Get the pattern: Polygon
Get the yarn: King Cole Merino Blend DK
Log Cabin Scrap Blanket
Log Cabin blankets have been a mainstay of the quilting world but you can also find plenty of variations on the basic Log Cabin pattern in the knitting community – including knitted Log Cabin blankets. The version linked here, by Very Pink Knits, also includes a video tutorial.
The blanket is worked in Garter stitch blocks. You start with the smallest central square and pick up and add the next color along one edge. This process is repeated until you’ve made the square as large as you like. When all the squares are finished, a Garter stitch border is added and the blocks are seamed together.
Get the pattern: Log Cabin Scrap Blanket
Get the yarn: Plymouth Yarn Encore Worsted
Palette Blanket
This blanket from Knit Picks uses their popular 100% wool Palette yarn that comes in a wide variety of beautiful colors. While the pattern produces a 50″ x 75″ throw, it would be easy to adjust the size since the individual squares measure just 5″.
The squares are each worked from the center out using about 10 grams of yarn. When each square is completed you’ll use one solid color for the border (the full-size blanket takes 5 skeins of Palette) and seaming the finished squares.
Get the pattern: Palette Blanket
Get the yarn: Knit Picks Palette
Stitch in Time
The Stitch in Time by Kay Jones (of The Bakery Bears) is a mitered square blanket. Instead of the blankets that keep growing larger as you add the squares, she wanted something that was more portable so she created a blanket that uses twelve blocks with nine mitered squares for each and a Garter stitch border. When they are completed, the twelve blocks are then seamed together.
For her design, she created one block to represent each month and but it would be a perfect project for using up your scrap yarns because each of the small squares only uses a small portion of yarn.
Get the pattern: Stitch in Time
Get the yarn: Cascade Heritage Solids
Baby Items
Baby hats, cardigans, and other items are also perfect for stash-busting since the items are so small. A sweater’s quantity of yarn for a baby sweater is certainly not the same for an adult! Use these five patterns as inspiration to explore your own ideas for using baby items to use up those leftover skeins.
Baby Hats & Bonnets
Baby bonnets and hats to keep those sweet heads warm are a great way to use up yarn (especially soft, easy to care for yarns). This little lacy bonnet features eyelet rows, an overall lace pattern, and a beautiful lace star on the back and it’s finished with a pretty ribbon.
Get the pattern: Baby Hat
Get the yarn: Schachenmayr Baby Smiles Cotton Bamboo
Knotty Baby Hat
This adorable Knotty Baby Hat by Amanda Shwabe for Knit Picks uses their Felici sock yarn, which creates the fun striping pattern. The same technique could be achieved by using your own scraps of yarn to create stripes.
It also uses a provisional cast on and a turned picot hem (if you want to try some new skills) but you could also substitute a Long-Tail cast on if you prefer.
Get the pattern: Knotty Baby Hat
Get the yarn: Knit Picks Felici Sock Yarn
Gramps
Gramps is a popular little cardigan from Tin Can Knits. It features a shawl collar button band, pockets, and even little elbow patches. It’s really an adorable little cardigan.
Because of its small size, it could easily be used for larger skeins of worsted weight leftover stash yarn – especially since the button band, collar, cuffs, elbow patches, and pocket tops are worked in contrasting colors.
Get the pattern: Gramps
Get the yarn: Cascade 220 Superwash
Calming Baby Knit Hat
This tiny little hat is worked in Stockinette with a ribbed cuff. It’s so tiny that it would make a quick and easy stash buster. And, if you like to knit for charity, many hospitals accept donations (but be sure to check and see if they have specific guidelines before you start knitting).
Get the pattern: Calming Baby Knit Hat
Get the yarn: Knit Picks Comfy Worsted
Baby Uggs
If you’re looking for a not-so-traditional pair of baby booties, take a look at these Baby Uggs. The sole of the foot and cuff is worked in Garter stitch while the body of the bootie is worked in Stockinette. Each Ugg is worked in one piece so there is limited seaming and weaving in of ends. Bonus – they’re super cute!
Get the pattern: Baby Uggs
Get the yarn: Cascade Ultra Pima
Shawls
Shawls can be another way to use up that stash yarn. If you’ve been saving a special skein for a particular project, a beautiful shawl could be just the thing. They are also a great way to use smaller, leftover amounts of yarn as well.
Mighty Mini
The Mighty Mini shawl designed by Rachel Henry was designed with mini skeins in mind (one mini skein is usually about 20 grams of yarn) so thrifty knitters can use a pattern like this to use up their leftovers. The pattern is sort of a boomerang shape with increases worked along one edge and staggered decreases at the other (which creates the interesting shape). Combine some of your leftover yarn with with a solid color for a cute shawl.
Get the pattern: Mighty Mini
Get the yarn: Sweet Georgia Mini Skein set and Tough Love Sock
Grain
Grain from Tin Can Knits is a great introduction to the top-down shawl construction. Worked in Garter stitch, it would be easy to alternate colors and use up your stash and create a truly unique shawl.
If you’re new to top-down shawls, be sure to follow their accompanying tutorial that will walk you through the process.
Get the pattern: Grain
Get the yarn: Cascade 220
Kaieteur Shawl
Knit Picks Kaieteur Shawl, designed by Joyce Fassbender, uses their Stroll Tonal packs but could easily be substituted with stash yarn. This is a triangle shawl, but instead of the usual top-down construction, this one starts at the bottom tip and increases at both edges to create the triangle shape. The shaping is incorporated into the overall lace pattern of the shawl.
This pretty lace pattern is charted only.
Get the pattern: Kaieteur Shawl
Get the yarn: Knit Picks Stroll Tonal
Skinny Singles Shawlette
The Skinny Singles Shawlette by Kelene Kinnersly was designed to use that special stash yarn along with some leftover bits to create a pretty little heart-shaped triangle shawlette. This shawl is knit top down and features a pretty picot edging.
Get the pattern: Skinny Singles Shawlette
Get the yarn: Madelintosh Tosh Merino Light
Little Boxes Shawl
The Little Boxes Shawl designed by Tanya Seaman for Knit Picks uses their Palette yarn. She was inspired by the grid-like plan of cities with row homes sitting shoulder to shoulder. The pattern is worked in Garter stitch with a mosaic pattern worked in Stockinette (the mosaic pattern includes both charted and written instructions).
Get the pattern: Little Boxes Shawl
Get the yarn: Knit Picks Palette
Fair Isle Projects
Fair Isle and other stranded knitting projects are the perfect way to use even small amounts of leftover yarn. Many Fair Isle designs use many different colors so you could make colourful mitts or hats all with leftover yarn.
Harriet’s Hat
Harriet’s Hat is the perfect type of stranded Fair Isle project that could be knit with leftover and stash yarn (and the profits from pattern sales go to a great cause). The hat features a corrugated rib, classic stranded designs, and a beautiful stylized crown.
Get the pattern: Harriet’s Hat
Get the yarn: Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift
Flora Mitts
Fair Isle and stranded mittens and fingerless mitts are also a great stash-busting project that uses short lengths of yarn to create the colorful patterns. These Flora Mitts designed by Anne Podlesak are a good example of how small amounts of various colors can create a beautiful finished project.
Get the pattern: Flora Mitts
Get the yarn: Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift
Fairisle Abstract Cushion
Marie Wallin, known for her beautiful Fair Isle designs, created this abstract cushion that’s perfect for using those stash yarns. Each of the smaller motifs is worked individually (each is added to the next) and the finished cushion measures 19 inches square.
Get the pattern: Fairisle Abstract Cushion
Get the yarn: Jamieson’s of Shetland Spindrift
Anthology
Anthology, another pattern by Tin Can Knits, is a free hat and cowl pattern that you can use to swatch and create your own stranded colorwork designs. Use their method and pattern to create a unique design using leftover yarn from your stash.
Get the pattern: Anthology
Get the yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Worsted
Klondike and Snow Reversible Headband
The Klondike & Snow Reversible Headband, designed by Beth Ellis for Knit Picks, uses their popular Wool of the Andes Yarn (in sport weight) but it would certainly be easy to use scrap and stash yarn instead. The pattern begins with a provisional cast-on and and is worked in one piece using short rows and finished with an applied I-cord edging.
Get the pattern: Klondike and Snow Reversible Headband
Get the yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Sport
Keeping Your Stash Organized
As you can see, many knitting patterns can be used or modified to become stash busting projects. Besides looking for projects that were designed to use mini-skeins or specifically for using stash yarn, look for projects that use lots of different colors (like Fair Isle) or small accessories or items.
When you have lots of bits of leftover yarn, keep them organized by yarn weight and fiber type. You don’t really want to have a mix of plant-based yarns and wool in the same project – their care needs could be vastly different. You can fudge a bit on the yarn weight (depending on the project). You could combine worsted and DK weight wool in one stash-busting blanket and it would be perfectly fine. But it might not work so well for a sweater.
When you find a project that’s suitable for the stash of yarn you have, the yarn is all ready in one bin or bag, ready to be knit. Just get the pattern and needles and you’re ready to knit up that stash!
More Tips for Knitting on a Budget
- 20 Fun Stash Busting Blanket Knitting Patterns
- Knitting on a Budget: 20+ Money-Saving Tips
- 10 Fun & Easy Knitting Patterns for Headbands