A few weeks ago, Melissa introduced me to the term “Frankenstein project.” That is, a project that’s stitched together using lots of little yarn leftovers. (Get it?) I’d never heard the term before, but the concept is, of course, awesome. And Halloween seemed like a perfect time to chat about it.

If you’ve crocheted or knit more than a handful of projects, you’ve got some leftovers. It’s inevitable. Sure, every once in a while, a project will use exactly a skein (or two) of yarn, but that’s a very rare occasion. Usually, you’re left with anywhere from a few yards to a half skein of yarn, and no clue what to do with it.

The thing is, if you organize (!!!) your stash a bit, and keep yarns of similar weight together, you’ll suddenly find yourself with bits and pieces that actually work together. Of course, any proejct with stripes or colorwork is a perfect stash-buster — you often need only a few yards of each color for those kinds of projects. Melissa knit a great stripey hat with a bunch of worsted-weight leftovers. Imagine having to buy new skeins of all those colors — suddenly, a simple hat gets a bit expensive. But a two- or three-row stripe only takes a few yards of yarn, so you can really use up even those tiny, tiny bits.

I’ve gathered up a few ideas for great stash-busting patterns. But there are plenty more out there — leave a note and let us all know what patterns or projects you’ve used to bust your stash. After all, we’re all looking for ways to make room for more yarn …

Striped socks are the perfect way to use up sock yarn leftovers.

• If you’re a sock knitter, you’ve no doubt got lots of little bits of sock yarn floating around. (Stash-reducing tip: Try toe-up socks; you can knit right to the end of the skein without worrying that you’ll run out of yarn.) Fortunately, most sock yarn is of similar weight, so it’s easy to mix them together. All you need is a basic pattern (I wouldn’t recommend fancy stitch patterns here), and you’re good to go. A totally unique pair of socks. (That same sock pattern is also available in a kids’ size.) Spud & Chloe’s Popsicle Socks pattern (we’ve got it in the store!) is evidence that stripey socks are very, very good.
• Crocheters know that motifs are a great way to use up little blobs of yarn. One round of a granny square uses only a tiny length of yarn. Do you know Lucy’s work? Whether you’re already a crocheter, or just starting to experiment, you have to check out her blog, Attic 24. Try her hexagon motif (very hot right now) or her Summer Garden granny square. She’s also got a tutorial for a gorgeous crochet bag that would use up quite a few leftovers.
• And while we’re talking about crochet, Blair just posted a tutorial for a granny square scarf. She used a limited color palette, but there’s no reason you couldn’t go crazy with all your leftovers. The nice thing about a project like this is that gauge doesn’t really matter. As long as your yarns are of the same weight, you can just keep working until the scarf is the length you want.
• Simple hand or wrist warmers are a great way to use up stash. One of the most popular patterns for these is Toast, which is just a long tube. Period. (Its cousin, Toasty, has a simple thumb.) There are more than 2,000 pairs of Toast or Toasty on Ravelry, and that many people can’t be wrong! Make them striped, and you can use up tons of leftovers. Same goes for Susan B. Anderson’s Happy Endings mitts, or these great ribbed hand warmers. If you’re a little intimidated by double-pointed needles, any of these patterns would be really good practice, without the added hassle of shaping.
• Colorwork fans have lots of options, but one of my favorites is the Cheery Scrap Cap by Kate Oates. (FYI, if you knit for babies and kids, you owe it to yourself to bookmark Petite Purls. Do it now.) The thing is, babies and kids can get away with wearing crazy color schemes. Pull out all your worsted-weight scraps and randomly pick some. I guarantee this hat will look great, no matter what you choose.
• I’ve had this scrappy hat in my Ravelry faves for a while, because I have a huge stash of Cascade 220. You could do this one in two or three colors, or a whole bunch. And this would be an excellent project to practice fair-isle knitting.
• Of course, small projects are great stash-busters. What about the beautiful pyramid sachets from the new book, “More Last-Minute Knitted Gifts”? (We’ve got it in the shop!) They could be knit in almost any yarn, and use just a fraction of a skein. If you’re thinking about holiday knitting, you’ve got to check out Korknisse. Start saving your corks now — these would make perfect little gift toppers or ornaments.

OK, your turn. What have you knit or crocheted to use up bits and bobs?

P.S. Not to nag, but you did enter our giveaway, didn’t you? There’s still time! We’ll be accepting comments until Thursday night. Go to the original post about the giveaway, and leave a comment.