4 Practical But Fun Ways to Use Novelty Yarn

No, you don’t have to throw out all that novelty yarn in your stash. You can use it!

When I began knitting in 2007, novelty yarn was all the rage.

I saw it everywhere — in the craft stores, in the yarn shops, even in the gifts of yarn I received. For whatever reason, everyone seemed to love it.

Today, those days seem like they were decades ago. And yet, I still have a stash of novelty yarn that doesn’t seem to get any smaller. Do any of you have a stash that looks like this?

What Is Novelty Yarn?

What do I mean when I call a yarn “novelty”?

It tends to act as a catch-all term that refers to any yarn that strays from the realm of the ordinary. For our purposes, let’s describe it this way: any yarn you’d never use (alone) to knit a blanket or a sweater is novelty yarn!

Here are some of the novelty yarns in my stash:

• Fuzzy types of yarn that are sometimes called “eyelash” or “fun fur”
• Ribbon and ruffle yarns
• Certain types of sparkly yarns–again, particularly those you’d never use in a blanket or sweater on its own
• Yarns with extremely bumpy textures–studded with little balls, for instance

Novelty yarn usually comprises at least one type of man-made fiber, like acrylic, polyester, or nylon. Sometimes these man-made fibers blend with wool or cotton, but often they do not.

What unites novelty yarn is their striking visage. You’ll never call it boring… that’s the very promise of novelty yarn!

Because they are visually striking, novelty yarn is perhaps best used in conjunction with simple, more normal yarns. A little goes a long way, so you won’t need much to make an impact.

For the eyelash or fun fur yarn in your stash, check out these patterns!

Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck with Novelty Yarn

If you’re like me and feel a little stuck with loads of novelty yarns, no worries. The following are several ways to use them. And yes, you can use them for projects that won’t get stuck in the back of a closet or drawer!

1. Scarves. Ruffle yarns, of course, often come with scarf patterns printed right on the label. You can also use novelty yarn as fringe or borders. (I once crocheted a Fun Fur border on the very first scarf I ever knit!) You could also throw in a stripe or two of novelty yarn, just for fun.

Pattern to try: Arrowhead Scarf

2. Cuffs and brims. This is an especially fun way to use eyelash yarn. Just add it to the cuffs of mittens or gloves. Or, add it to the brim of a hat.

Patterns to try: Fluffy Brim Hat, My Mohawk Hat, Capelet/Hat/Scarf/Wristlets Set

3. Blankets. Add stripes or blocks of novelty yarns to jazz up blankets or blanket squares.

Patterns to try: Scarf Afghan, Sweet Bon Bon Baby Blanket

4. Toys. Novelty yarn plus toys is a match made in heaven! You can use it for hair or fur, clothing, and so on.

Patterns to try: William the Hedgehog, American Girl Doll Fur Shrug

There’s no need to be ashamed of all the novelty yarn in your stash. You can have fun with it and make projects that others will love!