6 Simple, Inexpensive Ways Your Scrap Yarn Can Help Others

These 6 easy charity knitting projects can help you use up that scrap yarn in your yarn stash

I hate to throw away yarn. It feels so wasteful. So disrespectful, both of the yarn and of the planet.

So, yeah… I never really throw it away unless the scraps left are really tiny.

This, of course, does have its issues. When you hate to throw away yarn, you’re going to be stuck with lots of teeny tiny amounts of scrap yarn left over from other projects.  

And there’s another problem: yarn should be used. Isn’t that the whole reason we keep leftover yarn, because we believe it’s still useful?

Of course.

And yet… it can be really hard to find ways to use these tiny scraps. I mean, when was the last time you read “teensy ball of worsted-weight yarn” in the “materials needed” part of a pattern?

But fear not! There are plenty of ways you can use up that scrap yarn so it taunt you from within your stash. Better still, all these ways can improve the lives of others (human or animal)!

6 Ways to Use Up Your Scrap Yarn for Charity Projects

1. Baby booties. Two baby booties take very little yarn, and you can donate them to your nearest hospital. If you don’t have enough of one solid color yarn to do two booties, you can add a ‘stripe’ of another color yarn to each bootie — and that may even help you use up TWO scraps of yarn!

A pattern to try: Easiest Baby Booties Ever

2. Start a lap blanket or afghan for your local senior center or assisted living facility. Just knit a little at a time, using the scrap yarn bits as you go, and when it’s big enough, donate it!

A pattern to try: Lap Robe

3. If you know how to knit socks, you can use scrap yarn to knit tiny Christmas stockings, either as ornaments or for gifts. They don’t have to be in traditional Christmas colors, either — experiment! Donate the finished projects to your local women’s or homeless shelter.

A pattern to try: Mini Stocking

4. Make finger puppets for your local low-income neighborhood center, day care, homeless shelter, Head Start center, or Boys and Girls Club.

Two patterns to try:  Finger Puppets and Five Finger Puppets

5. ‘Catnip mice’ can be made with tiny triangles, and even stuffed with leftover yarn! Donate them to your local SPCA or animal rescue facility.

A pattern to try: That’s Very Mice

6. Leftover yarn can be used to knit sampler squares for a variety of charities. For a collection of the many charities that accept knitted squares, see this article!

A pattern to try: Perfect Lay-Flat Knitted Diagonal Garter Washcloth

So please, no more feeling guilty about your inability to throw away scrap yarn. Instead, make something delightful that will help make others’ lives better! You’ll feel better, too.