Yarn Projects for Quilt Lovers or People with Lots of Leftover Yarn

by Meg Dedolph

As I’ve mentioned before, my first fiber art love wasn’t knitting. It was quilting. I took a class at my college’s craft center one summer, just to try something new, and made a Rail Fence quilt, and from then on, I was hooked.

Now that I’ve been quilting - and knitting - long enough, I have lots of scraps of fabric – and of yarn – and I have found I really like scrap projects, no matter the medium. I like using up an entire ball of yarn or piece of fabric, and I like trying out different color combinations.

As with quilting, I sometimes get in over my head. The time I decided I would hand-quilt a bedspread to get that “authentic quilting experience”? I started the quilt before I met my husband and finished it more than two decades later, in the spring of 2020. It turns out that there are a lot of things I will do before I quilt by hand. (Also, I got tired of chasing the cats off the quilting frame.)

The knitting equivalent for me is a mitered square sock yarn blanket. I started it … long ago with all my scraps of self-striping fingering weight yarn, and I have not finished it yet. But I will this year. If you want to play with this idea, I suggest not using US 1 needles. I also suggest not making 3-inch squares. Go bigger in all ways.

Another idea that’s adaptable to different fiber arts is the postage stamp quilt, made up of hundreds of tiny squares sewn together in a grid. A more modern interpretation uses bigger squares and checkerboards the colored fabrics with white. I made one of these quilt tops by cutting two-inch squares and sewing them together a few at a time in between other projects. It adds up.

I’m drawn to this crochet pattern, which is basically the same idea and has the same fresh look with all the white yarn. (Knitters: here’s your version.)

Finally, another quilting pattern that looks great in fabric and yarn is the log cabin, with strips bordering a square center. You can see it interpreted as a baby blanket, either knitted or crocheted, but one of my favorite patterns is these knitted mitts. I’m looking forward to getting out some scraps of worsted weight yarn to see what color combinations I can make.

Scrappy projects are a great way to try new color combinations on a small scale, use up some dribs and drabs of yarn and shake yourself out of a creative rut - have fun!

Are you intriqued, but don't have any leftovers of your own? Get a mini skein set or ask about our bags of Colorful Bits next time you are in the store.