Whiptips craft advice column for readers to ask questions or offer advice by leaving comments. Whiptips archive here. Questions to whiptips@gmail.com. Please include photos!
Valerie from BeingCrafty.net
What can I do with yarn and other fibers besides knit or crochet with them? I’ve made yarn pom-pons before and have used some in place of ribbon to wrap gifts, but I’d love to hear some other craft project suggestions.
Thanks in advance!
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January 6th, 2007 at 11:35 am
You could try weaving. Start with a simple lap loom or see if there is a local weavers guild where you could take a lesson.
http://www.camillavalleyfarm.com/other/weavingguilds.htm
January 6th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
I did this for the holidays. I plan to make more in different colors for the rest of the year.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/121/317192165_96a337f548.jpg
sorry for the crappy pic, my camera died when I was trying to take photos of the way it was actually displayed, but at least this shows the idea. =)
January 6th, 2007 at 1:56 pm
Sandwich yarn (the more variety the better, and throw in some fabric scraps too) between two layers of water soluble stabilizer and stitch a grid over the whole thing, or lower the feed dogs on your sewing machine and sew random loops and lines over the whole thing. When you soak the stabilizer away, you are left with a wonderful, lacy, fantasy fabric.
January 6th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
You can use bits of yarn for stuffing and if it’s wool yarn you can felt it into shapes on another piece of fabric.
January 6th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
I saw this in a local op-shop this morning.
http://need2knit.blogspot.com/2007/01/light-as-feathers.html
Wouldn’t recommend using a synthetic fibre so close to a heat source, but wool might work.
January 7th, 2007 at 12:00 am
I use yarn to make yarn angel’s for my tree. Very pretty and no sewing required.
http://craftycollege.com/webofangels/yarnangl.htm here’s a good link for them.
January 7th, 2007 at 12:27 am
I bought a simple weaving implement at lettuce knit in Toronto (www.lettuceknit.com)…it’s basically 5 sticks with holes in the bottom for the warp threads to be tied onto, then you weave the yarn back and forth on the sticks. I think it will be great for bookmarks, maybe even belts, to use up all my odds and ends of yarn.
January 7th, 2007 at 2:41 am
Well, you could make a doll wig like this one. It’s a crocheted half-sphere on which I attached yarn like fringe on a muffler.
http://flickr.com/photos/90249048@N00/151373742/
http://flickr.com/photos/90249048@N00/151371655/
January 7th, 2007 at 4:51 am
These would be cute:
http://www.saartjeknits.nl/patterns/Korknisse.html
I saw the idea at Anny Purls
January 7th, 2007 at 8:02 am
There’s a pattern for a crocheted “100 flower scarf” at http://applehead.typepad.com/applehead/2006/05/100_flower_scar.html
January 7th, 2007 at 8:14 am
I’ve been weaving my left overs on a relatively inexpensive and portable 4″ loom made by Weavette. Then I’ve turned them into sachets. I wrote about my process at http://blog.designedlykristi.com/?p=316
January 7th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Sorry I don’t have pics… but I use yarn for friendship bracelets. I use 13 strands of yarn (cut to about 50″ each, depending on the thickness of the wool, the thicker the better) and knot away. They come out really wide and cool looking. And depending on the type of yarn the pattern can be really unique.
January 7th, 2007 at 7:18 pm
I used to use some leftover yarns to make a little snail. Very easy. :-)
http://ccat.wordpress.com/2006/07/29/pink-snail-from-odd-yarns/
January 7th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
I love to use worsted weight or fingering weight yarn for embroidery. Yarn makes a really noticeable stitch and looks good in combination with traditional embroidery threads. Also, you can always couch a beautiful yarn on to an embroidery.
Another idea is yarn painting. This is a traditional craft from Mexico, but could be adapted for a variety of images. Here’s a website that offers a good, straightforward explanation of the process: http://www.pacon.com/projects/YarnPainting.htm
January 8th, 2007 at 6:46 am
Some ideas: surface embellishment by couching or embroidering on fabric (e.g. bags, jeans, jackets, quilts)
braiding, cord making (e.g. bag handles, embellishments)
tassles
filling for sewn piping or trapunto (acrylic is good for this; no shrinkage or dye transfer)
surface embellishment by glueing (decoupage or collage)
latch hooking, locker hooking (e.g. rugs, chair pads, pet beds)
January 8th, 2007 at 9:34 pm
2003 Winter Knitty issue had a jacket embellished with knitted roses. These flowers take very little wool and I make them to turn into broaches, hair clips…allsorts!
January 8th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
I’ve made a few of these scarves where you dont knit them or anything. You get really long pieces of yarn like 10 ft worth and braid them together.
There called Rapunzel scarves here
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=67366.0