5 Of The Best Yarn Hacks

Stress is the enemy when it comes to knitting and crocheting. One tangled mess or major mistake can drive you insane, but with these clever yarn hacks you’ll be able to complete your next project without ruining your favourite pastime.

#1 Reusing Yarn Scraps

Anyone who’s been working with yarn for a while will likely have a massive collection of scraps and waste bits. Your sewing room is pressed for space as it is, so instead of stuffing your leftover yarn away in a cupboard, here are some ways you can put it to use:

• Polyfill or cotton balls are commonly used for amigurumi, but yarn scraps are the ideal substitute.
• Use them in small crocheting projects, such as greeting cards, bookmarks or Christmas tree ornaments.
• If the yarn is less than a foot long, you can use it as nesting material for birds!

Part of the appeal of knitting and crocheting is you can take it with your wherever you go. However if you want to avoid getting your patterns scrunched and messed up on the move, then you should laminate them as soon as they’re printed.

This will not only save paper, but it has practical benefits. It’s easier to fix a paper clip up and down on laminated paper as you work, and to keep your collection of patterns organized.

#3 Yarn Organization Hacks

Maintaining a neat yarn collection is the eternal struggle for every crafter. But it doesn’t take a meticulous system or expensive sorting equipment - in fact you can organise yarn with a few common household items.

Binder clips, CD Holders, colanders, kitchen bowls, peg boards, fruit nets, muffin tins and even wine racks are just a few of the many organisation yarn hacks to try. They’re inexpensive, clever and bound to make your knitting life a lot easier...

#4 Stitch Counter Apps

Technology is the unlikely new best friend of crafting. In the last few years, there has been an explosion in apps and gadgets designed to ease the more taxing parts of knitting and crocheting.

A few of our favourite picks include:

• Knit Counter - an easy and intuitive app that displays your stitch count one screen, and your pattern, yarn, colour etc. on another.
• Craftsy - Watch lessons from everyone’s favourite crafting website, even when you’re away from the wifi…
• Lion Hand - Store thousands of Lion Brand patterns with you on the go, along with video tutorials and yarn info.

The Yarn and Knitting (or “YAK”) blog has a great guide on how to restore a broken knitting needle to its original shape. All you need is sandpaper or a nail file, and by following the instructions carefully you’ll be able to achieve a sharp, nicely polished set of needles -- which won’t damage your yarn!