Whether you have random single skeins of yarn or leftovers from other projects, it can sometimes be hard to figure out what to do with small amounts of yarn. If you’re looking to use up your stash of super bulky yarn
, here are some ideas.
Fingerless Gloves
The Marshmallow Skies fingerless gloves pattern (on Ravelry) designed by Julia White uses 45-50 yards of yarn (41-46 meters), has an easy cable on the back of the hand and can be worked in a solid or a multicolored yarn.
These Chunky Fingerless Gloves from Bromefields on Etsy remind me of one of the first projects I even made knitting in the round. If you’ve never worked in the round before this would be great practice! They only use about 55 yards/50m of yarn so they’ll be done in no time, too.
Speaking of stitching up in no time, the Windbreak ribbed mitts from Clare Devine are short but warm and you could probably stitch them up in an afternoon. They use 59-77 yards (54-70m) of yarn and its a free pattern on Ravelry.
The Quick Franca Mitts (a free pattern from Manos del Uruguay) uses a little more yarn (it’s a one skein project and the skein is 114 yards) but if you don’t have that much yarn you can make them shorter. They use a simple rib pattern and are worked flat, making them a perfect beginner project, too.
Add a little more skill with these chunky mitts that have a little cable twist running down the back of the hand. They’re from Etsy seller Barley and Flax (the pattern description doesn’t say what yarn was used or how much, but it looks super bulky to me).
Slippers
The chunky slipper pattern from Sheep and Stitch is a classic design, and you can use extras of a contrasting color to make the pompoms if you like. They come in three sizes for kids and adults and use 110-140 yards (101-128 meters) of yarn depending on the size.
The Unisex Cozy Slippers from Vintage Pattern Faves on Etsy look like slippers I would want to live in year round. They come in three sizes and while the pattern info doesn’t say how much yarn they use, the loafer style suggests it wouldn’t be that much (and you could totally knit the sole in one color and the top in another if you’re using scraps!).
If you use the Knitrino app, you can download the pattern for the Whirl Slippers (you can see them on Ravelry here). They use 70 to 120 yards of yarn (64-110m) depending on which of the four sizes you make. They have a fun little cable pattern on the top of the foot.
These speedy little slippers from Bromefields use just 40 to 45 yards (36-41m) of yarn and have a cute purchased pom pom on the back, but of course you can use more yarn to make them if you want.
The Cloud Slippers from Knit and Not on Instructables come in four sizes, are knit flat and use less than 100 yards of yarn.
Headbands
If I’m being honest a headband is probably the first thing I think of when I think about using bulky or super bulky yarn leftovers. They don’t take a lot of yarn and are great to wear as headbands or ear warmers when it’s cold out. Here are a few patterns to get you started:
- Not Quite a Blizzard Headband by Melissa Lambino (Ravelry) uses 50-60 yards (46-55 meters) of yarn and brioche stitch
- The Chunky Twist Headband from Suzy Rai (Ravelry) is a photo tutorial for a twisted headband worked with 60-70 yards (55-64 meters) of yarn
- Amina Earwarmer from Yarn Th3ory uses the herringbone stitch and comes in four sizes for baby, child, teen and adult (the adult size is available for free on the website linked; it uses 68 yards of yarn)
- The Grain Headband by Mirella Moments is worked flat in a ribbed pattern and uses 44-50 yards/40-50m of yarn
- Keep cozy with the Mountain Headband from Idaho Stitched on Etsy — it calls for a skein of super bulky but you could make it narrower or use stripes if you’re working with leftovers
Hats
Hats are a great way to use extra yarn because, even if the pattern shows the hat worked in a single color, it’s easy to add stripes or color blocking if you run out of yarn. Hayley Alexandra’s Super Bulky Super Basic Toque is a good example of this. On its Ravelry page you can see it worked in a solid color, in stripes, color blocks and even as candy corn! It uses 104 to 109 yards (or 95-100 meters) of yarn.
Or choose a hat that’s meant to be worked in colors (though there’s a solid version of this one, too). The Gala Bonnet from Cate Savard calls for three colors of super bulky yarn, about 80 yards (73 meters) in all. Use even more yarn by adding the braids. Get the pattern on Ravelry.
The Falmouth Super Bulky Hat from Fiber of Maine (a free Ravelry download) is shown in a solid color but the swirl would be fun in different colors, too. It uses 84-90 yards (77-82m) and you could make the pompom in a contrasting color to use more of your stash.
The Back Home Beanie from Kittys Knitty Creation on Etsy is a super bulky, cabled hat that looks like it would use a skein of most super bulky yarns.
The super simple super bulky hat from The Knit McKinley is another great one you can make solid, in stripes, with or without a pompom. It’s as basic as a hat gets and you can stitch one up in no time.
Cowls
The Copper Foxes Super Bulky cowl from Kacey Herlihy uses 84 to 120 yards (77-91 meters) of yarn and a simple lace pattern to keep it from being too warm. You can find the pattern on Ravelry.
The Lasagna Cowl (Ravelry) from Sandra Kwan uses about 80-90 yards (73-82m) of yarn and has a fun graphic design that’s not difficult to knit.
Pretty Speedy Cowls from Purl Soho are single skein giftables (or make it for yourself!) with a few different stitch options: plain ribbing, spiral rib and mock cable rib. They each use about 54 yards of yarn.
Use a skein (about 106 yards) of super bulky to make All About Ami’s Chunky Dotty Cowl. The simple stitch pattern is a four-round repeat, so you can repeat it as many times as your yarn allows.
Add a little colorwork to your cowl with the Hollow Rock Cowl from Northland Knits on Etsy. This design starts in one color and has a colorwork section to transition to the second color for the rest of the cowl. So pretty!
Home Decor and More
Use all your little bits to make holiday decorations, like these stars from Adella Dutra on Ravelry. Each one uses just 20 yards/18 meters, so they’re a quick way to run through your stash.
This big bulky bag is super simple to knit and uses only about 110 yards of yarn. Barley and Flax made theirs with ribbon yarn, but this would be so cute striped, or you could throw in a colorwork motif if you wanted. The pompom is optional but a super cute use of even more yarn. You can get the pattern on Etsy.
The Cozy Winter Sweater Wreath on Ravelry was designed by Denielle Widenerand is worked flat in a cable pattern then sewn onto a wreath form. It uses 101-110 yards (92-101m) of yarn, and while it’s pretty in a solid color I think it would be cute in red and green stripes, too!
Who says pumpkins have to be orange? Gather all your super bulky leftovers and decorate for fall with the Cozy Pumpkin Vibes pattern from Fit Food Art Shop on Etsy. This pattern includes six different pumpkin designs (as well as a stack of three that all have different designs) and seven mini pumpkin patterns so you can use all your little bits in a bunch of different ways.
This heart pattern was meant to be a coaster, but you can knit two and make them into a little pillow, make a whole bunting out of scrap hearts of different colors, whatever your heart desires! Grab the free pattern from Gathered.
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