I feel that human beings have an intrinsic need to create. The need to make and do is as
embedded in our DNA as color of our eyes and hair. There is something about creativity that feeds
the soul and drives the spirit. Our
passions create the beauty in life, be it through poetry, yarncrafting,
painting, cooking, singing and dancing, or any of the plethora of other outlets
available to us. There are many things
we can make and do without spending any money, such as singing or writing. But crocheting and knitting are not things
that we can do without certain supplies.
Like yarn.
When we find ourselves inspired to make, but lack the cold
hard cash to buy squishy new yarn, it can be a little disheartening and
discouraging. There are, however,
several ways that we can get the materials we need for free or on the cheap.
FREE
Shop your stash! This one is the most obvious but also one of
the most difficult to do, mentally. Many
of us have purchased yarn that we intended to use for a specific project, or
yarn that we brought home just because it was beautiful or soft and we wanted to
have it. When we have had a specific
project in mind for a specific yarn, it can be hard to picture it used for
anything else, but it can be! You can use the awesome
search function on Ravelry to look for patterns that use yarn in the weight and
fiber that you have on hand. If you look
in the Ravelry database for the yarn that you want to use, you will see a ‘project
ideas’ tab that will show you projects that other Ravelry users have made with
that yarn. And if you don’t have a Ravelry
account, sign up now! It’s free and an
amazing resource!
Get the word out! Tell all of the crafty people you know
that you are a willing recipient of any extra yarn they may have! Tell your friends, coworkers, grandma,
sister, etc. Use resources such as
Freecycle and Craigslist…not only can you look through the free listings, but
you can make one of your own asking for yarn.
The only catch is this: don’t be picky!
You may be a yarn snob, but free yarn is better than no yarn. In addition, when you accept something from
someone once, they are more likely to send their generosity your way in the
future.
Remember those UFOs? We all have them. Some of us may be mildly ashamed of the
number of them hidden in project bags and in the backs of closets. Ahem. Take a good look at your UFOs and decide
if you’re really going to finish them.
If not? Frog it! Reclaim that yarn with joy and feel guilty
about your unfinished objects no more!
Similarly, if you have ever created something that you just didn’t like
as much as you had hoped, or at all even, don’t be afraid to rip it all out and
reuse the yarn. What is the point of
having something around that you don’t enjoy, or that reminds you of all of the
hard work you put in for a less than pleasing outcome?
Speaking of frogging… Do you have an old store bought sweater that
you just don’t like anymore, but you’ve been hanging onto it because maybe you’ll need it? Well now you do! You can frog sweaters, even if they aren’t
handmade. The only catch here is that
you can’t frog a sweater with serged seams, because that means that the yarn
has been cut and will therefore be useless to you. There is a great tute here that shows how to frog a sweater, and also what to look for in the seams to be
sure the sweater you have will work.
ON THE CHEAP
Thrift store/salvage
store/yard sale/rummage sale One can often find yarn at any of these
places, but go beyond looking just for yarn!
Look for sweaters that can be frogged using the method in the above link. Also, I see a whole lot of afghans at thrift
stores, to the tune of $3-$4 each. That’s
a whole lot of yarn for a little bit of money!
When you look at afghans and blankets in thrift stores, there are a couple
of different things to look for to make sure it can be frogged. First of all, check to see if the yarn has
matted at all. I have found that older
plastic (acrylic) yarn can become matted in almost the same way that wool
felts. Likewise, the older the acrylic,
the more prone to breakage it is while you’re dismantling it so check it for any signs of brittleness. Take a good look and make sure the yarn isn’t
unraveling anywhere and there aren’t any spots with insect damage. Keep in mind that if you choose a
granny-square blanket, you will have many scraps of yarn, whereas if you are
buying a ripple blanket in just a couple of colors, the yarn will be much
easier to work with.
Is there something you do to get your yarn for free or cheap
that I don’t have listed here? Please
post a comment!
