Odd Ball Knitting: Creative Ideas for Leftover Yarn

No, oddball knitting does not mean knitting strange-looking things. Rather, the term is a literal reference to the odd balls of yarn knitters tend to collect; half-used skeins leftover from finished projects. Some of the most creative knitting can grow out of using your ""stash,"" says Albright, editor of Knitter's Stash and author of Simple Knits for Sophisticated Living. She provides helpful information on storing yarn, figuring out how much yarn you have (e.g., how many yards per ounce, etc.), and then presents an array of projects. Naturally, most of her suggested projects are small: sachets, hats, socks and mini Christmas stockings, though there are a few bigger items, such as a poncho and a felted patchwork rug. (A few tend toward the silly, like the amulet pouch.) Albright's advice is indeed helpful; she suggests, for instance, using novelty yarns to make purses, and ribbon yarns to make scarves, and sprinkles the book with tips on juxtaposing colors and working with multiple textures. Although her instructions are straightforward, prior knitting knowledge is necessary-which shouldn't be an issue for most, since anyone with a yarn stash has done their fair share of knitting.