Unloved Yarn / Unloved Material: Give That Poor Yarn and That Poor Material a Chance

Dear users, dear authors,
how is your unloved yarn / unloved material doing?
This is yarn / material that is difficult to work with or isn’t quite what you had in mind.
Maybe you can think of something you could make with it.
Would you like to share your thoughts?

Dear Josefa,

I used to like acrylic yarn because it was so beautifully bright and inexpensive. Over time, however, I got to know “real wools” made of virgin wool, cashmere, and silk. The properties are as different as day and night.

I no longer wanted to use acrylic yarn (for clothing), because it is 100% a synthetic fiber from the factory. Over time, all the acrylic yarns ended up at the very back of the closet. But sometimes they are still suitable for a project where the yarn should be especially bright, colorfast, and hard-wearing - such as children’s bags, decorations, or a rug. But my beloved treasures remain the beautiful, fine, soft, real wools.

I also once bought 2 balls of sponge yarn because I thought I had to make something with it. But I can’t touch it at all, let alone knit or crochet with it. It found someone in my swap group who wanted it, who is less sensitive and will surely make something beautiful out of it.

Best regards, Ina

What Ina wrote could have been written by me. That’s exactly how I feel, too. Since I’m on a “yarn diet” and want to use up as much of my stash as possible, it’s now time to use up the acrylic yarn too. I’ve been using it for doll clothes, which it’s well suited for. You can also make little doll blankets or similar things with it. Yes, decorations are another option, but I prefer to use cotton for that.

I also still have some mohair yarn that I used to like, but don’t like at all anymore. I might turn it into a doll blanket someday. ;-)

How’s it going?

Hi,
I just realized that it seems like every type of yarn just needs the “right” pattern—as long as you like it 🤔
I bought some beautiful Lana Grossa yarn—but I’ve already unraveled it three times because the “effect” inherent in the yarn just didn’t work for that particular piece. I finally got it right on the fourth try; this time, it’ll probably be finished 😉
It was exactly the same with another type of yarn—if it still had its label, it would’ve definitely ended up in a swap package 😂—seems like I’ve finally found the right one 🤔
I also still have quite a bit of acrylic yarn (from my initial stash and from the swap package); maybe I’ll make a blanket out of it someday 🤔

I agree with you there. I also believe that the pattern/design and yarn absolutely have to be a good match—otherwise, it won’t work out.

And sometimes, that just takes time. It’s not great when you have fluffy yarn—it’s so hard to unravel. That’s when patience is key. 

In addition to “yarn that suits the project,” it should also feel pleasant to work with.

For that reason, “spongy yarn” and I will never be friends in this lifetime.

I like scrubby yarn, but other unwanted yarn doesn’t sit around here for long either. I’m part of a swap group, and everything goes in a flash there. I’m rid of it and someone else is happy—that works out nicely.

@Veronika,
a swap group sounds good too—that could be an idea for here as well 🤔
Although then we’d miss out on the fun of the swap parcel 🙄

@Petra
I don’t have any fluffy yarn—I mostly work with gradient yarn cakes or cotton 😉

@Marlene
I tested the sponge yarn over Christmas for “back scrubbers” and pot scrubbers—the results were well received 😉

Do you currently have any unloved materials?

I hardly have any wool or yarn left that I don’t like.
And if I do, I always have someone who’ll take it right away.

For one thing, our building maintenance staff turns it into all sorts of things for a children’s home: hats, scarves, doll clothes, and the like.

Then there’s Vinzzirast—they’re always happy to receive wool, even if it’s just scraps.

Years ago, I bought some multicolored yarn because it looked so great in the skein—shades of green with a bit of ochre and gray. I thought it would look fantastic as a sweater—but I’ve already unraveled it twice because, when knitted in stockinette stitch, it looks like German Army camouflage—terrible. Even as a stole with a lace pattern, it looked more like a camouflage net! Then I set it aside for a few years, and now I’m making a summer poncho with much thicker needles in a large seed stitch pattern, and I’m thrilled! Thanks to the airier stitch pattern, the “camouflage effect” fades completely into the background.
Otherwise, I’m showing all the signs of a serious addiction. I have way too much yarn in stock—but as you all say, I’m always missing the right yarn. I’d been holding back on buying for a few weeks, but then on vacation I found a skein of such great sock yarn for my favorite pattern at Crazypatterns, the “Take a Seat” shawl (which I’ve definitely knitted 20 times already!!), and that triggered the classic relapse! Now I’ve ordered kilos of Drops yarn—my favorite brand—on sale. I’d love to set aside my current project, a sweater for my husband, and start knitting the sea-blue Drops Loves You #9 right away—but a bit of self-discipline is keeping me from doing that (for now). :-)