I sometimes wonder that myself. For me, even a barely started ball of yarn is a scrap once the project is finished. But when it comes to specific patterns for using leftover yarn, they’re usually referring to small pieces of leftover yarn. So it’s all a matter of perspective.
There are also skeins that weigh 25 grams. For example, very fine, soft yarn—in that case, a 25-gram skein might have the same yardage as a 50-gram skein (just an example).
25 grams – 50 grams – 150 grams... the different skeins come in these increments.
It always depends on the yardage of the yarn....
Hand-dyed sock yarn, for example, can be bought in so-called “mini-skeins”; those are usually 20 g skeins....
Amigurumi yarn comes in various packs, e.g., 10 x 10 g, 10 x 15 g, 15 x 20 g. It’s available in crayon colors, pastels, or color packs (shades of blue, green, brown, etc.), as well as cotton or mercerized cotton.
What are scraps to one person are whole skeins to another.
Thanks for your input.
Does it bother you when a product description or promotional post states that the pattern can be made using leftover yarn, but then it turns out you actually need half a ball? Would that be a reason not to buy the pattern?
No, there’s often some “leftover” yarn, and with a little experience, you can roughly estimate how much leftover yarn you’ll need.
If you end up with half a ball left over, all the better for future projects.
For me, anything less than 1 ball (50 g) is leftover yarn. That’s how my patterns for leftover yarn should be understood. For amounts less than 10 g, I write “small amounts of leftover yarn.”
To me, that’s definitely a scrap, because it’s not enough on its own for a larger project. But for me, even whole skeins left over from a larger project that don’t have a standard length are already considered scraps. They’re hard to combine with other yarns and often sit around for a long time until they find a use.
Hi, 23 grams is just under half a ball. I often use a scale to check whether I’ll have enough yarn for my planned project. So I’m always very grateful when the patterns specify the amount of yarn as precisely as possible. “1 ball” isn’t very helpful. Most of the time, you can make a second piece from the leftovers. Or you can just use something from your stash and save yourself a new purchase.
Have a great weekend 🎉
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