Stash busting on-the-go: a scrappy crochet wrap

One of my favorite things about crochet (and knitting) is how easily it travels. Whether I’m on the road in a hotel room, or catching a few quiet moments outdoors, this small project has quickly become my portable, go-to project—and it’s made entirely from the yarn stash. 

Crocheted modular leaf blocks.

Fulfilling my Make Nine “yarn” prompt

Since early this Spring, I had been searching for a stash-busting project to fulfill my Make Nine 2025 “yarn” prompt. I wanted to use up a stash of odd, abandoned balls of yarn that I collected from a swap shop. I’m combining them with an “impulse buy” that never found a home. It turns out that when putting these stash bin finds together… something beautiful is happening. 

The collection of abandoned balls of yarns.

An “impulse buy” from the sale bin at a yarn store.

The Taos pattern

I modified a crochet pattern [Taos by Cristina Mershon, found on Ravelry] to make the leaf-shaped modular blocks. I’m also having to adjust on-the-fly to compensate for the different yarn weights/thicknesses—sometimes holding two yarns together, or crocheting and extra row around the perimeter to get size.

The format of the modular blocks is perfect for portability. The pattern is easy to memorize, and each block becomes its own little surprise when choosing different yarns. I’m especially intrigued with how the variegated yarns play out in these blocks—the color shifts in the skein produce a new color combination every time.

The leaf-shaped centers of these units were created from the same ball of variegated yarn.
They all look different.

My units finish at about 2.75”. While I don’t know the exact finished format and size or the wrap yet, I’m leaning toward a rectangular shawl that I can toss on around my shoulders in cooler weather—something cozy and full of color. The Taos pattern is an L-shape wrap, so that’s an option, too. Either way, my wrap will be a wearable memory of abandoned bits. The yardage of the odd balls, along with the impulse buy, should yield an ample size.

Portable yarn project: tools and supplies in a zipper pouch.

My crochet hook, yarn needle, and yarn stash are packed in a small zipper pouch. For now, I’m just enjoying the crochet process, exploring color combinations, and making bunches of leaf units.

Simple techniques yield big impact with texture and color

Don’t ya love projects that make a statement but are easy to make? These small projects use basic techniques, require minimal tools and supplies, and still make an impact because of their colors and textures.

Woven coaster and hand knit cotton dishcloths are easy projects.

Loopy Loom woven coasters

Tools and Materials: Loopy Loom, worn out socks, scissors, crochet hook

On occasion, I love to pull out my red Loopy Loom and weave a coaster or a pot holder from worn out or orphan socks. My metal Loopy Loom came with a long metal hook for weaving, but I use my fingers for the tabby (plain weave: over 1, under 1) weaving technique. Stripes and other patterns on socks add color and interest to the woven texture. 

Use the Zoom Loom and a pair of worn out socks.

I use a crochet hook to finish the looped edges after the weaving is complete. We use these small weavings for coasters (hot and cold beverages), hot pads/trivets, and pot holders. This is a wonderful re-purposing project and great way to upcycle unrepairable socks.

Hand knit dish cloths

Tools and Materials: cotton yarn (variegated, solid, or both), knitting needles, crochet hook, yarn needle for weaving in the yarn tails.

Hand knit cotton dishcloths.

Using a linen stitch pattern, the slip stitch knitting technique creates a firm fabric and an interesting texture on these hand knit dish cloths. With a variegated yarn, there is an additional lovely color interchange created by the slipped stitches from the row below. This is the perfect stash-buster yarn project! Use up those extra little balls of yarn for a fun and useful project. 

A crocheted edge in single crochet or a slip stitch unifies the piece and finishes the edges. A yarn needle is helpful to weave in the yarn tails. 

Hand embroidery on printed fabric

Tools and Materials: embroidery floss, embroidery needle, embroidery hoop (optional), scissors, a fabric print

Basic embroidery stitches: back stitch, stem stitch, French knots, pistil stitch (long French knot), running stitch, straight stitch, blanket stitch.

Hand embroidery on a printed fabric panel.

Using fabric prints and fabric panels is NOT cheating. Capitalize on and enhance the printed motifs on fabrics. 

This is a cotton fabric panel from an upcoming holiday collection from FIGO Fabrics. Using 2 or 3 strands of embroidery floss, I’m embroidering around motifs and on the outlines. Any basic embroidery stitches will create beautiful textures. An embroidery stitch dictionary also has loads of inspiration for experimenting with new stitches. 

Hand embroidery on a printed fabric panel.

Choose floss in holiday colors, neutrals, brights, or colors from nature. Embroidery floss is inexpensive and readily available in a multitude of glorious colors. Or experiment with other beautiful threads such as perle cotton (various weights), cotton sashiko thread, and novelty yarns and threads. Got a thread stash? This is the perfect small canvas to use savored lengths and leftovers from other projects.

Hand embroidery on printed fabric panel.

These embroidered pieces can be backed and stuffed with a polyfill. A ribbon or yarn loop can be added to create holiday ornaments or gift decorations. Or they can be displayed as home decor in a festive bowl or basket.

Make small projects with big impact and happy stitching!