At the beginning of the year, we often promise ourselves we’ll do some stash busting. We’ve got to use up some of our yarn hoard before buying new yarn! I usually fail before the first week of January is through and have a squishy parcel en route!
But not this year! I have forced myself to be disciplined and face dealing with my yarn hoard. No, I haven’t had a mystical surge of immense will-power, I just moved house recently and now have very limited yarn storage!
My last post was filled with crochet inspiration for using up small amounts of yarn or “scraps” that build up and take over space (you can read that post here if you missed it). But there are also lots of great ideas for when we need to do bigger stash busting. When we need to clear out left over whole skeins from other projects, that aren’t enough for another project on their own. Or when you just have lots of yarn you want used up but don’t know what to make.
Enter the bigger stash buster crochet projects like blankets, shawls, sweaters, bags and colourful hats. Many of these types of crochet designs won’t work out well using a mish-mash of yarns and colours. But did you know there are crochet patterns that are designed specifically for this purpose? And that colour work patterns are usually very well suited too.
I recently asked my Crochet Designer friends for their best stash busting crochet pattern ideas and I was really impressed with their creativity and array of ideas, so I’ve put them together here to share in this post.
With it being cosy season, what better than to get snuggly under a bigger project and bust your stash at the same time.
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By Daisy Cottage Designs. This pretty lap blanket features a lovely and very easy stitch pattern that will work well in using up worsted weight acrylic yarns. It’s not too big a project so is ideal for making a noticeable dent in your stash fast without taking on a big project.
By The Loopy Lamb. This super practical bag is a great project for using stash cotton yarn. The pattern uses #3 DK weight and you can easily use #4 weight with a bigger hook size. It uses a very pretty stitch pattern using colour to beautifuly enhance it and it will look stunning in any colour combinations that you find in your stash.
~ 3 ~ Scrap Yarn Crochet Blanket
By Knitting with Chopsticks. I love this simple idea that can work with any colour combination. This is a great idea for really busting through those leftover yarns in your stash combination and being worked in squares you can do this one at a slower pace without it becoming a heavy blanket too quickly. Super if you bore easily as you can just work up more squares whenever you please.
By The Crochet Fix. This gorgeous beanie is a super idea for using up different colours with fun stitches. On the post you’ll find several equally gorgeous different variations too, giving you even more ideas.
~ 5 ~ Random Rounds Stash Buster Crochet Blanket
By Dora Does. This is a perfect idea for both stash AND scrap busting on a large scale. You’ll make a massive dent in your stash with this blanket pattern. It is a great longer term project to dip in and out of so even if you don’t have that much stash to use up right now, you can add to it as you get leftovers from other projects. Just stick to the same yarn fibres and thickness for best results.
By Hooked by Janet. A beautiful Shawl that was designed for using up stash yarn. Uses Granny stitch for a quick make in a triangular pattern design within an overall rectangle shape. It uses varying colour blocks that will work with what yarn colour you have available to create your own completely unique shawl.
By Keep Calm and Crochet on UK. This stitch sampler blanket will look great in a range of different colours and is not only great for using up left over yarns but also for learning new stitches! Originally written as a CAL so each part is in the different post (all clearly identified in the post with links to each part). You can just choose the ones you like the most or have a go at them all.
By Accrochet. A super easy shawl pattern that works with what ever yarn you have. You’ll create a gorgeous unique memory of all your finished projects by using up their leftover yarns. The post includes instructions on how to make a “Magic Cake” with leftover yarns so you can really go to town on your random yarn scraps. Or you can join yarn as you go for a more planned colour-change effect, it’s entirely up to you.
By Rich Textures Crochet. If you love texture and a heavier feel to a blanket this is perfect for busting your stash. Made in individual squares you can take your time with this one and grow as you go. Of course if you already have a big stash of Worsted weight #4 yarns then you can start straight away to make a dent in your stash.
By I Need It Crochet. A super warm and cosy way to blitz your chunky/bulky #5 weight yarn stash. You can use any colours with this gorgeous design that’s bound to become a staple in your cooler weather wardrobe!
~ 11 ~ Striped Colour Crush Blanket
By Elimee Designs. A lovely colour block blanket working corner to corner and a great way to use up the scrappy and left over skeins. You can use any colours you have to hand to do the colour blocks based on how much you have of that colour. There’s some great examples on the post to give you more colour ideas.
By Carroway Crochet. I just adore this gorgeous colourful sweater. It definitely makes me feel happy and I want to dive into my stash and make my own one of these right now! What a great way to make a dent in your worsted weight yarn stash.
~ 13 ~ Trinity Jewels Lightweight Blanket
By Make It Crochet. I love the gorgeous jewel tones of this blanket but it will work in any mix of colours you have in your stash. It will work with any weight of yarn, just stick to the same one throughout.
By Made By Gootie. A great way to use up left over yarns. You can be really creative with the colours you have in your stash, to make a gorgeous handy sized bag.
~ 15 ~ Candy Stripes C2C Blanket
By A Crocheted Simplicity. A corner to corner blanket that you can add colour pops to suit your available yarn. An easy project that will work up quickly and put some leftovers to great use.
I hope you’ll enjoy visiting the posts for these 15 stash busting crochet patterns and find one or two gorgeous projects to make a bigger dent in your yarn stash.
While you are here why not have a look around? I have a mix of free and paid Crochet Patterns and if you are interested in eco-friendly yarns then you might want to check out my Eco Yarn Reviews and The Definitive(ish) List of Recycled Yarns. If you’d like to hear about my new posts and patterns releases and get exclusive email offers and discounts too, then you can join my email list below.
Thanks 😊 I love your blog. Your patterns are easy and useful. I appreciate the clarity of the instructions. Thanks again. Keep up the great work!
Thanks so much!