Have you ever had yarn that you are just not feeling anymore? The vibe is off, you don’t love it and you don’t know why you ever did? (Not unlike your high school crush?)
There are a few different options for what to do with yarn you don’t want anymore before it hits the landfill.
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Image via Karolina Grabowski |
If the yarn is in good condition
Give it to a friend
One option is you can give it to a friend that you know weaves or does other fiber art. Yarn you may not be interested in might be exactly what your friend is look for. You can even reach out to your online weaving friends and see if any of them would like a yarn care package.
Donate
Another option would be to donate your yarn. This is a great option if you have mostly complete skeins or a lot of specific fibers. I wouldn’t recommend it if you have smaller bundles and odds and ends of fiber.
You could donate to a thrift store if you don’t have any other options. I’d suggest checking with your local schools’ art departments to see if they would like any and with any local organizations that use recycled yarn and art supplies.
In Houston where I live, for example, we have a store called Texas Art Asylum. You can donate art supplies that they then sell at a discounted rate. Like an art-specific thrift store.
Sell
There are a few different options for selling your leftover yarn and fiber. If you have an online shop you could put together fiber bundles and sell them there. Or you could do a destash sale through Instagram or eBay.
Reuse/Upcycle
If you have a ton of small pieces of scrap yarn and fiber you could make them into scrap yarn. If you’re not a spinner there are a few different spinners online who will spin your scraps into yarn for a fee. Two spinners I know of that make scrap yarn are Loom Denim and Woven by Kia. If you know of other scrap yarn spinners let me know and I'll add them.
If you’re not interested in scrap yarn you can also use your yarn scraps as filler for other creative projects. You could fill a woven pillow, floor pouf or Christmas ornaments with scrap yarn instead of acrylic polyfill.
If the yarn is in bad condition
Does it smell? Is it hopelessly tangled? Are there bugs or other weird things in it? If it's not in good condition don’t try to reuse it or pass it on to someone else. Trust me they do not want it. Some things can’t be saved, go ahead and toss it.
Don't just throw it away
There are several different options for the yarn you’re not vibing with anymore. It’s ok if you’re just not feeling it, passing it along to someone else just might make their day!