Sharing: Scrap Yarn, Sock Knitting, & Supporting Strangers

One of my hand knit sweater drawers. I have a lot of leftover yarns from some of these!

I have a friend that I hear from or reach out to, out-of-the-blue after ages between chats. These moments of catching up are just treasures to us. There is never a beat missed in picking up the conversation, even though months, and yes even more than a year, may have passed without a call, a letter, or text. We are so connected in heart that our friendship isn’t diminished by time between reconnection.

My knitting is also very forgiving between setting down a project and establishing the next row or round. Usually in November I gather up all the project bags, baskets, pottery, shoeboxes…all the places I squirrel away projects, and I revisit them. They, too, are ready to pick up right where we last were in the pattern. I feel excited, like they are treasures to enjoy and rediscover.

I hope I am that friend to you.

There has been a bit of time between my last post and podcast and now. I’ve had tugs and pulls to write and record, but lacked the “ummmph” that moves one from imaginings and ideas into actually taking the next step.

These scrappy projects have become my satisfying go-to knit!

And then several dear readers of the blog and listeners to the podcast started to reach out. Some shared that they had re-read or re-listened to something I created some time ago. Others simply wrote to tell me what they are knitting, the joy and frustration of it all, and a few tidbits about other creative endeavors and life in general. Those moments felt just like the reconnections I mentioned earlier, and they have been incredibly motivating.

So I have begun writing again. I need to revise a few drafts and insert pictures, and I find it to be such a joy. I’ve even planned out several ideas for new episodes and have one ready to release.

That is where you come in! I don’t want my space here to be talking at you, rather sharing with you! So feel free to catch me up in the comments with you, and also offer a snapshot of your creative moments. Where can we celebrate together, or (try to) solve problems and alleviate frustrations in our projects?

I have been using up yarn! I have more yarn than I need for projects that I can realistically do. This used to bring be a huge amount of joy, and now it seems more of an opportunity to share. I will tell you more about solution ideas I have for that further below. But before I do that I want to also share the endless fun I have been having knitting socks for this purpose as well.

Part of my yarn reserve is compiled of leftovers. I usually re-skein leftover yarn from sweaters, shawls, socks, whatever. This makes a treasury of mini-skeins, as well as bits and bobs. A Fort Knox of fiber, which is kinda like gold to me.

I started by putting the bits and bobs into mason jars based on weight, less than 5 grams, more than 5 but less than 10, and so on, and began knitting scrappy socks. My first several were simple tubes, meant to have afterthought heels added later. Then, for reasons I’ll share in another post, I realized that cuff-down socks with a heel flap incorporated were the way I wanted to go. And go I did.

There is something so ridiculously fun and satisfying about pulling a small bit of yarn from a jar and knitting until it disappears, then reaching into a different jar to grab the next bit. I do not have proof or data, yet, that this is any faster than knitting with a single skein, but it has improved my sock completion count. In the last eight weeks, I’ve knit thirteen single socks. That means I now have six new pairs of interchangeable socks, which is an unexpected bonus of scrappy socks. Any two socks are a pair.

Sidenote, it is incredibly liberating for me to not have identical socks on my feet. I feel a little rebellious, lol!

I discovered that my proper mini skeins in my stash were best suited for heel flaps and turns, rather than changing yarns there. This is, hopefully, to keep the integrity of the sock heel. More on that in one of the podcast episodes. When I release it, I’ll update this post with a link.

No kidding, I am knitting these on repeat. My small bits of yarn keep my feet warm and stylish!

Utilizing this scrap happy technique, I also have knit: wrist warmers (tubes that cover my wrists), arm warmers (same as wrist version, only longer), and also fingerless mitts. My jars are reflecting my efforts, which when I look at them and see their contents dimishing it spurs me on!

All this progress on using my yarn reserve is terrific, but it is apparent to me there are other opportunities for moving out yarn. And if you have made it this far in the post, you are a true friend, and obviously who this next bit is for. So, please stay a few minutes longer and indulge me just a bit more.

A Small Ask, From One Community to Another

Many of you know I live on Kodiak Island, Alaska. Though we are the second largest island in the US by size, we are not big in numbers of people (salmon and bears, yes! people, not as many). We are very remote, even with the expectation we are an island, we are just waaaaayyyy of the beaten path (or ocean or air path). Many villages on our island utilize things the Kodiak Arts Council offers, such as learning boxes. Think of them as everything you would need in a box to knit a hat + instructions, but rather than knitting a hat, those in these villages learn perhaps painting with watercolors or oils, history and instruction. Or perhaps learning to play a musical instrument. It is an incredible program, and one of many that will no longer be available.

Our Kodiak Arts Council has had much of its funding cut this year, which leaves us as a community the opportunity to support it ourselves. But many other service groups are also trying to get local community support; all these great opportunities and such a small group to respond to the needs.

That’s when I thought, community is what you make it. We can all be in community if we share intentions, right? And so I thought, how can I share with my knitting community things that make it worth their while to share with my local Kodiak community?

Yarn and patterns, for sure. But also by just asking. Not everyone will say yes, and that is fine! Not everyone should say yes, but everyone should be offered the opportunity.

The little yarns in the basket are like crayons at the ready!

(I am happy to share these!)

A small invitation

Here’s what I’d like to gently offer, with no pressure at all.

If it feels right to you, please consider a monthly donation of $10 through 2026 to the Kodiak Arts Council. I know that everyone on Kodiak, besides me, is a stranger to you. And yet, I also know how meaningful it can be to support people we may never meet, simply because we share a belief in creativity and community.

When you click the donation button below, you’ll be able to fill out your information. In the section labeled “Donation Notes,” please enter “Melissa.” That will alert me that you’ve made a donation. My personal goal, at the time of writing this, is fifteen people committing to $10 per month.

As a thank you, I’d love to send you A Handful of Happy Yarn bundle, a small collection of bits and bobs, enough yarn for a pair of scrappy socks. It’s not meant to be a transaction, just a way for me to share something joyful in return. These bundles are limited by what I have on hand, so I’ll send them out as I’m able.

You can use the bundle for any project, not just scrappy socks. I sent one to a friend who has been using it for her Nor’easterly Blanket and another friend used hers for her hexi-puff blanket. It’s really just a bag of delightful treats to add a spark of creativity to your stash.

Once you make your donation, screen shot the confirmation and send it to me at melissa@encouragebetter.com to let me know to prep one of these to get out to you.

I have fifteen bundles available for $10-per-month donations, and five bundles for those who choose to give $20 per month. (The $20 option includes A Handful of Happy Yarn bundle, plus a few mini skeins as an extra thank you!)

If you make a donation of any amount, please let me know. I absolutely want to thank you.

If you are outside of the U.S., I’ll instead gift you a pattern, as international shipping is quite expensive right now. You can choose Cuff Club Vol. 1 or Vol. 2. Vol. 2 includes monthly pattern updates, and Vol. 1 already includes all twelve-plus patterns.

And if you’re not able to donate right now, please don’t worry. I’ll be sharing some free pattern codes for Summer Lee Knits Cuff Club socks soon, just because. There have been times in my life when I’ve felt called to give, and other times when I haven’t. Both matter. When you give, it helps. When you don’t, it also helps by leaving space for someone else to step in. None of us are meant to solve every problem.

So to all of you, thank you for being part of the community I call friends and fellow creatives. I look forward to sharing our love of knitting and fiber, together!

-Mel

PS. This has nothing to do with knitting, but I have learned to make home-made pot pies. This one was for Christmas dinner!