Yarn Spotlight in the the Winter 2013 issue of Interweave Crochet features Yarn Muffins—tiny balls of yarn, bundled as a sampler packs. The yarns featured include Knitwhits Freia Handpaints Miniskeins; The Natural Dye Studio miniskeins, Cephalapod Yarns mini-skein palettes; Apothecary Yarns Bumble Kit; and Lion Brand Yarn Bonbons. (For an indulgent mini-skein experience, check out Lorna's Laces Mini-Skein Kits and Koigu mini-skeinette bags. These would make a lovely motif-based garment!)

Anyhoo, I figured I'd have them all used up in no time.

Not so!

In fact, I've tasted only a fraction of them so far, and I've crocheted up a bounty! And I haven't spent any of the balls! (though the Lisa Loo wings below came close to using up the sparkly pink).

I'll be keeping these little gems close by for quick little projects throughout the year.
Meanwhile, here are some ideas for using your own little bits of yarn.

(oh, and if the preview tempts you with its abundance of rich wintry designs, you can find the Winter 2013 issue at your local yarn store or in the Crochet Me Shop as a print version or an instant electronic download. There's also the only mitten pattern you'll ever need--and you can use wee balls of All the Colors to adorn those mittens.)

Wee Gnome

I do have a gnome thing going on this year. This little gnome can be brightening your day in a jiffy. He's a tad smurfy, maybe, but I can make him in 40 other colors, too! You'll find the pattern at Elsa's Design; scroll past the other cuteness until you get to the gnome.

It's in Swedish. Unlike the big gnomes, this pattern is a tad difficult to follow without some sort of translation, so run it through Google Translator and just intuit what this means: Attach a small wire in luvspetsen so you can hang the plot.

Bullion Bloom

Perhaps you saw the great Beach Bullion Blanket by Donna Kay Lacey in the Summer 2012 issue? And you thought, "Hoo boy, that's a lot of bullions!" Donna just loves bullion stitch, so she created a smaller project, the Art Nouveau Bullion Necklace, for the Winter 2013 issue and you can work it up lickety-split.

To help select from among the gazillion colors I had, I dipped into Design Seeds and found a flower I like (Design Seeds is a great color tool when you just can't make up your mind or if you need a boost selecting colors that are happy together.)

(btw, check out In the Loop in the Winter 2013 issue to meet two readers who finished the Beach Bullion Blanket!)

Eureka!

The Holiday Lights Garland by Linda Permann is super-fun to make when you have 16 glittery Bonbons on hand! The shimmery yarns make the bulbs look like they're already lit up. Stitches of varying sizes create the iconic shape, and it's very difficult to stop with just a few.

You'll find the pattern in the 2012 Interweave Crochet Accessories issue (available in the Crochet Me Shop in print or a digital download)

Fairy Wings


I used the sparkly pink bonbon to make wings for Lisa Loo by Brenda K. B. Anderson. These fairy wings will be a great ornament while the rest of Lisa Loo is under construction.

If you haven't met Lisa Loo yet, you simply must. She likes to snitch socks from the laundry! (yup, she's the one who's been doing that). 

The pattern for Lisa Loo is in the 2012 issue of Interweave Crochet Accessories.

Amazing motifs

ohmygosh! These little blooms—I just can't stop. They're more addictive than those Heffalumps the knitters are all crazy for—and so much speedier! You'll find the pattern in Clever Crocheted Accessories: 25 quick weekend projects by Brett Bara. Look for the Amazing Motif Bag by Regina Rioux.

I did reduce the petals by one stitch, because they were just crazypuffy at full size in this tinier yarn. I think these blooms worked full-size in a heavy yarn would make a terrific throw.

Oh, and what will these be? As the Wizard of Oz said, "I'll have to give the matter a little thought. Go away and come back tomorrow."

Meantime, happy crocheting! Share your own wee projects in the member photo gallery!

Marcy