what is "waste yarn"?

[Piglet68]

I'm making these Xmas stockings and I don't understand the instructions for the heel that say to use "waste yarn". What are they talking about? TIA!

[granola_mom]

They mean knitting with a scrap piece of another yarn to hold some stitches to work later.

[texaspeach]

yeap, a left over you don't care about. it being a smooth material helps, like cotton left over from dish rags, or wool that's smooth, it's easier to take out that way. if you're just holding stitches it doesn't really matter, but if you're doing certain types of cast ons a smooth yarn is helpful

[Piglet68]

Thanks, ladies. Why wouldn't I just place the stitches on a stitch holder to use later?

[jimblejamble]

On some projects it's better/easier to use waste yarn because it's more flexible than a stitch holder.

[texmati]

Originally Posted by JessicaRenee

On some projects it's better/easier to use waste yarn because it's more flexible than a stitch holder.

:

Also, sometimes you might be asked to knit or otherwise manipulate the waste yarn-- like on a provisional cast on.