Whether you're a long-time crocheter who's completed many blankets or other projects or you're new to this type of needlework, retirement is a great time to engage in crochet. All you need is a hook and a skein of yarn to get started, making crochet an ideal hobby for seniors living in smaller spaces, such as the assisted living apartments at Bethesda Gardens in Fort Worth, TX.

Of course, a crochet habit can lead to a yarn stash. If you've downsized and want some ideas for using up your yarn stash — or keeping crochet in your life without amassing a pile of lovely projects in your space — we've got some tips.

Make Items to Give Away

Crafting gifts helps you use up your yarn stash or consistently crochet without filling your space with blankets and pot holders. Crocheted items make lovely gifts for a variety of occasions. You might make:

• Baby blankets, hats or booties for baby showers
• A special blanket or heirloom-quality decor item for a wedding gift
• A stuffed toy or small blanket for a child's birthday
• Sweaters, scarves and hats for Christmas gifts

If you've already gifted everyone in your life one or more crochet items or you're in the mood to bestow crochet gifts today or this week, consider joining the Random Acts of Crochet Kindness group on Facebook. The people in the group make small crochet items, such as coasters, keychains, small stuffed animals and flowers. They then leave the items in random places around town, usually packaged in a small clear bag with a note directing the finder to the Facebook group.

Make Items You Can Use

If you're going to keep items you crochet, think about what you can use. With cotton yarn, you can make high-quality dishcloths that match your kitchenette, for example, and a cozy blanket may be just what you need to help brighten your living space in the cooler months. Other useful items you can crochet include:

• Sweaters
• Handbags
• Cases or bags for items like Kindles
• Water bottle bags or holders

Start a Square Swap

Have a couple of colors of yarn to use up and no project in mind for them? Consider starting or joining a granny square swap. A group of crocheters can all use yarn from their stash to make granny squares of the same size. Then, everyone swaps squares so they all end up with different colors. You can use the squares you get to make a patchwork project, such as a blanket, bag or scarf.

Launch a Crochet Club

Turn your favorite hobby into a rewarding social time by starting or joining a crochet club. All you really need are some other people who crochet, but you might consider adding fun refreshments or meeting at a unique place. For example, you could all get together and crochet at a coffee shop, a local library or, on a nice day, a nearby park.

Walk While You Stitch

If you've mastered one or more crochet stitches well enough that you can walk while you work, consider stacking your crochet habit with exercise. You can buy fanny packs and crossbody bags designed to hold a ball of yarn and make it easy to crochet as you move. Obviously, you should only do this if you can walk and crochet safely, and this activity works best when you're working on something fairly simple that doesn't involve a lot of counting. Try it with a scarf project or granny squares made with double crochets.

A Few Tips for Cost-Effective Crochet

Putting some of these tips into action may mean you whip through your yarn stash in no time. If you love to crochet, you'll probably be on the hunt for more yarn. Here are a few tips for cutting the costs of your crochet projects to keep your hobby within budget:

• Thrift your yarn. Stop regularly at thrift stores that resell craft supplies. Often, people donate unused yarn supplies, and you might find skeins for $1 or $2 or less.
• Shop the Hobby Lobby sales calendar. The craft retailer puts yarn on sale for 30% off every other week.

Join Michaels' rewards program. You can earn cash back every time you shop at Michaels as a rewards member. The retailer sends you an email voucher every time you earn $5, and it offers regular coupons you can use on yarn and other crochet supplies.