I like to use every last bit of my yarn whenever possible; it both appeals to my frugal side, and justifies the purchase of new stash, since I’m using what I have so wisely. My ideal shawl is one like Sundry, where you can knit until you run out of yarn, leaving only enough for the bind off. I also find myself eking out sweaters with slightly-too-little yardage, by saving the sleeve cuffs for last (even after finishing!) and working both simultaneously until zero yarn remains. That still means you have to make sure you actually have enough so that you don’t get a dozen stitches from a completed bind off with 1″ of yarn remaining – one of a knitter’s most painful moments. There are several ways you can estimate how much to leave, in order to maximize your yardage. 1. The rule of thumb is to leave about 3 times the length of the row, or approximately 1″ of yarn per stitch. These guesstimates can both be done quickly, and you can choose . . .