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Thunder84

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It was about 8 years ago...around college time...must be when Red Heart started the spiral decline. That was the last time I crocheted until I started again earlier this year. Now I have noticed that Red Heart yarns are very limited in stores (Walmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc) and a lot less colorful selections.

 

Why?!

 

Hobby Lobby offers "I Love This Yarn!" at $4 a bundle. There are a bunch of colorful selections (look at two recent pix of my Star Twist Hot Pads) and appears to have taken the leadership. That is what I am using now, but at $4 a bundle, that greaty lessen my business profits.

 

Is it possible to order the above mentioned brands at wholesale prices? Where can I order yarns online being the exact same quality for less cost?

 

Do anyone ever mix yarn brands together within a project? Such as Red Heart having a specific selection to go with another brand's selection?

 

How long does a specific yarn color continue production? Is it ever possible for special ordered yarns? More yarn length in a bundle?

 

What other brick stores and online stores sell yarns?

 

Target don't sell yarns....

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Wal-Mart drastically reduced, if not out eliminated, the yarn department in a lot of their stores a couple of years ago. However, they are starting to bring it back. Michael's and Hobby Lobby have each started their own proprietary store brand of yarns, so they no longer offer as much variety of other yarns, concentrating on their own brands where their profit margin should be greater.

 

Have you checked out the Red Heart website? You can see the full selection of their yarns there, and even place orders.

 

Hobby Lobby yarns are only sold in their stores, so I doubt you'd be able to purchase their yarns at wholesale prices from them. Red Heart does offer special pricing to crafters. Check out this page on their parent company website for more info: http://www.coatsandclark.com/Contact+Us/. Scroll all the way down to the bottom of the page. Since you won't be buying in the bulk quantities of retails stores and chains, the discount may not be a true wholesale discount.

 

You could mix brands, but you'd need to pay special attention to yarn texture, fiber content, and so on. For example, you might not want to mix Red Heart Super Saver and Caron Simply Soft because the yarns feel and work up so differently.

 

There's no hard and set rule about color production. A lot depends on a color's popularity, seasonal color trends, and so on.

 

I'm not sure what you mean by special order yarns. Do you mean like request a special color or skeins of different sizes? Generally, you probably aren't going to be able to do that unless you go directly to the yarn mill. And a crocheter isn't going to be able to buy in the quantities required. I don't know about Michael's or Wal-mart, but most Hobby Lobby stores will order any of the yarns they carry in whatever color you want. I'm not sure if you have to order full bags (usually 10 skeins) or not.

 

Here are some other sources for yarn:

 

http://www.marymaxim.com

http://www.herschnerrs.com

http://www.smileysyarns.com

http://www.joann.com

http://www.buycaron.com

http://www.lionbrand.com

 

I'm sure others will have other online sources for you, too.

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The brand that Hobby Lobby sells, do they really make them or are they from a brand we know but Hobby Lobby has labeling agreement to name it I Love This Yarn! specifically for them?

 

I looked at the sites and its hard to know what yarns to get since there is so many different options with no way to feel them.

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The brand that Hobby Lobby sells, do they really make them or are they from a brand we know but Hobby Lobby has labeling agreement to name it I Love This Yarn! specifically for them?

 

I looked at the sites and its hard to know what yarns to get since there is so many different options with no way to feel them.

 

I think that ILTY is only available via Hobby Lobby. I don't know who manufactures it. It is similar to some other yarns however.

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It was about 8 years ago...around college time...must be when Red Heart started the spiral decline. That was the last time I crocheted until I started again earlier this year. Now I have noticed that Red Heart yarns are very limited in stores (Walmart, Michaels, Hobby Lobby, etc) and a lot less colorful selections.

 

Why?!

 

Hobby Lobby offers "I Love This Yarn!" at $4 a bundle. There are a bunch of colorful selections (look at two recent pix of my Star Twist Hot Pads) and appears to have taken the leadership. That is what I am using now, but at $4 a bundle, that greaty lessen my business profits.

 

Is it possible to order the above mentioned brands at wholesale prices? Where can I order yarns online being the exact same quality for less cost?

 

Do anyone ever mix yarn brands together within a project? Such as Red Heart having a specific selection to go with another brand's selection?

 

How long does a specific yarn color continue production? Is it ever possible for special ordered yarns? More yarn length in a bundle?

 

What other brick stores and online stores sell yarns?

 

Target don't sell yarns....

 

You're not going to find much in the brick and mortar stores. I do the bulk of my yarn shopping at http://www.joann.com . They have a huge selection and many, many colors.

 

You could go the route of special order yarns from specialty yarn shops but you'll pay a lot for it.

 

I use a lot of Caron Pounders. It's a 4ply ww with a great hand and texture. It comes in pounds. I usually purchase them when Joann's.com has a 25 or 30% off yarn sale and use the free shipping coupon. they have a lot bigger color selection online than they do in the stores.

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The brand that Hobby Lobby sells, do they really make them or are they from a brand we know but Hobby Lobby has labeling agreement to name it I Love This Yarn! specifically for them?

 

I looked at the sites and its hard to know what yarns to get since there is so many different options with no way to feel them.

 

Unfortunately, that would be considered company proprietary information, and I doubt Hobby Lobby is going to disclose that information.

 

That said, the same mills do produce yarns for many different companies. They may offer "stock" yarns that are manufactured the same, may be the same colors, or maybe you can have custom colors on the stock base. There are also options to have a yarn base and/or colors made exclusively for you.

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I have started using more Bernat Super Value - it feels nearly (but not quite) as soft as ILTY and Joann.com often has it on sale for 2.79 for 7 oz skein. Can't find it in any stores near me so have to order it online, but I have found this to be a good compromise in softness versus $ value.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Does anyone here measure or weigh the yarns after buying? I wonder if we are getting the true amount as stated on the package label.

 

When I make the Star Twist Hot Pads, I notice the difference in the leftover. It requires three bundles (light, dark, and mix) and it makes six items. Looking at the comparison for the Blue and Purple, there are less Light Purple than Light Blue. Way less... There are six completions of each and all the same size. This is supicious.

 

Do everyone often try to use leftovers? I do. I have enough to make one side of Double Potholders and a few fridge magnets.

 

About the Double Potholders, I am making them with one side being Light and one side being Dark with the Mix for the border to hold the two together. To ensure superior safety, I want to add a layer of padding inside, so what kind should I get? The Double Potholders are crocheted in a popcorn style better than plain Double Crochet.

 

Do everyone wash everything made before sale? I don't, because I want them to maintain the New status. Plus, I believe it is not wise to wash, because not all soap are for everyone as some people are allergic to certain brands. I feel that its up to the customers to wash the same as we buy clothes, towels, etc from stores to wash before use.

 

Who crochet constantly for hours every day or taking sweet time to do them?

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Different colors of dye can cause the yarn to behave differently, making some colors softer or squishier than others, which would result in a slightly different amount of yarn being used. Different colors also have different weights.

 

Variations in humidity levels can also cause differences in the weight of a yarn for the same yardage. If the yarn is being measured out by weight instead of yardage, then a skein created in a very humid environment could have less yarn than a skein created when there's much less humidity (and therefore less water in the yarn).

 

Just because the manufacturing process isn't an exact science, there may be differences in yardage between skein to skein. Some variation (not sure exactly what, since I don't work in the factory) would be considered within normal tolerances.

 

Of course, it's also possible that an imperfect skein was created, and the quality control process didn't catch it when it should have been rejected.

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About the Double Potholders, I am making them with one side being Light and one side being Dark with the Mix for the border to hold the two together. To ensure superior safety, I want to add a layer of padding inside, so what kind should I get? The Double Potholders are crocheted in a popcorn style better than plain Double Crochet.

 

If I'm reading this correctly - you're making 2 sided potholders in popcorns on each side. I seriously doubt that you'll need padding inside it.

 

If you don't want to wash what you make before you sell it then don't. I would at least wash one and make sure that the colors are colorfast but that's just me.

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Starting to mainly make the Double Sided Potholders this cycle. Here is a picture example. No pattern. Just done it on my own self. The hanging nook is together in one line; not separate. Its thick enough and should be safe. I don't know the price until I use up the bundles to see how many can be made.

 

http://i218.photobucket.com/albums/cc92/thunderokc/Double%20Sided%20Potholders/2011-11-27034032.jpg

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It was about 8 years ago...the last time I crocheted ... that greaty lessen my business profits...

 

It sounds like you are intending to create a business selling your crochet, which is very ambitious and best of luck to you!

 

Something to think about with potholders however, is that acrylic has a very low ignition point compared to cotton or wool and is a poor choice for potholders--something to consider from a liability point of view.

 

If you want to use acrylic you might consider having 2 types: frou-frou acrylic potholders with a tag - 'for decorative purposes only, not for oven use' and utilitarian ones made out of cotton.

 

To you question about washing, I don't (when gifting, I don't sell my work). But, I am uber-fastidious about working with clean hands, there are no smokers kids or pets in my house, and I don't travel with my crocheting.

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If you like Caron, they have a site that sells with huge discount, mill ends, and such. For instance, if you don't care what color, you can order one pound bags for $3.99 each! http://www.shopcaron.com/Mill-End-One-Pound-Bag-Yarn_p_30.html

 

This site is good, especially if you can buy a lot at one time: http://www.discountyarnsale.com/

 

I've ordered from Smileys before too and they are great with prices & service. Saw it was already recommended so I thought I'd throw in another promo for them. :)

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I can't find anything on Da G about this. Based on experience, there was never a problem handling hot pans with these yarns. The type of yarn are the only one I ever use. It will be soon when I will add other kinds when figuring out which yarn type is best for specific projects.

 

Are all of these yarns safe for Meow and Woof? If so, which would be best and which stuffings inside should I use? There is a lady at the flea market making/selling pet clothes for all occasions, seasons, and holidays. I made some pet blankets and donated to her. I was thinking of donating some items as toys.

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I've never had an acrylic hotpad burst into flames but I have had them melt. Acrylic is a fancy word for plastic. Plastic melts. If you reach into a hot oven with a plastic (acrylic) hotpad there's a very good chance that it can melt onto the baking dish and into the persons hand. If you've never had melted plastic stuck to your skin - you're lucky - it sux.

 

I only use (kitchen) cotton for hotpads or trivits since I had the one melt. I say kitchen cotton to mean Sugar and Creme or Peaches and Creme. There are other cotton brands that have a nicer feel to them to make ghans or garments.

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Acrylic yarn melts at high temperatures, generally over and above 500 degrees Fahrenheit. However, this is highly dependent upon additives used in the manufacturing process, so for some acrylic fibers, the melting point could be even less. 500 is the point at which it melts, or becomes liquid. Significant damage to the fiber occurs at lesser temperatures. This damage could cause burns to the user. When acrylic melts, it bonds into the skin and requires medical assistance to be removed from burns.

 

There have been many posts by people here at Crochetville who have used acrylic potholders with not-so-good results. Even if the user isn't burned, the potholder may be severely damaged.

 

For general liability issues, I also highly recommend labeling any potholders made from acrylic as "For decorative purposes only."

 

I don't think there's too much risk to making pet blankets or other objects from acrylic. The blankets aren't very likely to be exposed to extremely high temperatures, except in the case of a fire, in which case there's much worse to be worried about.

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I'm glad it has been brought up about acrylic being a bad choice for potholders and hot pads. It was suggested tagging "for decorative use only" - good idea. I wouldn't want to sell them without this being noted.

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Hi, its me again. It turned out that I have an Etsy account already, so I went ahead to set up to be a Seller. I have a post saved as Draft, cuz I do not know if I can add more pix to it after posting. I got two more colors to make and include pix of them. Can someone review this and give suggestion?

 

This is a homemade crochet Star Twist Hot Pad great for decorative use on the dining table. Many colors are available and its the start of the project. Next in line are the colors green and teal.

 

The yarn are Acrylic, therefore the pads should never come into direct contact with extreme heat. Ideal use is on the kitchen/dining table for decorative use after the pans have cooled from the oven or stove for several minutes. For example, when taking a pan from the hot oven, place on a qualified hot pad for several minutes before moving onto the Star Twist Hot Pad for meal serving at the table.

 

Potholders made with cotton yarn will be available to be sold together as complete set. For now, enjoy these Star Twist Hot Pad for a limited time low price of $5 each.

 

In this specific listing, there are 3 colors (Pink, Purple, and Blue). There are 6 of each. Contact me first to be sure of availability and quantities for any of the colors. Let me know what color(s) you are wanting before and/or after purchase.

 

And can someone very exprienced with selling on Etsy to PM me, plz? I have some questions. Or would everyone enjoy reading it all on here?

 

Edit - What is another name for other uses other than hot pad? Somthing like under plant pots to protect furniture, etc.

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I would recommend not giving suggestions on how to use the potholder beyond saying "For Decorative Purposes Only." To do otherwise could open you up to liability issues.

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