Factors in choosing what yarn to buy

[magiccrochetfan]

What are your criteria when shopping for yarn? How do you decide what yarn to buy?

 

For me, the feel of the yarn is really number one. If i don't like the way it feels i won't enjoy working with it, and it will end up as a UFO. This also includes the texture of it when completed, so it gets into fiber type and yarn weight.

 

Color is number two. I love to find yarns with great color ranges like Berroco Comfort or Cascade 220.

 

Care is number three, this has to be consistent with the use of the item. Blankets or kids' clothes, or gifts for certain people, need to be machine washable and dryable, but usually clothes for me can be hand wash/dry flat---i don't mind that at all if i love the feel and look of the yarn in the FO.

 

I guess price is last for me. This is partly because i already have yarn stashed that I CAN use if i just have an itch to make something, so i don't really HAVE to buy yarn and I can wait til I can afford the yarn i fell in love with. And it is partly because I am rather slow so a project's worth of yarn can last me for months:lol (That said I will probably never buy quiviut or a yarn with crystal beads in it...but I guess my limit is more based on the price for the project, not per skein, because i might want to make a small item using pricy [to me] yarn. I also like to buy just one skein of a yarn to play with.)

 

I guess when I am shopping in person, I am attracted to the colors first and then check out the texture, weight, and price. When looking for yarn online I like to search by weight and fiber.

[CrazyHomemaker]

I go for color, ease of care, price. If I have a few extra bucks (yeah! right!) I will buy something different that takes special care for washing. I have some alpaca and some wool in my stash right now. I have some furry stuff I can't stand in there, too. It was inexpensive because of where I bought it and It's acrylic. Not very warm even when doubled.

[tiffer93]

#1 ~ Softness ~ if it's rough on the skein, I try not to buy it. I make a rare exception with RHSS because sometimes just the outside layer can feel rough. Once you pull a little out of the center, it can be pretty soft, plus it washes nicely and softens then too.

 

#2 ~ Price ~ I've never purchased anything for myself over $6 a skein. And it needs to be a really amazing yarn for me to pay that much!

 

#3 ~ Need ~ If there is a particular project that requires a specific yarn, I'll go out and get some. Otherwise, I try to use what I have on hand already.

 

#4 ~ Utility/Care ~ If it isn't very practical for the item to be used or cared for, it will end up being a very non-practical item, which in turn means it won't be used/loved! I try to stick with the easy things: cotton, acrylic, superwash wool..etc

 

#5 ~ Color ~ It has to be pretty. If I don't like the color, I won't finish the project!

[FrLopLady]

so much can go into a impulse buy I love bling, though not a lot of place in my own life for it, but if it is something i can use for an accent on something.. I've paid to much for yarn that I thought was exceptionally pretty and had a good feel.

 

I am drawn towards color, but can put up with most anything color wise if it is for someone in particular that I KNOW loves that color. Like that greenish ucky homespun I bought to make a cowl for my friend

[rscowtown]

i have not gotten much other than rhss and a few bulkys from michaels. for me it is the price at this point as i just started the new job and when we get caught up on the bills i will be able to look at others.

[allieliz]

COLOR: For me the color is the "hook" to get me to pick up the skein. It's probably also my biggest criteria for choosing yarn. I have used yarn that has driven me crazy because the colors were sooooo awesome (yes, I'm looking at you, Noro!!!)

FIBER TYPE: I have a personal preference for working with animal fibers, I like the way they block-- so that influences my choices.

TEXTURE: I like to work with soft, smooth yarns (although, for some projects, I might use a fuzzy yarn, but if it's itchy, fuhgeddaboutit)

YARN WEIGHT: I've been told sock yarn doesn't count as stash:yes, and those little skeins are easy to hide from DH:lol, so I tend to pick fingering weight.

BARGAIN-NESS: I am a sucker for sales-- if a yarn is a good deal I will snap it up even if I don't really need it.

[HappyOldCro]

I have to like how it feels first and foremost, then I go to price (and size, since larger skeins will cost more).

Along with how it feels, it also has to be a textile that works with what I am making, like wool for winter, cotton for summer, etc...

Next is color and durability. I try to use colors that matche whatever the other person I am making it for likes, and then check to make sure it is something that will stand the test of time.

I love experimenting with my scraps, and will often mix and match yarns, texture as well as color, so that is often in the back of my mind as to what will work well with what I already have, but it isn't a priority for me.

[DogCatMom]

Criteria, in general order:

 

--Natural fiber or mostly so

--Color

--Gauge of yarn/suitability for project (if I have one in mind)

--Quantity available--enough for a shawl? if not, leave it at the store

--Price (I rarely purchase full price, even from shops, and have found some good places on the Net for bargains; sale baskets at shops have yielded some terrific finds, as have special orders in bulk)

 

DCM

[spiritwalker]

I do mostly charity projects. The yarn needs to be washable. Color and price are

also a factor. The color and softness draw me to a yarn,and I check that its washable and the price. Chemo hats, and other items are not accepted if they

are wool due to skin allergies. Most organizations want things to be machine wash and dried.

[CollieGrl64]

For me it is the color and the weight then I look at the price but if I really want it I get it lol

[dawnss]

Weight, when I buy yarn I prefer to get my money's worth. I am a college student and I cannot justify spending 10 dollars on an ounce of yarn (if you have the money then good for you).

 

Texture for me is huge, I really like soft yarn and nothing scratchy because I make mostly blankets so wool, unless someone knows of a nonscratchy kind, is out of the picture.

 

The thickness of the yarn in relation to the size of my hooks.

 

The avability of the yarn, I would really be sad if I bought yarn that was limited edition because I would not be able to buy it again, more then likely.

 

Colors, like almost everyone else stated, is a big deal for me, if I buy too much of a particular skein then I need to make sure that I can use the colors for someone else.

[draydev1]

For me, it's color, price, feel and machine wash/dry (not necessarily in that order ) I'm a Red Heart girl, through and through, so I always know what I make will last an eternity. And, while it may feel rough at first, it always softens in the wash!! I have used other yarns but I always have a ton of RHSS in my stash!