Where to buy yarn?

[Croshay]

I'm in Louisville, Kentucky.  I went to Hobby Lobby yesterday and they only had about 10 colors of I Love This Yarn in worsted weight, and they had even less than that in Red Heart Super Saver.  They had 3 colors of Caron Simply Soft.  About 2/3 of the shelves in this area were empty.  They must be doing away with their yarn department or something.  Wal-mart is hit or miss with what I can find there.  The only other option I've found is ordering online which is more expensive, plus paying for shipping and handling.

 

Where do others get yarn? 

 

 

[RoseRed]

I do almost all my yarn shopping thru Joanns,com.  About once a month they have a 25-30% yarn sale and use the free shipping coupon.

[krodrig99]

The Red Heart and Lion Brand websites often have discounts also - either free shipping or a percentage of of the total purchase. Herrshnerrs is a good option also.

[Bailey4]

Locally Joanns, AC Moore, and occasionally Michaels.  Online Joann, Knitpicks, and lately Herschnerss for thread.  I've been having trouble getting the thread selection I wanted and they've had some pretty  good sales.

 

As someone mentioned you can do well online if you wait for sales and coupon offers to offset shipping or bring down the cost of the yarn.

[Avon Lady]

​I've always been leery of buying from JoAnn's and Herrschner's online because of the large shipping costs--where do you find the free shipping coupons or codes?

[Bailey4]

I'm on mailing and email lists for JoAnn so I'm always getting offers.  I also get mail and email offers from Hershnerrs from time to time.

[tnkycrochetnut]

I am originally from Louisville, KY but have not visited Louisville for a number of years.  I just checked online for a Ben Franklin Craft Store at 11804 Shelbyville Road.  They carry yarn but I am not sure how much and how many brands they carry.  It has been years since I have been in the store.  For the last 3 or 4 years I have been ordering from Joann dot com.  Quite often they have free shipping for a minimum purchase which is usually anywhere from $30 - $50.  Occasionally they have free shipping with no minimum purchase.  That's my favorite.  Also sometimes Joann has crazy shipping fees.  For instance for March 17 they offered 17 cents shipping and no minimum purchase.  I get emails from Joann with these offers.  Joann also recently have been mailing me coupons to use in their store.  There is one about 20 minutes away from me.  Since I have been away from Louisville for a long time I am no longer familiar with any of the Joann's, Michael's or Hobby Lobby in Louisville.  The family members I have left in Louisville do not crochet and I am not sure if any of my friends still in Louisville crochet.  Hope this helps though.

[crocheter4life]

I love Michaels, Joann's, Hobby Lobby, and other places some times you can find yarn at yard sales.

[cindra]

I usually go to Walmart.com.  They have a site-to-store option that I use a lot.  You can order and pay for about any yarn you want, and they ship it all to your local store where you go pick it up.  Walmart pricing, (sometimes even deals!) and no shipping charges.  It always arrives earlier than projected, too.  Very convenient.

[jpr54_]

there r so many good places online to purchase quality yarns

http://www.kyarn.com

http://www.knitpicks.com

http://www.yarn.com

http://www.creatriveyarnsource.com

http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/

http://www.yarnmarket.com

http://www.nordicmart.com/

[MissedStitches]

there r so many good places online to purchase quality yarns

http://www.kyarn.com

http://www.knitpicks.com

http://www.yarn.com

http://www.creatriveyarnsource.com

http://www.jimmybeanswool.com/

http://www.yarnmarket.com

http://www.nordicmart.com/

 

Kyarn doesn't appear to be online any longer.

 

Knitpicks appears to be a site that sells only it's own personal yarn, not any name brands.

 

Yarn.com also appears to not have any name brands that I'm familiar with, such as Bernat, Lion Brand, etc. Looks like specialty of some kind.

 

Creative Yarn Source- more brands I've never heard of.

 

Jimmy Beans Wool - By manufacturer, none that are sold in Joanns, Wal-mart, Michaels...

 

Yarn Market- Some familiar brands, very limited colors

 

Nordic Mart- Only yarn made by one place, never heard of it.

 

Maybe some insight on how good some of these specialty yarns are if you shop these sites and use their stuff? I mainly shop Joanns.com but I'm looking for somewhere more affordable. Has anyone shopped at knitting-warehouse.com? They seem to have brand name yarns for lower prices.

[billynomates]

I get most of mine from my local market, do you have markets in America?? There is a man there that has a stall, he sells the most wonderful wool and in many colours. yarn for all crafts.

[shuttlebuggy]

I used to have to order online as the nearest JoAnn was about 20 miles away. And my crochet/knit group met about 12 miles away but only carried specialty fancy yarns at that little shop.

 

Now I have a JoAnn's, Michael's and Walmart all within 3 miles of my house. And if I go see my daughter a half hour away the Hobby Lobby is on way!

I feel spoiled now with all the yarn and needlecraft places!

I haven't even checked the specialty yarn shops but we have 2 or 3 right around where we now live.

[magiccrochetfan]

Kyarn doesn't appear to be online any longer.

 

Knitpicks appears to be a site that sells only it's own personal yarn, not any name brands.

 

Yarn.com also appears to not have any name brands that I'm familiar with, such as Bernat, Lion Brand, etc. Looks like specialty of some kind.

 

Creative Yarn Source- more brands I've never heard of.

 

Jimmy Beans Wool - By manufacturer, none that are sold in Joanns, Wal-mart, Michaels...

 

Yarn Market- Some familiar brands, very limited colors

 

Nordic Mart- Only yarn made by one place, never heard of it.

 

Maybe some insight on how good some of these specialty yarns are if you shop these sites and use their stuff? I mainly shop Joanns.com but I'm looking for somewhere more affordable. Has anyone shopped at knitting-warehouse.com? They seem to have brand name yarns for lower prices.

 

Kyarns is still there kyarns.com

 

You're right, knitpicks does not sell any other brands, but knitpicks is a brand in its own right.  I personally am not a fan but many people love them.

 

yarn.com is Webs, one of the major online sources of LYS quality yarns.  They have their own brand, Valley yarns, that sort of competes with knitpicks.  thye have good quantity discounts.

 

Jimmy beans is another major online source of LYS type yarn.

 

ditto Yarnmarket.

 

I guess what you are calling "specialty" yarns would be what I call "LYS type" yarns, and you are right, you will not find these brands at Walmart, joann, or michaels.  They too are brand name yarns and many of these companies manufacture a wide range of yarns, for example Cascade has a number of yarn lines.  These yarns can be used for any type of project, i don't see them as being specialized to any one use, though many are not able to be machine laundered so require what most in the US consider "special care".   Many of them are great; they tend toward more natural fibers or processed-from-natural-sources fibers like rayon from bamboo, tencel, etc.  Not much acrylic, though you will find acrylic and nylon in some blends.  I've used Webs, jimmy beans, yarnmarket and had good service.  their prices are competitive for the yarns they offer.  

 

For brands like Bernat and Lion Brand I would think Joann may be your best online source.  You can also order directly from Lion, and Red Heart.  Also you might look at Annies.  

[magiccrochetfan]

I get most of mine from my local market, do you have markets in America?? There is a man there that has a stall, he sells the most wonderful wool and in many colours. yarn for all crafts.

 

Some places in the US have what are called farmers' markets, where people sell things they have grown or made.  Usually this is vegetables and things like bread or canned goods, at least in my area.  yarnn from Locally grown fiber might be sold at some.

 

Where do you live?

[billynomates]

Ipswich England. Our markets sell clothes, bags, food, magazines, pastries, cakes.  fruit and veg. and once a week the yarn man comes. I don't bother going any other time. lol

some times we have craft markets, where people sell there home made stuff, to jams and pickles, to knits and crochet, some times paintings, and lately Vintage stuff has been all the rage.

Some places in the US have what are called farmers' markets, where people sell things they have grown or made.  Usually this is vegetables and things like bread or canned goods, at least in my area.  yarnn from Locally grown fiber might be sold at some.

 

Where do you live?

[Bailey4]

I have had good luck with Knitting Warehouse, but I always comparison shop if I'm buying common name brands against Joann's.  Sometimes they are better, sometimes not.

 

As for Knit Picks they are one of the least expensive options for the fingering weight and other lighter weight yarns I need for my doll's clothes.  I can find the colors I need at a price I'm willing to pay when I know the clothes are going to be played with small hands that are not always gentle.  I can rarely find those weights locally and online the prices can be high for quality that doesn't necessarily match the needs I have for my projects.

[MissedStitches]

Kyarns is still there kyarns.com

 

You're right, knitpicks does not sell any other brands, but knitpicks is a brand in its own right.  I personally am not a fan but many people love them.

 

yarn.com is Webs, one of the major online sources of LYS quality yarns.  They have their own brand, Valley yarns, that sort of competes with knitpicks.  thye have good quantity discounts.

 

Jimmy beans is another major online source of LYS type yarn.

 

ditto Yarnmarket.

 

I guess what you are calling "specialty" yarns would be what I call "LYS type" yarns, and you are right, you will not find these brands at Walmart, joann, or michaels.  They too are brand name yarns and many of these companies manufacture a wide range of yarns, for example Cascade has a number of yarn lines.  These yarns can be used for any type of project, i don't see them as being specialized to any one use, though many are not able to be machine laundered so require what most in the US consider "special care".   Many of them are great; they tend toward more natural fibers or processed-from-natural-sources fibers like rayon from bamboo, tencel, etc.  Not much acrylic, though you will find acrylic and nylon in some blends.  I've used Webs, jimmy beans, yarnmarket and had good service.  their prices are competitive for the yarns they offer.  

 

For brands like Bernat and Lion Brand I would think Joann may be your best online source.  You can also order directly from Lion, and Red Heart.  Also you might look at Annies.  

 

 

I am fairly new to a lot of yarn and crochet/knit jargon. I'm still learning about different yarns. What exactly does LYS mean?

[magiccrochetfan]

LYS = local yarn store, a small business that sells yarn and knitting/crocheting supplies.  Of the ones discussed above, jimmy beans and Webs I know are actually LYS that have a big online presence.  The yarns they sell as I said are mostly natural fibers.  You can go to sites like knitmap.com to see what LYS are near you and visit some to see what they are like.  

While in general , the yarns at an LYS are going to be more expensive per yard than yarns at big-box chain stores like Michaels or Joann, the qualities of the specific yarn may be well worth it for a given project.  Like Bailey4 said the need/qualities/price have to balance for the buyer.  Also sales at LYS can sources of real bargains.