Check Every Dollar Store For Yarn

[Real Deal]

We stopped at Real Deals about 5 hours ago and the empty shelf space in the yarn area was filled ~ and it was filled with something new ~ LB suede in Garnet.

 

They haven't had suede in a year or more, so what are the chances that Big Lots just had the suede in Fuchsia (the wine color) now Real Deals has it in Garnet. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I just stood there staring at it. My mind couldn't seem to get past the HUH!?

 

I finally reached out and picked up a skein. Yes, it was real, and very, very nice. Fine. In the cart it went. You KNOW I couldn't pass it up. But I didn't take too much. When I came across my sister a few minutes later, she looked in my cart and said "Ooooooh, that's really nice." She looked at me, looked in the cart again, and said "Oh no you don't. You're not leaving here with that" and started wheeling my cart back to the yarn shelves! I was so stunned, I just stood there watching her walk away with my cart. I didn't know what to do. She's a year and a month older than I am, and is the oldest of all of us, so once in a while she gets a notion to take charge.

 

I scurried over to catch up with her, and she had a couple skeins in her hands, and asked "These are all the same dye lot aren't they? Good." And was tossing skeins in my cart and pushing a $20 bill at me. "Now you know you're going to regret it if you don't get more of these now, so here ..." and she kept tossing skeins in the cart.

 

Wonders never cease!!!

[Real Deal]

Well, I'm in suede shock!!!

 

I went in Real Deals, and there were numerous colors of LB suede, not just one. This has never happened. There was Garnet, like last time I was in, and Fuchsia that Big Lots just had. Then Spice, Canyon, Rose, Orchard, Teal, Seacrest (blues with gray), and Moonshadow (gray with blue).

 

Being yarnies, you see my dilemma here. If this was a normal LYS there would be no problem. I'd pick 1 color or 2, if I bought any at all. There would be no way to afford much of it. But this is a $ store. Everything is a dollar. And I love this yarn.

 

Another dilemma is that using the name suede for this type of yarn, in my opinion, is misleading. It's not like suede, it's extremely soft and drapey just like chenille. It doesn't stretch on the strand just like chenille. And with chenille, you have to work in tight sts, usually sc, or the sts will worm (crawl) eventually. In my case, that's fine. I don't mind doing sc work, but a lot of people don't like it.

 

Anyway, so all this suede yarn is at Real Deals. I don't know if the same stuff was delivered to all of their stores, but for those who like to work with suede, go check it out. I stood there looking at all this, practically in tears, thinking I am so blessed. My tax check just came in. Not that I can spend it all on yarn by any means, but I can buy a lot of super soft yarn now for wearables for the cold weather. I couldn't even think of doing this in the past. So, I started filling my cart.

 

Between this suede, Jiffy, and chenille, all of which I have bought at this store over the past 2 years, I am going to crochet the softest clothes for myself that I've ever had. It has taken a while to collect enough yarn, but thanks to this store, I now have every bit of it at $1 a skein.

 

As I said at the beginning of this thread, have patience. Wait and watch, and buy when the buying is good. I've done that and now I'll be able to make myself a number of substantial pieces of clothing. Eeeeeeeeeeeee!

[codymikki]

Does Real Deals have a website w/store locator? I'd like to see if there is a store in my driving area.

 

Checked at my local Dollar Tree - it only has very furry funky small skein yarns.

[Real Deal]

I don't have the slightest clue if Real Deals has a website with a store locator. I've never looked!!!

[ladytoysdream]

I just did a web search for realdeals website. I don't believe they have a website.

 

One can do a search for dollar stores , and add your state name to the search words.

 

Where we live we have Dollar Tree, Real Deals, and the Dollar Bazar stores.

 

The Dollar Bazar was a dollar store only but recently added some items that cost a little more, so they had to change their advertising, etc.

They also carry yarn but not a lot. Never found anything there for yarn that got me excited. But I am not a fun yarn type person. Just give me plain worsted weight

 

Remember with dollar stores, when buying yarn, to buy what you need for a project in a large enough quanity. If you run out and go back there to get more, they maybe sold out.

 

I added 6 more skeins yesterday at $ 1 each to my growing stash.

Not too long ago, I added 24 at $1 each. I learned to sneak them in

so I don't have to get grilled by the hubby why I keep buying more

and more.

[Real Deal]

Patti ~ I'm pretty much a worsted weight kind of person too. Then sport weight and bulky next. I range out to baby and super bulky on occasion.

 

Although the Dollar stores carry mostly novelty yarns (I call them foofy yarns) I just keep watching and waiting. When they do have Red Heart ww or Grande' or LB Jiffy, suede or chenille, I buy. At $1 a skein, I stopped feeling like I could only buy a handful of skeins. And yes, they can sell out in a hurry, so do buy enough if you like something enough to buy it at all.

[Craw]

Foofy yarns? That's close to what I call them ... foo-foo yarns. LOL

[ladytoysdream]

I call the fun yarns, *foo-foo* yarns also......

and the few I tried to play with.......they made me want to pull my hair out.

And forget trying to frog a mistake.......PITA........

[Yarnluver]

Whenever I saw "novelty" yarns anywhere I always felt one had to be an expert to work with them but I never even thought there could be anything I could use them because most I saw were in loud colors which I don't like so I mostly ignored them. However, today I am still dancing with joy :danceover all the yarn I got at a Dollar Tree during the past two days. Almost all is "foo-foo" yarn but in more "traditional" colors and I've tested the ones I chose and it doesn't seem like they're going to be too hard to work with for what I have in mind. It was mostly Paton's and a couple of Bernat's, some of which looked like dead animals , (like two dark shades of Carmen - first time I saw that and don't care to see it again!). I got 2 colors of Glittalic, 4 of Silverlash and one more color of Lacette (now that one's delicately beautiful and has great feel but don't you dare make a mistake!).

 

ladytoysdream, I'm curious about which types of "foo-foo" yarns made you pull your hair out, care to name names?

[pat54]

Gosh you guys are lucky. Either I pick the wrong days or my dollar stores don't carry yarn. I've even check Big Lots after the comments here and nope. I haven't seen yarn at either place. Boy I'm jealous

[Yarnluver]

I know how you must feel, when I returned to crochet less than 2 months ago besides a few old skeins that had been packed for years and all but two partly used, my "stash" consisted of 3 skeins of LB suede, 1 of Bernat Bouclé, and 4 or 5 new balls of thread that I was able to get last year during a store close-out sale. Also 5 sk. of LB Incredible (ribbon) that I had no idea what I could use for (same for the bouclé...) which I found at a Dollar Tree.

 

Since I needed to make little blankets for cats in a shelter, after I used some of my scraps I went to Wal-mart but even at their low prices my budget only allowed for a few skeins of RHSS - spread out over several weeks. Then I heard of yarn at Big Lots. I decided to call them first (because it's not nearby and I know how it is with those stores, sometimes they have the stuff and others they don't), and I guess it was my lucky day. I bought 12 sk. which included Paton's Lacette, similar to one I'd seen used for a shawl I wanted to make, so I was ecstatically happy.

 

But then I confess I felt extremely jealous when a lady wrote she got a TON of yarn from Freecycle and posted the pic and her "loot" included a lot of WW in many nice colors. I tried doing the same thing here and didn't get one single response so I felt bummed out. Then someone told me about a community thrift shop close to me and when I got a little extra cash I called them and, sure enough, they had bags of yarn (at different prices). When I was studying them a nice lady stood nex to me and told me that they they had a special discount so I got my choices for 50% off. Also, before I left home I'd also called a different Dollar Tree (because "mine" hasn't had yarn again) and they told me they did, so I went and stocked-up. Of course, the only "practical" yarn I got was from the thrift shop and while I didn't get anything for free I'm still pretty happy about what I got as ideas are beginning to dance in my head about what I could do with them.

 

The moral of my story is: don't get discouraged, as the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait", so keep calling them every week or visit if you're "in the neighborhood" or better yet, talk to a manager and find out if they could begin to carry it and one of these days you'll be the one posting in here. And if you haven't registered at your local Freecycle give it a try, it may be different in your area and you may come out a winner this way.

 

 

With my best wishes,

 

Raquel

[mva5493]

I found paton's carmen and the lacette in a dollar king in lexington(next town) but didn't like the looks of the carmen, awful color and it looks hard to work with. The lacette was beautiful but it was a lavender color and I couldn't think of a reason to bring it home with me. But I am glad to see that they are carrying more than just fun fur. I have more than enough of that and don't really like working with it much. I can't crochet with it at all, if I use it is is for knitting and then can't seem to do more than make a scarf.

[ladytoysdream]

Foo foo yarns......

well they be usually the thinner type yarns, and the ones, I call the fun fur, novelty. I like them, they're pretty, but just don't seem to work

up the way I want them too.

Now if I came across a bunch of them at a garage sale, and the price

was right......you can well believe they would be coming home with me.

I would use them as swapping material if need be. Sometimes in the

winter, I sell some yarn on ebay for a few extra dollars.

 

I really like the looks of baby yarn, but I don't fare well with 2 or 3

ply yarn. I am currently making a baby blanket for a customer,

but it is being done in 4 ply. I wish I knew what the manufactur

of this is, but I bought the yarn in a box lot at a garage sale,

and these 2 balls had no label. But it is impressing me

Wish I had more of it.

[Real Deal]

I went by Real Deals and they did have in some new foofy stuff that's pretty ~ not gaudy or clashing! Those of you who like the poofy, fluffy, furry, feathery and all that should have a look.

 

The cream boucle' looks very nice. Also the black. It's too bad I really don't like to work with it.

 

Oh, yes, there's plush in grenadine, a bright pink. I absolutely love plush, but the pink is just too out there for me.

 

I also found new, some balls of #10 thread. They are Caron Grandma's Best Crochet Thread in 1000 yard balls. Ecru only. I picked up some for a Thready friend.

[Yarnluver]

I have a skein of boucle that I began to make a triangular shawl with but was not turning out right (too pointy) so I unraveled the whole thing when it was nearly finished and that wasn't fun. When I tested it I found that it's best to use with an open stitch pattern and a larg hook (I used a Boye "N") and it wasn't too bad, so when I find a way to make this shawl work I will certainly make it because it was feeling SO soft I felt joy imagining myself wrapped in it next winter, and that to me is worth the relative slowness of working with it (because there are way worse types of yarn to work with!) so maybe you should give it another chance because you just can't beat the price!

 

I totally dislike LB Fun Fur, if "necessary" would only use it in black or white but the other colors they have, ugh! That's precisely why they end up at dollar stores BUT maybe little girls would love things made with that, I just don't know any right now. I also dislike most eyelash "yarns" (more like threads...) both in look and difficulty in use, except for Paton's Silverlash which I tested and it unraveled fairly easily. I believe it will make some lovely evening shawls/shrugs, either alone or together with thread or a fine yarn, or serve as trim so I stocked up on those.

[Debbi-a1]

Our greentree finally had yarn. But nothing I'd really use, so I just left it for the next crafter. But it was nice to see it there!

[Yarnluver]

Our greentree finally had yarn. But nothing I'd really use, so I just left it for the next crafter. But it was nice to see it there!

That's about how I felt about a month ago when I went to a local store called "Deals & More" and I saw some gawdy-colored yarns I had absolutely no use for, it was encouraging to see it there because I thought "maybe in the future they'll have better than that (or I'll get there sooner before the supply is all picked over!)."

[Monique39]

I went to two Dollar stores and they didn't have anything!

[Real Deal]

When I used to go to the Dollar stores I never really paid attention to whether they had yarn or not, and if they did, it was icky, so I didn't go look on purpose. I remember seeing some beat up looking gray, and some horrible mustard color, so I certainly didn't think I'd ever be buying yarn in a Dollar store.

 

I didn't start paying attention to the yarn until one of my sisters said these stores do get some decent yarn, and you have to keep checking back because the deliveries aren't every single week.

 

Was I ever surprised when I walked in to see lots of Lion Brand baby yarn. There wasn't a thing wrong with it. The company was discontinuing it, which was confirmed later.

 

When I first found LB Jiffy in dark blue and in teal, I could hardly believe it. I thought there must be something wrong with the yarn. As it turned out, there wasn't ~ there was something wrong with the labels. None of the labels had the weight printed on them. As it just so happened, my next youngest sister had just given me a few skeins of white and yellow Jiffy she didn't want to use. Those skeins came from a LYS, so I checked the labels and the weight was printed on them. So she paid who-knows-what ghastly price, and I was getting to pay $1 a skein for as much as I wanted because of a printing error! Wow!

 

I could hardly believe this. Is it too much trouble for them to relabel the yarn? Does it cost too much? Do they just not want to be bothered? I don't know.

 

Over the past couple years, with the yarn I've found at the Dollar stores, I have returned 1 skein. That's it. 1 skein. With each yarn, I've tried to find a reason it would be in a Dollar store, and these are the ones that fit so far:

Discontinued types

Discontinued colors

Misprinted labels

Extremely crooked labels

Extremely loose labels

Wrinkles in labels, smearing the printing

Skeins that seem to be overweight

 

Other reasons I've been told by the store personnel:

Store closings ~ therefore they get the inventory

Overproduction at the factories ~ so the companies want to get rid of dark colors in the Spring, etc.

 

I've gone from someone who paid no attention at all to what yarn is in Dollar stores to someone who watches and waits. Lots of foofy stuff comes in. Lots of clashing colors and things I don't like come in. Then something I can use comes in and I buy.

 

I never dreamed I'd be able to build a stash, but I have. Baby yarn, chenille, 4-ply worsted weights, Jiffy, Thick & Quick, plush, USA Chunky, Red Heart Grande' and more.

 

You have to have patience and keep going back. Between the Dollar stores and Big Lots, you can build a decent stash. Don't be drawn in by the junk.

[ZoeZoesmom]

You have to have patience and keep going back. Between the Dollar stores and Big Lots, you can build a decent stash. Don't be drawn in by the junk.

 

I could not agree more! I have had some great finds between the dollar store and big lots! Sometimes it is a disappointing trip and other times I dance the happy yarn dance as I leave with my treasure...matter of fact, a big lots run in in order tonight.

[Craw]

I went back to my Big Lots to ask about yarn and they said they don't carry it anymore. I also asked a friend of mine who works at a different Big Lots and she said nope, her store isn't selling it anymore either. Guess they didn't think it would be a big seller. There is another store by me called Job Lot, sorta like Big Lots on a smaller scale. They used to have a decent selection of yarn and not just the foo-foo stuff. They cleared all theirs out and aren't selling it anymore either. That was my one outlet for inexpensive yarn. Now I have none.

[pineknott]

any one in the chesapeake/portsmouth Va.

the dollar store on Portsmouth Blvd. has alot of ribbon,cha cha,some fluffy kind,fun fur types.

not in the crafts area but by the health and beauty aids

[Real Deal]

My sister and I stopped in Real Deals and there wasn't any new yarn, but they did have a bin of household string and a bin of jute. I picked up 1 ball of each and I was going to leave, when my sister said "Hey, come look at these."

 

She found a stack of the plastic zippered, see-through blanket storage covers, and immediately thought of YARN STORAGE! We each took a few, then discovered large box shaped ones at the bottom of the stack, so I picked up a few of them also. Now I can do some serious yarn sorting.

 

What would these covers cost in the catalogues? $4 or $5 each? Well, lets just say that between us, we spent $18 for storage that otherwise would be something I would never spend ~ $72 to $90. So, get on over there and get some for yourself. These are a real bargain.

[Real Deal]

Ooooooh, another nice find in Real Deals last night. LB Chunky USA in 3 colors ~ purple, yellow, and blue. I already have lots of the purple and yellow, but I've been waiting and hoping the blue would come in here also. Now it did and I am so thrilled!!!

 

I've only wanted these 3 colors for making a bed blanket, and now I can get started. Actually, I should have enough to make 2 blankets. I feel so blessed that I can do this.

[Sockmad]

I have several of the see thru extra large blanket sleeves. I bought them at my local Dollar General for about 3 dollars for two. I love them they fit under my bed nicely and allow me to catagorize this one for sock yarn,that one for Vanna's. The other item I use are the pop up hampers. I can get 10 Caron One Pounders into one hamper!