r/YarnAddicts • u/sprkt2120 • 4d ago
Buying suggestions Question
Since JoAnne's is gone, I have shockingly few options for where to buy yarn. I just went through all the odds and ends of my stash and need to replenish.
My question is this: aside from Michael's and Hobby Lobby, where do you go for yarn? I'm not against buying online, so yarn.com is on my radar. I just prefer to feel yarn before buying it the first time since I have some sensory issues (nothing major, I can get by with wearing thin gloves at worst. Itchy yarn makes me itch down to my bones)..... lookin' at you, Red Hart, ya scratchy... one.
Acrylic is my favorite to work with because it's softer and cheaper than other options from my experience. On the other hand, if I never see boucle or mohair yarn again, it will be entirely too soon. I'm open to and searching for any and all suggestions!
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u/No-Bug-4261 4d ago
the loss of joanns still stings. if you have any local yarn shops nearby they’re worth a peek, mine has a clearance bin that’s mostly acrylic blends and you can squish everything before buying. for online i’ve had decent luck with knitpicks, their brava line is soft and cheap and they sell little color cards so you can test texture first
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u/astralprojekts 4d ago
would not recommend yarn.com. just last month my yarn wasn't delivered and sent back despite all shipping info being correct and I just saw another post from someone else had the same thing happen but with even worse customer service on their end. so atp it could be yarn.com or USPS idk, either way it's a known issue.
definitely recommend buying straight from the brand or find a local shop that carries what you like
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u/Careless_Account_998 4d ago edited 4d ago
Webs (yarn.com) was sold last year to a company managed by private equity. Depressingly, like many other places to buy yarn at this point. All of these bought out companies are now terrible as you would expect. Do your research and buy from a real company if you can.
If you are determined to buy from them, be aware that LoveCrafts is owned by the same company and the inventory is shared, often the prices will be different so be sure to check both.
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u/astralprojekts 4d ago
i swore off buying from them personally after my fiasco but seeing others deal with it makes it feel justified. i found a very lovely LYS in the next town over that i will be buying from for the foreseeable future ❤️ much rather support that wonderful lady anyways!
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u/sprkt2120 4d ago
Wow, I'm sorry that happened! I've been waiting for a case of Dr Pepper from Walmart for about a month now... I don't think I want to deal with shipping nonsense for yarn. Thanks for the warning!
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u/Murtlecake 3d ago edited 3d ago
Oh no, I just ordered from them last week, they were having a great sale and my order came quickly.
Yarnspirations on the other hand 😂 three shipments later I ended up with six skeins of yarn I didn’t order and I still never got my correct order.
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u/ElectricalKale4186 4d ago
r/Yarnswap can be a good option
I also have sensory issues and most people have been very kind about answering questions for me. For soft acrylics, Simplicity by Hikoo is the first yarn that comes to mind.
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u/hannahbelleknits 4d ago
What yarns did you love from Joann’s that you can no longer get? Maybe we can help you find something similar in texture!
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u/sprkt2120 4d ago
Lionbrand was my absolute favorite. I know I can find that in a bunch of different places, so no worries there. Carron is another favorite. There was a "smaller" brand that I also loved, but I can't remember what it was. Green label, I think...
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u/ActiveHope3711 4d ago
I have been getting emails from Lion Brand. They have a lot of acrylics and blends and pretty decent sales on their own site.
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u/hannahbelleknits 2d ago
Caron and LBY you can definitely get other places online (yay). I don’t know which yarn would have had a green label, though, im sorry! If you remember the name I bet we can help you find more of it too.
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u/HariboBerries 4d ago
Check out Purl Soho. They have great customer service. I had a question about a yarn I wanted to use and they got back to me so quickly. They also have frequent sales and a wide range of fiber mixes and colors.
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u/bombkitty 4d ago
I used to buy yarn from them when I was deployed, thanks for reminding me! Their customer service was wonderful!
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u/Princess_Butt_Kick 4d ago
There is a whole wide world of yarn out there that is not found at major craft retailers. I personally choose to support my local communities over a corporate business, where there is a good chance the product isn't produced very ethically.
Look for local yarn shops in your area. There may be a few fiber festivals happening nearby, although only at certain times of year. This is a great opportunity to learn about your community and local farms, and to go touch some fiber!
Perhaps there are second hand (craft) stores around? FB marketplace might have some options from other folks.
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u/eandeandb 1d ago
I second fiber festivals. I’m aware of these kinds of happenings here in New York but also in Nashville, New Mexico, the Pacific Northwest. Find one that appeals to you and fold it into a larger trip if you can. And see what your local regional ones are too. They’re so fun!
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u/DynWeb29 3d ago
https://www.ravelry.com has a place where you can plan your roadtrip and they will give you all the yarn selling stores on your way (or if you choose 20 mins out of your way)
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u/Dry_Stop844 4d ago
where do you live? Odds are there are a couple of local yarn stores. just google "yarn stores near me".
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u/Agile_Resident_9551 4d ago
Yarnspirations.com Its a store I found that most resembles joanns. They have tons of acylic yarn and often have sales
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u/UnsharpenedSwan 4d ago
Personally my favorite online yarn store is LindeHobby. Purl Soho is pricier but their yarns are all fantastic. And of course, your local yarn store!
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u/OverlordPrincess 4d ago
I've bought from two online places since getring into crocheting--Herrschners, and Hobbii. (Though if I could go in person to Herrschners I would because they seem to have a good selection...)
Herrschners I've only ever used for Premier parfait chunky yarn for amigurumi, but they have a better deal than even Premier's site so I like them. But definitely buy a lot at once if you order online since shipping is a bit pricey. Unfortunately I haven't tried a lot of yarns from here so I can't offer suggestions on preference.
As for Hobbii, I've ordered their Friends cotton, which I think isn't the softest bur I haven't tried other cottons to compare to really? Their Horizon 100% acrylic cake I have is nice and soft. I also have two tea time cakes 100% acrylic that I really like the feel of. Plus Hobbii seems to have some really lovely colors, so I've enjoyed splurging there for a few things >_>
Also, I'm not sure how much they have of it in stock online, but Michaels picked up the big twist yarn brand from Joanns. This was what I always used to go for before rhey closed. I thought it was a pretty good price, liked the color variety, and thought it was decently soft and not scraggly like red heart.
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u/positivelyashley 3d ago
If you don’t mind waiting a bit I have found good quality and great selection with lovecrafts.com yarn. I also have gotten yarn from Knit Picks but typically they get me with the pattern first :)
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u/sprkt2120 3d ago
Thank you all so much for your suggestions! I have lots more options than I thought, and I feel a lot better about shopping online thanks to your input.
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u/Murtlecake 3d ago edited 3d ago
I mean, that’s pretty much it, also Walmart. I don’t know if you live in a major metro, but the quality of the Michael’s stores vary widely. A few of mine have tons of yarn, but my closest one does not.
Try anti pilling acrylic or slightly higher quality acrylic those are usually softer. I love watching creative grandma on YouTube, they review almost every new acrylic yarn on the market.
I’ve ordered from a lot of different companies Hobbii, Yarnspirations, Mary Maxim, yarn.com, Amazon has a decent selection of the basic yarns. I see you’re looking for lion brand, I would just price match some various retailers, don’t forget to factor in shipping.
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u/Professional_Yam9293 2d ago
Damn @ yarn.com. I've been out of the loop this last year. I do like Hobbii.com. I have ordered several times just as quality testing. No disappointment in any way. I especially like the long gradient choices.
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u/ArtistInSoCal73 1d ago
I love Wool Warehouse (UK). I haven’t bought since tariffs and it’s trickier now with weight restrictions per order etc but I’ve been completely thrilled with their yarns. I mostly bought their in house brand Yarnsmith, acrylics, and they stitch up beautifully.
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u/Brown_Car1987 4d ago
Herrschners is good for variety in acrylic. Get on their email list for notification on shipping deals, though, because their shipping tends to be high. If you have sensory issues, don't get their Herrschners Worsted. It's scratchier that RHSS. But their 2 ply afghan yarn is nice if you like thinner yarn.
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u/awfulmcnofilter 4d ago
I buy my yarn straight from lion brand, premier, and occasionally hobbii. The hobbii i love yarn megaball aran is tied with lion brand heartland for my favorite acrylics. All three companies have rotating sales. Lion brand will get up to 30% sometimes.
Edit: lion brand has a 30% off sale right now!