What's happening at Michaels???

[Crycket]

hmmm...there own brand...I would be curious to see how that will turn out...

[HollyP]

I think I need to go to Michael's more often. I haven't seen any close out yarn or even great sales but I did see the signs announcing the improved dept.

[ArtLady1981]

This has gotta be doomsday news at Red Heart, Caron, Bernat, Patons, Lion, etc!

UNLESS, Michaels' own brand of yarn is going to be one of the major companies under the Michaels label.

Safeway does that. Example: Their Safeway brand canned veggies are really just a major company (for example Del Monte) with the Safeway label. At least it was that way when I worked for Safeway in the 70's.

Something I noticed about some of the Store Branded yarns: they got cheaper. Money saving shortcuts. Ack. Nice on the outside, with hidden secrets in the inside.

For example, this is what happens to DEBBIE MUMM for JOANNS yarn when you are working with it, and not just a bit, the entire skein:


The lovely OUTSIDE colors are not solid through. There is this ugly black worm on the inside as a filler. The black worm is embedded inside the colorway, and doesn't begin to appear til you're knitting.


Here is the poncho, using 4 skeins of identical color in identical dyelot. Nice huh? See the difference halfway up?


Here is a skein of the offending Joann's branded yarn:


Is there any hit of the black worm hidden in the core of the yarn? Nope.


So, I am totally unexcited about Michaels BRAND NAME yarn.
If JOANNS is any measure of what changes are all about: Michaels Brand will be NEW YARNS, cheaply produced, and with the same or greater prices. AKA: more profits on Michaels bottom line.

The DEBBIE MUMM Traditions for JOANNS yarn was not inexpensive. It was $6 per 149 yd skein, whereas Plymouth ENCORE is $5.49 for 200 yds and excellent quality. At least ENCORE is 'yarn' through and through. No hidden black worms.

This is just one knitter's experience with a 'store branded' yarn line.
It still gripes me. Knitting this kid's poncho was a total miserable experience, stitch-by-miserable-stitch. I had to skooch the topmost reds colors down over the black worm about every 4 stitches to keep the black worm covered up.

Hopefully, Michaels will do a better job of transitioning their yarn department.

[cresmoon]

So I guess this is the point where I out myself as being one of Michael's lowly, badly paid part-time associates. My store is advertising the new section too but we've yet to clear out any current yarn. From what I've heard from one of my managers, it will still carry the usual stuff, but just more new selections of yarn.

The next time I go to work, I'll ask what's the deal with the new store brand yarn. Be warned though that no other staff there that I know of knows anything about knitting or yarn so they may not be able to give me a helpful answer.

[YarnKitten]

Another lowly Michaels floor servant here.

From what I've seen, we aren't restocking much. I usually find a few skeins on the floor, still in their bag because there's no room for them on the shelf. Not over the last while. And there are full shelves that are empty.

There is a sign in the staff room now about the Michaels brands around the store. I'm sorry, but I can't remember what they were calling it! *tear* Either way, I hope it starts SOON and if I remember, I'll bug the store manager tomorrow if she's in. (Her and I are nice and chummy, so I'm sure I'll hear something.)

[Crycket]

Something I noticed about some of the Store Branded yarns: they got cheaper. Money saving shortcuts. Ack. Nice on the outside, with hidden secrets in the inside.


So, I am totally unexcited about Michaels BRAND NAME yarn.
If JOANNS is any measure of what changes are all about: Michaels Brand will be NEW YARNS, cheaply produced, and with the same or greater prices. AKA: more profits on Michaels bottom line.

Yeah...it like Mary Maxim and Herrschners....booth of certain lines of their yarns suck....Herrschners is ok...when you go with some of the nicer stuff...namely stuff with more wool content...like the sock yarn or the stuff that felts...but the basic acrylic stuff is just riddled with knots and just generally feels unpleasant...

The Mary Maxim Mellowspun pills like mad...and even though it is soft, it is cheap, and in the end....the garment just isn't as nice as it could have been...

Let it be said though...yes, these yarns are cheap...but there are nicer cheap yarns other there!...Lets hope Michaels brand does not turn into one of the flops...

[knittingincarolina]

I have been using Yarn Bee (Hobby Lobby's brand), and so far I haven't had any problems with it. I hope Michael's will improve and expand their yarn department, this is in turn will force HL to keep up. Seems like every time I go into HL the yarn department shrinks just a little bit more.

[YarnKitten]

Loops And Threads I think might be the name of the new brand they're coming out with. And me, I COMPELTELY forgot to ask the boss until about five minutes after she had passed me in the front foyer on her way out saying goodbye. *sigh*

[mathwizard]

I knew something was going on in my store but thanks for the information. I hope they do use a better quality yarn because I would hate to make something with cheap inferior yarn. Dye lot should be sacred and I would have taken it back the minute I discovered it wasn't the same.

[khaosx5]

As someone who works at one of the above mentioned stores (MM & H) I can tell you that it is not the company's choice as to what fibres go into the yarns. The manufacturers tell us what is in them and they resond to the market - people are asking for softer yarns - they just don't realize that they do not stand up as well.