How do you save on yarn??

marciab · 10-10-2007, 12:07 PM

I have a project that i want to do and it calls for 27 balls of yarn - each costing almost $14. That's almost $400 for a sweater dress!! I'm trying to find similar yarns that are more affordable but the cheapest I think I can do this is about $100. If you've had this dilemma in the past, how did you handle it? A hundred bucks may be ok if I only knitted one thing a year but I have so many more projects ahead of me.

aineepooh1 · 10-10-2007, 05:20 PM

Hey there..
alot of folks around here use yarndex.com.. it will list different types of yarn that could be used for susbstituting..
also Knitpicks.. is a favorite around here b/c the prices are so good~!

Happy hunting~

Luvmyrottnboy · 10-10-2007, 05:34 PM

I have made a hobby out of buying yarn

at discount prices.

I don't think I ever paid full price for yarn. I check Littleknits every day because she has great deals. I have a boatload of King Tut cotton (may fave cotton!) that is 45% off the price in the stores. I also got a lot of Noro (Big Kureyon, Iro, Transitions, Silk garden, Lily) at really good prices.

Discountyarnsale.com is good too. Last year I bought a bunch of Cash Iroha there pretty cheap.

Web's, yarn.com, has a discount program where you get 20% off if you buy $60 worth of yarn and they have some really excellent yarns on sale too.

Sarahsyarns.com has Jaggerspun Zephyr in lace weight and DK weight dirt cheap. I am wearing a Zephyr DK sweater right now that cost me under $30 to make. Her service is excellent, I have gotten orders the very next day!

TLC cotton plus is a wonderful cotton/acrylic blend that is only $2.69 a skein at Joannes. Good yardage (178) and great quality in a bunch of beautiful colors.

You could figure out how many yards you need for your pattern in the correct gauge and go from there. Yarndex is a great resource for yarn info too.

Some other great sites: discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com, yarnbythe bag.com

Ah yarn! Wonderful yarn!

knitgal · 10-11-2007, 12:16 AM

I agree marciab, it is really hard to fund some of my projects sometimes! I like to use nice yarn, like alpaca and merino and other soft fibers, but it can be SO expensive. I'm a student and I don't really have a huge yarn budget. This is a great thread. I hope people post lots more sites to buy discounted yarn.

LilHuskiesFootBallMom · 10-11-2007, 12:37 AM

i stock up on those 40-50 percent off coupons from joann's or i go and use the 10 percent off the total order. I also look for clearance and sales.

wandersfar · 10-11-2007, 02:00 AM

Another option is to stalk Goodwill or other thrift stores. Sometimes you'll get lucky and find yarn on the cheap (varying quality, though). I've also been known to buy a cheap, ugly sweater (used or new) made of yummy yarn, rip it out and knit with that. Go for the largest size available if you want the most yarn, and avoid sweaters with lots of seams (few continuous strands of yarn).

Ripping out yarn also familiarizes you with sweater construction, so added bonus. Nothing like tearing something apart to see how it's made.

Jennmarie68 · 10-11-2007, 02:28 AM

Originally Posted by wandersfar

Another option is to stalk Goodwill or other thrift stores. Sometimes you'll get lucky and find yarn on the cheap (varying quality, though). I've also been known to buy a cheap, ugly sweater (used or new) made of yummy yarn, rip it out and knit with that. Go for the largest size available if you want the most yarn, and avoid sweaters with lots of seams (few continuous strands of yarn).

Ripping out yarn also familiarizes you with sweater construction, so added bonus. Nothing like tearing something apart to see how it's made.

That is a great idea, I never even thought about that, but it makes a ton of sense....

Lighting57 · 10-11-2007, 03:41 AM

How do you save on yarn??

I deprive myself.

WAH!!!!
I'm so pinched for pennies most of the time I could cry.

aineepooh1 · 10-11-2007, 05:37 AM

Lighting 57... pinching pennies?

check out our thread here on buy/sell/swap.. sometimes people will swap one yarn type for another or for a certain needles or books..
ALSO: sometimes people just give away free yarn ( when they are destashing ( thats a term for cleaning out the yarn bin~

) and I have seen peple just give it away as a first come first serve basis~~

Keep your eyes open~!

zkimom · 10-11-2007, 11:54 AM

So many people have given you good suggestions here!

I just wanted to second the one for LittleKnits.com. Their bag sales are great and I have gotten lovely yarn for great prices.

There is also smileys. They even have trunk shows -- my mom just went to one recently in New Jersey.

Hope you find something you like!

Susan