An anecdote about prices. Your experiences

14 Posts Recent Started

Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 1:40 PM

Hi everyone! I was at the yarn shop yesterday—actually just to pick up a little yarn—and ended up leaving empty-handed. My go-to skein costs just under €8, and for the stack of merino yarn I needed for the sweater I’m planning to knit, the total came to about €80. Neither amount is astronomical—but it felt like significantly more than my last big purchase.
On the one hand, I know that yarn prices rose sharply last year, plus shipping, energy costs, the minimum wage…—the shops aren’t to blame, and I want my little shop around the corner to stay in business.
How are you dealing with this right now? Are you still buying your favorite quality, or have you switched to cheaper yarn and had bad experiences with it? Best regards.

veronika-t15

3913 Posts Recent Started

Saturday, May 30, 2026 at 2:58 PM

Well, that’s just how it is everywhere right now, and it didn’t start yesterday. Prices have gone up enormously, whether it’s your favorite yarn or groceries—you just have to see what’s still affordable. Anyone who has to budget probably knows best where they can most easily cut back.
I’m still buying my favorite yarn from my usual small business, even if it’s getting a bit more expensive. Even the cheaper yarns are getting pricier, though it’s not as noticeable yet, and a lot would have to happen before I’d give up on quality.

Petra Perle

886 Posts Recent Started

Monday, June 1, 2026 at 8:30 AM

On the street where I grew up, there’s an antique shop that, under strange circumstances, suddenly had a lot of yarn in its window… the skeins came in beautiful colors… and were an extraordinary size. About as big as a small 20-liter beer keg—the kind you might get for a nice barbecue in your own backyard. Each ball costs a flat rate of 19 euros—which is practically a steal for that size. In no time at all, there was a long line in front of the store, and inside it was busier than ever. I scraped together the rest of my money to quickly snag a few more balls… which I managed to do after waiting in line for a very long time. The yarn was wonderful quality, but the shopkeeper wouldn’t say where it all came from: probably fell off a truck somehow!
Anyway, I was thrilled and stormed out of the store with my 15 skeins, loaded down like a porter.........then, unfortunately, I woke up!

Schnuckelina

5926 Posts Recent Started

Monday, June 1, 2026 at 11:30 AM

Was für eine schöne Geschichte, liebe Petra. In Gedanken haben wir alle gerade mit Dir angestanden, um mindestens eines der bierfäßchengroßen Knäule zu ergattern. Ein schöner Traum!

Liebe Grüße Ina

Original only (German)

Eddysmutti

92 Posts Recent Started

Monday, June 1, 2026 at 3:35 PM

Dear Petra,

I read your story with fascination, and my imagination ran wild as I did.

Too bad it was just a dream—albeit a very beautiful one.😉😉

Fun-Design

1048 Posts Recent Started

Monday, June 1, 2026 at 5:05 PM

Petra, what a lovely dream…

Bianca, I feel much the same way as you do.
Lately, I often cringe when I see the current prices.
Whether it’s for hobbies, leisure activities, groceries, or plants—I guess I’ll just have to get used to the current prices.
But in my experience, I usually don’t like the results when I use very cheap yarn. Often, it’s hard to work with or barely survives a wash.
Yes, when I fall in love with an inexpensive yarn, I’ve of course bought it—and not all of them are bad. Just feel it and then decide.

I’m trying to use up my existing stash anyway. There’s still quite a bit there that I’m not really in the mood for, but something beautiful can still come out of it.

bianca-aguck

14 Posts Recent Started

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 8:18 AM

Dear Petra, your dream is definitely better than my experience :-D. Best regards

Schnuckelina

5926 Posts Recent Started

Tuesday, June 2, 2026 at 10:16 AM

Wenn es mir bei einem Projekt auf Qualität ankommt, dann muss ich in den sauren Apfel beißen und auch den höheren Preis der Wolle bezahlen. Gerade habe ich eine Babydecke für das angemeldete neue Enkelchen gestrickt, da mach ich keine Kompromisse. Da muss ich dann halt an anderer Stelle sparen. Wir allen werden noch zu Sparweltmeistern.

Ich habe mich vor einiger Zeit in einem Wollgeschäft zum spontanen Wollkauf verführen lassen, weil mir die Wolle so gut gefiel. Ein Knäuel Sockenwolle (100 g) kostete 15 Euro. Tja, vom Leichtsinn geritten, konnte ich nicht anders. Zuhause sah ich dann, dass diese Wolle im Internet nur 10 Euro kostet :-(

Liebe Grüße Ina

Original only (German)

Libelle11

1229 Posts Recent Started

Sunday, June 7, 2026 at 12:09 PM

I snagged a deal last year when Drops cotton yarns were available online for 80 cents, and no, it wasn’t a dream.
A package with 80 skeins arrived, and I still don’t know what to do with them, but the price had me hooked—I just had to buy them.
It was like Christmas, me surrounded by all those skeins! Sigh

bianca-aguck

14 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 5:09 PM

Hallo zusammen! Ich hab am Wochenende versucht, meiner achtjährigen Nichte das Häkeln beizubringen.

Ich hatte mir das so schön vorgestellt.. wir auf dem Sofa, ich zeig ihr Luftmaschen, sie ist hingerissen, wir verbringen den Nachmittag zusammen. Hatte extra eine dicke rosa Wolle gekauft, weil ich dachte, das motiviert. Ende vom Lied: Sie ist nach acht Minuten vom Sofa runter, hat eine Stunde mit ihrem Tablet auf dem Boden gesessen und mir am Schluss erklärt, das sei „so was für alte Leute".

Ich hab dann allein weitergehäkelt, und am Ende des Tages lag eine kleine Tasche neben mir, die ich ihr nächstes Wochenende mitbringe. Mal sehen, ob sie das auch alte-Leute findet. Liebe Grüße.

Original only (German)

Häkelhaken Hamburg

347 Posts Recent Started

Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at 5:44 PM

It’s a shame that the little ones don’t have the patience for things like this anymore. With a tablet, you just get a sense of accomplishment—and a dose of dopamine—much faster.
I couldn’t teach my daughter either. It was made even harder by the fact that she’s left-handed.
Come to think of it, I wouldn’t necessarily start with chain stitches for a beginner. I’d crochet a circle first and then have them continue with single crochet stitches.