Topic: Buying Yarn

Hi,

I’ve read quite a few times now that when you’re looking for a new project, you check your yarn stash and quickly pull out the yarn for a new jacket *lol* Do you really just take the yarn home on a whim when you see something nice? Without knowing whether you’ll ever need 2 skeins or 12 skeins of it? What if you have the perfect yarn for that project at home but, unfortunately, are one ball short?
I always pick out a project I want to make, and then I dash off somewhere to buy the right yarn. Doesn’t anyone do it that way anymore? Or am I just lucky and have saved a lot of money because I don’t have a yarn shop nearby? Or do you just have a lot of space and as much yarn at home as the yarn shop itself? Tell me about it...

Best regards
Michaela

Hi Michaela,

here’s how it works for me: I often order online, and to save on shipping (free shipping once you reach a
certain amount), I just order a few more skeins.

Most of the time, I buy yarn for a single project. But I always buy 1–2 extra skeins.

It’s also true that I sometimes make impulse purchases. I’ll see the yarn and
immediately think of a project I’ve always wanted to do, so I
end up taking the yarn home with me.

There are always so many factors at play.

Best regards, Heike

I always buy the yarn I like right away (unfortunately)
but always enough for baby clothes.

For bigger projects, like a women’s jacket, I don’t buy the yarn until
I’m ready to start knitting.

Best regards,
Birgit

I always make a reeeally firm resolution to only buy yarn for projects. And then I always get 1–2 extra skeins, just to be safe.

Unfortunately, though, for me it usually stays just a resolution. And when I see yarn that I want to have, it’s like a yarn frenzy. And then it can happen that I buy a good 1 kg of one yarn and ask myself at home—what on earth am I going to do with it???
But so far, none of my yarn has "expired and gone bad".

Although, the last time I got 2 Bobbels as a reserve, they were already gone when I opened the package, because my mother-in-law thought they were so beautiful that she immediately made herself a shawl from them. It was also one of those offers where, if you take 4 Bobbels, you save on shipping.....

I buy my yarn at the factory outlet. And, unfortunately, I always buy whatever catches my eye. I’ve only shopped online twice so far, but that yarn has been sitting in a box for years now. I have to feel the yarn before I buy it.
Yes, I buy yarn that looks nice and feels good to the touch. And since I’ve only knit shawls and for my grandson so far, the skeins from my stash are enough. But unfortunately, every time I visit, I buy more than I’ve used up before. So I have a stash for almost every new idea.

Yes, I’m like most people here. I think we’ve been infected by a virus. If there’s a craft store anywhere, I have to go in, even on vacation. If I see yarn somewhere, I have to browse. There’s always exactly the yarn I’ve been looking for, or at least I think so. Sometimes I like the color, or it’s a new novelty yarn, and then it’s exactly the yarn missing from my stash of leftover yarn. I shop online when I need yarn for a specific project, and then I go by the motto, “Could I get a little extra?” or “Maybe another color after all.” Then I end up with some leftovers, and I need more yarn because you have to use up the leftover yarn eventually.
I’ve probably rubbed off on my husband a little too. When we’re out somewhere and he spots a new yarn shop, he points it out to me and then goes off for a coffee.

I actually always buy yarn only for a specific project, because I’ve often found that yarn I bought “just on a whim” wasn’t quite enough and then couldn’t be found anywhere else. But for that very reason, I almost always buy 1–2 more skeins—and then I end up with leftovers. That’s why I keep making little things here and there with my leftover yarn. You can often find the patterns for these in my shop ;-)

I have a source I order from online.

Since I mostly crochet or knit shawls, the amount I order works out very well for me.
I order a little extra when I have a custom gradient cake made.

Hi Michaela,

I’m in a similar situation to Heike. Since there’s no store near me (thankfully!), I buy my yarn online—and of course, with free shipping. Opening the package is always like Christmas, Easter, and my birthday all rolled into one. :-)

So I’ve slowly built up quite a stash, but I already have tons of ideas in mind for it.

For bigger projects, like my cardigan right now, I buy enough yarn to make sure I have plenty. I then use the leftovers for smaller projects or for my granddaughter. That works out pretty well.

It gets interesting when I’m missing one or two skeins and don’t realize it until I’m knitting. Oh dear—then I go back and forth: should I just buy those skeins now… or should I start a bigger project and save on shipping again? ;-)

I couldn’t fill a yarn shop just yet, but I’m well on my way… grinning.

Best, Monika

I buy whatever I like or whatever’s on sale, and then I think about what I can make with it and what the yarn is best suited for. Then I realize I’ve made the occasional bad purchase that’s just sitting there gathering dust.
However, I don’t work on projects like sweaters, etc., where you need a larger amount (not yet, anyway).
For commissioned work—which always has specific requirements—I order online, and like many others, I end up ordering an extra amount to save on shipping costs.

I recently bought a chest of drawers just for my cotton yarn, but unfortunately it’s already full again—even though I’m working hard to use it up, the pile just won’t get any smaller.
Now I’m taking part in the “Wool Queen” project and hope to use up some yarn from a bad purchase.

Best regards, Petra

Hahahaha, when I started crocheting last fall, I still had everything under control. Now I have a sizeable stash of patterns and yarn. The only thing missing is the time to actually work through it all ;-)

I’m currently working through my stash and, in some cases, using it exactly as I’d imagined when I bought it. After all, I want to stick with my “yarn diet” at least until the end of April. It’s easier than I thought. ;-) So it could very well be that I’ll keep it up a little longer. I never thought I’d be able to say that.

It all started with a cute little yarn basket and a few individual skeins for practice.
Little by little, I ventured into bigger projects and bought yarn for them as well.
I made a lot of impulse and bargain purchases, many of which I’ve used up, though there were also some bad buys or gifted yarn that I never knew what to do with.
I got rid of the latter and donated it to the kindergarten and the elementary school.
Except for cotton yarn, I no longer make random purchases—I only buy what I specifically need for the project I’m working on right away.
For my current jacket, I chose a contrasting color that I’ve since realized doesn’t quite work with it, but I still have enough of that color on its own to make a sweater or something similar.
Since I still had some leftover merino yarn, I also bought merino yarn in a different color to make another sweater. But I have plans for it, and I won’t buy anything else until I’ve finished these projects.
I always need some cotton yarn on hand so I have everything ready for small gifts or pattern ideas.

For me, the addiction started with a Yoda amigurumi that I just had to make...

After more than a decade-long break, I still had a crochet hook at home, but of course no yarn.
As fate would have it, it was a Sunday when stores were open, so I drove to Real to buy yarn in the colors I needed.
They only had packs of 5 skeins, so I ended up with 5 of each color.
Since I was happy with the yarn and it was super cheap, I’d always buy packs of 5 whenever I wanted to make something new.
Plus, the color selection varied a lot, and whenever I saw a pretty one, I just had to have it.
That’s how I ended up with quite a pile of acrylic yarn.

Soon I switched to cotton.
To avoid running out, I always bought lots of skeins of that, too....
More of it piled up.

At some point, my passion for crocheting clothes kicked in, and I bought yarn for that.
Now it’s Bobbels. As soon as I have fewer than 4 or 5, I reorder.

Yeah, and then there are the “it’s on sale” purchases… the “it’s sooo pretty” purchases, the yarn my grandma gives me…

So quite a bit does pile up after all :)
Still, I never have the right one at home… 

Actually, I usually buy yarn for specific projects, but as it often goes, I end up not having the time to finish them, so my stash just keeps growing and growing. Exception: sock yarn—it often just calls out to me! And since I usually work on smaller projects, I end up with lots of half-used skeins.
But now I want to stick with it and work through my stash!
Now I have a somewhat specific problem: I have a few skeins left over from two garments I finally finished (after years!), and I don’t know what to do with them (they’re not suitable for kindergarten).

Oh… I very rarely buy yarn for specific projects—I need to have it in plain sight at home.

My last order was 90 skeins—always 5 of each color. Of course, there are always leftovers; for me, leftovers are 10–15 g, and I’m currently crocheting them up… the next market is sure to come, and I can always use little things like that there.

My husband didn’t even ask why I buy so much—five skeins at a time. His comment was just a matter-of-fact, “Oh, I’m sure there should always be enough there for a bag.” The guy is really smart ;-)

I like to order the cotton yarns online, since the same quality costs almost twice as much at the store here. I make impulse buys every now and then when I have to pick up my daughter from work and I’m there too early—the needlework shop is right next to her apprenticeship. And I can’t very well be rude and not stop by to see the owner or pick something up… It’s always funny when I go in for darning yarn and come out with a basket full of yarn on sale.
At some point, my husband surely won’t let me drive there anymore.

Wow, Sabine, you must be super hard-working if you can actually use up that much yarn. Hats off to you! I wouldn’t even know where to store 90 skeins or more. ;-)

Good thing I don’t have a yarn shop nearby! I can’t even imagine!

Your husband is really great!

Using it up is no problem at all... 20 skeins are already gone ???? and my husband knows that otherwise I’d be going through withdrawal.

I also have a shop where I mainly sell crochet appliqués. Over the years, it’s just worked out that I now have almost every color of Catania cotton; for the ones I use the most, I always have about 500 g on hand. On top of that, I buy new yarn for specific projects (the ones I have in mind right now). Since I buy from a supplier, there’s a minimum order requirement—usually 500 g—but it’s definitely worth it because of the price.
When it’s time to declutter, I donate the yarn to a nonprofit group. I’ve found a great one.

That’s truly enviable—I’d feel like I was in a yarn paradise. Well, who knows—it might still happen someday. ;-) It must be great to have such a huge selection right at your fingertips.

Ooh, I’m one of those “what-beautiful-yarn” shoppers too. And for my smaller projects, it’s always enough. Plus, I dye and spin my own yarn. For me, yarn isn’t just a material—it’s like a beautiful picture: it sits on the shelf and hangs on the wall; I walk past it and enjoy the sight.

My latest purchase was a hank of yak yarn from Zitron. It’s so precious that I hardly dare to knit it up. But every time I walk past the shelf, I pick up the hank and enjoy that wonderful feeling ???? I can also just enjoy simply having yarn... like other people collect model cars... or something like that... you know what I mean..

Best, Caro

Yes, Caro, I can totally relate to that. If I had a yarn shop nearby and a lot more space in my apartment, I’d probably feel the same way you do. I also enjoy my yarn baskets sitting here all filled up, and every now and then I just have to pick something up because it simply feels so wonderful.

A shelf full of yarn... wow, that’s a dream!

Dyeing and spinning it yourself... wow, you’re really starting with the basics. 

Yes, Monika, about 10 years ago I wanted to use the wool from the sheep at the Archehof farm in the surrounding area, so I learned how to spin. And one thing led to another :-)
Aaaand one of the ladies I taught how to spin now has a very nice, well-stocked yarn shop here in Solingen, and we’ve become friends. Don’t ask me… lol

Caro, that sounds really interesting about spinning, especially since you’re so close to the producer. I’ve become friends with Waltraud, whom I met here. Since I don’t get there very often—it’s over 100 km away—I don’t get tempted that often.

But I’m already looking forward to the end of May or June, when we’ll be spending a few days there on vacation. It’s going to be a real wool festival. :-) For now, I want to stick to my “wool diet” until the end of April. That way, there’ll be room for new things again.

You can tell… the longing is growing!

That all sounds interesting here. We’re all infected with the yarn bug, and that’s a good thing, and somehow funny too.
 
I also often buy my cotton crochet yarn online (including bargain offers), since I don’t have a yarn shop right around the corner either. There’s only the Panduro shop on my way to work, but I can’t always get the right yarn there. I mainly crochet with mercerized cotton yarn. I also have a few yarn cakes lying around that I wanted to “save” for larger projects; I ordered them in Germany and had them sent to my parents, since not everyone delivers here. So sometimes I have to be frugal with nice yarn.
So I wouldn’t be able to fit 90 skeins in my home either. My stash is manageable, but I only ever have small amounts of one color. I’m slowly trying to use up my leftovers (the not-so-nice yarn or colors I ordered at some point). You also become more demanding. I always want prettier bright colors, maxi skeins... That’s how it is for me anyway: if I ordered this or that yarn color a long time ago and don’t like it that much anymore now, then I somehow don’t feel like using it for great projects either. Then it gets used for less important projects, e.g. sample pieces for bags or similar things.
Often I see great patterns on CP and want to start right away, but then I don’t have enough of this or that color, which is annoying, and I think, you still have sooo much other yarn, use that all up first.
It’s hard to hold back when you see great yarn. But I’m already insanely excited about our vacation in Germany; of course we’ll go into a yarn shop again, I have to stock up (on yarn that I can’t get here in Norway).
I hope you roughly understand what I’m trying to say. ... it’s an endless cycle, and the pattern list keeps getting loooooonger. :-))