# Knitters and Crocheters: Yarn suppliers? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 4, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728 "2007-02-04T02:12:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/1 "2007-02-04T02:12:06Z")
So, now that winter is fully upon us, my cabin fever has morphed into a barrage of ideas for new crochet projects. It doesn’t help that crocheting is new to me; I want to try everything! Lace, afghans, scarves, hats, granny squares, all of it! Of course, all of those things take yarn. I have a pretty good stash from my knitting, but now I have different ideas in mind that require different yarns. So, my question is where do you get your yarn? I’m especially interested in online and/or discount places. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/2 "2007-02-04T02:15:38Z")
My first port of call is [Yarn.com](http://Yarn.com). If you order enough, they give you discounts. #2: Yarnzilla. Same thing. Run by Steven Levitt’s sister (the Freakonomics guy?) #3: JimmyBeansWool, which often has a wider selection #4: [TheKnittingGarden.com](http://TheKnittingGarden.com) has flaky service, but the full lines of Rowan and Debbie Bliss, which is usually what I’m looking for #5: [simplysockyarn.com](http://simplysockyarn.com) and pickupsticks.ca both have large selections of sock yarn, which is like crack to me. I don’t knit much besides socks. #6: KnitPicks sells cheap yarn in basic colors. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/3 "2007-02-04T02:34:25Z")
I like [TheKnitter.com](http://www.theknitter.com/). Free shipping on all orders, although a few times my orders have been backordered, and that sucked. But free shipping! Yay! And good prices on Misti Alpaca Laceweight, which is something I’d like to roll around naked in. I also like [Elann](http://www.elann.com/). They’re kind of like KnitPicks, but I prefer Elann to Knitpicks – there’s a greater variety of color, and I think the quality is a little better. I’m knitting something with the Alpaca Silk right now, and I’m sort of regretting that it’s for my sister. [Hello Yarn](http://www.helloyarn.com/shop.php) has some _amazing_ handspun and handdyed yarn, but it’s expensive, to put it lightly. Also a good source of spinning supplies. [HelloKnitty](http://www.helloknitty.com/) is a good sources for Cascade yarns (Cascade 220 for $6/skein) and has $2.50 shipping on all orders. I’ve ordered from them before, and the yarn arrived quickly. [Cottage Craft Woollens](http://www.townsearch.com/cottagecraft/store.html) has good, cheap yarn for outer garments. It’s too coarse for something to wear next to the skin, but for a jacket or picnic blanket, it would be awesome. The prices are so good on their sweater kits, I’m thinking about knitting [this one](http://www.townsearch.com/cottagecraft/images/newbrunswicklg.jpg) for my mom for Christmas next year. I’ve never ordered from them, but I’ve heard nothing but good things about [Herrschners](http://www.herrschners.com/). There are a couple more that I can’t think of right now, but when my brain starts clicking, I’ll post the links. ---
**Author:** ![Siege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dbc845/32.png) [@Siege](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siege)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/4 "2007-02-04T02:35:10Z")
I’ll strongly second [Knit Picks](http://www.knitpicks.com). Yes, their yarn is cheap, but it’s yarn like wool, alpaca, silk, etc. Their [Merino Style](http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/itemid_5420104/yarn_display) for example is $2.49 USD a skein and a joy to work with. [Elegance](http://www.knitpicks.com/yarns/Yarn_List.aspx) is baby alpaca and silk and $5.00 USD a skein. Their service has been good so far, too. [Lion’s](http://www.lionbrand.com/) catalog is awful, but I like working with their Wool-Ease and other yarns. You might want to give them a try, too. Enjoy! ---
**Author:** ![Frank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Frank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frank)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/5 "2007-02-04T04:55:15Z")
Arts and crafts. Moved from IMHO to CS. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Stilettos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/fbc32d/32.png) [@Red\_Stilettos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Stilettos)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/6 "2007-02-04T13:43:21Z")
Thanks, everyone! Now, I can drool over yarn while my husband yells at the SuperBowl. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/7 "2007-02-04T15:43:08Z")
Cafe society is for Arts and Crafts? Crazy. Anyway, my main supplier is Knitpicks- I love the quality of their yarns, they have great prices, and their shipping is very inexpensive. If you order $45 or more it’s free, and lower then that it’s still very, very reasonable. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/8 "2007-02-04T20:00:44Z")
I’ve also had good ordering experience with [Paradise Fibers](http://www.paradisefibers.net/) – not the cheapest prices, but great service and immediate phone assistance make up for a lot. They have spinning supplies. And they also have Misti Alpaca Laceweight, which I agree is like crack, **Miss Purl McKnittington** – I have a feeling I’m going to be using a lot of it in the future! What projects have you knit with it? Right now I’m using a double strand of their cranberry to make myself a lovely big wrap that will weigh next to nothing and feel like pure heaven. Also, Paradise Fibers has fast shipping – I recently ordered some yarn Sunday evening, they contacted me promptly Monday morning to let me know they were out of that color, we selected a new color over the phone, and I got it Wednesday midday. That’s hard to beat for cross-country shipping. ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/9 "2007-02-04T21:16:42Z")
My wife owns a knitting store that sells on-line. We are not a discounter, but have an incredible selection (IMHO). I think it’s not kosher to post our name or URL, but I’ll send you the info if you drop me an email. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/10 "2007-02-04T21:21:34Z")
I’ve already gotten the info from you, **DanBlather** , and while I haven’t ordered from you yet, I have to agree that you have lovely stuff! ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/11 "2007-02-05T02:48:06Z")
[QUOTE=Mama Tiger] And they also have Misti Alpaca Laceweight, which I agree is like crack, **Miss Purl McKnittington** – I have a feeling I’m going to be using a lot of it in the future! What projects have you knit with it? Right now I’m using a double strand of their cranberry to make myself a lovely big wrap that will weigh next to nothing and feel like pure heaven. [/QUOTE] I made the [Flowerbasket Shawl](http://iwpshopinfo.interweave.com/Knits/2004newsletters/images/1shawl.jpg) out of the natural/undyed, and a [mini-Clopatis](http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEfall04/PATTclapotis.html) out of the same. I really like the color of undyed fibers for lace – I’m constantly on the lookout for naturally dark wool or alpaca. At this point, I think me becoming a spinner is pretty much inevitable. [HandpaintedYarn.com](http://handpaintedyarn.com/index.php?cPath=21) is another good source for kettle-dyed, merino wool yarns. Really delicious colors, but they run a bit when first washed. Make sure to wash well before gifting. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/12 "2007-02-05T03:32:44Z")
Besides [elann.com](http://elann.com) and [yarn.com](http://yarn.com), I’ll also recommend [kpixie](http://www.kpixie.com/) for some great yarn manufacturers. ---
**Author:** ![tiltypig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dbc845/32.png) [@tiltypig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiltypig)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/13 "2007-02-05T04:38:49Z")
If you click through the banner ad on [knittyboard.com](http://knittyboard.com), there’s a 20% discount on all yarns at Nestucca Bay Yarns… you can get some crazy good prices on yarns including Rowan and Debbie Bliss… and (shhh! don’t buy it all!) you can buy Cascade 220 for $4.40 a skein right now. I had problems with my Yahoo spam blocker killing emails from [littleknits.com](http://littleknits.com), but they have incredible prices and wonderful customer service. This is the only store out of this list that I’ve actually ordered from. [smileysyarns.com](http://smileysyarns.com) has incredible discount yarn deals but a high minimum purchase and high shipping costs. [discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com](http://discontinuedbrandnameyarn.com) has some good deals too. And don’t forget about eBay! ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/14 "2007-02-05T06:21:30Z")
And I see that littleknits is having quite a sale – I wish I’d seen that before I bought a bunch of Noro Silk Garden Lite locally the other day, could have saved myself $50! The yardage on the [HandpaintedYarn.com](http://HandpaintedYarn.com) yarn is amazing. 950 yards per skein of lace weight for $5.95? And the colors are just beyond gorgeous. Thanks for the link! ---
**Author:** ![toadbriar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bb73d2/32.png) [@toadbriar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/toadbriar)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 6:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/15 "2007-02-05T06:50:32Z")
Hey, funny. I was just at the [yarn.com](http://yarn.com) actual store location today for their ‘alter-knit-ive’ super bowl party. Anyone within shouting distance of Northampton, MA owes themself the pleasure of visiting - it is a marvelous place. I’m sorry I’ve no further recommendations, I’ve mostly been buying roving and dye to spin my own! ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/16 "2007-02-05T15:28:57Z")
I’ll recommend [Yarnmarket.com](http://www.yarnmarket.com). They have a huge selection, and great prices. The photos they have of the yarns aren’t the greatest, though, so I’d look at stuff other places, then order from Yarnmarket. They also ship very fast, too. If it’s in stock, they send it out the next business day. I ordered some yarn from them on late Thursday afternoon - it’s scheduled to arrive tomorrow, standard ground shipping. Dan, I also just sent you an e-mail to get a link to your wife’s store. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2007, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/17 "2007-02-05T16:10:22Z")
I’ve been playing with a number of French knitting and loom knitting projects with my kids - the sorts of things where you want a large variety of yarns in fairly small amounts - I’ve been picking up odd balls of the stuff in charity shops (are these called ‘thrift stores’ in the USA?) for next to nothing. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/18 "2007-02-07T00:01:41Z")
Somebody just linked to [Colourmart](http://www.colourmart.com/) on a knitting list I read. I am a little in amazement at the prices – $10 for 250 yards of cashmere? _Amazing_. They package “remainder luxury yarns.” I’d be careful to read the product descriptions, since this yarn isn’t generally intended for handknitting. I’ve been contemplating some ridiculously huge lace shawl for a [Victorian mourning gown along these lines](http://lynnmcmasters.com/vicmourningside.html), to toss over my black velvet bonnet and look suitably restrained and brought down. (Mourning gowns, even for those not grieving, were in fashion following the death of Prince Albert in 1861.) Silk would be amazing and drapey and luxurious, and if I made it lavender, I could wear it with something else. I think I may have just found a supplier. ---
**Author:** ![Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@Miss\_Purl\_McKnittington](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miss_Purl_McKnittington)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/19 "2007-02-07T00:04:13Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] I’ve been playing with a number of French knitting and loom knitting projects with my kids - the sorts of things where you want a large variety of yarns in fairly small amounts - I’ve been picking up odd balls of the stuff in charity shops (are these called ‘thrift stores’ in the USA?) for next to nothing. [/QUOTE] Yep. Charity shops = thrift stores/shops in the US. Some of them send profits to charities, and some are in it just for the profit. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728/20 "2007-02-07T01:30:39Z")
**Yarn Porn!** [Patternworks](http://www.patternworks.com) Possibly the Mothership of all catalogs and online services. [Little Knits](http://www.littleknits.com) [kpixie](http://www.kpixie.com) [Spin Blessings](http://www.spinblessings.com) [www.kyarns.com](http://www.kyarns.com) [The Loopy Ewe](http://www.theloopyewe.com) not alot, but great service. and, it isn’t yarn, but if you are a knitter and a woman, chances are you suffer-enjoy Project Bag /Stash Carrying -Purse Addiction: [Green Mountain Knitting Bags](http://www.greenmountainknittingbags.com) I jones for everyone of these. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/knitters-and-crocheters-yarn-suppliers/390728.md?page=2)