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How to Find Luxury Yarns for Less

By staysik

Support the small business women and men!

Yarn has come a really long way lately!! From the squeaky acrylic yarns of previous years, to sumptuous silk, alpaca and soy fibers of today it is now possible to get luxury yarns at decent prices. After all, if you are about to spend all the time to knit or crochet your item, wouldn’t you like to make it with a fantastic yarn?  There’s nothing more irritating than spending all your time knitting or crocheting an item and then, after only a few times of wearing it, you notice that it has begun to “pill”, or even wear away.  Avoid this problem by investing in quality yarn from the beginning and you will not regret it.  Save the cheaper yarn for projects that are for pets, or samples.

             Look around for online shops that offer discounts to members of Ravelry!! This is always a nice surprise, and many Local Yarn Shops (LYS) do offer this discount!  Keep track of your yarn on Ravelry too!!

Check on eBay for great deals on yarn- Ebay always has fantastic prices on yarns, be sure you are buying from a reputable buyer, with yarns from the same dye-lot! You don’t want to have your hard work to be tarnished with color variations that look block-y and unpleasant.

Buy locally hand-spun yarns, or try online for luxury hand-spun treasures  -   More and more people are learning to spin their own store, and lucky for all of us fiber-enthusiasts, they are starting to sell this fantastic luxurious yarn on Etsy, Shophandmade, Artfire and other websites online. Check for hand-spun yarn at these websites (see resources for the URL addresses).

Design your very own custom blend at Yarnia-  Try getting your yarn at Yarnia PDX- go there if you happen to be in the Portland area, as it is the only place where you can design your very own custom blend of yarn — you choose the fiber, color, thickness, and amount, and can have your custom cone of yarn wound for you right on the spot. If you can’t make it to this great store, they do have an online shop too!

Farmer’s Markets are great places to buy locally made yarn- Shop your local Farmer’s Markets for locally-produced handmade yarn- you can ask about the fibers and where they came from, the process and what the yarn is best for what projects. People selling their yarns at Farmer’s Markets are passionate about their yarn and love to talk with you and share information

Fiber festivals in your area are a great place to find locally-made yarn- Go to yarn festivals held in spring and summer, where you will find many wonderful fibers and tips, plus you may end up meeting with some new fiber-enthusiast friends.   This is a great way to network with like-minded people and pick up some more hand-made yarn in your area, supporting your local area.

 Check out the Knit Picks catalogue for wonderful patterns-  If you don’t have anything like a Farmer’s Market or Fiber Festival close to you, or it is in the middle of winter, try looking online. Cascade Yarns has a fantastic array of luxury yarns at good prices! You can also try Knit Picks, Elann, Yarn Market, and Webs for wonderful deals on fabulous yarns!

Resources
YarniaKnit PicksBerrocoArte de ShelleyKnitting patterns on the internetSumptuous Yarn SaleCrocheting on the InternetDevils Rope And Marigolds
Photo Credit

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