My Top 5 Places to Buy Yarn

Or where I like to stock my stash!

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It is the responsibility of every crocheter, knitter and user of all things yarn-related to maintain a healthy yarn stash and it is often recognised that the buying of yarn and the making of things with said yarn are actually 2 different hobbies. The more into my crafting I have got, the more this is true and these are my top 5 places to keep my stash healthily topped up.

1. Your Local Yarn Shop (LYS) – these shops are the lifeblood of the yarn industry. They have a fantastic amount of stock, including accessories yet at the same time, they often specialise in a handful of brands. My LYS is Neath Valley Wools and it is a little slice of heaven. If you have never been to an LYS, then please do. it is hard to describe how lovely they are and often the owners are keen crafters themselves, so always be prepared to stay a while for a good yarny chat. They often will also hold yarn group ‘Knit and Natter’ type events which are ideal to meet other crafters. If you’d like to find a shop near you, this is an excellent place to start.
2. Wool Warehouse – although this is an independent retailer, the range of items that they stock is immense. They have all of the main brands, as well as many of the smaller ones, and always have a choice to suit your budget. I have used these many times and delivery has always been very fast and it is free with orders over £25.
3. Black Sheep Wools – an independent LYS with a vast range of stock, they are based in the Craft Barn in North West England, which is part shop, part workshop space and part tea-room! They also have a fantastic online shop which is jam-packed with yarny goodness! They also have a community aspect to their online presence which is boosted by their make-along groups and the regular YouTube videos and tutorials.
4. Instagram – I know that this isn’t technically a shop, but it is the perfect place to search out some of the amazingly talented artisans out there that sell hand-dyed yarns. Have a search on there and look at some of the relevant # tags, for example – #ukyarndyer will give you an introduction to some of the businesses out there. This is how I started to get to know what was available and to build an awareness of their brands through their posts. They are often on Etsy or have their own websites so Instagram is the perfect place to ‘meet’ them online unless you are lucky enough to go to one of the yarn festivals that are held each year! Maybe I’ll have to go to one. For research purposes. Honest.
5. Lovecrafts.com – I am a big supporter of shopping with small businesses, however, there are some times when the bigger shops are the only ones that have what you need and with LoveCrafts this is often one of several things – the range of products (they’re based in the US so often have brands other places don’t), special offers and their own Paintbox Yarns range. Paintbox yarns offer everything from 4ply to super chunky in a range of materials, including recycled yarns. One of the specific things that I like is the value packs which allow you to buy packs of 5 or 10 balls of yarn which are perfect when you are working on a project that is in one main colour. They’re also sold at a discounted price as opposed to buying them individually. Add on the regular special offers and it’s even better!