Where to buy yarn

There are a number if different places where to buy yarn:

 

Yarn Retailers

Yarn retailers can be high street retail outlets, local shops or mill shops. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a "good" yarn retailer close to where they live, and often small local shops sell yarn as well as other items. There are a small number of mill shops in the UK. They are based in Yorkshire - which has a strong wool textile heritage. But finding a yarn retailer is recommended because ideally you need to be able to touch and see the yarn to really appreciate it and see if you like it. It might look great on the picture but it might not be exactly what you were expecting when you see it or it may be softer than you imagined.

 

Browsing for yarn at a good yarn retailer is fun because it allows you to see the superb range of yarns that is now available and can inspire you to knit if you see a yarn that you really love. Also, in many smaller outlets the staff are quite often knitting enthusiasts who share your hobby so you are likely to get friendly service and informed advice. Finding a yarn retailer and making a special trip is well worth it.

 

Many yarn retailers now offer a good mail order services - even if they don't have e-commerce or a website: if you know what you want and they have it in stock, they will post it out to you.

 

Your stitch 'n' bitch group can be a great place to find out about where to buy yarn. Other knitters in your group may be working with a new yarn that you haven't seen before or be able to tell you great places they know where to buy yarn. Visit www.stitchnbitch.co.uk for a comprehensive directory of stockists or to find a group in your area.

 

Yarn Manufacturers

Most of the remaining yarn manufacturers work through stockists i..e yarn retailers rather than selling direct to the public. You can visit the manufacturers' websites or contact them for a list of the yarn retailers in your area.

 

Internet - online stores

 

There are lots of websites where to buy yarn online. It is fine to buy on the Internet if you know what you are buying. However, in some instances there can be long lead times from some of the online stores so it is best to check before ordering if you can so that you are not disappointed waiting weeks for your delivery to arrive. As a beginner, a few trips to a traditional yarn retailer is recommended to get you started.

 

Internet - eBay

 

You can buy yarn on eBay. Yarn is sold privately, i.e. from a knitter's personal stash, as well as commercially on eBay: some yarn retailers use eBay as their e-commerce trading arm in addition to or as an alternative to their own e-commerce site. There is a lot to choose from and bargains to be had if you like using eBay and know what yarn you would like to buy.

 

Knitting Shows & Craft Fairs

Knitting Shows and Craft Fairs are a great opportunity to buy yarn, in particular "specials" i.e. yarn not generally available elsewhere, made specially for the show or on sale prior to launch in the shops. Some of the traders only sell at shows and it is also a good opportunity for you to build your own personal directory of favourite suppliers. You can search for specialist Knitting Shows and Craft Fairs on the Internet or ask at your stitch 'n' bitch group..

How Much Yarn to Buy

 

Yarn for hand knitting is usually sold in balls weighing 50g or 100g. Sometimes you will come across 25g and 500g balls. Knitting yarn is also sold in long twists known as hanks. Hanks need to be wound into balls before you start to knit otherwise they will knot and tangle and it will be impossible to knit from them.

 

The quantities of yarn needed for the projects in Knit Knack PC CD ROM are given with the project details. You will soon learn by working through the projects how much of a particular yarn you need to make a simple item like a scarf or a bag. Check the yarn label for the metres and add this to your notes about your projects.

 

As you continue to progress in future you are likely to be following someone else's knitting pattern and the designer will have already worked out how much yarn you will need to make an exact copy, so there is no need to worry too much about calculating quantities or working out how much yarn to buy.