Never Pay Retail Again

I hate paying retail for anything, and crochet supplies are no exception. I will offer you a few of my tips for never paying retail on your crochet addiction again.

- get the Sunday paper. Almost every week there is a 50% off regular priced item from Michaels coupon. Sometimes, Joanns and Tall Mouse are in there too. You don't have to subscribe, you can just go buy it for a buck 25 when you need a coupon. Then head to your local store and start buying up supplies.

I use Clover soft touch hooks. They run over $50 for the set I have (contains 8 hooks), but with my 50% off coupon, I got them for about $25 dollars.

If I don't have a big ticket item I want to purchase that week. I still go in and get a one pound skein of yarn in basic colors I use all the time (i.e. white, black, brown) Instead of paying $7.99 when I need it. I pay $4 and never run out.

- sign up for craft store email newsletters. I know you probably don't want anymore emails in your inbox, but this is how to get the great deals. The best is Joann.com, they send out coupons all the time and have online only sales that can save you big bucks. Beware of buying online though. Always calculate the shipping in with your final price to see if it would be cheaper to just go to the store (for those of you in the boonies, ignore the last remark).

-ebay. But beware, you could end up spending more money for yarn than if you bought it full price at the store. The best way to shop on ebay is to have Joann.com up in another window. Pick out a listing you like and then check Joann for the price of the yarn (if it is specialty yarn, then do a search and find where they sell it to check the price), if the price is better than Joann, then bid, but make sure you add in shipping when trying to figure out if it is worth it or not. A .99 cent lot is no good if you have to pay $20 to ship it.

When looking on ebay keep your mind open. Don't pass up a good deal just because you don't know what you will make from it right now. If you have the money and don't mind having a stash, stocking up when it is available will save you lots of money in the long run.

Check back soon for the next installment of money saving tips. Bye for now and happy hooking!!

Deer caught in the headlights...

That is look that any person who has been thru an earthquake before gets just as the first jolt hits. As you may have heard, my little town of Los Angeles just got hit with a healthy 5.8 jolt and I was thinking about how whenever I am in an earthquake (lived here my whole life, so quite a few), no matter where you are or who you are with as soon as the first wave hits, everyone stops and gets the meerkat manor thing going on. We all look up and around at everyone to see if
1) Will there be more shakes after this one.
2) If there is more, is anyone going to be the uncool person to make a run for it outside. Seriously its like a unspoken oath to try to be as cool as you can in an earthquake. You are supposed to stand there and look like you are on a ride at disneyland.
Thankfully I have never been out in public when a major one hits, cuz I would so be the uncool one. Ya never know when the big one will hit.
Anyways, it was a fun ride while it lasted and I hope no more aftershocks today.

New Crochet! Magazine

I just got my new edition of Crochet! magazine. I subscribe to a couple of crochet magazines and I am always excited when I receive them. Usually the excitement fades once I open it and see the old out of date patterns the grandma's who run these things are still shoving down our throats, but today I was pleasantly surprised. I already see something that has potential. A cute amigurumi backpack. Click on the title link and see it on their website.

Hopefully the editors of these magazines will realize that crochet is picking up again with the younger generation and they need to go with the flow and adapt to the changing times.

Pattern of the Week

My pattern of the week is the 100% cotton bath puff. Instead of buying those scratchy non-washable ones, you can easily make this in a couple of hours with a 2oz skein of Sugar and Cream Yarn. Click on the title of this post to be redirected to the free pattern. Happy Hooking!!

If you are not in the mood to crochet one and just want to buy it, just click on the picture to be taken to my shop to purchase this one. Only $4, just a buck more than the disposable ones.

First Scoop

Joann Craft Stores are having a great clearance going on right now. Alot of there Sensations yarn is being cleared out. Click on the title of this post for the link for this beautiful boucle I just bought. It lists for 2.99 on the website but I got if for 1.97 in the store. They had so many beautiful yarns for 1.97 ea I had a hard time resisting. I need to start reducing my stash before I start increasing it again. Go check out your local Joanns and stock up now. The holidays are just around the corner.

Welcome to my Site

Hello all. I am sure you have heard of the Happy Hooker if you are a ferosh crocheter such as myself. Well I wanted to introduce myself, I am the Cheap Hooker. I am a stay at home mom who has to be money savy in everything I do. That includes my passion -- crocheting.

I have redone my blog to showcase my designs and extremely easy ways to cut cost while still making beautiful things. In the next few weeks I will be posting some easy ways to keep your addiction within your budget. So check back often and you will be rewarded with many good deals.