Whit Knits Sale

If you have never tried Malabrigo yarn, now is the time to do it. Whit Knits is having a 20% off sale of all their Malabrigo. Malabrigo is a super fine merino wool that is so soft to touch and is only sold in yarn shops (no mass retail shops). It goes for about $10 a skein regular and is a real treat for the speical something you have been wanting to make. To check out the sale, click here.

Discount Website Yarn Stores

I've compiled a list of all the popular discount websites that have great deals on yarn and other crochet related accessories. Happy shopping:

Yarn Bazaar

Smileys

Discount Yarn Sale

Knit Picks

Knitting Warehouse

Discount Brand Name Yarn

Colour Mart

Yarn and Thread by Lisa

Webs

Little Knits

The Dizzy Sheep

If you haven't heard of The Dizzy Sheep, you have been missing out on some really great deals. Thank goodness I am here to enlighten you.

The Dizzy Sheep is a website (click on the Dizzy Sheep above to be taken there) that gives daily deals for high end yarn. Let me elaborate.

Every day they refresh their deal. They choose a brand and style of yarn and then offer all of the colorways they have of that yarn for an incredibly reduced price. If you are into high end yarn it is worth checking this site everyday to see what you can get. Plus they have a cute Sheep mascot that says funny things about the deal of the day.

It gets better... some days they even have equipment (such as spinning looms) up for sale. Not that I have any room for one of these honkers, but one day I hope to live on a farm and raise angora bunnies and spin their fur into yarn for the masses. A girl can dream right?

Don't take my word for it, head over there and check it out now!

Money Saving Tip -- Destash

You can get tons of good deals if you search one particular word on Etsy or Ebay -- Destash.

People who have too much yarn and want to get rid of it quickly will offer it up for very low prices. I recently got a whole box of yarn with hooks and patterns for $10 (there was five full skeins of Vanna's Choice alone -- so you know I got a good deal).

Beware though, some sellers say destash, but then charge full price. Refer back to another tip of mine. Search the web for prices on the yarn you are interested in and make sure you are getting a good deal (don't forget to add shipping to the price).

Money Saving Site -- Sort Of

I had never heard of this site till a couple of days ago, and as soon as I need to build my stash I am heading over there. The store is called Smiley's Yarn and they have super internet sales. We are talking $1 skeins and good yarn, not just Red Heart Super Saver.

Now I said money saving site - Sort of in the title because there is a catch. To order from them you have to spend at least $50 in one pop. So save up and head over because you can definitely do some damage on this site. Yarn changes constantly so keep checking back. Click on the title of the post to head over there.

Cool Tip

I just heard about this very neat crochet trick from way back in the day. This is for all of you who prefer to wind your skeins into balls rather than work from the center of the skein (or if you are like me who wind the leftover skeins from finished projects into balls). Simply buy a clay pot from the local Home Depot (make sure it has a drain hole), take it home, turn it upside down on top of your ball and feed the string through the hole. Now, no more balls rolling around your floor, and you could even paint the outside of the pot to make it cute. Plus it is alot cheaper than buying one of the plastic snapware yarn container (even when they are on sale).

More Money Saving Tips

As you may have found out by now that free patterns on the web can be lacking in their beauty and originality. Really how many potholders can one person make? You may be thinking about heading down to the bookstore and picking up some pattern books. STOP!!! Whether you have a 40% off coupon or not, buying from the bookstore or local craft store will still cost you more than following a few simple tips:

- Buy online. Two great sites for discounted books are Amazon.com and half.com (hosted by ebay) These two sites have just about any pattern book you could find at the store but they have one thing the store doesn't -- people who will sell their copy cheap. I have litterally picked up crochet books that run $25 for 25 cents (plus s/h). These two sites are great for regular books also. You can get just about any book out there for cheaper than what you would spend at the bookstore.

Of course, visit the bookstore first so you can see the inside of the book you want to buy so you don't get stuck with a book you hate just because you thought the cover was cute (I am so guilty of this).

- Visit the library. It may be a limited selection, but they still have books that you can take home and try out before you buy. If you really love the book you borrow then you can always go the tip above this one and find a good deal on it.

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!!