There’s an important role for both physical and online yarn store. People love to see and feel the product while talking to likeminded folks in the store. The problem is, not everyone lives near a local yarn store. The worst thing is that the local stores don’t always have the exact yarn you need to complete your project. If you need help in shopping yarn online, you’ve come to the right place. Learn how you can safely buy yarn from an online shop.
Have you ever tried shopping with an online yarn store? Shopping online always brings excitement and satisfaction that you can never find when you shop in person. Before, we always had to go to the stores to buy what we want. But today, we have so many options when it comes to buying yarns. Each shopping experience has its advantages and disadvantages, but if you’re a smart shopper, you can make the best of both worlds. If you have never tried buying from an online yarn store, then you’re missing out!
Why do you need to shop from an online yarn store?
Buying yarn online has a lot of advantages. You may think you’re saving when you buy from your local stores, but most of the time, they don’t offer discounts, whether or not you’re a frequent shopper. Below are the advantages of shopping yarn online:
- Online yarn stores want you to buy from them, so they offer incentives, in the form of bulk discounts and first-time purchases. They also offer membership subscriptions for the next time you want to buy yarn again. You can save money on expensive fibers, thanks to these discounts. If you want to buy yarns in bulk, it’s easier if you shop online.
- When you purchase from an online yarn store, you can get your yarn delivered right to your door. You don’t need to leave the house or stop working on whatever project you’re working on. You just need to open the door, and voila – your yarn in front of your doorstep.
- You have access to experts online! If you’re uncertain, you can ask help from a yarn expert to choose the right yarn for your project.
- You get the same experience when shopping online. Good online yarn stores ensure that they describe the properties of the yarn, so buyers get a good feel for what they’re buying.
Shopping yarn online can be fun, but it also has its disadvantages. Not all yarn stores online are good at describing the yarn, so even if you’re in love with how the yarn looks, you might still be hesitant to buy it because you don’t know how it feels like. Besides, the colors of the yarns on your computer screen doesn’t always match the color of the yarn in person.
How to buy yarn from an online yarn store
Here are some of the tips you should follow if you want to make your online shopping experience as easy as possible:
- Check the reviews. Is the yarn soft? Is it itchy? These are some questions you would need an answer to. If the online store doesn’t have reviews, you can do a quick search to view some reviews from blogs.
- Learn the yarn basics. If you have no way to touch the yarn, then you need to use the information they give you. Most of the time, online stores give you the details, such as fiber content, yardage, weight, care instructions, gauge, and more. The more information you have about these yarn characteristics, the easier it will be for you to understand these details.
- Search for projects using the yarns. You probably know by now that yarns look completely different when stitched vs. in a hank. If you want to know about the stitch definition or the drape of the yarn, you can try searching for online projects using the yarns, so you can see how they work up. If you want to make a new shawl, for instance, then you can look at the other examples of the yarn used to make shawls. Try to observe how they fall and how the stitches look. This will tell you whether or not the yarn is good for your project.
- Get in touch with the seller. If you have questions about the yarn, the seller should be happy to answer them. Opinions about softness can be different from person to person. You can’t always rely on the seller’s opinion for all your questions, but it’s a good idea nonetheless to talk to the seller.
- Compare the color on different websites. One of the biggest challenges, when you order yarn online, is determining the color. The color will look different from one computer screen to another, and from one website to another. It will be best if you look at the same color on four different websites, and see four different colors. Find any consistency by looking up the same color on different websites.
- Ask your friends. If your friends love knitting or crocheting, perhaps one of them has already worked with the yarn you want. Friends who love to stitch are a great source of yarns, so make sure you always stay in touch.
- Get a swatch card. Ordering a swatch card will help delay the process. We know how much you want to receive the yarn as soon as possible, but if you value the color so much, then a swatch card is your best friend. This will feature small yarn samples, so you can see the color in person before get to order it.
- Choose the most reputable online yarn store. If you don’t like the idea of buying yarn from anyone on the internet, then how about buying from a store that all knitters trust? Darn Good Yarn will not let you down. Check them out now and take advantage of their amazing deals weekly!
