Free Yarn Giveaway from Yarn Crush

Yarn_Crush.com

Who doesn't want free yarn?  I haven't been crocheting as much lately because I'm still displaced from Hurricane Florence and don't have most of my supplies with me, so I'd love to win some!  Yarn Crush is having a contest to give away over $300 worth of yarn and other free goodies and I've got my entry in, and you can enter too by clicking Yarn Crush Woolentine's Day Giveaway.

Make sure to visit Yarn Crush to subscribe to their newsletter, or sign up for a subscription of their yummy yarns to be delivered right to your door, or to give as a gift to a favorite person in your life who knits or crochets.  Each box will contain some hand-dyed yarn, the current issue of their magazine with free patterns, and one other fiber art-related goodie.  Everyone likes to get fun surprise boxes in the mail, right?

Have you ever dyed your own yarn?   I'm not that brave, but I do drool over some of the beautiful yarns that others have dyed.  Once I learn more about it, maybe I'll try it one day.

~ Marie Anne

P.S.  When you sign up for the newsletter, you'll receive a code for $12 off your first box!

New Plan for Random Square Rag Quilt and Crumb or Crazy Quilt Blocks

I'm still loving playing with the small scraps of fabric to work on crumb quilt blocks, but since I don't have scraps from a lot of different fabrics right now, I'm sorta at a standstill.  I still haven't found my stupid cutting mats (but in all honesty, I haven't looked much lately) so can't do a lot of cutting for a regular rag quilt right now, but I still need a 'fix'.

It doesn't make sense to go buy fabric just to cut into small pieces for the crazy blocks, so I came up with another plan.  I do want to make a regular rag quilt out of random squares of different fabrics at some point (with each square a single fabric, but each block being different from the rest), so what I'm going to do is buy fat quarters on sale or with a coupon, and cut whatever regular size squares I can from those for the random squares quilt, and use the scrap remnants for the crumb quilt blocks.  I can use my scissors to cut the pieces large enough to make blocks with my rotary cutter and mat later, and still get the bits of scraps to use for the crumb-y squares now.  Win-win!

With that in mind and 60% and 40% coupons from Michael's in hand, another 40% in the Hobby Lobby app on my phone, off I went to see what I could drum up.

Here's what I found ...

Fat quarter bundle from Hobby Lobby

Two fat quarters from Michael's

Aren't they delicious?  I love all the bright colors, but this animal print really made me smile.

With these fabrics added to my current stash of scraps, I should have enough different prints and colors to make a few more crumb blocks now, and can use a coupon every time I hit Hobby Lobby (not sure how often Michael's coupons come out) to get more without breaking the bank.  I think I can afford to splurge for a dollar or two a couple of times a month.

Stay crafty ...

~ Marie Anne

How to get free yarn, or for cheap

Some of my yarn stash
© Marie Anne St. Jean

Having a stash of yarn on hand for your knit or crochet projects doesn't have to be expensive. There are frugal ways to get yarn cheaper or in many cases, free!

Where to Get Free Yarn

Make sure everyone in your network of family and friends knows that you knit or crochet and would welcome any free yarn. They might have a stash of their own that they won't use since they've given up the craft, or maybe they've cleaned out under Grandma's bed and found some that she left behind. Don't assume everyone knows that you'd like to have their leftover yarn - tell them!

Where to Buy Yarn on the Cheap

I rarely pay full price for a skein or ball of yarn. If you watch for sales and use coupons, check  eBay, and visit yard sales and thrift stores, you won't either.

Most every town has Facebook groups where people post freebies or sell things cheap, like an online yard sale.   Subscribe to the posts from your local area and watch for people who have yarn to get rid of at a good price.  You can also post in those groups that you are looking for yarn, and prompt your neighbors to clean out their own stash while adding to yours at bargain prices.

Other than individual groups, you can also search Facebook Marketplace.  It's a great way to find things for sale (or free) in your area without having to subscribe to specific groups to monitor.  Just pop over to marketplace and browse by category (most people would put yarn under the 'Hobbies/Arts & Crafts' category), or use particular search terms for whatever you're looking for.  You can filter to see ads that are just within your town, or widen the search to other areas.

After yards sales and thrift stores, Hobby Lobby and Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores are my favorite places to find yarn rather inexpensively. Sign up at HobbyLobby.com and Jo-Ann.com to receive email alerts for upcoming sales. Hobby lobby provides a weekly coupon to print and it is often for one item at 40% off regular price., and Jo-Ann has frequent coupons for anywhere from 20-60% off one item that’s not currently on sale.   Both stores also have an app where you can access the sales and coupons right on your smartphone.  Oh, and Jo-Ann does price matching of coupons, so you can use your Hobby Lobby 40% off coupon at Jo-Ann's.  

Big Lots and various dollar-type stores often have yarn in their inventory for a low price. Be careful when purchasing from such places that buy discontinued items, though. If you can, buy enough to finish your project because that particular yarn may not be available later.   Sometimes, though, the price is so good that you can’t pass it up, even if it’s just a single skein or ball of yarn or thread that you have no idea what to do with just yet.

When shopping at yard sales or thrift stores, in addition to looking for yarn, keep an eye out for crochet or knit items that are in good shape that you could easily unravel and use for another project. What you see as an ugly color or pattern for that afghan migh be the perfect shade to re-purpose into a matching scarf, hat and mitten set.

If you shop for yarn on eBay or other online auctions or stores, be watchful of additional costs. That wonderful deal that you just made may not seem so good once $10 or more shipping and handling fee is tacked onto the final price. Before check-out, search online for coupons and free shipping codes.

Purchasing yarn to support your craft of knit or crochet can be expensive, but as you can see, it doesn't have to be.

Have you ever got an incredibly great deal on yarn, something that you couldn't pass up, no matter how overgrown your current stash was?  Feel free to share in the comments!

~Marie Anne

July 4th and Weekly Specials at Hobby Lobby

Hobby Lobby is another great craft store known for good deals and coupons.  The 4th of July deal lets you can enjoy free shipping on your online order of $59 or more through July 6th!

Check out the weekly flyer for great deals in all departments, and don't forget to snag your 40% off coupon at the top right of the page.

Sign up for the email reminders, and download the mobile app for Android, iPhone, or Windows so that you can get the great deals and coupons right on your smartphone and have it available wherever you go.

~ Marie Anne

July 4th Sale at Jo-Ann's

I love the bargains I can find at Jo-Ann's with their great sales and coupons that pop up all the time. I'm on a strict budget and rely on these deals to be able to afford yarn and other crochet and crafty stuff.

Jo-Ann's is having an Independence Day Sale with $1.99 shipping on all online orders, or free shipping if your order totals $75 or more.  That shipping special ends today, July 4th 2016, and there's also a coupon for 60% off an item in store only that expires today as well.  

If you missed today's offer, you can still save the rest of this week with a coupon for 40% off any one regular priced item.  That coupon at Joann's expires on Saturday, July 9th.

Don't forget that Jo-Ann's also offers price matching!

~ Marie Anne

OttLites on Sale at Jo-Ann, Along With Quilting Supplies, Many Others

Anyone who crafts knows that good lighting is important, and OttLites are the cream of the crop.  If you've been saving to buy that special OttLite for your craft room, now is the time to grab it at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores where they are on sale at 40-70% off.  This deal is only available online and for two days only, so head on over to Jo-ann.com now and grab it quick!

While you're there, check out the other deals going on now.  A quick glance showed me that yarn, sewing notions, quilting fabrics,  and custom framing (deep discount there at 50% off, plus an additional 30%!), and even knitting and crocheting classes were all on sale, so there's something for everyone.  Visit Jo-ann.com for full details.

Whatever you buy, you'll enjoy discounted shipping at $1.99 through Saturday, March 7, 2015, no matter how large your order.  And if there's something you want that's not on sale right now, use the coupon good for 50% off any one item not already discounted, valid through March 7 also.  You can't lose!

What will you buy?

~ Marie Anne

Yarn Score at Jo-Ann's and Hobby Lobby

As usual on my trips to town on errands, I stop at Hobby Lobby with my 40% coupon in my pocket and pick up a skein of yarn, whether I need it or not.  Even if I don't have an immediate need for a project I'm working on right then, I'll grab a skein of white or black or another color that I use often to keep my yarn stash fed.

While at Hobby Lobby, I always check the sale bins and once in a while I'll come away with a nice little extra.  A week or so ago I saw some I Love This Cotton on sale and debated whether to grab all that was there.  I'd never used it before and it seemed much softer than what I usually use for dishcloths, so I didn't want to buy a bunch and find it not usable for that purpose.  I grabbed one each of two different colors and gave it a try.  I love it!

While there today, I saw that there were three skeins left, so I grabbed all three of them for a good price.  One of them was the same as I had picked up before, really cool Mexican fiesta or southwestern colors.  It's actually called Tuscany, but it doesn't say Tuscany to me at all.  The other two remind me of Christmas candy and that's pretty close, because the name of the color is Christmas.

I Love This Cotton yarn in Christmas and Tuscany

Next stop was Jo-Ann's, with my 50% off one item coupon, and another coupon for 15% off, even sale items.  They didn't have the colors of regular worsted yarn that I needed, so I looked around to see what else might catch my eye.  I don't like using a coupon just to buy something cheaper that I don't need, but I'll often use it to buy something that I haven't tried yet.  They had a big display on the end of one of the aisles with 12oz skeins of Bernat Handicrafter cotton yarn in gorgeous colors.  Even in the larger skein they weren't much cheaper than buying the small balls of yarn, but throw a 50% coupon on that baby and it was definitely worth it.  I couldn't decide which color to get, so bought both of them that I couldn't choose between, and used the 15% coupon on the other (not nearly as much of a savings, but eh, sometimes you gotta splurge, ya know?).

It's Bernat's Cotton Candy Collection, and the colors I got are listed as Cotton Candy and Blue Snow Cone.  I'm not sure those names are spot-on, because the one is between a pink and a peach and I don't think looks like pink cotton candy at all, and the other is more of a bluish-aquamarine, but it's close.  Regardless, they're very pretty and I think will make nice eye-popping dishcloths.  They also had a bright yellow, off-white/beige, black, and I think a dark brown.  I don't see the Cotton Candy Collection on the Bernat website, so it must be a seasonal or promotional item.

Bernat Cotton in Blue Snow Cone and Cotton Candy

I'm almost finished with a big afghan that's a custom order and have another just like it to do, but this yarn will come in handy to knit and crochet dishcloths when taking a break from the larger project.

~ Marie Anne

Yarn Sale - Up to 41% Off

Craftsy has gorgeous yarn on sale, some at up to 41% off!  This Epiphany yarn has a retail price of $55.90, but Craftsy is offering it at $33.00 for two skeins.

There are other luxurious yarns in various fibers and colors on sale at Craftsy.  Sign up now so you don't miss out on any of the great deals as they become available!

Free Issue of Crochet Magazine

Love to crochet?  Love free?

Get your free issue of Crochet magazine just for the asking! Fill out the form to get your free magazine, which will come with an invoice for a year's subscription. If you like it, pay to continue to receive it. If you don't, simply write cancel on the invoice and mail it back. You get to keep the free issue whether you continue the subscription or not.



I love the free crochet patterns that you can find online, but I prefer to have something I can hold in my hand rather than having to print it off.  I'm ordering my free issue of Crochet magazine today!

P.S. If you decide to pay for the subscription, the digital version is included so you can view it online too.

.99 Shipping at joann.com

Do you buy yarn and other craft supplies at joann.com?   Today and tomorrow only (Mon & Tues, September 19 & 20), shipping is only .99.

You can place your order online or by phone.  Use code DEAL99 for .99 shipping on any size order.  Coupon not valid for in-store use.

Rather shop at your local store?  Click to see the weekly sales flyer at the Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store nearest you.  Halloween costumes and supplies are already in stock and on sale.

Hobby Lobby Coupon 40% Savings

I love my Hobby Lobby, but yarn is expensive, no matter where you buy it.  Hobby Lobby has a new coupon available online every week, and it's often 40% off any one item that's not already on sale.

Sometimes the coupon is for a specific group of products, but when I see that 40% coupon for anything in the store, I print it right away and put it in my purse so I'll have it ready to go on my next trip to town.  Even if I don't need any yarn right then, I'll grab a skein of white or black yarn to take advantage of the savings.

Click to print your 40% coupon, valid until September 24.  Remember, Hobby Lobby isn't open on Sundays.

While you're there using your coupon, make sure to check the discount section for other great deals.  I didn't know my local store had a section for marked down items until I discovered it by accident in the back corner of the store.  If you're not sure if there's a sale aisle in your store, ask!  Last year I was able to get several skeins of fairly high-dollar yarn at $1 skein.

 

Save $10 at ShopRedHeart.com

Enjoy $10 off your purchase of $50 0r more during the Grand Opening Celebration at ShopRedHeart.com.



Just in time for the cooler weather, but hurry - the offer is only good from Oct 1 - Oct 15th!

Go ahead - ShopRedHeart.com and save $10.

Free and Cheap Yarn and Craft Supplies

Not just for yarn, you can use these ideas for any craft supplies. Crafters, you don't need to pay full price for your hobby needs. There are so many options available if you just know where to look for free and cheap yarn and craft supplies.

Read more ...

Have more ideas to add to the list? Leave a comment on the article itself and let me know here that you've done so, and I'll give you credit for the tip!