I started really throwing myself into crochet pretty recently, and I’ve only got a handful of supplies. Most of the very small amount of yarn I already have I’ve used up, I only have a couple of hooks and next to no notions. I’d love to go on a shopping spree at my local Joann’s, but I’m also trying to save money this year.
Anyone have any recommendations for yarn/equipment that’s especially budget-friendly? Most of the projects I’m interested in learning to make right now are wearables if that helps.
amazon
feel how you want about the company, but you can get an entire tackle box full of notions, tools, and hooks for less than the price of the gas to drive to Joann’s
and if it’s amigurumi, I wouldn’t spend a lot on yarn. Most of the demo items in my shop are the cheapest stuff I could find because I also use it to make housekeeping/utility stuff too.
Depending on where you shop for groceries, places like meijer and Walmart have relatively nice yarn prices. Even more so if you check their clearance sections. I do this every once in a while.
Depending on your location you might be able to find some yarn at your local dollar tree/dollar general if that’s nearby, they have chenille, acrylic, plush, eyelash and recently I saw cotton yarn as well.
I would also consider going to Joanns/Michaels/etc or big shops online or their apps if they have one for coupons as usually they send them out and give alerts to sales
I would also use the Google shopping little tab if you haven’t to search for what you want that way you can see everyone’s prices both online and in person (of course I would search separately about the store if its online to make sure it’s legit) right now the online store I’ve been using has been Mary Maxim they have some yarn and equipment among other things and occasionally they send me a coupon for free shipping among other ones along with their sales. I would also consider Amazon for tools as well sometimes yarn but most of the time it’s overpriced for me
If you’re able to as well use Honey! I save money with it on my computer, I’m not sure if it’s on mobile though
Joanns, michaels, and hobby lobby all rotate what’s on sale. Like hobby lobby has yarn and needle craft one week then fabrics and patterns the next. If you pay attention and keep track, you’ll know when to go to each store for the best sale.
Other ideas are to let family friends know you’re looking for yarn. Never know what you are going to get, but fibercartists get yarn given to them, also estate sales, and resale shops.
I would say whenever you are out shopping its worth to have a look in charity shops if you have such. Facebook marketplace sometimes worth to check as people often give away for free. For amigurumi dont need much. Xx
If you have Goodwill or savers, they tend to have yarn. If you have the transportation, you should look into estate sales and yard/garage/tag sales, I have found loads of stuff that way.
buy nothing!! i follow mine on facebook. it is 100% free, but often you must pick up the items. fb marketplace sometimes has free stuff too.
if you have social media, look for your local buy nothing group if you have one. the point is to help support your community and reduce landfill waste - people often get rid of old or replaced craft materials, or yarns they will not use, etc. i plan to donate a few skeins of somewhat tangled yarn to my buy nothing group because it is too time consuming for me to untangle but a lot of people enjoy it or could benefit from having the yarn, yknow? plus i have too much anyways. sometimes people just want to downsize and get rid of it, but in this group often times you must pick up from their doorstep.
ALSO if you visit thrift stores/charity shops, they often have a craft section! i ALWAYS visit the craft section in mine, i also visit the sweater and blanket sections - you can find cool quality yarn that way and just frog the entire thing, it is a sustainable and usually cost efficient way to get pretty yarn, it just requires a bit of work. i’ve never done it before but i do scope out anything i would feel proficient taking apart for the material
lastly, i use joann for new yarn. i live very close and i usually run multiple errands, because it is also next to the library. they have yarn sales occasionally and if you use the app, they have stackable coupons for in-store-pickup. i buy from the app more than i buy from the store because i like seeing the discounts stack and it helps me keep track of my spending better. (also love the “save for later” option so i can buy stuff once i have funds)
for me, there are a lot of things i can replace with cheaper stuff like
stitch markers —> use paper clips instead (you already have at home)
stitch counters —> write your count of stitches on a piece of paper using a pencil
hooks —> for me 3.5mm hook works for so many different types of yarn that i don’t really have to buy more
yarn —> buy it in the cheaper store u can find and try not to waste it much
that’s how i’ve been saving money
Look at sales, especially clearance sales! Few times a year, many stores homd clearance sales with discounts that are higher than usual. Just visit the websites often, follow their Instagram and keep an eye out!
Fair warning with budget hooks: if you crochet a lot, the handle matters. It’s gonna put stress on your hand and wrist. If you’re gonna get cheap hooks, I suggest you start with one in a size you use often and try it out for a while to make sure you’re not in any pain.
Do crochet sweaters not need multiple counters for neckline and armhole shaping? I just want to mention it as many times as it comes up because it’s needed and if you need more than one at a time, then the one in the pattern can’t replace the need for one
Ive never had a crochet garment where ive needed more than one counter, usually you work in panels or the round for the body, seam up, then make each arm and neckline induvidually. At least in my experiences
Thank you all so much for your feedback and advice! I just ordered a bundle of inexpensive hooks & notions off Etsy (ran me about $16 with shipping).
I hadn’t even thought to look for yarn at thrift shops, but that’s a great idea! I’ll be sure to start poking around once I have an opportunity.
It also occurs to me that there’s a crochet and knit club on campus at my school, but I don’t know if it’s BYOY. In any case it could be worth checking out when classes start back up.
Seems like everyone’s already mentioned some really good way to get cheap/free stuffs for crocheting but I am just gonna throw out this one, you can also shop for yarns and supplies in Temu! It has a lot of stuffs in way cheaper price but the shipping time is a little bit long, they also provide free returns and such like Amazon.
ooo good idea, i use bits of yarn as stitch markers sometimes:) but i also keep paper clips with my metal stitch markers!
as for row or stitch counters, i found out that digital counters are AWESOME! i always use the one on Ribblr when i make patterns here, but otherwise i use an app called Addi2Go made by the brand Addi. it is 100% free and offers a voice activated counter that can go up or down depending on the word you choose from their list. i’ll attach a photo of what it looks like
edit: also you can add multiple projects and have multiple counters per project
joining a club could be an awesome way to find resources to get materials! perhaps the fellow club goers have a yarn that gets on their nerves or a project they don’t want to finish, you might be able to have some donated to you that way and it’s a good opportunity to try yarn you otherwise wouldn’t
once you have started collecting supplies you can consider swapping them with the other people in the club, or borrowing tools, that can help you save money! if you end up attending, i hope you have fun ^-^
if the pattern says “repeat” and you click on that, it appears on the page. That’s a cheap alternative 
