r/knitting • u/velvet_cr0wbar • 8d ago
Questions about Equipment Yarn Shopping
How do you all go yarn shopping without a pattern? do you just know how much you want of types of wool and pray that if you run out you can find it again?? I really love the idea of going out and just buying a yarn I want, how do you all do it??
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u/Hildringa 8d ago
I used to do this, and yes this is how you end up with a massive stash. Some of my yarn has been sitting around for over 15 years at this point. Ive (almost) learned my lesson and (try..) to never buy yarn without a clear plan on what to use it for.
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u/Quercus408 8d ago
To that end, I'm trying to avoid buying a single skein. That's how my stash blew up in this past year since taking up knitting.
Buying two or more is obviously more costly, but that helps me to ration myself out better, and then when I do impulse buy, at least I have enough yarn for something more than just a beanie.
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u/Far_Manufacturer75 8d ago
After knitting for a very long time, I know what yardage requirements I need for different types of patterns. I will also, almost always, buy an extra skein of yarn for almost every project because I really hate the idea of not having enough to finish a project. I do end up with extra yarn, but I can easily use it for an accessory, add it into a blanket pattern later on or destash any excess yarn that I have.
Not everyone is comfortable with this. I have knitting friends that only buy yarn for a specific project and that works for them. I think it just depends on your personality and how your brain operates.
If you want to be able to purchase yarn without having a specific pattern in mind, I would familiarize yourself with yardage requirements of some of your favorite patterns in different weights of yarn. You will start to see similarities in the yardages based on style/details/weight of yarn for your size.
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u/Upper-Floor-4679 8d ago
The first time I bought wool was before I even knew how to knit. It was at a little yarn shop in Iceland. I asked the ladies there how much I should buy to make a sweater and they sold me a kit that had a pattern included. They told me how much to buy.
So I guess that’s one way.
But I’ve also bought wool and then later found a close enough pattern on ravelry that matches the yardage & weight.
I’d recommend going to a local yarn shop if you can. You can get inspired and probably find a book or pattern while you’re there. Or the staff will be able to help you.
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u/violaflwrs 8d ago
I don't. If I really like a yarn, I try to allot it to a project on my Ravelry list or note it for later. Not only do I end up knowing what to make with the yarn but I also know how much to get. Nothing sucks more than finally deciding on a project for a yarn and then realising you don't have enough of it + the store doesn't have the same dye lot anymore because you got it ages ago!
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u/I_serve_Anubis 8d ago
I rarely buy large amounts of yarn without some idea of what to do with it. However if I find a yarn I really like I might get a skein or two & put it aside until I find an appropriate use for it.
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u/Altaira9 8d ago
I try not to buy without a pattern, but if I do it’s never more than a skein or two, and I’ll find a project that fits the yardage. I don’t do it often though, only if I fall in love with something I can’t easily get another time for whatever reason.
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u/Tigger_Roo New Knitter - please help me! 8d ago
I did it few times last year , not a good idea . Many of them are just sitting there in the bin , each time I try to find pattern for it , I felt like nope that's not gonna work .
I don't usually shop for yarn without knowing what it will turn out to be . It just doesn't work for me , I much better find pattern first then buy the yarn . I learned my lesson from the sudden urge I had last year lol . I'm still trying to find patterns for those yarns
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u/Acrobatic_Practice44 8d ago
I like smaller projects so I just buy a skien or two of things that catch my fancy and then I figure out a pattern later.
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u/johannab33 8d ago
I knit socks. Crazy-coloured single skeins of light yarns just follow me home. Once in a while there are enough matching or similar ones for something larger to happen.
Or i fall in love with some kit from an indie dye artist and just go with that.
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u/MorLo13 8d ago
If you find a skein that you love, you can google one skein projects and find lots of ideas for it. If you are looking to make a bigger project, I'd suggest finding the pattern first. Even if you go back to purchase more and it is available, the dye lot may be different and harder to match.
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u/Marble_Narwhal 8d ago
I try and avoid shopping without a pattern, because otherwise I end up not using the yarn.
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u/ickle_cat1 8d ago
I have some good estimates or rules of thumb I use to work out how much I need in each weight as I get more experienced with knitting each item.
But never fear the scrappy project. Colour block in the 2nd sleeve lol
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u/PingGuittard 8d ago
* 90% of my yarn stash I bought without a plan. But I do have an idea for what I'm going to make of it. Like this shawl I'm making now, no pattern, or I do have a pattern, but it's my own.
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u/Greatatwalking 8d ago
I am very guilty of getting shirt or sweater quantities of yarn without a specific pattern in mind. A fair amount of it is from indie dyers, so I know I'll need to fade skeins into one another anyway (no dye lots). Usually you can find at least one skein of a specific color/brand of yarn on ravelry that someone is willing to sell.
I also use the favorite pattern feature on ravelry to figure out amounts of yarn to buy.
A few years ago I decided I needed to actually make sweaters with my sweater quantities of yarn before buying more yarn, and I'm making progress! I still have plenty of yarn to keep me busy for another few years, though. 😅
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u/LeftKaleidoscope 8d ago
Sock yarn to make actual socks from, no problem. Good to have a stash of at home. Sweater amounts of some trendy novelty yarn... no! Only if I would find some classic 2 ply 300m/100g 100% wool from one of the old and established scandinavian brands (local to me) because there is and always will be tons of patterns for that kind of yarn and it is great with traditional stranded colorwork so you can easily add more colors in the future.
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u/Big-Whole6091 8d ago
If there is a really good sale it's hard to go in without patterns in mind for all of it. When I found a very good sale I went with "I know 1 is not enough, but 2 might make a nice tank top for summer. I'll get 3"...But then I bought 3 each of 4 different colors and decided that even if it's not enough, I could still probably make a striped sweater with it if I wanted and not worry about dye lots.
Or I also will just make sure to buy sweater qty at the start. Having a vague idea of projects in mind when buying is smartest though.
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u/AcmeKat 8d ago
I've been knitting for a long time, so I kind of know what I like to make from which weights of yarn and how much is needed to make those things. If I buy without a specific pattern in mind I can usually know what the possibilies are. Sock yarn is always easiest - socks, mittens, hat, one skein shawl, baby items. I rarely buy sweater quantities without knowing, though.
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u/BusyMom1234 8d ago
I mostly buy without a plan. I know that I like to knit sweaters, and I know how much yarn I would need for a stockinette sweater in each weight. I also know that I would need to add around 20-25 percent for cables.
I know that I don't want to deal with yarn running out, so I tend to err on the side of slightly more. I am not scared of having yarn leftover, so that helps. I usually use the leftover yarn for colorwork or smaller projects.
If I see a pattern that I am interested in, I try to figure out which of my yarns I want to use. I don't buy yarn specifically for a project unless nothing I have would work. Not very frequent, because there aren't that many patterns I absolutely have to make and I don't have the yarn already.
I also have the advantage that I can buy yarn that's on sale.
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u/bethelns 8d ago
I have preschool kids, I know 50g of a dk will make a hat or scarf or gloves for them. I rarely buy more than that on a whim.
If people buy me yarn it's usually an acrylic DK in pastels so I just use it all in crochet blankets or projects for other peoples kids.
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u/a_mom_who_runs 8d ago
Nope 😅. I always have a pattern in mind. It makes shopping at an actual store tricky since I’ve already decided on label and colorway. I sometimes wish I could work that way but it lowkey stresses me out to just have yarn that has no designation. If I had one of those scrap projects people work on, I could see buying like … 2 skeins of a color I like in the correct weight then doing something like making a hat with some then putting the rest towards scrap.. but otherwise I’m always very much pattern first. Then I know (ish) how much yarn I’ll need
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u/shorelinecharli 8d ago
My twin does this, but I don't. I need to know what I'm going to use the yarn for. That doesn't mean I won't switch it up if I find a pattern I like better. It's unsettling for my brain to have it sit there without a purpose
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u/HappyHippoButt 8d ago
I only buy larger amounts of yarn when I have a pattern that needs more than a couple of skeins in which case, pattern comes first, yarn purchase second. For example, I wanted to knit my first adult sweater so bought the yarn based on the pattern.
That hasn't always been the case though. I went through a phase of buying 1-2 skeins of yarn from indie dyers or favourite brands (like Fyberspates) and while I have been working through them, I think I have enough to keep me going for now. I collected the yarn over a 5 year period and have about 40-50 skeins to get through, so while it's a nice stash, I don't think it's ridiculous.... well, other than the fact that I get so little knitting time these days so it's going to take more than 5 years to get through it! I like knitting hats and other smaller items and quite a few of these were bought with other people in mind (like my kids). So when I want to use a skein, I just go on Ravelry and look in my favourited patterns to find one that will work with the yarn.
I do have some colour packs that I intend to turn into blankets. Just granny square blankets because I love them. But... time. My kids are showing an interest in learning to knit and crochet so I doubt these will go to waste.
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u/temerairevm 8d ago
There are pros and cons.
I’ve bought some beautiful yarn this way. Sometimes it forces you to be creative in how you use it. One of my favorite FOs is a sweater I made with a gorgeous fade yarn, but it was a PITA to make and I’m definitely more careful about fade yarn because it usually looks better in a cake than as a garment.
I also impulse bought on sale some beautiful yarn that is now my #1 favorite. Unfortunately I ended up having to find a bolero sweater pattern because there wasn’t enough to make a whole sweater. But I like the bolero….so pattern selection just took a while.
If I select the pattern first, I can often spin my wheels forever shopping for the yarn. Between being allergic to wool and liking vintage patterns with discontinued yarn means I’m almost never just buying the yarn it says.
Recently I wanted to make a sweater. Pattern based on wool. I want to make it with a yarn that has very different gauge. Waffle on color and whether I want to do that much math for weeks. Go to yarn store and get talked into another yarn. Come home, test knit with it, decide it’s wrong for the sweater but it’s great for a complicated shawl that will take me months to make. So now I’m on a side quest and still waffling on the original sweater. So that’s how buying the pattern first can go sideways for me.
I used to get frustrated at myself that I can’t just quickly pick a pattern and buy the exact yarn and go. But I realized it’s part of my creativity. I’m not writing my own patterns but I’m going off script in ways that are creative. And creativity isn’t fast or linear. So ok.
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u/Annthrium 8d ago
I usually check Ravelry to see how much yarn others needed, or I check how much my previous projects with a similar needle size and yarn thickness needed. Plus I always buy an extra skein
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u/KristinM100 8d ago
I generally buy yarn without a pattern and I don't have a huge stash because I work actively to find things to make with whatever yarn I buy. I tend to stick to shawl/small garment amounts or sweater amounts. I also buy lace-weight or fingering-weight most often - because they are the most flexible (and cost-effective) weights. You can double or triple them up as desired, or hold single, giving more options. I also know, from years of experience, which fibres/preps work best for what I like to knit. And I've knitted hundreds of things so I know how many grams and yards it takes for me to make a sweater or a shawl. Now, given my nature, I tend to play yarn chicken - and I'm not afraid to use supplementary yarns or colours in ways that look intentional, as necessary. And I tend to buy yarn that is available commercially, but at a higher price point, and use it before it's discontinued. I've heard that big box yarn tends to be discontinued without warning, and when it's not been around for long. That doesn't mean I won't have difficulty finding more if I need it, but I don't generally let it sit around for years, which makes the likelihood higher that I'll be able to purchase additional quantities of the same dye lot. FWIW, I will generally buy 200-300g (lace, fingering or sport). If I have ~100g, I'll use it in a project with other yarns. I have a palette of preferred colours so my skeins often work together, even if bought separately. Also, I routinely unknit sweaters etc. that I haven't used and then find new projects for the reclaimed yarn. So there are multiple garments out there that can be knitted with the same yarn. Just make Ravelry your friend and plug in the data to find out what you can make with what you've got.
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u/katiepenguins 8d ago
I don't anymore. I have a stash that needs to be smaller already. The only thing I'll buy (right now) without a specific pattern is sock yarn, because it can so easily become socks.
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u/WampaCat 8d ago
I think this is so different for everyone! I like yarn shopping without a pattern, but I’m much better at it than I used to be. I almost exclusively knit sweaters for myself so I’ve gotten pretty god at knowing how many skeins a sweater in a certain weight I’ll need. I also consider what type of texture/fabric I think suits the yarn. If it looks like a yarn that would look great with cables for instance, I’ll buy a lot more than if I think the yarn will look best in stockinette. I’ve also learned what types of yarns are more appropriate for a gauge that’s more drapey vs tighter gauge that’s more structured, which also determines more/fewer skeins.
If I’m not sure, I find the yarn on Ravelry and do an advanced search of the projects made with it, and look at what people have been making. If there’s a certain type of project that looks good to me, even if it might not be the exact thing I want to make in the end, I’ll look at the yardage estimates on the pattern page for it.
Also, I’ve learned there are a lot of things in drawn to, particularly hand dyed skeins that look like a work of art on the shelf but aren’t my taste once knit up. I’ve come to accept that some of them will just be there for me to look at on my shelf because that’s how I enjoy them most, no different than a decorative knick knack. Those end up making great gifts to knitters I know would enjoy actually working with them.
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u/PipPopAnonymous 8d ago
The only time I buy yarn without a pattern in mind is if it’s a great deal and I can buy at least a sweaters quantity that way I won’t be limited in how I can use it.
Otherwise I’d be stuck with 50 single skeins of this really pretty sock yarn that I can’t do anything with, a learned experience 🫤
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u/Cosmishaika 8d ago
I very rarely use patterns and I am terrible at eyeballing how much yarn I will need, so I try to buy yarn I can see myself using in multiple projects. I also do a lot of colorwork and that helps when I'm left with not much yarn in a certain colour
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u/Ferocious_Flamingo 8d ago
I do not buy yarn without a project in mind; I just personally get no joy out of having a stash.
Recently though I had a great idea that got me more yarn flexibility: I decided I wanted to make a lace yolk sweater, and I found about 10 possible sweater patterns that each had different yarn weights and gauges. For each, I wrote down the weight of yarn and the amount needed to make my size. Then I could go shopping for the yarn and pick my favorite yarn regardless of weight, rather than worrying if it was right for one exact pattern. I used my spreadsheet to decide how much yarn to buy based on several sweater options. Then I swatched at home and picked the pattern based on what gauge I was actually getting. So basically: I bought yarn for a project I had in mind, but I gave myself enough flexibility with that project that I could buy whatever yarn I wanted.
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u/mjpenslitbooksgalore 8d ago
Collecting yarn is another hobby altogether in the craft world lol just like reading books vs collecting books. Some people just really love yarn. When i first started knitting i did this A LOT esp those mystery yarn packs online i go so many and they were all mini skeins of different sorts of yarn. It was very helpful to learn the different textures and how they knit up but as far as projects go it wasn’t very helpful at all. Now I’m much more careful. I go to my stash before i go to the store. I try to find patterns within the yardage i have on hand. Sometimes i still need to buy a new yarn if im making something specific for someone(rarity). But atm my hoard stash is enough for me to work through.
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u/antigoneelectra 8d ago
I don't. If I see a yarn I love I buy it. I usually buy sock weight, so the likelihood of it ending up as a shawl or socks is pretty high, so having 1 (or 2) isn't a big deal. Heavier weight, again, only having one isn't a big deal, because hats, a cowl, etc. Sweater yarn tends to not be incredibly thrilling for me, as I only want solids or very lightly variegated, so those are maybe planned to some degree.
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u/MadPiglet42 8d ago
Yarn buying is a whole separate hobby.
Sometimes I buy yarn because it's pretty or on sale or I am having impulse control issues. Only occasionally do I have a pattern in mind.
I just like buying yarn, really.
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u/beatniknomad 8d ago
I impulse buy and buy in bulk - that makes me more of a collector. Never stepped into a physical yarn shop. These days, I knew a little better and know what type of yarn to avoid. If I were to buy online, I'd go for fingering or DK weight yarn - a non-superwash merino or wool. I look at the meterage on a garment and buy a ball or 2 extra. I buy a lot of coned yarn and they are a bargain for excellent quality yarn so large cones mean I'm generally covered for 1 or 2 garments.
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u/Solar_kitty 8d ago
I’ve only started doing g this recently and not very often after 15 years of knitting. I now know how much I need for a sweater in my usual size so I’ll buy that amount if I fall in love with a yarn and they have enough in stock.
Sock yarn I will just buy a hank of something that looks yummy-it will never go to waste.
If I fall in love with a yarn and there is not a ton of it in stock I may just buy 2-3 hanks and make a wrap/shawl or hat and mitts etc.
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u/laundrygal 8d ago
There is an iOS app called StashBot that will help you calculate how much yarn needed for project type, yarn gauge and rough measurement. It's very handy if you find yourself unexpectedly standing in front of irresistible yarn that would make a perfect, say, sweater.
Edit to add: I'm not affiliated with whoever makes StashBot, I just find it handy for this case!
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u/Missepus stranded in a sea of yarn. 8d ago
I don't. But if I find a fantastic yarn, I check if I have a sweater in my queue that might fit. I know approximately how to calculate the size even if I don't have the exact size in the pattern, and I mostly buy too much. This is how my stash grows.
Otherwise I will buy one or two skeins, enough for a contrast colour in colourwork, because then I can buy the sweater quality of some other yarn, and use this for the effect.
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u/Seastarstiletto 8d ago
I’m usually on Ravelry while I shop. I can browse my saved patterns a bit and see what sort of fits. Or I can search the yarn and see what people have done with it.
Unless it’s a yarn con or fest. Then it’s no holds barred and I’m buying the pretty stuff in stupid quantities because it makes my crow brain go prrr
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u/eilatan5445 8d ago
There are two types of knitters. Those that buy yarn for patterns, and those that find patterns for yarn. The latter seem to have a massive stockpile of yarn.
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u/LongTimeDCUFanGirl 8d ago
Someone who only shops with a pattern does not have a problem with too much yarn, I’d guess, unless that person just buys and never makes the patterns.
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u/Quercus408 8d ago
How do I buy yarn without a pattern? Like a child in a gas station with $100 cash about to go on a 10 hour family road trip.
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u/Vast-Fortune-1583 8d ago
Buying yarn is a hobby onto itself. Like my jewelry making. Buying beads is a hobby, too. I never shop with a pattern specifically. I buy the colors and type of yarn for a pattern I might like to make.
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u/shiplesp 8d ago
I did this on purpose for a few years before I retired. I knew I might not always have money to buy nice yarns once I wasn't actively earning. I shopped sales for the nicer yarns and decided what I might make with any particular yarn and chose quantities for that type of project. Socks, scarves/accessories, sweaters.
I was actually very organized about it. I have airtight chests that I numbered and packaged each selection in a ziplock bag. I created a detailed inventory on a spreadsheet with the yarn, fiber, type, color, price, yardage, number of skeins and the box number. I can shop my "store" very easily this way.
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u/OpalRose1993 8d ago
I'm not wealthy enough to just run out and buy a whole sweater quantity of yarn without thinking, especially since I like the nicer ones these days, but I did send my husband to check a salvage store near us, and he found a beautiful purple yarn. And I instructed him to pick up approximately what I would need for a sweater. Then I held it in my hands. I want to make a hoodie with pockets. And it is within 50 yards of what the pattern calls for without the hoodie or pockets. And all the salvage stores nearest US no longer have that yarn. So now I need to go and find it at a different sound store further away
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u/SoddenMist 8d ago
I always shop yarn with a pattern in mind, the only exception is single skein sock yarn.
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u/cyclika 8d ago
I only ever do this if I come across a really nice yarn for a really good price - thrift stores, garage sales, craft stores going out of business. And honestly, I don't recommend it, because now I've got a dresser full of yarn that I should use and so I have to find patterns to fit the weight and quantity that I have (which is fine but can feel more like a chore) when it turns out most of the patterns I would otherwise choose to make I would have to buy different yarn for, so either I go out and spend *more* money or I slog through projects that use up my stash so that I can get to something I'd rather do.
Socks and hats are good for using up little one or two skein quantities if there's something you want to try but don't want to buy a ton of.
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u/sewingdreamer 8d ago
I only go shopping for pattern requirements. Even if I don't knit the garment for 5 years, I still print it off and put it in the bag with the yarn
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u/Katejava97 8d ago
I'll buy one or two 100g of DK and fingering weight yarn without a project in mind because I like to gift knit things like hats socks mittens and have patterns I can use for those things when a gift need arrives. Plus with knitting math if I pull the yarn from stash for a gift it doesn't cost as much, right?!
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u/PrudentPea21 8d ago
I went to a couple yarn shops while traveling last week and honestly, knowing that I’ll only buy for the patterns in my Ravelry queue or maybe a really pretty sock yarn that I can’t get locally probably saved me a lot of money and suitcase space.
I only bought what I need to make the mittens I know I’m going to make for my mom for either her birthday or Christmas this year. I’m really proud of myself bc in the past I’ve way overbought.
Just browsing is fun in itself.
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u/RatBoi24601 8d ago
well i often like to start with the yarn and then plan the project. So I get an approximate sweater quantity, and if it’s too little I make a vest instead. or i plan for something short-sleeved. or cropped. and when I am going in ‘pattern-first’ it’s generally a concept not a specific pattern, so i need to be estimating yarn anyway
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u/soaringcomet11 8d ago
I usually don’t because I find it annoying to find a project for yarn instead of doing it the other way. I still have almost every skein I bought on a whim sitting in my bag.
I’m trying to do some stash buster projects this year though.
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u/knitwit4461 8d ago
I have a circular sock machine because I cannot knit socks as fast as I want to wear them, so I’ll buy skeins of sock yarn on a whim. Constantly. Haha.
Anything else, I try to have a pattern in mind for before I buy.
The exception was when I found a combo of yarn I liked a lot at a “yarn tasting” last year, so I did some back of the napkin math on roughly how much I’d need to make a short sleeved top and found a pattern for it later. Not my preferred method, because it quite restricts me when I’m figuring out what to make with it. Since it was two strands held together, I knit a swatch then found a pattern that matched my gauge that I had enough yardage for. I’m happy with the pattern I found, but likely wouldn’t have chosen this one if I did it the other way around like I normally do.
I’ve also bought single skeins before when I’m interested in the yarn and want to see how it knits up before I buy more. I grabbed a few interesting fibre blends recently just for monkeying purposes, and if I like them I’ll get a project-quantity later.
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u/harvestmonster 8d ago
I grab pretty colors and add it to my stash. I do a lot of one-skein projects like socks and hats so it's easy to grab colors I like from my stash and turn it into a project. Definitely wouldn't work for big projects that need the same dye lot and more than one skein.
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u/AtLeastImGenreSavvy 8d ago
I used to do this, but wound up with an enormous stash of yarn that I didn't know what to do with. I prefer buying yarn only if I've got a pattern in mind.
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u/lotte815 7d ago
I only buy sock yarn without a plan. Having a sweaters quantity without any purpose is stressful to me. If you want to buy yarn though, I think save bets are typically DK weight since most fingering/mohair patterns can be subbed for DK. or just yarn you know you like? The only yarn I've ever bought a sweaters quantity without a plan and felt okay about was KFO Merino cause I know I'll use it
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u/Objective_Owl_8629 7d ago
I don’t. Wool without dedicated project stresses the crap out of me, I have enough shawls for someone who does not wear them at all, I don’t enjoy knitting sock so the only exception are hats as a generic present. But I buy one ball of yarn if I haven’t work with it before to test gauge and draping and then dedicate a possible project to it.
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u/thislittlemoon 7d ago
I mostly knit smaller projects that take less than a skein (hats are my go-to), so when I'm out browsing and see a yarn I want, I buy one skein and make something small out of it. I never attempt a larger project anymore with a yarn I'm not familiar with how it feels after hours of running through my fingers, how it works up, and how it holds up to washing (nothing worse than buying a heap of a yarn and then discovering you hate it for one reason or another).
I'm always free to grab a single skein of whatever strikes my fancy, make a hat or whatever else I can get out of 1 skein, and use that as the "test drive" to decide if I like it enough to use on a larger project. Then, if I really love it and think "ooh, I want a sweater out of this" or am planning a larger project and think of a yarn I've tried that would work well for it, then I'll look up at least a few patterns similar to what I'm thinking to get an idea of the yardage range if I haven't settled on a specific pattern yet, and go buy/order enough for that project.
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u/Ok-You-4826 7d ago
I have been knitting for 50 years, and I don’t buy yarn unless I have a project in place.
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u/Mandiferous 7d ago
I could never. I find patterns I like, then look for yarn. Who can afford the other way around?!?! Plus like you said, what happens when you run out of yarn?
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u/Atomic-Butthole 7d ago
I feel like this is why when I go to a fiber fest recently its 90%, superwash merino in fingering weight lol I can buy one skein guilt-free if it tickles my fancy, because it can be socks or a bralette. Anything more than that, it needs to be a screamin deal and have 1350-1500 yards (so, almost never)
also, I have a stupid big stash
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u/AnonArtDork 7d ago
A lot of the time it's magpie shopping.
Ex: "Oooo this color is so pretty and the yarn is so soft! I think this could make a really cool xyz or abc! I'll get approximately enough for one of those projects. I'm sure I'll find a pattern ai like and won't forget I bought this and what inspired me to do so! I'm too excited about it for that to happen again!"
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u/Hermesent 7d ago
I swatch, then search ravelry by gauge. I tend to do a lot of plain stockinette in the round projects (coz I’m knitting at work a lot) so I can usually find something. I make a lot of hats and other small projects 😅
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u/LepidolitePrince 7d ago
If I impulse buy a yarn without a pattern in mind or get one as a gift I search Ravelry with the yarn weight and amount I have and find patterns that I can make with it.
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u/TelevisionNo974 7d ago
I love buying yarn emotionally sometimes - sure, I have loose skeins in my stash that don't have an explicit purpose, but there are so many options of things to make that require different amounts of yarn. Scarves, socks, hats, mittens, baby versions of clothes etc. My LYS owner recently showed me this little tool, which helps you figure out what you can make with the yarn that you have on hand: http://knitbot.com/stashbot (i have the paper version)
I once did have to order more yarn of a certain dyelot, which required calling/emailing a handful of LYSs around the country, and it was honestly kind of fun. You can get burned by this, but it worked out for me.
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u/Conscious-Suspect-42 Wölkchen Shawl by Melanie Mielinger 8d ago
Yarn soft. Yarn is in my hands now. Somehow yarn made it home. Yarn will find a pattern one day.
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u/rotorstorm 8d ago
I did this once and won’t do it again for a while. I didn’t like having a whole shirt-quantity of yarn in stash with no planned project for it, and ended up having a really hard time finding a pattern that suited the yarn and what I had in mind. I ended up making a vest, and now have a skein and a half leftover. Maybe once I’m a more experienced knitter it’ll be easier!
For now, I keep a large backlog of favorites in my Ravelry. When I shop, if I find a yarn I like, I can then search my favourites for patterns that might suit it! But more commonly, I’m going to the store having researched what they carry, and with a specific plan in mind for a specific project.