Tips for Buying Yarn Online

Nothing beats the experience of aimlessly wandering around a yarn store on a lazy day mulling over various yarns. Pick up the yarn, squish it, feel it against your skin, read the label, put it down, start all over- this is what we do. It is a love affair with yarn. With the overall rise of online shopping over the past decade and the sharp increase of online shopping as the result of COVID-19, we are now buying yarn online.

Although at first, you may miss the physical experience of yarn shopping, there are several benefits to buying yarn online:

• Rather than be limited to one or two locations, you can shop thousands of yarns from the comfort of your home.
• Most online retailers are return-friendly in the event that you made a mistake and you don't love the yarn.
• Online yarn sellers are very detailed with the specifications. The yarn weight, color, material and several other details will be there.
• Most online yarn stores have filters that you can use to help you find the perfect yarn by color, weight, material, etc. 
• Surprise yourself with a fabulous online grab bag of yarn. These are super fun when they show up at your door.

Online Yarn Buying Tips

Know the basics. When we see and touch yarn, we may ignore the label and buy based on look and feel. With an online buying experience, it is important to understand the basics on the labels. You will need to understand the washing instructions, yarn weight, gauge, and length of the ball or skein before you click "Buy."

Get a great deal. Shopping around online for the best price is much easier than driving around from one store to the other. Subscribe to yarn store email newsletters to receive discounts. (Psst...when you join the Zen Yarn Garden email list, we send you a free pattern!) Shop the Sale or Clearance section or use a coupon code to get the best price without ever leaving home. 

Check the return policy. Since you won't actual feel the yarn or see the actual color until it arrives at your door, check the yarn store's return policy. Zen Yarn Garden has a designated Return Portal to make returns simple for our customers. Keep in mind that, just like in a retail location, custom orders are typically non-refundable. 

Read the reviews. As with most online purchases, you can learn a lot about the yarn from the reviews. Many reviewers post photos and their impression of whether the yarn description matches the actual yarn. 

When in doubt, buy a knitting kit. If you have difficulty choosing yarn for your project, consider buying a knitting kit. Online yarn sellers offer carefully put together kits that pair the perfect yarn with a pattern. This is also a great way to ensure that you do not over or under buy yarn. 

Once you buy yarn online from a few different brands, you will develop a preference for a yarn brand and online yarn seller. For anyone who is concerned about taking business away from local sellers, most local shops have an online store. Do a quick search and you will find that you can still support local and small businesses by shopping online.