When the yarn is no more...

Be advised: You Will Not Find This Yarn.

Today's question was going to be: Well, okay, but what if I don't know what sort of yarn I need? This sort of fiber-based confusion can happen to the best of us. The question, however, turned into: Say that the yarn called for by a particular pattern is discontinued (as happens far too frequently for my tastes). What then? Luckily, the internet can save us all! (Yes, I'm mean. All of today's pictures are of yarn we can't get anymore.)


I have a lovely shawl made from copper-colored Moonlight Mohair.
The fun find of the day is DiscontinuedBrandNameYarns.com in Vermont. They don't accept Money Orders, since all stock is limited (well, it would be!). But they're willing to try tracking stuff down for you!


I have a frightening amount of Crystal FX.
No, I'm not giving it up. It's sparkly and fuzzy!!
Or, you can try to find it on your own, which is probably what you do already, right?


eBay (!!) has a friendly Knitting, Crochet & Yarn Buying Guide. Let's face it - if it's discontinued and out there, it's probably on eBay. One of the sellers to check is Stitch in Peace; they specialize in estate sales and store liquidations and other large bulk needlework events. Some things are sold by lot, others are individual. They also do consignment - I keep meaning to send them a couple of boxes of stuff to sell for me, but I just haven't gotten around to it. (Turnaround time can be a while, both for the sale of one's stuff and for when you get your check.)



eHow.com also has a guide to buying yarn here. (It says "for crochet", but if you change the link to "knitting", it redirects to this article. And really, the basic principles are the same. ) There's also the good ol' standby, the Yarn Substitution Chart. Really, if you can find a same-weight, same-fiber yarn in the called-for color - or a color you like even better - it should work, right? Or search for your yarn on Ravelry. Someone might have what you need in their Stash - and be willing to sell or trade!


If you'd rather not flirt with discontinued yarns, a generic search for "best yarn for knitting" will get half a million results or more... and most of the go-to places we buy yarn on the net are right there at the front of the queue. (I like the fact that book results for "best yarn for knitting" brings up the first of the Yarn Harlot's books.) Plus, we have all sorts of resources to find things now - Ravelry, Etsy (click on THAT link and wind up not buying something, I double-dog dare you!), discountyarnsale.com, bargainyarns.com, plus all the amazing folks that have their own shops, spin and/or dye their own yarn, and have their own websites. (Tell me your favorites... please?)


My first "grown up" knitting project used four balls of this stuff.
In black.
For a baby blanket that I'm keeping (despite having no baby).
It. Is. The. Softest. Stuff. EVER.
Need something even more specific, say, a new scarf? Yahoo has a wonderfully reply from Carol Q on exactly that. (Would that all internet questions got such detailed answers!)


Cherry Tree Hill: If you see it in person and like it, BUY IT.
It will not come your way again.
Say you've found something - but you aren't quite sure it's The One. Check out KnittersReview.com - there are forums galore, including one dedicated to Seeking Advice About Yarn. There you go, lots of places for you to get started on your next yarn hunt, brought together for you by Yarn on Thursday!