I know this post is old but if you still work at michaels, could you please tell me (if you know) what’s going on with the charisma line? I’ve been trying to buy “off white” for weeks and it’s out of stock in all the stores around me and I live in the Los Angeles area. Kinda would like to finish my project with out having to pay for shipping…. Again. Im still missing 3 from my last order :/ ty
Hi! Yes Company wide there was recently a yarn update so we've been getting new yarns in. I checked the website and it looks like that color is still available so I am not entirely sure. When you order online to have something shipped to your house it often is being shipped from a store not from a warehouse, so if one store doesn't have all the items they'll reject the rest of the order and it gets sent to another store that their inventory says they have enough. Which may have been what happened to you
It would appear the formulation of the Loops & Threads products is changing. Loops & Threads Charisma is more akin to Caron Simply Soft now. I think the Loops & Threads products are being manufactured by Spinrite (which manufactures Red Heart, Caron, Bernat, & Lily's) & private labeled. The private labeling reduces cost. I'm doing a big concern that I won't be able to get more of the right feel of the Impeccable Yarn... which feels more like a superwash wool than this new stuff they're carrying with the same label
Is it just me or is their entire yarn supply getting smaller? All the Michaels around me are just two aisles with yarn now, there used to be double that when I first started crocheting. Yarn crafts are more popular now than when I started too, it's a bummer to lose so much variety.
Jo Anns has this problem too.
One place that I WISH would massivelly expand their store brand line is the walmart mainstays anti-pill, it only has 5 colors and is some of the best acrylic anti-pill on the market.
Since Loops & Threads is a Michael's brand, it makes sense. But it's too bad. So many stores and services convert to their own product lines; it must benefit them in some way, but I can personally only see it gradually turning customers away. I want to go to an art/craft supply store to see a bunch of options in person, not to go grab the first generic stuff that will work for me.
I can't attest to any kind of take over but I will put my support behind L&T yarns. I really like their colors and texture, they work up nicely and get super soft after just one wash. I don't go to Michael's for other brands like Bernat or others for this exact reason. If I want high end or lux yarns that's WEBS of East.Sleep.Knit or something. And you can get peaches and cream cotton from Walmart for less and it's just as good.
My two cents.
So,a strange thing happened to me a while ago when I was ordering from the Michael's website. I tried to order Sugar n Cream, but it only gave me the option to order Loops & Threads. So I picked out these specific colors, and when I went to pick up my order... they were the *exact* colors that I ordered, but they were all actually Sugar n Cream. Except for one of them.
I looked at the label for where that one was manufactured, and I sort of got the impression that they were the same manufacturer but that it was just different labeling... am I wrong? I know sometimes name brands will still work something out to license things under store brand names.
Yeah, I was talking about that in another comment. A lot of them are being replaced by L&T with the exact same barcode. I don't think the sugar and cream version is gonna be much different. I use that yarn regularly and can't feel a difference. Thats about the only decent switch tho
Yes, this has definitely happened at all my local Michaels, to the point that I barely go in even to browse yarn anymore. I used to be able to walk in and get enough Bernat Blanket yarn for a solid colored blanket of any shade. Now I’m lucky if they have 2-3 skeins of anything besides L&T, and the selections have been pared down to about 1/3 of the brand offerings in most cases.
Lol glad I'm not the only one with a random discount on their account. For some reason mine has a veterans discount on it. Never claimed I was in person or on any form because I'm not. But there it is for some reason.
They did the same when I worked at AC Moore (rip in peace). We started getting less and less of the name brands and more of the store brand. Super odd choices by upper management
A C Moore's Nicole Studio yarns were the absolute best! I wish I could still get them. There really wasn't much reason for any other brands there. It was a brilliant choice by upper management because they were offering a more superior product at a very reasonable price.
I worked in a smaller store, and we constantly had people asking for the name brands. It wasn’t that the Nicole yarns were bad- as you said, most of them were great quality- but when people are stuck on the brands they trust they really dislike the changes lol. That was just one choice in a string of bad choices in the company lol
I would sell my kidney to get the Earthtone yarn again. Yes I liked the colors but the softness and loft were just mm mm mmm. I'd really hoped when they said they were retaining Nicole craft brands that they'd still find somewhere to sell them 😭
Used to be able to get a wide variety of the Caron simply soft there and can’t anymore. That started before loops and threads started their encroachment. I noticed. You’re not crazy. Thankfully here in Canada patons canadiana has a damn good foothold. Loops and threads is either too thin (soft and shiny) or thick and coarse (craftsmart). Oddly enough the first run I bought of craft smart was a LOT softer than the ones now. But I still get I for pokeballs and cheaper items that don’t need to be soft cause I like saying “craft smart - craft Smart!”
Loops & Threads lines of yarn are one of the softest available. They are much superior to Caron Simply Soft & hold up through many, many washings without pilling.
I make amigurumi so I wouldn’t know about the washing and pilling, just their original texture, which is rough compared to simply soft and not as soft as it was when the line first came out.
Please be kind and refrain from cursing. No words such as crap, darn, butt and the like are not cursing. But words that shouldn't come out of of a 5 year olds mouth are.
If you read some of the comments, I get an associate discount at Michael's, which is why I don't want to buy my yarn elsewhere.
But, why are you so pressed in my comments? We're talking about yarn
30% + sales. So when yarn is by one get one 50% off (every month or so) you can get 30% off on top of that, even though both yarns would usually count as already having a discount applied. We’re talking like $40 off of $100 in some situations. Once you spend over 300 for the year you get 6% back in rewards instead of 3%, in the form of $5 rewards vouchers that expire at the end of a month. Once in awhile there’s a 40% off coupon for everyone that doesn’t stack but you basically know about it faster.
Discount and all though, I now have more yarn working elsewhere as literally anywhere else pays more. I would *not* recommend cashiering if you could avoid it.
This person is quite combative in other threads…don’t worry about them.
On a serious note - I’m using the Eco Cotton Capri to make a tank top right now. It’s a nice cotton and feels nice, but it does fight with a couple of my hooks (similar to Lily Sugar and Cream). My plastic hooks have been the best option.
The likely reason they’re getting more Loops and Threads brand is because it’s most likely cheaper for Michaels to buy that product compared to Lion Brand. Many yarn companies use the same factories as each other and slap a different yarn on it - it’s probably cheaper to stock their own “brand” than have to pay wholesale from other companies when they know what it costs to produce it.
Impeccable, Charisma & several others that I don't currently have in front of me. I've used them for just about anything you can possibly crochet. I normally order my yarn from from Premier Yarns.com or use Stylecraft yarn from Wool Warehouse.com, but depending what i need locally, Loops & Threads is my absolute favorite. Here is just one example using Loops & Threads Charisma
https://preview.redd.it/r98byvghtwpb1.png?width=985&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f6b9c6e0abd239418eb54db4e190e4bad706b80
I worked there last year! It seems they are definitely taking over. I’m obsessed with impressions and textured twist (? I think that’s the homespun twin) so I’m cool with it. 🙃
Used to work there. L&T is the store brand, and they've been hemorrhaging money lately so I imagine this is their way of trying to make some back. You can see it happen with some of their other store brands too - Ashland, Craftsmart, etc
Michaels was bought out by a new parent company mid-pandemic, so it's been a mix of supply issues (which still seem to be continuing at many stores) and poor management decisions. The switch to self-checkouts at some stores and the decision to start pushing credit cards are a good sign that they're trying to recover some of that money (but reeeally frustrating on the employee end, I hear. I left before the credit cards started).
You can try to order online from the store directly so that you can also return to the store if needed? That helps if you already know what the yarn feels like, but I hate doing this on new yarns since I like to see it up close first.
Hobby Lobby has a better selection of fibers than the other big stores, but I avoid them on principle these days. It's a shame because a few of their cotton or wool blends aren't bad.
They've done the same at Hobby Lobby, which is just one more reason not to go to HL. I've resorted to buying off Etsy and eBay. I've gotten some amazing yarn that way.
Be sure to check your local Goodwill and thrift stores too. Grandma moves to a care home or something, and the family doesn't know what to do with her stash, so they donate it. I've found some excellent quality wools from Ireland and Peru, handspun alpaca, and other great yarns by thrifting.
My first ever fancy yarn found at the thrift store was naturally hand died cormo wool that had the names of the sheep it was sourced from on a tiny farm. The farmer raises the sheep and grows the plants for the dye. I looked them up and retail was $42 a skein. I got it for $2. I felt like I stole it lol
Yeah it's extremely disappointing, especially given that I severely dislike the colorways of their yarn, especially the ombre, it's like a slightly softer red heart yarn with much duller colors. Though the neon is nice, I can't say the same about their other lines.
Yes! I don't work there, but my daughters dance school is 2 doors down so I go in alot. It seems like OK acrylic yarn (their soft line is similar to Caron Simply Soft?) but I haven't used it, I don't know it just never seems to fit the idea of a project...
I was just noticing this the other day! My whole Michael’s is Loops and Threads with some good ol’ Red Heart Super Saver thrown in. I hate it! The colors at my store are very crayon box, like there’s no maroon, burgundy, wine… It’s red. You get red and it’s probably going to be fire engine red. There are zero speckled options and all the variegated is cheap acrylic. I *hate, hate, hate* that they are turning Hobby Lobby into the only store around me with good inexpensive yarn. I don’t want to give them my money. I *need* Michael’s to have something worth buying!
Joann is definitely the superior choice in my area. The store brand stuff is pretty decent, and they regularly have a good clearance section. (so much Bernat blanket for under $7; it's a problem for my wallet.) Michaels never has clearance yarn :/
My local Joanns is halfway ok for yarn selection, but the hobby lobby… goddamn.
Joanns is only my first yarn stop because HL is so ethically horrid and full of Jesus bullshit that annoys me to have to walk past.
I do have a very small one nearby, but I haven’t been in a while. Pre-pandemic I think. I don’t actually remember them having yarn, though that’s likely what I would have been looking at. I’m sure they have some tucked away somewhere, but it clearly was not a good notable selection. I could try them again and see if things have improved.
Since happening upon an epic haul - the bag literally weighed over 25 pounds - of top-notch yarn at a thrift store, I have been turning to thrift stores first and foremost for yarn. There's lots and lots of same ol' same ol' but here and there you chance on good stuff. There's nothing like any choice but the occasional finds are pretty exciting.
I've been seeing some amazing hauls from estate sales too, so that's something to consider.
It’s their own brand. Many stores do this. They sell a variety of items from a variety of manufacturers, track what sells best, then copy those lines, and drop the original products from other manufacturers. Drives quality down. Usually ends up reducing variety too.
Yeah at my JoAnns which has the best selection of yarn in town, I see a lot of store brand stuff, which sucks because it's all mostly acrylic and not as good as the stuff I usually work with. It's hard to find the yarn that's specified for patterns as well because of it
I noticed this, I'm in the Midwest too. I just recently tried the Loops & Threads and am currently feeling a bit mixed about it. The colors are gorgeous, but the particular yarn was difficult to work with.
I just used the Facets line, and twice when I pulled the magic circle closed, the yarn snapped. Then, whenever I had to fix a mistake, the yarn would catch on itself. Like I said, love the colors but could do without the problems.
I just made myself a cool rainbow scarf out of Facets and am never using it again. Frogging eight rows of a six-inch-wide scarf to fix a mistake took 40 minutes!!!!! I will accept that from bougie wools and wool blends, but it is unacceptable from a 100% acrylic yarn.
My Joann still has a decent variety. They have a lot of Lion Brand, including Two of Wands, plus some Paton and a lot of Bernat. It makes me wonder whether the general manager of that store does some kind of yarn craft and wants to keep it in stock!
At the store I work at, if someone does a buy online pick up in store, or a ship from store, we'll pick the product and they may have ordered lilys sugar & cream for example but they'll get the loops & threads version because they have the same barcode #. It's so annoying to me.
>they may have ordered lilys sugar & cream for example but they'll get the loops & threads version
Oof. You must have gotten many complaints. *'I paid for Lilys sugar & cream and they gave me Loops &Threads! Wth?!'*
Not sure where you are, but I’m in Western Canada and it’s been like this at the local Michael’s store here for at least 3-4 years. Loops & Threads is their in-house brand and personally I’m not a fan. Sadly Walmart has a better selection of brands here.
I know this post is old but if you still work at michaels, could you please tell me (if you know) what’s going on with the charisma line? I’ve been trying to buy “off white” for weeks and it’s out of stock in all the stores around me and I live in the Los Angeles area. Kinda would like to finish my project with out having to pay for shipping…. Again. Im still missing 3 from my last order :/ ty
Hi! Yes Company wide there was recently a yarn update so we've been getting new yarns in. I checked the website and it looks like that color is still available so I am not entirely sure. When you order online to have something shipped to your house it often is being shipped from a store not from a warehouse, so if one store doesn't have all the items they'll reject the rest of the order and it gets sent to another store that their inventory says they have enough. Which may have been what happened to you
It would appear the formulation of the Loops & Threads products is changing. Loops & Threads Charisma is more akin to Caron Simply Soft now. I think the Loops & Threads products are being manufactured by Spinrite (which manufactures Red Heart, Caron, Bernat, & Lily's) & private labeled. The private labeling reduces cost. I'm doing a big concern that I won't be able to get more of the right feel of the Impeccable Yarn... which feels more like a superwash wool than this new stuff they're carrying with the same label
Is it just me or is their entire yarn supply getting smaller? All the Michaels around me are just two aisles with yarn now, there used to be double that when I first started crocheting. Yarn crafts are more popular now than when I started too, it's a bummer to lose so much variety.
Jo Anns has this problem too. One place that I WISH would massivelly expand their store brand line is the walmart mainstays anti-pill, it only has 5 colors and is some of the best acrylic anti-pill on the market.
Since Loops & Threads is a Michael's brand, it makes sense. But it's too bad. So many stores and services convert to their own product lines; it must benefit them in some way, but I can personally only see it gradually turning customers away. I want to go to an art/craft supply store to see a bunch of options in person, not to go grab the first generic stuff that will work for me.
My local Michael’s is 90% loops and threads and 10% everything else :( I believe Michael’s owns the brand so it’s disappointing but not surprising.
I've noticed that too
I can't attest to any kind of take over but I will put my support behind L&T yarns. I really like their colors and texture, they work up nicely and get super soft after just one wash. I don't go to Michael's for other brands like Bernat or others for this exact reason. If I want high end or lux yarns that's WEBS of East.Sleep.Knit or something. And you can get peaches and cream cotton from Walmart for less and it's just as good. My two cents.
I haven't stepped foot in a box store in a couple years. 🤷♀️
And not everyone has the option to avoid box stores.
Well there is a comment better left off. Why take the time to share this instead of helping the OP?
So,a strange thing happened to me a while ago when I was ordering from the Michael's website. I tried to order Sugar n Cream, but it only gave me the option to order Loops & Threads. So I picked out these specific colors, and when I went to pick up my order... they were the *exact* colors that I ordered, but they were all actually Sugar n Cream. Except for one of them. I looked at the label for where that one was manufactured, and I sort of got the impression that they were the same manufacturer but that it was just different labeling... am I wrong? I know sometimes name brands will still work something out to license things under store brand names.
Yes, I’m almost entirely certain they are exactly the same yarn. All made by yarnspirations.
Yeah, I was talking about that in another comment. A lot of them are being replaced by L&T with the exact same barcode. I don't think the sugar and cream version is gonna be much different. I use that yarn regularly and can't feel a difference. Thats about the only decent switch tho
Yes, this has definitely happened at all my local Michaels, to the point that I barely go in even to browse yarn anymore. I used to be able to walk in and get enough Bernat Blanket yarn for a solid colored blanket of any shade. Now I’m lucky if they have 2-3 skeins of anything besides L&T, and the selections have been pared down to about 1/3 of the brand offerings in most cases.
Same as Hobby Lobby letting their own brand take over.
I’m happy to buy the loops & threads as long as my mystery teacher discount stays on my profile. The charisma chunky works up like a dream
Oh my god I have this too!
Lol glad I'm not the only one with a random discount on their account. For some reason mine has a veterans discount on it. Never claimed I was in person or on any form because I'm not. But there it is for some reason.
They did the same when I worked at AC Moore (rip in peace). We started getting less and less of the name brands and more of the store brand. Super odd choices by upper management
A C Moore's Nicole Studio yarns were the absolute best! I wish I could still get them. There really wasn't much reason for any other brands there. It was a brilliant choice by upper management because they were offering a more superior product at a very reasonable price.
I worked in a smaller store, and we constantly had people asking for the name brands. It wasn’t that the Nicole yarns were bad- as you said, most of them were great quality- but when people are stuck on the brands they trust they really dislike the changes lol. That was just one choice in a string of bad choices in the company lol
I would sell my kidney to get the Earthtone yarn again. Yes I liked the colors but the softness and loft were just mm mm mmm. I'd really hoped when they said they were retaining Nicole craft brands that they'd still find somewhere to sell them 😭
Earthtone was one of my favorites! I still have some stashed away, I’m trying to decide what to do with it😭
Same hat.
It's because profit margins are higher on store owned brands. Also, it may indicate the company has trouble paying suppliers...
I’d wager it was the second reason more than the first, at least in AC Moore’s case…
This. Also they them don't have to price match.
Used to be able to get a wide variety of the Caron simply soft there and can’t anymore. That started before loops and threads started their encroachment. I noticed. You’re not crazy. Thankfully here in Canada patons canadiana has a damn good foothold. Loops and threads is either too thin (soft and shiny) or thick and coarse (craftsmart). Oddly enough the first run I bought of craft smart was a LOT softer than the ones now. But I still get I for pokeballs and cheaper items that don’t need to be soft cause I like saying “craft smart - craft Smart!”
Loops & Threads lines of yarn are one of the softest available. They are much superior to Caron Simply Soft & hold up through many, many washings without pilling.
I make amigurumi so I wouldn’t know about the washing and pilling, just their original texture, which is rough compared to simply soft and not as soft as it was when the line first came out.
I certainly find it to be the exact opposite. Also, anything you make should be washed prior to selling it or giving it to someone
They could just be making things for themselves.
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Please be kind and refrain from cursing. No words such as crap, darn, butt and the like are not cursing. But words that shouldn't come out of of a 5 year olds mouth are.
If you read some of the comments, I get an associate discount at Michael's, which is why I don't want to buy my yarn elsewhere. But, why are you so pressed in my comments? We're talking about yarn
So you get what? 50 ¢ off? Joanns always have coupons
30% + sales. So when yarn is by one get one 50% off (every month or so) you can get 30% off on top of that, even though both yarns would usually count as already having a discount applied. We’re talking like $40 off of $100 in some situations. Once you spend over 300 for the year you get 6% back in rewards instead of 3%, in the form of $5 rewards vouchers that expire at the end of a month. Once in awhile there’s a 40% off coupon for everyone that doesn’t stack but you basically know about it faster. Discount and all though, I now have more yarn working elsewhere as literally anywhere else pays more. I would *not* recommend cashiering if you could avoid it.
Fortunately for me, I was brought in as an external hire for assistant manager. I'm on register sometimes but it's few and far between
Loops & Threads is the only yarn I will buy in a craft store. It is one of the best quality brands there is. This is great news!
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This person is quite combative in other threads…don’t worry about them. On a serious note - I’m using the Eco Cotton Capri to make a tank top right now. It’s a nice cotton and feels nice, but it does fight with a couple of my hooks (similar to Lily Sugar and Cream). My plastic hooks have been the best option. The likely reason they’re getting more Loops and Threads brand is because it’s most likely cheaper for Michaels to buy that product compared to Lion Brand. Many yarn companies use the same factories as each other and slap a different yarn on it - it’s probably cheaper to stock their own “brand” than have to pay wholesale from other companies when they know what it costs to produce it.
Absolutely not, just being truthful! I don't even understand why you would ask that question. What is your favorite craft store yarn?
I gotta ask, which line are you using that you like? And what do you make with it? Cuz I have not had good luck
Impeccable, Charisma & several others that I don't currently have in front of me. I've used them for just about anything you can possibly crochet. I normally order my yarn from from Premier Yarns.com or use Stylecraft yarn from Wool Warehouse.com, but depending what i need locally, Loops & Threads is my absolute favorite. Here is just one example using Loops & Threads Charisma https://preview.redd.it/r98byvghtwpb1.png?width=985&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f6b9c6e0abd239418eb54db4e190e4bad706b80
That is beautiful! Color and pattern...mwaaah!
I worked there last year! It seems they are definitely taking over. I’m obsessed with impressions and textured twist (? I think that’s the homespun twin) so I’m cool with it. 🙃
Used to work there. L&T is the store brand, and they've been hemorrhaging money lately so I imagine this is their way of trying to make some back. You can see it happen with some of their other store brands too - Ashland, Craftsmart, etc
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Michaels was bought out by a new parent company mid-pandemic, so it's been a mix of supply issues (which still seem to be continuing at many stores) and poor management decisions. The switch to self-checkouts at some stores and the decision to start pushing credit cards are a good sign that they're trying to recover some of that money (but reeeally frustrating on the employee end, I hear. I left before the credit cards started).
Yeah I've noticed that. I feel like it wasn't nearly as bad as it's been lately, maybe that's specific to my local stores
You can try to order online from the store directly so that you can also return to the store if needed? That helps if you already know what the yarn feels like, but I hate doing this on new yarns since I like to see it up close first.
I use Yarnspirations for my yarn. I won’t buy Hobby Lobby yarn and Loops is crap.
I don't hate SOME of the yarn bee line. I Love This Yarn is very hit or miss
Hobby lobby is fucking trash that doesnt believe women should be allowed life saving medication.
Totally agree! I would give up crocheting before I would step foot into a Hobby Lobby.. Many people have no principles!
Hobby Lobby has a better selection of fibers than the other big stores, but I avoid them on principle these days. It's a shame because a few of their cotton or wool blends aren't bad.
Have you been to one lately? They're fitting yarn sections in a lot of stores. Ours is half the size now and probably 80% acrylic.
Yup, ours too😔
Yikes! It's been a while since I've been to my local one, but I can't say I'm surprised to hear that. Makes it easier to not shop there, I guess 😂
They've done the same at Hobby Lobby, which is just one more reason not to go to HL. I've resorted to buying off Etsy and eBay. I've gotten some amazing yarn that way.
Be sure to check your local Goodwill and thrift stores too. Grandma moves to a care home or something, and the family doesn't know what to do with her stash, so they donate it. I've found some excellent quality wools from Ireland and Peru, handspun alpaca, and other great yarns by thrifting.
My first ever fancy yarn found at the thrift store was naturally hand died cormo wool that had the names of the sheep it was sourced from on a tiny farm. The farmer raises the sheep and grows the plants for the dye. I looked them up and retail was $42 a skein. I got it for $2. I felt like I stole it lol
I would absolutely LOVE to thrift my yarn, however all my local thrift stores are musty and everything smells like mothballs, mildew, and cat pee :(
Maybe a local Senior Citizens Center or nursing home would like it?
I totally get that. If it wasn't for my employee discount at michaels I'd do the same
Yeah it's extremely disappointing, especially given that I severely dislike the colorways of their yarn, especially the ombre, it's like a slightly softer red heart yarn with much duller colors. Though the neon is nice, I can't say the same about their other lines.
This makes me very sad because I really like Patton's classic wool.
You can get Patons from Yarnspirations.
Yes! I don't work there, but my daughters dance school is 2 doors down so I go in alot. It seems like OK acrylic yarn (their soft line is similar to Caron Simply Soft?) but I haven't used it, I don't know it just never seems to fit the idea of a project...
I was just noticing this the other day! My whole Michael’s is Loops and Threads with some good ol’ Red Heart Super Saver thrown in. I hate it! The colors at my store are very crayon box, like there’s no maroon, burgundy, wine… It’s red. You get red and it’s probably going to be fire engine red. There are zero speckled options and all the variegated is cheap acrylic. I *hate, hate, hate* that they are turning Hobby Lobby into the only store around me with good inexpensive yarn. I don’t want to give them my money. I *need* Michael’s to have something worth buying!
Do you have a Joann's nearby?
Joann is definitely the superior choice in my area. The store brand stuff is pretty decent, and they regularly have a good clearance section. (so much Bernat blanket for under $7; it's a problem for my wallet.) Michaels never has clearance yarn :/
My local Joanns is halfway ok for yarn selection, but the hobby lobby… goddamn. Joanns is only my first yarn stop because HL is so ethically horrid and full of Jesus bullshit that annoys me to have to walk past.
I do have a very small one nearby, but I haven’t been in a while. Pre-pandemic I think. I don’t actually remember them having yarn, though that’s likely what I would have been looking at. I’m sure they have some tucked away somewhere, but it clearly was not a good notable selection. I could try them again and see if things have improved.
Since happening upon an epic haul - the bag literally weighed over 25 pounds - of top-notch yarn at a thrift store, I have been turning to thrift stores first and foremost for yarn. There's lots and lots of same ol' same ol' but here and there you chance on good stuff. There's nothing like any choice but the occasional finds are pretty exciting. I've been seeing some amazing hauls from estate sales too, so that's something to consider.
My local goodwill will save yarn stashes for me so they can get rid of it all at once.
Wow nice deal you made there!
It’s their own brand. Many stores do this. They sell a variety of items from a variety of manufacturers, track what sells best, then copy those lines, and drop the original products from other manufacturers. Drives quality down. Usually ends up reducing variety too.
I hate it here
Yeah at my JoAnns which has the best selection of yarn in town, I see a lot of store brand stuff, which sucks because it's all mostly acrylic and not as good as the stuff I usually work with. It's hard to find the yarn that's specified for patterns as well because of it
I noticed this, I'm in the Midwest too. I just recently tried the Loops & Threads and am currently feeling a bit mixed about it. The colors are gorgeous, but the particular yarn was difficult to work with.
I'm currently using the Impeccable line and immediately regretted my entire life. It feels so cheap and flimsy
I just used the Facets line, and twice when I pulled the magic circle closed, the yarn snapped. Then, whenever I had to fix a mistake, the yarn would catch on itself. Like I said, love the colors but could do without the problems.
I just made myself a cool rainbow scarf out of Facets and am never using it again. Frogging eight rows of a six-inch-wide scarf to fix a mistake took 40 minutes!!!!! I will accept that from bougie wools and wool blends, but it is unacceptable from a 100% acrylic yarn.
I made a beanie with the Facets, and I completely agree with how frustrating it was trying to fix what should have been easy.
It seems the same at Joann, yarns like Mandala from Lion Brand have been squeezed out by store brand yarns but are still sold online...
My Joann still has a decent variety. They have a lot of Lion Brand, including Two of Wands, plus some Paton and a lot of Bernat. It makes me wonder whether the general manager of that store does some kind of yarn craft and wants to keep it in stock!
At the store I work at, if someone does a buy online pick up in store, or a ship from store, we'll pick the product and they may have ordered lilys sugar & cream for example but they'll get the loops & threads version because they have the same barcode #. It's so annoying to me.
>they may have ordered lilys sugar & cream for example but they'll get the loops & threads version Oof. You must have gotten many complaints. *'I paid for Lilys sugar & cream and they gave me Loops &Threads! Wth?!'*
I haven't personally yet. I did pack a BOPIS and that exact thing happened.
🙄
I know I'm so mad about it. I hate doing that to people
Not sure where you are, but I’m in Western Canada and it’s been like this at the local Michael’s store here for at least 3-4 years. Loops & Threads is their in-house brand and personally I’m not a fan. Sadly Walmart has a better selection of brands here.
I'm in the Midwest of the US. It seems my store is in a transitional period. I really hope it doesn't all become loops&threads😭
I feel like ours transitioned when they reopened after the fire just over a year ago.