What's so great about JoAnn's yarn?

[LadyTwilyte]

A lot of people that crochet seem to sh0p at JOAnn's. I haven't been there for many years. Do they have a lot of specialty yarn or something? Everyone seems to rave about that store. Am I missing something?

[Chrome Kitty]

They do have their own line of yarn. A lot of it is similar to other brands, but there are a few that I haven't seen anywhere else.

[fairietat2]

I shop there because they have a huge selection of yarn, at least my local store does. Near me there are only about 3 places to buy yarn: Joanns, Wal-Mart, and Michaels. Wal-Mart doesn't carry a lot. Though Michaels has a larger selection, there is a lot they don't carry. Joann's has about ever style and color of Lion Brand, Caron, Red Heart, Bernat, Moda Dea, etc. It's kind of a 1 stop shop for me. Also our Joann's is new and larger than Michaels, so it's like heaven to walk in and have all that yarn, decorating, and sewing stuff all in one place. That's why I like Joann's. Hope that was of some help.

[donnalynn2]

My local Jo-Anns yarn dept is about half the size of Michaels, however, the employees are much nicer and they let you use more than one coupon per visit which I just love!

The Michaels near me has a huge selection, but they are so "mean" in that store and the lines are usually so long I don't bother unless I can't get it anywhere else...

I think it just depends on your local Jo-Ann's store...

[knotme]

I have also noticed that there are 'super' Joanns that carry more than others. The Joanns next to my house doesn't carry as much as the one across town:(

[Ilah]

I guess it must vary a lot from store to store. The Joann's where I live has a very small selection of yarn. The only reason I would get yarn from my local Joann's would be if I was already in there getting other craft supplies or fabric. My local Walmart has a much larger selection of yarn than the Joann's. I wind up getting most of my yarn on-line from knitting warehouse or smilies. Knitting warehouse has a much larger selection than the Walmart (at least my local Walmart).

[mbcabbie]

Myrtle Beach doesn't have a Joanne's... but we do have a brand new A.C. Moore. I LOVE this place. Its has so much more than Michael's. I HATE Michael's.

It seems to me that Michael's is specializing in all the HIGH end stuff ($10/skein)and not much more. They don't even have some of the basic colors of Red Heart. AC Moore, at least has a better variety.

[mythunderbird]

the joanns i work at, has about the best selection of yarns i have seen in a long time, better even than the local yarn shops which mostly only carry wool or something highly expensive. plus i can use more than one coupon off, plus they honor other stores coupons as long as it is something like michaels or a equal type store. they also match prices, so if you take a ad in with something they also carry, they will match the price. walmart used to have a great selection. but since they went to the super walmart, the yarn selection is much smaller. also joanns has its own brand of yarn and while there are others out there i like joanns as it has such a versital amount of kinds of yarns. like their rainbow boucle' you are not going to get that yarn any where else. and yes i know lions makes a boucle', but if you see this yarn you will understand what i am saying. i have been hearing rumors though that the rainbow boucle' is going to be discontinued :eek:eek but i see in next weeks add it is going to be on sale for 6.00 down from 7.00 maybe it was 6.99 i can't remember, the point is though that it is still being offered for sale:clap :clap :clap :clap i am going to see what they have
even though i don't need anymore yarn. i must "have it", i admit it i am vicki and i am a yarnaholic :lol :lol :lol :lol :hug :hug :hug

[aussiecrocheter]

You make me soooo green with envy! Where I live the shops carry hardly any yarn, and I just drool when I surf the net and see what you can buy in the States.

[jacqui]

Hey Aussie im an Aussie to and i know what you mean. Have you ever seenthe books and hooks available through www.crochetaustralia.com.au you should check out their catalogue. They are very reliable and ive found nice to deal with. Check them out.

[stitchjunkie]

I used to work at a Joann's, corporate sends stuff to them based on sales. lol The one I worked at sold tons of stuff, so they would get more merchandise than they could really hold. They are the only Joann's for at least 50 miles in every direction. A few local craft stores and Walmart are what the competition is. Some weeks you have to pick your way carefully through crowded isles, til they could sell off some of the shipment they got in for the week.
Lisa

[eurolyons]

I don't get to go to Joann's proper until my visits to the states (yippee, I'll be going home for a visit next month...here I come Joann's!) but I shop www.joann.com ALL THE TIME. The coupons and discounts are great and I hope they do the Free Shipping Club eventually this year...that was awesome last year for me...the only Joann Sensation's yarn I've used thus far was they bamboo boucle yarn...and now it's discountinued (darn!) I made several scarves with that stuff last year and in a heart beat really.

For me since I'm out of country and have to wait a little longer for things to reach me in the mail, Joann's is a godsend, because their service is FAST! J.C. Penny's might be faster, but it's a horse race between the two.

Knock on wood, but I've never had a problem with their service...their customer service telephone reps are great when there might have been a potential problem...and the online coupons are great...

The yarn selection is wonderful. Once in a while they won't have something I'm looking for, but they will have a decent substitute...

[KinkyLilBlackDress]

I am luck in that I have a variety of crafting stores within a 20 minute drive from my home.

Joann's - I have two. One in Dartmouth is smaller and friendlier, but being a beginner crocheter, they have mostly everything I've needed. There's also one in Swansea, that is much larger and chock-full.

Michael's - Also in Dartmouth, but I haven't been there yet.

AC Moore - Dartmouth as well. This is my primary stop for crochet needs, since it has the cheapest prices, as well as the largest selection. The down side is that it is usually crowded, and the staff isn't as nice.

Wal-Mart - in Fall River (3 minutes away from my home). It's my in-a-pinch place, since overall, I don't like Wal-Marts.

There are specialty yarn shops in my area as well, but I haven't been to those, since i hear they are insanely overpriced.

[Lucki721]

Here in Tampa there is a JoAnn Etc. store (bigger store) and they carry a lot of yarn, but I find it's pricy, unless it's on sale, lol! I'm surprised at the selection.

We also have a Michaels, and they have a decent selection. I went there the other day and I didn't buy any yarn, guess I didn't really need any. They both look like fairly new stores.

I miss AC Moore, and of course Hobby Lobby, both of which have better prices on yarns, either on sale or not. I hope they are planning on building both here soon!

[mwedzi]

I just went to JoAnn's for the first time since I've been in Chicago and I was really, really disappointed. Even angry, since traffic was bad for some unknown reason and there is also no highway for something like 50 blocks of the store, so it took me over an hour to get there. There was almost nothing there. Some cheap-feeling but not cheap-costing novelty stuff. They hardly even had basic acrylic yarns in more than 4 or 5 colors. I went there because I saw the Rainbow Boucle was on sale for $6, and they did have that, so I bought 3 of those enormous balls.

The online store has waaaaaaaay more. I've never ordered online, but have looked several times. I do not think I will be going back to this local JoAnn's again.

[Carol]

I just went to JoAnn's for the first time since I've been in Chicago and I was really, really disappointed. Even angry, since traffic was bad for some unknown reason and there is also no highway for something like 50 blocks of the store, so it took me over an hour to get there. There was almost nothing there. Some cheap-feeling but not cheap-costing novelty stuff. They hardly even had basic acrylic yarns in more than 4 or 5 colors. I went there because I saw the Rainbow Boucle was on sale for $6, and they did have that, so I bought 3 of those enormous balls.

The online store has waaaaaaaay more. I've never ordered online, but have looked several times. I do not think I will be going back to this local JoAnn's again.

Mwedz --- I'm in Chicago, too, and I also was always curious about why people on Crochetville raved about Joann's. I've been to the nearest Joann's (on Harlem, near Lawrence, also a schlep for me), and it's always been a waste of time. A couple of years ago, I happened to be in Schaumburg and went to Joannn's there; it had a better selection.

Michael's around here also are hit and miss. The one in Skokie (Touhy near Central) is pretty good, but the one near me (Harlem and Cermak) pretty much sucks. (I won't shop at Wal Mart, so I can't speak to their selection.)

Sometime when you can make a day trip, take a ride to Rochelle, IL, to Aunt Mary's Yarns. (It's 75 miles from my house, so I only go a couple times a year.) It's an outlet store, so she has mill ends, seconds and regular skeins. She sells a few varieties of Caron, Paton's, Lionbrand, Plymouth and some others, plus she has a decent thread selection (altho not much DMC). Last I saw, she was selling Homespun by the pound for $6 (down from $8). (Her website is auntmarysyarns.com, but call her if you're looking for something specific. She just shipped a bunch of DMC to my mom for me, even tho she didn't have it in the store.) My crochet group is taking a field trip out there in a couple of weeks, so I'm saving up.

Carol

[kcraven1]

.... only Joann Sensation's yarn I've used thus far was they bamboo boucle yarn...and now it's discountinued (darn!) I made several scarves with that stuff last year and in a heart beat really.

.......

I found some of this on clearance last week and picked up 7 skeins at $1.27 each. I've played with it a little, but can't seem to come up with a stitch pattern that I like. Do you have a pic of one of your scarves?

[jenuine226]

For me, it is not so much that the yarn at Joann's is "better" than at other places ... I like Joann's because they send me so many coupons to use (I'm a poor college student :( )... They are also cheaper than Michaels where I live. My local Joanns has a bad yarn selection, though, so I usually buy from their website.

[eyenowhour]

For me, it is not so much that the yarn at Joann's is "better" than at other places ... I like Joann's because they send me so many coupons to use

I agree. They usually have good coupons. I also like the fact that you can sign up online to receive their mailers. If you live a certain distance from Michaels, they don't send you flyers.

[kittin1982]

i shop at the joann's superstore near my house...it's got about 5 isles of yarn...and i love it. it's the only real place around here to get yarn.....unless you want a small selection at wal mart (which usually happens to me because i want to buy yarn after 9 pm...)

[funkyreporter]

My local Jo-Anns yarn dept is about half the size of Michaels, however, the employees are much nicer and they let you use more than one coupon per visit which I just love!

The Michaels near me has a huge selection, but they are so "mean" in that store and the lines are usually so long I don't bother unless I can't get it anywhere else...

I think it just depends on your local Jo-Ann's store...


Huh. Same for me as far as the yarn selection, but not the employees. My local Joann's has the tiniest yarn selection - it's ridiculous! They only carry a few 'specialty' yarns and no basics... I have two Michael's near me and they both have a massive yarn selection, always something cool on sale, and the one closer to me has the nicest guy that works the yarn department! He's really helpful and actually KNOWS crochet and knitting... I'm always hearing him answer inquiries about hook size for a certain yarn, amount to buy, how to interpret patterns - he's the BEST!!!! The lines do get a bit long and they only take one coupon per person, but that's why I have kids!!!! I have my kid buy a second item with another coupon!!!!

[angt]

Does Joanns accept HL coupons:?

[Poochie]

I'm SO jealous!

There's no Joanns here, no Michaels, no AC Moore, no Hobby Lobby....NOTHING! We USED to have a craft store.....Red Rose....but it closed down 7-8 years ago...I think. All we have here in Quebec are Zellers and Walmarts. We do have a couple of yarn stores though.......not that I'm gonna buy anything there anytime soon!! OhMyGosh! I saw this one skein of something......silk maybe? It was almost $50.00!!!!! It was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo beautiful....I stood there for about 15 minutes just touching it and drooling over it! LOL :hook

Next time I'm in Platsburg though.....watch out Joann's and Michaels!!! Here I come with my EMPTY visa card!!!

I think a little cross border shopping sometime real soon sounds real good!!!!

[eyenowhour]

Does Joanns accept HL coupons:?

I think this depends on whether or not you have a Hobby Lobby nearby. I can use a Michaels coupon at JoAnns, but I doubt I could use a Hobby Lobby coupon since there aren't any in the state (I think). Make sure you bring in the actual coupon. I tried to use a printed (from the internet) JoAnn coupon at Michaels and they wouldn't take it. The girl was nice and gave me the discount anyway.

[Suebee42]

Jo-Ann's accepts competitor's ITEM coupons as long as you use it on an item that both stores carry. In other words, you can't use a Michael's coupon on fabric, because they don't sell fabric, but you can use it on glue, because they sell glue. This is the official word from the home office. ;)

Since there is no Hobby Lobby by me, we've never encountered coupons from them. But if you're getting HL coupons, I assume it is because there is one in your area... so the official word is that the Jo-Ann's near you SHOULD accept them.

When I say ITEM coupons, I mean the ones that are a percentage off one item. We don't accept the "10% off your entire purchase" type coupons from competitors... at least not last time I checked.

As for the yarn, yep, there's a whoooole line of Sensations yarns that are exclusive to Jo-Ann. Some of them are quite nice, others I have no idea what their purpose is. Some of them, in my opinion, are also a little overpriced. And that's coming from someone who works there! LOL! They do go on sale more often than the other brands, though. :)

I am sure the folks who only have the smaller, "traditional" stores in their area would not be overly impressed. But the larger superstores are actually quite nice.

You're going to notice, though, in the next few months, that the shelves are going to be a little empty, and there's a LOT of pink-stickered clearance... never fear -- changes are a-coming, and they're good. :) We're just starting on a project called MAP (Merchandise Assortment Plan), where they're going to rearrange the store a bit, mostly the craft department. I think yarn is staying the same size, but jewelry, kids' crafts and paper crafts are all increasing in size. So, things might be a bit messy for the next couple of months, but it'll be in great shape for the holiday shopping season.

The part I am -not- looking forward to is replacing the store map in my brain! I know where -everything- is in my store. So annoying!!! LOL!

[Jamie]

The JoAnn's here in Richland has one aisle for yarn, it's about 12 feet long and about 6 feet high. They cram as many brands as they can in this small space but by doing that they can't carry more than half a dozen skeins of any of them. It's really frustrating if I'm trying to make a sweater or an afghan.

[Bearsgrammy]

The Joanns that is near to me does not have a very great yarn selection. The only yarn I might go there for is Sugar and Cream for dishcloths, etc. Joanns is a fun shop, however. There are always great sales on their holiday decorations, and I am listed for their sale notices, and usually there is a 40% off coupon in them for 1 non-sale item. I go to A.C. Moore's a lot and we are getting a MIchael's soon at our new shopping center, presently being built. I am lucky to have so many shops to go to! A.C Moore is presently my favorite for crochet.

[AuntyM]

I recently made my first purchase from Joanns.com
They had a $10 off online coupon which was a great incentive.
Shipping was fast and I received email notifications of both purchase and shipment.

They have online coupons or you can use your flyer coupon online too.

There is an excellent selection of yarns online! The nearest store to me is over 100 miles away, and so it would cost me more in gas than what the shipping cost is; sometimes they have free shipping, so that's even better!

I agree that the yarn selection in the store is pretty sad... so go shop online!

[JesseCat]

I know that every JoAnn's store is different in each city, but mine is so frustrating...They have 2 aisles of yarn and are always out of what I want. It does not make sense to me to always be out of stock in various yarn...That is why they are in business to sell yarn and fabric. They should always be stocked and ready for me.....

[Charlene]

My local store is frustrating also. I can't tell you how many times I've gone in there and had the aisles blocked with boxes, no employee in sight so they weren't stocking. If you don't get there the first day of a sale they will be out of stock. Charlene

[Roli]

While I'm sometimes forced to go to JoAnns because there is no other craft store in an area where we are traveling, I've found that most of them are TERRIBLE! With the exception of the big superstore JoAnns, the others are all junky, mismanaged, disorganized and in general chaos all the time. To make matters worse, the service is almost always awful, especially at the cutting tables.

As far as their yarn goes, when the smaller stores actually have any yarn it's often mixed up and unwound. There are hardly ever more than one or two skeins and the shelves are mostly half empty. I don't know how this company manages to stay in business! :soap

[werecat]

This is why I am so glad that we are getting a hobby lobby next year. Wal-mart has a better selection of yarns than the local JoAnn's