Many people are talking about dollar store yarn on various social media sites. I finally decided to take a trip to my local dollar store to pick up some yarn and decide for myself how it adds up. In this honest review of dollar store yarn, we’ll explore its strengths, weaknesses, and overall value for various projects. So, grab your crochet hooks as we unravel the truth about dollar store yarn!
Toddler Purse Made with 1 Skein of Dollar Store Cotton Yarn
Price
Price, of course, is one of the leading factors to consider when deciding on what type of yarn to use for a given project. Especially if you are making something large such as a blanket. I am not sure if dollar stores in all states changed their price from $1 to $1.25, but they did here in Michigan. So let’s start with that. So, for $1.25 I bought 1 skein of Premiere cotton yarn. One skein has 104 yards and is about 2.1 oz. The texture of it is similar to Lily Sugar’n Cream so that is what I am comparing it to. One skein of Lily Sugar’n Cream has 190 yards and is about 4 oz (for the solid colors). Let’s just say it is close to double the size of the dollar store yarn (but not quite). That means you can buy 2 skeins of dollar store cotton yarn for $2.50 to have approximately the same amount of yarn as a skein of Lily Sugar’n Cream. Lily Sugar’n Cream is approximately $4.00 per skein (depending if it’s on sale etc.) That is $1.50 savings. That can add up if you are going through a ton of yarn. Again, the texture is very similar to Lily Sugar’n Cream. It may be just a touch softer. Price is definitely a pro in my opinion.
Variety of Dollar Store Yarn
Compared to specialty yarn or craft stores, Dollar Store yarn is definitely lacking in the variety department. In fact, at my local Dollar Stores, the only color of cotton yarn I could find is pink. As far as acrylic, it only was available in black or grey. I went back to both stores a couple of different times to see if they ever stocked a different color, and that answer was no. Maybe this is only in my local area because I have read other people’s posts saying how they had many color choices at their local dollar stores. In my opinion, variety is a con.
Quality
Having only purchased the cotton yarn at the Dollar Store, I can only give my honest review about working with that. I did pick up and feel the acrylic yarn, and I could definitely tell the quality was not the same as some of the “big brand” acrylic yarns. The texture of it felt like it may fray easily. On the other hand, when I picked up the cotton yarn it felt similar to Lily Sugar’n Cream, so I decided to give it a try. It works up nicely and was similar to working with Lily Sugar’n Cream. I also purposely frogged it a few times to see how it held up. I was pleasantly surprised that it did not split or fray. The quality of the cotton yarn is definitely a pro for me.
Overall Value of Dollar Store Yarn
In conclusion of this honest review of dollar store yarn, for the price of $1.25 per skein, the Dollar Store cotton yarn is definitely worth it. The quality is right up there with some of the “big brand” yarns. The only con I found about it is that it was only available in 1 color at my local Dollar Stores. If you have more of a variety at yours, I say definitely pick up a few skeins for your next project.
Happy Crocheting!
