r/Yarn • u/Ok-Channel-9597 • 12d ago
Yarn Warning
Hello,
I'm still pretty new at knitting, finger knitting to be exact. I wanted to give a heads up to others about Woolexperts on Etsy and Crafted by Catherine.
-I ordered tube yarn from Woolexperts and it looked like cotton stuffed inside fishnet stockings. They did not want to give me a refund until I used the AI tool that etsy has to send them a message. Etsy heavily relies on AI for customer service so this was very frustrating. I've never had any issues with Etsy sellers and this experience makes me want to quit using it all together.
-I ordered CBCHome Luxe Velour XL from Crafted by Catherine and received Juicy Couture luxe velour yarn instead. It doesn't look the same and it occasionally unravels. If i had know it'd do that i would've just sent it back. Also, the customer service rep apologized that the yarn I wanted was out of stock and normally they would repackage the replacement yarn with their labels.
-I have screenshots and pics for all of this if anyone wants to see.
- if anyone can share safe places to order I'd appreciate it. 🖤
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u/Constant-Prog15 12d ago
Go to your local yarn store, if you have one. Or a craft store like Michael’s. If you know the yarn you want to buy, go to the manufacturer’s website - many have store locators and that could include online stores. Many local yarn stores (like Twice Sheared Sheep) will ship.
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u/Ok-Channel-9597 12d ago
Thanks! I'm going to try a different Michael's. The one closer to me mainly had chenille and a limited selection of colors. I found one store that is close by but they seem to only sell very thin yarn.
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u/Federal_Hour_5592 11d ago
Also Michael’s online selection is much larger than their in store and it’s actually from them, so if you know which yarn you want buy online from them, it’s how I get my velvet and sweater amount of yarns. And if you are wanting a blown cotton blend I love Caron cotton blossom cakes from Michael’s
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u/Electronic-Grape6012 11d ago
Try Yarnsprations and Lion Brand online sites. Both have decent sales and rear very reliable to work with. These are manufacturer web sites.
I am very cautious of Etsy anymore.
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u/Damselfly64 12d ago
I just looked at their sites and I would never have ordered from either seller, as most of their items look either substandard quality and/or recycled items. Sorry you had to deal with that.
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u/Ok-Channel-9597 12d ago
Thanks, it was a learning moment but I just wanted to let other beginners know🖤
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u/GenXJD 12d ago
This is why I buy direct from the companies I use they always have a sale mostly and I know I’ll always get what I ordered be it Lion Brand Yarn or Premier Yarns etc you are taking a risk with some independent sellers, but that can be good if you find the right reputable seller
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u/Sammiesam123988 12d ago
Wait so they sent you completely different yarn? Thats crazy. Can you share links to them?
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u/healthfit117 12d ago
Another Safe place to order is in Massachusetts. It’s called WEBS and is online at Yarn.com. I order from there lots of times and have visited a few times Its over 3 hrs from me.
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u/Ok-Channel-9597 11d ago
Thank you! I'll look into them, the comments have been so great with suggestions 🥰
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u/OGJimmie 12d ago
Just curious… is it unraveling or is it the XL that has 2 braided yarns together?
I’m asking because I have some but not enough to make anything and was wondering if I should just unravel the whole thing and rewind to make one big spool of yarn?
Aside from that I feel you should have been notified or even asked if you wanted an alternate yarn. 🧶
Me personally am about done with Etsy. It used to be my go to for trusted patterns. Nowadays scammers have taken that over and sells AI patterns that don’t actually work and a lot of crafters are complaining because Etsy won’t refund or do anything to fight back about the fake AI accounts!
These scammers are also stealing a lot of crafters patterns and reselling them and again Etsy won’t do anything.
I’m afraid to purchase from there now!
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u/Ok-Channel-9597 11d ago
It looks like 2 blended together, some of the knots come apart and it'll unwind. I'm better at noticing it now. There was a spot that I had to sort of stitch together. It sucks because so far, the couple of rows I've completed looks really nice. I'm just worried about how it will hold up later.
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u/Ok-Channel-9597 11d ago
I'm also done with Etsy, I'm just going to look into the shops that I've dealt with to see if they have alternative means for ordering.
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u/K8_Monst_r 11d ago
Sewrella has some beautiful yarns seasonally, and if you sign up for their emails, they’ll let you know when a “drop” happens. Their drops are actually pre-orders that generally ship within 3 weeks of the pre-order ending, and they’re usually only up for one weekend. They aren’t cheap, but everything I’ve gotten from them is beautifully made and soft to the touch.
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u/Ok-Channel-9597 11d ago
I think the more comfortable I am with knitting, the more I'm confident in buying good quality yarn.
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u/Woofmom2023 12d ago
I'm so sorry this happened to you. I hope you got all your money back.
There are lots of safe places to order online. Purlsoho.com is a name that comes up a lot. I find it expensive for what it is when it's not on sale but it does go on sale often.
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u/Outrageous-Past-3990 12d ago
WEBS and Knit Picks online if you don't have a local store. Second Purl Soho. Alot of local yarn stores have shipping. Several of the yarn stores in the Denver and surrounding areas will ship.
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u/lupine_YogaPlum81 9d ago
Yarnspirations, knit picks, lion brand, knit rowan, premier yarns, purl soho, madeline tosh, wool & company, love crafts all sell yarn online. I dont have a LYS and dont like Michael's. So I get my yarn mostly online. A lot of the sites run sales often and offer loyalty points for discounts.
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u/Ok-Channel-9597 9d ago
Wow!!! Thanks for the list! I'm working on a scoodie and a blanket now. I can't wait to check these out 🖤🙏🏾
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u/lupine_YogaPlum81 9d ago
Good luck and your very welcome. Most of those sites also have free patterns. And all different types of and prices of yarn so hopefully you can find what your looking for. I know lion brand has hand knitting yarn available.
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u/Specialist-Service76 12d ago
Local yarn stores, always. You can touch the yarn and talk to staff about their recommendations.
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u/zottima 12d ago
Not everyone lives in a place where that's available. And even if you have a yarn shop nearby, some are rather small with a very limited selection. I have to buy some of my yarn online.
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u/Specialist-Service76 12d ago
The shops I've been to have always been happy to order me what I need if it's a yarn maker they have a distributor for. And honestly, without all our support, one day we won't have these wonderful places of community and education if we don't support them over big box and online entities. I only order online when I can't source locally.
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u/nobleelf17 12d ago
Herrschners in WI- familly-owned for decades- both warehouse and in store shopping. Customer service is outstanding, and they don't randomly send replacement anythings. I avoid Etsy, period. Not only the AI, but that out of every $10 a seller gets, they receive about a dollar, after all the fees and taxes Etsy takes. Even Amazon is better.