The Best and Cheapest Places to Buy Yarn Online in 2023 (My Guide) - Little World of Whimsy

There’s nothing more I love than walking into my local yarn store and touching all the beautiful and soft skeins of yarn, but for those times when I just need a larger selection and to be able to easily sift through a large inventory to find that perfect yarn, buying yarn online is a true godsend.

When I first started trying to find yarn online, I was at a loss as to which websites were best and where I could find particular kinds of yarn. After a year of crocheting and knitting, I’m here to report to you all my favorite websites for the best and cheapest selections, as well as the fastest shipping!

I’ve also compiled an entire guide of all my most used tools and at this link. There are so many options out there, and as a beginner it can be completely overwhelming to try and figure out where to start, but I’ve demystified it all for you with my favorite crochet supplies!

For each website, I’ll give you a breakdown of why I love it, the average time it takes for my order to arrive, and what brands of yarn each vendor stocks.

If you just want a quick rundown, take a peek at this chart to get to the good stuff faster!

VendorBrands of yarn availableAverage cost (per skein)Shipping time (US)International shippingWhy I love itHobbiiHobbii$2-92-15 days (free over $75)Yes– Best acrylic yarn for amigurumi
– Lowest costs for high quality yarn
– Fast shipping.
– Lots of subs here for popular commercial yarns in the US.LovecraftsBerroco, Bernat, Caron, Malabrigo, Lion Brand, Paintbox, Patons, Schachenmayr, Scheepjes, etc.$3-155-10 days (free over $60)Yes– European brands that aren’t available elsewhere
– Huge selectionWeCrochetMostly WeCrochet, some Lion Brand$5-105-14 days (free over $35)Canada, Australia, and UK– Large selection of commercial high quality yarn
– Beautiful and low cost hand dyed yarn.
– Undyed hanks!Lion Brand YarnLion Brand$6-123-9 days (free over $75)Yes– Novelty yarns (self striping, variegated, faux fur, bamboo).
– Mostly garment yarns.
– High quality kits from indie designers.YarnspirationsBernat, Red Heart, Caron, Patons, Lily Sugar ‘n Cream, Aunt Lydia’s, etc.$5-103-8 daysCA, UK, AUS, BE, DK, FI, FR DE, IE, IT, JP, NL, NZ, NO, ES, SE, CH– Bernat blanket and chenille yarns,
– Cheap Red Heart acrylicWe Are KnittersWe Are Knitters$12-271-8 days (free over $80)Yes– One of a kind luxury yarn.
– High quality kits from curated designers.WEBSBerroco, Cascade, Cloudborn, Malabrigo, Manos Del Uruguay, Plymouth, Rowan, Scheepjes, Shibui Knits, Tahki, Universal, Valley, etc.$5-204-8 daysYes– Luxury hand dyed and specialty yarns local to New England and the East Coast.
– Hanks, not skeins.Darn Good YarnDarn Good Yarn, Malabrigo$12-205-7 days (free over $99)Yes (free over $199)– Novelty recycled and vegan yarns
– Sustainable and eco-friendly.

Hobbii comes in at number one for me because this Denmark based brand has some of the lowest prices around without sacrificing quality. If you’re looking for a cheap alternative to some of your favorite US commercial yarns, Hobbii is a great place to look.

Despite being an international brand, Hobbii has some of the fastest shipping around, beating even some of the more US-centric yarn brands like WeCrochet and Lion Brand.

Hobbii mainly only carries its own brand, Hobbii, which has a yarn selection is typical of most commercial or big box stores, ranging from acrylic, wool, cotton, bamboo, and alpaca in all weights. Although Hobbii does have some specialty yarns, its strength is in its insanely cheap staples.

Hobbii Amigo is my go-to for acrylic amigurumi yarn, because of its extensive color palette and exceedingly low price.

ProsCons– Lowest prices overall for high quality commercial yarn (between $2-9/skein)
– Frequent sales result in even lower price
– Best acrylic amigurumi yarn (Hobbii Amigo)
– Fast shipping
– Excellent customer service (someone got back to me within a day or two)
– Shipping takes 2-15 days (free over $75)– Small selection of hand dyed hanks and novelty or specialty yarns

Click here for the pattern!
Click here for the pattern!
Amigurumi I made with Hobbii Amigo yarn!

More blog posts for amigurumi beginners:

Another international vendor, Lovecrafts does not have a dedicated brand, but houses a host of other popular European brands that are otherwise difficult to find in the US. These include Berroco, Paintbox, Patons, Schachenmayr, Scheepjes, but they also carry some common US brands, such as Bernat, Caron, Malabrigo, and Lion Brand.

Because of the wide array of brands available, Lovecrafts has a wealth of both commercial yarns and also high quality hand dyed and specialty yarns. If you’re wary of trying brands that you’re unfamiliar with, Lovecrafts offers low prices for recognizable brands so you can be sure of what you’re getting.

Lovecrafts’ strengths are in its international stock as well as its huge color palette available for many yarns, and overall low costs.

I love the huge color palette of Paintbox Cotton for amigurumi, as well as the unique Scheepjes Stonewashed that I haven’t found anywhere else!

ProsCons– Extremely low prices for staple commercial yarns (between $3-15/skein)
– Large color palette for many staple yarns
– Access to popular international brands like Scheepjes, Paintbox, Schachenmayr, Patons
– Shipping takes 5-10 days (free over $60)– Small selection of specialty and novelty yarns

WeCrochet, an American brand, is a sister company of KnitPicks, who both stock the same yarns. The vast majority of yarn available at WeCrochet is its own brand, though it does stock a small amount of Lion Brand yarns at the same price as on Lion Brand (and sometimes very slightly cheaper).

WeCrochet focuses mostly on medium weight commercial yarns, geared towards garment makers, with large color palettes that often have many heathered options.

This company also stocks a small selection of hand dyed-esque yarns, but at a significant discount to real hand dyed yarns.

Highlights include CotLin, a cotton linen blend perfect for summer clothing, Dishie, hardy cotton yarn for dishclothes and household items, and bare yarn hanks for dying your own yarn.

WeCrochet also has a large section of notions and accessories, including Clover and Furls hooks, yarn swifts and winders for caking up yarn hanks, and a selection of accessories.

I love WeCrochet for garment quality yarns and for its cheap hand dyed-esque yarns! It also has a huge color palette for most of its yarns, which is a huge plus for me.

ProsCons– Relatively cheap prices for high quality garment yarns (between $5-10/skein)
– Some specialty yarns
– Large color palette for most yarns
– “Hand dyed yarns” at a low price
– Undyed hanks
– Accessories and yarns in the same place
– Shipping takes 5-14 days (free over $35)– Not as cheap as Hobbii in some areas

Lachina top by Azramati
Click here for the pattern!
(left) Cotlin (right) Daydream

Lion Brand Yarn is one of the central pillars of commercial yarn in the US. A fifth generation family owned business, Lion Brand Yarn also works with independent designers to bring some of the most high quality and cost effective garment kits around.

This company mainly carries yarns for garments, and most of the yarns do not have the full rainbow, just a more restricted color palette. Lion Brand also has many novelty and specialty yarns, like self striping, ombre, unique fiber blends, faux fur, and mandala yarn.

The main allure of Lion Brand it its mastery of the garment staples, including Chainette, Coboo (cotton and bamboo blend), Feels Like Butta, Shawl in a Ball, and more. Since this company is geared more towards garments, there is a smaller selection of sport and fingering yarns.

I love Lion Brand because of the kits that it offers (free patterns included) from my favorite designers, and I also love its specialty yarns like Coboo, Feels Like Butta, and Chainette, that I can’t find anywhere else.

ProsCons– Large range of specialty yarn for different kinds of garments, including interesting color variations (between $6-12/skein)
– Garment staples
– Great inexpensive kits with independent designers
– Shipping takes 3-9 days (free over $75)– Smaller color palettes all around, not many lighter weight yarns

Wishing Well Wrap by Sewrella!
Click here for the pattern!
(left) Mandala Yarn (right) Go For Faux

Yarnspirations is a large vendor that owns many smaller brands, including Bernat, Red Heart, Caron, Patons, Lily Sugar ‘n Cream, Aunt Lydia’s, and more. This commercial website is comparable to other large US retailers, including WeCrochet and Lion Brand, and is mostly worth visiting if you have a particular interest in any of the brands that it carries.

Generally speaking, Bernat is known for its jumbo sized blanket and chenille yarns, Caron and Red Heart are known as average quality but budget friendly cheap acrylic yarns, and Lily Sugar ‘n Cream is an iconic cotton yarn perfect for dishcloths and the like. Aunt Lydia’s specializes in crochet thread, for those who are interested in microcrochet.

I love the large blanket and velvet yarns that Bernat offers, and I’ve purchased Patons acrylic yarns before for amigurumi.

ProsCons– Houses many smaller US brands in one online marketplace (Bernat, Red Heart, Caron, Patons, Lily Sugar ‘n Cream, Aunt Lydia’s, etc.)
– Cost effective commercial yarn (between $5-10)
– Best place to get jumbo blanket yarn!
– Shipping takes 3-8 days– Not many specialty yarns
– In general, each small brand has a specialty, so the entire vendor is not geared for one audience (you have to know which brand to look for when browsing)
– Generally for those who are already familiar with each sub-brand

Moving into vendors that are less commercial and more specialty, We Are Knitters is well known for its extremely small inventory of high quality luxury yarns, as well as its high prices. It boasts staple yarns (wool, merino wool, cotton, bamboo, tape yarn) at luxury quality without any bells or whistles.

This vendor has a very small selection, with only one yarn line per fiber type. Its flagship yarn, The Wool, is a chunky sheep wool in a weight larger than jumbo that is ultra soft and fast to work up.

This company prides itself for its luxury experience and high quality, and the yarn does not fall short. Crocheters love We Are Knitters for its uniquely high quality yarn lines that are one of a kind and for high quality kits from curated designers.

I love We Are Knitters as a splurge option for when I want to work with truly soft yarn and have an amazing experience. I also adore their kits!

ProsCons– Luxury, top notch quality yarns
– Great crocheting experience
– Kits arranged by level, by top independent designers
– Shipping takes 1-8 days (free over $80)– Extremely expensive ($12-27/skein)
– Small selection
– The Wool (its flagship yarn) cannot be combined with any other yarns given its uncategorizable thickness

The Wool in Yarnicorn, We Are Knitters’ signature yarn

Continuing the trend of less commercial yarns, WEBS’ sole storefront is in charming Northampton, MA, but serves customers all around the world. It is known for its large selection of high quality solid colored garment yarns at affordable prices from small brands local to the eastern United States and internationally. Most of its yarn comes in hanks, not skeins.

The brands that WEBS carries include Berroco, Cascade Yarns, Cloudborn, Malabrigo, Manos Del Uruguay, Plymouth, Rowan, Scheepjes, Shibui Knits, Tahki Yarns, Universal Yarns, Valley Yarns, and more. Shop at WEBS if you’re interested in truly high quality yarns for garments and those who are more discerning to fiber quality.

I love WEBS because it offers yarns not available at most big box stores, and is great for finding high quality yarn for sweaters and other warm garments. This store also often has steep sales for yarn, which is a real steal!

ProsCons– High quality yarn for lower prices (between $5-20/skein)
– Perfect for warm garments
– Carries local brands not available elsewhere
– Shipping takes 4-8 days– Mostly comes in hanks, not skeins
– Affordable, but not cheap
– Mostly medium weight yarns, very little thinner or thicker weights

Cloudborn Sock Twist
Malabrigo Rasta
WEBS tends to stock monochrome yarn in hanks, though it does carry some variegated lines like Malabrigo Rasta

The last vendor on my list is Darn Good Yarn! This independently owned site is home to lots of eco-friendly, novelty yarns like silk ribbon, beaded, dyeable, handspun, and chiffon yarns.

Darn Good Yarn houses mostly its own brand, but also stocks some Malabrigo yarns. The vast majority of its yarn is variegated and has interesting textures, making it perfect for accessories or to accent a finished piece.

This store’s emphasis on eco-consciousness can also be seen in its selection of vegan and recycled yarns.

I love the mission of this company as well as its unique specialty yarns that can’t be found anywhere else!

ProsCons– Affordable, eco-friendly, and novelty yarn (between $12-20/skein)
– Yarn construction and fiber types not available anywhere else
– Shipping is 5-7 days (free over $99)– Price per skein is higher than commercial vendors
– Yarn tends to be variegated and difficult to mix and match with other yarns
– Small color palettes with mostly garment weight yarn

Hand Beaded Silk Yarn
Sari Silk Ribbon Yarn
Multicolor novelty yarns are Darn Good Yarn’s bread and butter