My tip is to just use all of your yarn. I only throw away yarn that is 2 inches or less in size and sometimes I even pull those apart and rough it up and use it for stuffing. All of those little bits of yarn add up. They can be used for cheeks, shoelaces on your dolls feet. etc. Great video! Thank you for the tip ideas.
Great tips! I was making notes for my comment... 1) I think Joann's will also honor competitor coupons, so you can print out Michaels coupons too. 2) If your library participates in Overdrive / Libby, you can also borrow magazines and read them online. There are crochet and Amigurumi magazines! 😁 3) Watch for free crochet alongs on Instagram... There are some really cute patterns being offered in these CALs, there are usually prizes, like free patterns, and it's fun to see the same project made with so many different spins! 4) I have picked up afghans at thrift stores to recycle the yarn. Last one, a striped one, yielded over three pounds of yarn... For $2.50 (half price day!) and an hour or so unraveling (I wound into cakes as I unraveled).
Oooh! Thank you so very much for sharing your tips!! They are great ones! And I believe you're right about Joann's accepting competitors coupons! You scored an amazing deal on that afghan!!! Wow! 💓
joann is absolutely bonkers there is never a need to buy yarn in full price. i also really like hobbii, they have more generic yarn but everything is always bettter priced than name brand in a bigger skien AND their specialty yarn i have yet to seen better competitor prices! not ot mention they have for all skiens a buy more pay less you naturally get discounted for yarn you were already going to buy! also!!! try raverly it has an absolute fuck ton (serious) amount of free patterns for amigurmi! youtube tutorials are awesome for following along but raverly has stuff from all over the internet, blogs, and stores in one place and most to all the patterns you never have to pay to use... please try raverly its so much better than ribblr!!
This is perfect timing because I've recently been looking at ways to save a bit. For me, it really starts at the store. It's hard but there are times when i don't even go to the yarn section because i don't trust myself 🙂 especially on clearance yarn. I no longer buy yarn with no project in mind or just because it's on clearance. I do keep a stash of cotton because i enjoy making pot holders for friends because they are so functional and everyone always needs pot holders but that's about it. To this day i have three skeins of this black and grey yarn that was very expensive that i just hate but it was on clearance so i bought it. I'm hoping to find someone to trade with at my local crochet group's annual trade day.
Recycling yarn is great! I found a loosely knitted cotton yarn pullover at my local thrift store for $1.50 and was able to make 5 dishcloths from it. I use as much of my yarn as possible, too. When I have scrap yarn, I try to make a tiny granny square with it, just the 4 clusters (and a second round, too, if possible) and add a round of black or white to it. I stick those in a bag to create a larger granny square project later. I will definitely look up yarn swapping groups. I have quite a few skeins that I bought on sale that I just don't see myself using and it's annoying to have them taking up space!
I’ve found some great yarn at second hand stores. One near me has a craft room and it benefits Meals on Wheels. A win win…Also free patterns on line! So many generous designers.
My tip is for anyone who lives in the US near a Dollar Tree store. They have mini skeins of Premier Yarn’s Just Yarn Worsted for $1.25 each. Each skein has 109 yards which is great if you only need a little bit of a certain color.
I just been going trough my Wips , I unraveled the ones that I started about 3 years ago . It feels so good to be able to do that , I donated a lot of yarn that I know I won’t be using . It feels great to just declutter your craftroom , it also declutters your head . Now I am working on a blanket with my left over bits and peaces , it will be a long project but thats ok !! Thank you for your advice , have a wonderful blessed week 💕
It does feel so good to donate and purge the things that we no longer need and that others can use! I love it! Been going through my entire house these last few months and slowly but surely we are getting rid of the clutter! Sounds like you're already a pro at it!! Your blanket sounds lovely! 💞🌻🍄
I love my local library! It's literally less than five minutes from my house. Ive also found yarn at local thrift stores for amazing prices. They usually put several skeins in a bag and mark it all together, so it's worth hunting around for it. I need to go through my stash and see what all is in there. I'm sure I have some great stuff that I've forgotten about. :)
I'm thankful for my amazing local library as well! I've never checked thrift stores for yarn before but I will be on the hunt for it next time! Thanks for the tip!! 🧶🧶🧶
I absolutely love my ball winder! I finally got my own craft closet and bought cardboard boxes, covered the front of the boxes with contact paper, then stacked and taped them together in the closet so I had cubbies. Really transformed my design process because I could see all my yarn! Love your channel! 😄
I think I liked all the tips, they are very down to earth even when we want to buy more yarn, more patterns or start a thousand projects without finishing the ones on the hooks! Thank you for the good advice. 😻
Wow, you want me to pick only one?! I would have to say my favorite is to subscribe to every yarn company there is so that you can see the sales. That way you can make and sell your toys for the lowest possible cost. This video was packed with awesome ideas and I’m looking forward to putting them to use. Especially learning how to roll used yarn into a Hank and wash it to get out the creases in folds. And I never thought about going to the thrift shop to pick up one of those beautiful sweaters to disassemble them, so I am going to watch that video too! Thank you thank you thank you!
Hi Elise. Brilliant video and tips. Found out an old jumper I was only part way through knitting and decided to unravel and make a crochet blanket. Gonna need it this winter. Bills going up crazy in England.
I'm so glad you found the tips helpful!! And inflation is like I've never seen before! I imagine most of us will be looking for more and more ways to tighten the belt! 🧶🧶🧶
Hi Elise I’m new to your channel and let me just say I’m obsessed and have been binge watching your videos. I’m late to the yarn game…51 and have only been in love with crochet and knitting for just over 2 years. Wish I’d discovered my love for yarn when I was much younger. I love love the aesthetic of your channel, it’s so me. I need to say how devastated I was about Jersey Boy, he broke my heart. Such a sweet boy I’m so sorry for your loss. Look forward to all your videos. Blessings from Cheshire in the UK x
Thank you so much for your kind words about Jersey-Boy. And I also wish I had started crocheting and knitting when I was much younger! It's such a wonderful hobby!! 🧶🧶🧶
For me, I save money by test making patterns with scrap yarn I know won't be used for anything (usually they're left overs from bigger projects) and using yarn ends mixed with stuffing to use less stuffing but still gave the bulkiness I want for the project.
Lol, my first thought when I saw the title was "Use the yarn you've got!" But no one wants to hear that because, "Ooo, pretty color I don't own!" lol. I will say, though, as a former JoAnn's employee, be careful advising the stacking coupons. It's true that people can use more than one when they're buying multiple things, but the coupons won't stack exactly. For instance, say you have a 50% off a regular price item coupon, and a 20% off your entire purchase coupon, and the only thing you're buying is one skein of regular priced yarn. Those coupons will NOT stack, and in fact, if both are scanned, the fifty percent coupon will be replaced by the twenty percent one so that you're spending more. With JoAnn's, the best thing you can do is wait until you have the forty/fifty percent off regular price coupons, and then get only that number of full priced skeins. Then, if you have a twenty percent off your purchase coupon, get more yarn, hopefully ones that are already on sale, and you're still saving money. Michaels commonly has a twenty percent off coupon for all regular priced purchases, and that's where I get my bags of stuffing. Oh! That's another thing! For cost effectiveness, for people who do dolls or whatever things that need stuffing, NEVER buy the stuffing at JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby. They have the 6 or 8 ounce bags of stuffing for something like $15 dollars, which is insane. Michaels sells a 20 ounce bag for about $7, and it's less if you use the 20% off coupon. There are also stuffing boxes at Wal-Mart, but I've never used them, so I don't know how the pricing compares. Hobby Lobby doesn't do coupons anymore. They won't accept other stores and don't have their own anymore. But they do have sales every other week for yarn at 30% off. So if you need colors, just wait until those weeks when it's on sale. I'm also surprised that none of the extras with amigurimi were mentioned. For instance, for a doll's facial features, you can buy safety eyes in bulk. Or if you do different sized pieces and don't want thirty pairs of safety eyes around that you'll never use, buy a white piece of felt and two or three tubes of acrylic paint. You'll get dozens of pairs of eyes, (depending on the size,) out of one piece of felt and using paint for the irises. (It also makes things less frustrating than sewing/embroidering a face on.) Anyway, I do love the suggestions, cuz yeah, anything to keep more money in my account is a good thing. :)
Hi Elise. I recommend people check if their library participates in an inter-library loan program. If so, they can see if another library has the book they want. Once they request it, the book is sent over to their library for them to check out.
My favorite tip was checking the library! Turns out mine has A LOT of books on amigurumi. More than I will ever need anyhow. Many of them are available digitally, too, so I can borrow them on any device at home.
With the way yarn prices have skyrocketed combined with nobody ever wanted to buy the stuff I make, I'm getting the point where I've started contemplated making stuff with my current stash and then just not crocheting at all anymore. I hope your tips can help me ;-;
Who doesn’t love to save a bit of cash! Crafting is my passion, and you are so right Elise - it can all get a tad expensive, especially when, like me, you can’t walk into a yarn shop without walking out with a purchase 😂😱🧶😭! Thank you for all of your amazing tips and tricks! Xx
Elise, great tips on everything. We, however, should not forget that the yarn makers depend on our money to keep their businesses afloat. Of course our family's security is foremost.
Yes, I also love buying from independent yarn makers too! It's definitely an investment and when I have some extra money it's fun to splurge! 🧶🧶🧶 Thanks for sharing!! ❤️
Great tips! I’ve been organizing my stash (and organizing and decluttering all of my stuff) for the past two weeks, and it is so satisfying to unravel projects that I just didn’t like and salvage the yarn for something else. Now that I’m almost done with the organizing and unraveling part, I’m looking forward to stitching again and not feeling so overwhelmed. 😀
Great tips! I really do need to use up my stash. The way that I've been doing it lately is picking projects based on the yarn that I have. Like, "Oh! I can make this toy/project because I already have the yarn to go with it." That keeps me busy enough to not wander around yarn shops for more yarn haha.
It makes me so happy when you post a video. I always learn something and your videos are such good quality. The best tips for me today are to give my staff new life and find books at the library. Thanks again!
If you wanna have multiple projects going keep a small bag with your tools and hooks in it then you can always be working on multiple things so you don't get too board. And the app row counter helps so much with that bc it keeps up with multiple projects all at once and you always know where you're at. And it keeps up with your time spent on project. You can also make notes in the app so you know what yarns and hooks you used or some mistakes or altered parts to the pattern. I absolutely love the app and your screen doesn't go to sleep and you can import patterns or just use it as a timer and row counter
I totally agree with unraveling those projects that you have fallen out of love with. I recently started crocheting an alpaca and I started to work on it again and I realized I just wasn't enjoying it. I ending up frogging it and the once-alpaca is now being made into an ear warmer for my mom. Always work on those projects you love, and don't waste your crochet time on those "I don't like it, but I started it so I gotta finish it" Life's too short for the projects that are no fun. Stick with what you love.
I love this! A swift and ball winder was one of my best purchases. It really does make me happy to have all these neat little cakes vs messy partial skeins. I set up a separate "yarn mailers and orders only" gmail account to save it from cluttering up my other personal accounts.
I love my swift and ball winder too!! Absolutely amazing tools to have! And that's wonderful about your email account!! Keeps everything nice and separate!! 🧶🧶🧶
Great videoas usual! I really liked the idea of going to the thrift stores to find sweater yarn. I flip thrifted items anyway and will be on the look out to recycle yarn. Thank you!
Awesome tips! I've been visiting my local thrift store to peruse their yarn offerings. We're a small town, so there's not a great selection, but the prices can't be beat, so I've stocked up a small stash just from there. Next time I go, I'll definitely look around for sweaters and afghans to unravel...what an amazing tip! Thanks for all you do!
I refuse to buy expensive yarns!! I always finish what I yarn I have and then buy. I do dislike polyester on its own, if wool mixed , why not? Thank you so much for your helpful tips
I love using the library for ami books! I request new titles frequently, and they have yet to decline my recommendation. It makes it so easy for me to add only the books I really, really want to my personal collection.
I brought home 10 huge boxes from a local thrift store for $20 each. Brand new name brand skeins and a minimal amount of odds and ends. It pays to keep an eye out
I buy a large amount once or twice a year when I get my extra Christmas money or vacation money. this year I looked through my stash and found I better use up my stash a bit first so I did that. I think I only bought yarn twice this year once because it fitted a hippocampus toy I wanna make for myself and it had the right colors and some sock and cotton yarn and a sock knitting book. I have a request for a dragon for a baby and when I found the cotton i figured could make a dragon napkin to go with it and i don't wanna use acrylics for that.
chuckle...stored all around the house...that's me...there are only two rooms in my house that DON'T hold any yarn...that'll be the bathroom and the kitchen, and sometimes there might be some in the kitchen as it stops on its way through the house...outside it's in the garage and the extension to the garage..I do declare it, I AM a yarnoholic...chuckle
One great way I saved was to watch for the Annie's epatterns sale. One day they had the entire site on sale for 1$. It was amazing! While it was a bit of an expense at the moment it pays off in the long run. Another is to get hooks with one ergonomic handle with interchangeable tips. And the medical scissors I mentioned in another video works bc they work for multiple materials.
I'm pretty sure tip number one is a curse word in these crafting circles ma'am lol. We always have to have more yarn especially when there's a huge yarn sale going on!
I know people who buy sweaters at thrift shops to recycle but I've never done it although i think it's a great idea. Sometimes you can find 100% wool sweaters🙂
What great ideas! Thanks for sharing. I'm left-handed, do you have any suggestions on how to get a hold of beginner patterns, or books, that I can learn the right way of making amigurumis? Thanks for your help.
There are left handed tutorials out there. But I will add that my daughter (who is a lefty) taught herself to crochet right handed because it was easier! 🧶🧶🧶
I have gone to the good will and be unravel a blanket wash it and reuse it I didn't know someone else was doing that and another tip is going to the food pantry and get a knitted and crochet item as well
Thank you for saying use the yarn I already have in my stash😜...I have sooooo much yarn,but was thinking I couldn't use it for my amigurumi,like I felt that I should buy specialty yarns......well not any more..I'm going to make things with the yarn I have,sell some of those and then if I want to I'll buy some really nice yarn for special projects
Good for you!!! I've sold yarn before and it was great because it got it out of my house, I made a little money and someone was so excited to have it!! Win-win!! 🧶🧶🧶
In addition to books in your library, most people also have access to electronic knitting and crocheting magazines full of tips and projects. If your library subscribes to Hoopla, you can watch Craftsy videos on a binge pass for free!!! Ask a librarian! Btw, I'm a librarian😊
I have a ball winder from Knit Picks. I loved it until one day I went to wind some yarn and it wouldn't wind right. My cake was not a uniform anything. What did I do! Better yet, how can I fix it? Any suggestions? Love your videos.
I’m really gonna think about using the yarn I have already, I’m pretty bad about yarn buying and I have a new acquaintance who owns an Alpaca ranch and mill 😵💫🧶It’s tough to resist but at 30$ a skein (worth every penny of it) I need to apply the brakes 🧶💕……. Karen from Greenleaf Idaho
My craft room can be a store in itself with all the yarn and fabric that i have accumulated. I vowed to not buy anymore yarn/fabric until most of it is used up. 😆
@@EliseRoseCrochet Oh, this is wonderful news! I just hate throwing away my ends and now I have no guilt when I make long ones that are easier to weave in!! And I won't have to store all those weird little scrap balls. You've made my day!! ❤❤❤
Amigurumi is shrunken projects. Once you collect some colors you can make may items for lower cost. I don’t spend anywhere what I did on sweaters or shawls. Painters need paint. Knitters need yarn. I’m happy with my makes. I love the book ideas. 💕🌸
Is it a good idea to buy yarn from Temu or Wish? Or should I stick to places such as Michaels and Joanns? I hear a lot from different people. I bought fabric through Temu and it's pretty thin but for what I want it for, I think it will be okay.
Thank you so much! I listed out the yarn and colors I used in this post: lepetitsaintcrochet.com/2020/07/16/amigurumi-doll-tips-tricks/ Hope that helps!! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you I am from Mansfield Nottinghamshire which is part of Sherwood Forest. I am about 4miles from the major oak the tree where Robin Hood and his merry men had there camp xxx
Nor mine. They have a few but mostly for afghans and baby stuff. Not a single ami book. Their knitting section is quite extensive and I've asked the librarian several times to add more crochet books.
I got a trunk load of red heart at a thrift store for $10. The person in charge of organizing had more than she could sell and begged to take whatever I could haul off!
Per cortesia ho acquistato il libro knitted animali Friends ma non riesco a capire il procedimento per il cappottino perché scritto in inglese ho provato a fare la traduzione in italiano ma non riesco a capire mi puoi spiegare il procedimento per cortesia grazie mille se lo farai😊
I love your videos so much I'm glad I found you.. you are making me love amigurumi even more thank you for always inspiring us wishing you all the best❤️❤️❤️❤️
Dad gum,I wish I'd known about the trade, sale, etc. Facebook! I just gave away a bunch of yarn to ARC! ( They give things to Thrift stores!). I love so many of your ideas!😄❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
My tip is to just use all of your yarn. I only throw away yarn that is 2 inches or less in size and sometimes I even pull those apart and rough it up and use it for stuffing. All of those little bits of yarn add up. They can be used for cheeks, shoelaces on your dolls feet. etc. Great video! Thank you for the tip ideas.
That is such a great tip!!! Thank you for sharing!! I think I'll get a big jar and keep my scraps in!! 🧶🧶🧶
I make my faces with those leftovers or brush them out for dry felting lol
Oh absolutely use it all. Running stitch markers, details, stuffing all yarn is good yarn
“Use up the yarn in your stash” I say this every year and I still buy more🙄I’m going to make a better effort! Thank you for the great tips!!!
Oh Nicole! I am so guilty of this!!! I am trying so hard to be better!! 🧶💰🧶💰
I love the idea of re using old unwanted knitwear 😬. That’s definitely something I will look into. Thank you for all your tips.
Doesn't that sound like fun??? I would love to try my hand at it! 🧶🧶🧶
Last time I bought off JoAnns I couldn't use more than 1 coupon.
I love the idea of unraveling a sweater bought at a thrift store! Sometimes I see sweaters that would look much better as a pillow or slippers etc!
Right??? That sounds like it would be so much fun and dry satisfying! 🧶🧶🧶
Great tips! I was making notes for my comment... 1) I think Joann's will also honor competitor coupons, so you can print out Michaels coupons too. 2) If your library participates in Overdrive / Libby, you can also borrow magazines and read them online. There are crochet and Amigurumi magazines! 😁 3) Watch for free crochet alongs on Instagram... There are some really cute patterns being offered in these CALs, there are usually prizes, like free patterns, and it's fun to see the same project made with so many different spins! 4) I have picked up afghans at thrift stores to recycle the yarn. Last one, a striped one, yielded over three pounds of yarn... For $2.50 (half price day!) and an hour or so unraveling (I wound into cakes as I unraveled).
Oooh! Thank you so very much for sharing your tips!! They are great ones! And I believe you're right about Joann's accepting competitors coupons! You scored an amazing deal on that afghan!!! Wow! 💓
joann is absolutely bonkers there is never a need to buy yarn in full price. i also really like hobbii, they have more generic yarn but everything is always bettter priced than name brand in a bigger skien AND their specialty yarn i have yet to seen better competitor prices! not ot mention they have for all skiens a buy more pay less you naturally get discounted for yarn you were already going to buy!
also!!! try raverly it has an absolute fuck ton (serious) amount of free patterns for amigurmi! youtube tutorials are awesome for following along but raverly has stuff from all over the internet, blogs, and stores in one place and most to all the patterns you never have to pay to use... please try raverly its so much better than ribblr!!
This is perfect timing because I've recently been looking at ways to save a bit. For me, it really starts at the store. It's hard but there are times when i don't even go to the yarn section because i don't trust myself 🙂 especially on clearance yarn. I no longer buy yarn with no project in mind or just because it's on clearance. I do keep a stash of cotton because i enjoy making pot holders for friends because they are so functional and everyone always needs pot holders but that's about it. To this day i have three skeins of this black and grey yarn that was very expensive that i just hate but it was on clearance so i bought it. I'm hoping to find someone to trade with at my local crochet group's annual trade day.
I avoid the yarn section as well!! 😂😂😂 And I have some very expensive yarn sitting in my craft room that I don't know if I'll ever use either!! 🧶🧶🧶
Recycling yarn is great! I found a loosely knitted cotton yarn pullover at my local thrift store for $1.50 and was able to make 5 dishcloths from it. I use as much of my yarn as possible, too. When I have scrap yarn, I try to make a tiny granny square with it, just the 4 clusters (and a second round, too, if possible) and add a round of black or white to it. I stick those in a bag to create a larger granny square project later.
I will definitely look up yarn swapping groups. I have quite a few skeins that I bought on sale that I just don't see myself using and it's annoying to have them taking up space!
That is amazing!!! I'm trying to get better about using up all my yarn scraps!! 🧶🧶🧶 Thanks for sharing!! ❤️
I’ve found some great yarn at second hand stores. One near me has a craft room and it benefits Meals on Wheels. A win win…Also free patterns on line! So many generous designers.
Oh my goodness! Now that is an amazing thrift shop!! I've never seen one that has a separate craft room! That definitely is a win-win! 🌮🚗
My tip is for anyone who lives in the US near a Dollar Tree store. They have mini skeins of Premier Yarn’s Just Yarn Worsted for $1.25 each. Each skein has 109 yards which is great if you only need a little bit of a certain color.
That is a fantastic tip! Thank you for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
I just been going trough my Wips , I unraveled the ones that I started about 3 years ago . It feels so good to be able to do that , I donated a lot of yarn that I know I won’t be using . It feels great to just declutter your craftroom , it also declutters your head . Now I am working on a blanket with my left over bits and peaces , it will be a long project but thats ok !! Thank you for your advice , have a wonderful blessed week 💕
It does feel so good to donate and purge the things that we no longer need and that others can use! I love it! Been going through my entire house these last few months and slowly but surely we are getting rid of the clutter! Sounds like you're already a pro at it!! Your blanket sounds lovely! 💞🌻🍄
I love my local library! It's literally less than five minutes from my house. Ive also found yarn at local thrift stores for amazing prices. They usually put several skeins in a bag and mark it all together, so it's worth hunting around for it. I need to go through my stash and see what all is in there. I'm sure I have some great stuff that I've forgotten about. :)
I'm thankful for my amazing local library as well! I've never checked thrift stores for yarn before but I will be on the hunt for it next time! Thanks for the tip!! 🧶🧶🧶
I absolutely love my ball winder! I finally got my own craft closet and bought cardboard boxes, covered the front of the boxes with contact paper, then stacked and taped them together in the closet so I had cubbies. Really transformed my design process because I could see all my yarn! Love your channel! 😄
That is awesome!! What a creative way to make those cardboard boxes look nice!! Genius!!! 🧶🧶🧶
You could also maybe use cube shelf boxes but turn them sideways. Plus they're adorable!
I think I liked all the tips, they are very down to earth even when we want to buy more yarn, more patterns or start a thousand projects without finishing the ones on the hooks! Thank you for the good advice. 😻
I'm so glad you found the tips helpful!! You're so very welcome! ❤️❤️❤️
Wow, you want me to pick only one?! I would have to say my favorite is to subscribe to every yarn company there is so that you can see the sales. That way you can make and sell your toys for the lowest possible cost. This video was packed with awesome ideas and I’m looking forward to putting them to use. Especially learning how to roll used yarn into a Hank and wash it to get out the creases in folds. And I never thought about going to the thrift shop to pick up one of those beautiful sweaters to disassemble them, so I am going to watch that video too! Thank you thank you thank you!
You're so welcome!! 💞 And I really want to try recycling a sweater as well!! It sounds like so much fun! 🌻
Love the topic but ,the crocheted cat in the intro shot is adorable
Thank you so very much! 🐱🐱🐱
I am hooked . Boook a few books and love doing them. At first I thought it was a waste of money , and now I am hook . I love make in them
I know exactly how you feel!! I love making amigurumi too! 🧶🧶🧶
Hi Elise. Brilliant video and tips. Found out an old jumper I was only part way through knitting and decided to unravel and make a crochet blanket. Gonna need it this winter. Bills going up crazy in England.
I'm so glad you found the tips helpful!! And inflation is like I've never seen before! I imagine most of us will be looking for more and more ways to tighten the belt! 🧶🧶🧶
If I mess up a pattern somehow I will totally frog that bad boy into something new
Hi Elise I’m new to your channel and let me just say I’m obsessed and have been binge watching your videos. I’m late to the yarn game…51 and have only been in love with crochet and knitting for just over 2 years. Wish I’d discovered my love for yarn when I was much younger. I love love the aesthetic of your channel, it’s so me. I need to say how devastated I was about Jersey Boy, he broke my heart. Such a sweet boy I’m so sorry for your loss. Look forward to all your videos. Blessings from Cheshire in the UK x
Thank you so much for your kind words about Jersey-Boy. And I also wish I had started crocheting and knitting when I was much younger! It's such a wonderful hobby!! 🧶🧶🧶
Me too!
For me, I save money by test making patterns with scrap yarn I know won't be used for anything (usually they're left overs from bigger projects) and using yarn ends mixed with stuffing to use less stuffing but still gave the bulkiness I want for the project.
Thank you for sharing!! I've started saving my yarn ends as well! They will be great for stuffing!! 🧶🧶🧶
Lol, my first thought when I saw the title was "Use the yarn you've got!" But no one wants to hear that because, "Ooo, pretty color I don't own!" lol.
I will say, though, as a former JoAnn's employee, be careful advising the stacking coupons. It's true that people can use more than one when they're buying multiple things, but the coupons won't stack exactly. For instance, say you have a 50% off a regular price item coupon, and a 20% off your entire purchase coupon, and the only thing you're buying is one skein of regular priced yarn. Those coupons will NOT stack, and in fact, if both are scanned, the fifty percent coupon will be replaced by the twenty percent one so that you're spending more.
With JoAnn's, the best thing you can do is wait until you have the forty/fifty percent off regular price coupons, and then get only that number of full priced skeins. Then, if you have a twenty percent off your purchase coupon, get more yarn, hopefully ones that are already on sale, and you're still saving money.
Michaels commonly has a twenty percent off coupon for all regular priced purchases, and that's where I get my bags of stuffing. Oh! That's another thing! For cost effectiveness, for people who do dolls or whatever things that need stuffing, NEVER buy the stuffing at JoAnn's or Hobby Lobby. They have the 6 or 8 ounce bags of stuffing for something like $15 dollars, which is insane. Michaels sells a 20 ounce bag for about $7, and it's less if you use the 20% off coupon. There are also stuffing boxes at Wal-Mart, but I've never used them, so I don't know how the pricing compares.
Hobby Lobby doesn't do coupons anymore. They won't accept other stores and don't have their own anymore. But they do have sales every other week for yarn at 30% off. So if you need colors, just wait until those weeks when it's on sale.
I'm also surprised that none of the extras with amigurimi were mentioned. For instance, for a doll's facial features, you can buy safety eyes in bulk. Or if you do different sized pieces and don't want thirty pairs of safety eyes around that you'll never use, buy a white piece of felt and two or three tubes of acrylic paint. You'll get dozens of pairs of eyes, (depending on the size,) out of one piece of felt and using paint for the irises. (It also makes things less frustrating than sewing/embroidering a face on.)
Anyway, I do love the suggestions, cuz yeah, anything to keep more money in my account is a good thing. :)
Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge as a former Joann's employee. That was super helpful! 🧶🧶🧶
I love this channel so much
Awww, thank you so much! 🧶🧶🧶
Hi Elise. I recommend people check if their library participates in an inter-library loan program. If so, they can see if another library has the book they want. Once they request it, the book is sent over to their library for them to check out.
Great idea!! Thanks so much for sharing!! 🧶🧶🧶
My favorite tip was checking the library! Turns out mine has A LOT of books on amigurumi. More than I will ever need anyhow. Many of them are available digitally, too, so I can borrow them on any device at home.
Ooooh! That's amazing!!! I love that the library has so many resources these days! 🌻
Lol "it was a fly"....I was literally swatting a fly when you said this 😂
Lol!! That's too funny!!! 🪰🪰🪰
@@EliseRoseCrochet for a second I was like...is she watching me 😂
With the way yarn prices have skyrocketed combined with nobody ever wanted to buy the stuff I make, I'm getting the point where I've started contemplated making stuff with my current stash and then just not crocheting at all anymore.
I hope your tips can help me ;-;
You also may want to look into crocheting for charity! I did a recent video about it: ua-cam.com/video/aH5SK82UERo/v-deo.html ❤️
Who doesn’t love to save a bit of cash! Crafting is my passion, and you are so right Elise - it can all get a tad expensive, especially when, like me, you can’t walk into a yarn shop without walking out with a purchase 😂😱🧶😭! Thank you for all of your amazing tips and tricks! Xx
Lol!! Me neither! No self control at all! ❤️❤️❤️
Elise, great tips on everything. We, however, should not forget that the yarn makers depend on our money to keep their businesses afloat. Of course our family's security is foremost.
Yes, I also love buying from independent yarn makers too! It's definitely an investment and when I have some extra money it's fun to splurge! 🧶🧶🧶 Thanks for sharing!! ❤️
I love you videos, Elise. They are chalk full of helpful information and beautifully styled items. Love it!! Thank you 🙏
Awww! You're so welcome! I'm so glad you like them! 💞
Great tips! I’ve been organizing my stash (and organizing and decluttering all of my stuff) for the past two weeks, and it is so satisfying to unravel projects that I just didn’t like and salvage the yarn for something else. Now that I’m almost done with the organizing and unraveling part, I’m looking forward to stitching again and not feeling so overwhelmed. 😀
That is fantastic!! It always feels so good to have those crafting supplies under control!!! I need to go through my yarn again soon! 🧶🧶🧶
Great tips! I really do need to use up my stash. The way that I've been doing it lately is picking projects based on the yarn that I have. Like, "Oh! I can make this toy/project because I already have the yarn to go with it." That keeps me busy enough to not wander around yarn shops for more yarn haha.
That's a great way to choose a project!! 🧶🧶🧶
It makes me so happy when you post a video. I always learn something and your videos are such good quality. The best tips for me today are to give my staff new life and find books at the library. Thanks again!
You're so welcome!! Thank you so very much! 🧶🧶🧶
If you wanna have multiple projects going keep a small bag with your tools and hooks in it then you can always be working on multiple things so you don't get too board. And the app row counter helps so much with that bc it keeps up with multiple projects all at once and you always know where you're at. And it keeps up with your time spent on project. You can also make notes in the app so you know what yarns and hooks you used or some mistakes or altered parts to the pattern. I absolutely love the app and your screen doesn't go to sleep and you can import patterns or just use it as a timer and row counter
Oooooh!! Thank you so much for sharing!! I need to check out that app!!! Sounds like it would be super helpful! ❤️❤️❤️
Very pink knit she is my first teacher in you tube ❤ and I love your vedio 🥰🥰 (want to try this amigurumi) Greeting from Srilanka
Thank you so much!! She is a wonderful teacher!! ❤️❤️❤️
I totally agree with unraveling those projects that you have fallen out of love with. I recently started crocheting an alpaca and I started to work on it again and I realized I just wasn't enjoying it. I ending up frogging it and the once-alpaca is now being made into an ear warmer for my mom. Always work on those projects you love, and don't waste your crochet time on those "I don't like it, but I started it so I gotta finish it" Life's too short for the projects that are no fun. Stick with what you love.
Exactly!! Thank you so much for sharing!! 🧶🧶🧶
I love this! A swift and ball winder was one of my best purchases. It really does make me happy to have all these neat little cakes vs messy partial skeins. I set up a separate "yarn mailers and orders only" gmail account to save it from cluttering up my other personal accounts.
I love my swift and ball winder too!! Absolutely amazing tools to have! And that's wonderful about your email account!! Keeps everything nice and separate!! 🧶🧶🧶
Great videoas usual! I really liked the idea of going to the thrift stores to find sweater yarn. I flip thrifted items anyway and will be on the look out to recycle yarn. Thank you!
So glad you liked the yarn! I'm really interested in recycling yarn too! It sounds like it would be fun!! 🌻
I’ll have to try the Goodwill for sweaters and watch the video you suggested
I think that would be so much fun to do! It's like a scavenger hunt for nice yarn! ❤️
Awesome tips! I've been visiting my local thrift store to peruse their yarn offerings. We're a small town, so there's not a great selection, but the prices can't be beat, so I've stocked up a small stash just from there. Next time I go, I'll definitely look around for sweaters and afghans to unravel...what an amazing tip! Thanks for all you do!
I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Great tips. I'm definitely going to use the one to rearrange your stash to bring life to it.
Somehow that makes me excited about the yarn I already have! 🧶🧶🧶
I refuse to buy expensive yarns!! I always finish what I yarn I have and then buy. I do dislike polyester on its own, if wool mixed , why not?
Thank you so much for your helpful tips
Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
I love using the library for ami books! I request new titles frequently, and they have yet to decline my recommendation. It makes it so easy for me to add only the books I really, really want to my personal collection.
That is awesome!!! Sounds like you have a wonderful library! 🧶🧶🧶
I brought home 10 huge boxes from a local thrift store for $20 each. Brand new name brand skeins and a minimal amount of odds and ends. It pays to keep an eye out
Oooh! That's awesome!! 👏🧶👏🧶
Love all your videos! You have been an inspiration for me.
Awww! Thank you so very much!! ❤️❤️❤️
A great video (as always!). Your local library can get books in from other libraries, too. Online used book stores often have sales, too.
Thank you so much!! And great idea about the library loan!! 🧶🧶🧶
Thank you I learned a lot
Glad it was helpful! 🧶🧶🧶
Thank you so much Elise
You're so welcome! ❤
Great tips! Thank you! 🧶👏🏻❤️
Thank you!! I'm so glad you found them helpful! 🧶❤️🧶❤️
I buy a large amount once or twice a year when I get my extra Christmas money or vacation money. this year I looked through my stash and found I better use up my stash a bit first so I did that. I think I only bought yarn twice this year once because it fitted a hippocampus toy I wanna make for myself and it had the right colors and some sock and cotton yarn and a sock knitting book. I have a request for a dragon for a baby and when I found the cotton i figured could make a dragon napkin to go with it and i don't wanna use acrylics for that.
That's great! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Great ideas! Thank you!
You're so welcome!! 🧶🧶🧶
chuckle...stored all around the house...that's me...there are only two rooms in my house that DON'T hold any yarn...that'll be the bathroom and the kitchen, and sometimes there might be some in the kitchen as it stops on its way through the house...outside it's in the garage and the extension to the garage..I do declare it, I AM a yarnoholic...chuckle
Lol!! I totally understand!!! 😂🧶😂🧶
One great way I saved was to watch for the Annie's epatterns sale. One day they had the entire site on sale for 1$. It was amazing! While it was a bit of an expense at the moment it pays off in the long run. Another is to get hooks with one ergonomic handle with interchangeable tips. And the medical scissors I mentioned in another video works bc they work for multiple materials.
You are such a great resource!! Thank you so much for sharing all your tips!! 🧶🧶🧶
@@EliseRoseCrochet if course we're all here to learn and I've learned so much from your videos in the last year.
I love you and your work you are amazing ♥
Thank you so very much! 🧶🧶🧶
I had the same Crochet I conic women book at my Library when I stared to crochet. Although I only started on the monkey.😆
Love that little monkey! 🐒
Fantastic Information!!! Thank you for sharing all these great ideas!!!!
You're so welcome! I'm so glad you liked the video! 🧶🧶🧶
I'm pretty sure tip number one is a curse word in these crafting circles ma'am lol. We always have to have more yarn especially when there's a huge yarn sale going on!
Haha!!! You're so right!! 🧶🧶🧶
Loved those tips!
Thanks so much, Cheryl! 🧶🧶🧶
I know people who buy sweaters at thrift shops to recycle but I've never done it although i think it's a great idea. Sometimes you can find 100% wool sweaters🙂
Yes!!! There are some good sweaters at thrift shops! I really want to try recycling one of these days! 🧶🧶🧶
Amazing tips! Thank you..
You're so welcome! ❤
Thank YOU another great video….
You're so welcome, Marty! ❤️❤️❤️
What great ideas! Thanks for sharing. I'm left-handed, do you have any suggestions on how to get a hold of beginner patterns, or books, that I can learn the right way of making amigurumis? Thanks for your help.
There are left handed tutorials out there. But I will add that my daughter (who is a lefty) taught herself to crochet right handed because it was easier! 🧶🧶🧶
I have gone to the good will and be unravel a blanket wash it and reuse it I didn't know someone else was doing that and another tip is going to the food pantry and get a knitted and crochet item as well
Another great tip go to the dollar tree and get yarn might can afford one or two
Ooh! Those are great tips! Thank you!! 🧶🧶🧶
That's another good one!! 🧶🧶🧶
Great video content! ❤
Thank you! ❤️
I teach free crochet at my local library. They have free yarn and crochet hooks that you can check out.
That is wonderful!!! What a fantastic way to spread the joy of crocheting to others in your community. 🧶🧶🧶
Compare the price of budget pillows vs stuffing at the craft store.
Oh that's a great idea!! Thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Thank you for saying use the yarn I already have in my stash😜...I have sooooo much yarn,but was thinking I couldn't use it for my amigurumi,like I felt that I should buy specialty yarns......well not any more..I'm going to make things with the yarn I have,sell some of those and then if I want to I'll buy some really nice yarn for special projects
Good for you!!! I've sold yarn before and it was great because it got it out of my house, I made a little money and someone was so excited to have it!! Win-win!! 🧶🧶🧶
I have that iconic women book too
It's fantastic!! 🧶🧶🧶
Great ideas❤
Thank you! ❤️🧶❤️🧶
Hello Elise. And thanks for all your good tip.and you thoughts on finding those good books 📚👍
You're so welcome, Deb! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! 💞
I also.use Dollar tree yarn. It is premier yarn.
I've heard it's very popular! 🧶🧶🧶
Sometimes I find bags of yarn, very cheap, at the local Goodwill store.
That's wonderful!! What a great way to get yarn!! 🧶🧶🧶
Fantastic tips ❤
So glad you liked them! ❤️❤️❤️
In addition to books in your library, most people also have access to electronic knitting and crocheting magazines full of tips and projects. If your library subscribes to Hoopla, you can watch Craftsy videos on a binge pass for free!!! Ask a librarian! Btw, I'm a librarian😊
Oh wow!!!!! Thank you for that!! My library does have Hoopla and I had no idea that there were crafting magazines on it!!!!! Thank you!!! ❤️❤️❤️🧶🧶🧶
@@EliseRoseCrochet Craftsy episodes are on Hoopla. Magazines are on Libby (formerly known as Overdrive). Enjoy!
@@stacyhortner8105 oh gotcha! Thanks for sharing that!! ❤️
I have a ball winder from Knit Picks. I loved it until one day I went to wind some yarn and it wouldn't wind right. My cake was not a uniform anything. What did I do! Better yet, how can I fix it? Any suggestions? Love your videos.
Oh goodness. That stinks! I have no clue! I would reach out to Knit Picks! 🧶🧶🧶
I’m really gonna think about using the yarn I have already, I’m pretty bad about yarn buying and I have a new acquaintance who owns an Alpaca ranch and mill 😵💫🧶It’s tough to resist but at 30$ a skein (worth every penny of it) I need to apply the brakes 🧶💕……. Karen from Greenleaf Idaho
I'm so glad I don't know anyone with an alpaca farm otherwise it would be bad!!! 😂 That would be super hard to resist!!! 🧶🦙
@@EliseRoseCrochet it is, especially when I go to knit nite right in the shop 🥺🧶😵💫
I followed the link to recycled sweaters, I thought you were going to show hank creation?
There are two different links. One is for reusing yarn and the last one is for recycling yarn! Hope that helps! ❤️❤️❤️
My craft room can be a store in itself with all the yarn and fabric that i have accumulated. I vowed to not buy anymore yarn/fabric until most of it is used up. 😆
That's a great motivation to use it up!! 🧶🧶🧶
Can yarn be used as stuffing instead of poly-fil? If so, it seems like using yarn ends and leftovers from skeins is easy way to be economical.
Absolutely!! That's a great way to save money!! We all those yarn scraps to stuff toys with!! 🧶🧶🧶 Thank you for sharing! ❤️
@@EliseRoseCrochet Oh, this is wonderful news! I just hate throwing away my ends and now I have no guilt when I make long ones that are easier to weave in!! And I won't have to store all those weird little scrap balls. You've made my day!! ❤❤❤
Amigurumi is shrunken projects. Once you collect some colors you can make may items for lower cost. I don’t spend anywhere what I did on sweaters or shawls. Painters need paint. Knitters need yarn. I’m happy with my makes. I love the book ideas. 💕🌸
That's a really good perspective!! Thanks for sharing!! 🧶🧶🧶
Is it a good idea to buy yarn from Temu or Wish? Or should I stick to places such as Michaels and Joanns? I hear a lot from different people. I bought fabric through Temu and it's pretty thin but for what I want it for, I think it will be okay.
I haven't purchased anything from Temu or Wish, so I can't say one way or the other. But thanks for sharing! 🧶🧶🧶
Hi lovely love your UA-cam channel could you please tell me the yarn and colour used when you crochet the Lula doll xx thank you Steph plant
Thank you so much! I listed out the yarn and colors I used in this post: lepetitsaintcrochet.com/2020/07/16/amigurumi-doll-tips-tricks/ Hope that helps!! ❤️❤️❤️
Thank you I am from Mansfield Nottinghamshire which is part of Sherwood Forest. I am about 4miles from the major oak the tree where Robin Hood and his merry men had there camp xxx
@@stephplant8856 That is amazing!!! 🏞
My library do not even have a crochet books only a few on knitting :(
Nor mine. They have a few but mostly for afghans and baby stuff. Not a single ami book. Their knitting section is quite extensive and I've asked the librarian several times to add more crochet books.
Oh that stinks!! 🧶🧶🧶
That's really a shame! Sounds like the librarian has a preference! 🧶🧶🧶
I created an email just for signing up for company emails. This way, it stays out of my main one.
Good idea! 🧶🧶🧶
I got a trunk load of red heart at a thrift store for $10. The person in charge of organizing had more than she could sell and begged to take whatever I could haul off!
Oh wow!! That is awesome!!! 🧶🧶🧶
Is that a amigurumi Anne Shirley you have by your bitty bunnies?
Yes!! It's a pattern by Amour Fou Crochet! 🧡🧡🧡
@@EliseRoseCrochet I saw a Anne on Etsy last night and it took everything I had not to buy it 🤣. I have a pattern buying problem 😂.
What yarn winder did you use?
This is the winder I use: amzn.to/3SQL9rt Hope that helps! 🌻
Per cortesia ho acquistato il libro knitted animali Friends ma non riesco a capire il procedimento per il cappottino perché scritto in inglese ho provato a fare la traduzione in italiano ma non riesco a capire mi puoi spiegare il procedimento per cortesia grazie mille se lo farai😊
I wish I could help, I didn't make the coat. ❤️❤️❤️
Our
I love your videos so much I'm glad I found you.. you are making me love amigurumi even more thank you for always inspiring us wishing you all the best❤️❤️❤️❤️
Thank you so very much! I'm so glad you're enjoying the video! 🧶🧶🧶
Dad gum,I wish I'd known about the trade, sale, etc. Facebook! I just gave away a bunch of yarn to ARC! ( They give things to Thrift stores!). I love so many of your ideas!😄❤️🩹❤️🩹❤️🩹
Well darn!! 🧶🧶🧶 Glad you enjoyed the video! ❤️
@@EliseRoseCrochet Very much!💗