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New to Hobby Lobby? Here’s What You Need to Know About Shopping for Yarn

 

If you're new to shopping for yarn at Hobby Lobby, let me help you avoid some rookie mistakes. I’ve learned a lot over the years, and today I’m breaking it all down so you can shop like a seasoned pro—especially when those big clearance sales roll around!

Start with the Weekly Sale Schedule

First things first: Hobby Lobby runs on a weekly rotating sale schedule. That means every week, different departments go on sale. The yarn section, is it's own department. When it’s that department’s turn, all the yarn will be 30% off.

Here’s the catch: that sale only lasts a week, and the schedule rotates every other week. So if you’re walking into the store when yarn isn’t on sale, it has switched to a fabric sale week. I advise checking online before shopping and planning accordingly. 

Hobby Lobby’s Yarn Brands

Hobby Lobby carries a few big-name brands, like Lion Brand, but the real stars of the show are their private label yarns. These are exclusive to Hobby Lobby and include:

  • Yarn Bee – This is the label you’ll see the most. Tons of different yarn types fall under this name, from basic acrylic to trendy textures and baby to blanket yarn. Click Here to buy one of my favorites!

  • Crafter’s Secret – This is their value cotton, comparable to Lily Sugar’n Cream.

  • I Love This Yarn – A softer-than-average budget acrylic yarn that many crafters love for blankets and wearables. Click Here to buy on Amazon

One of the best features (IMO) is that Hobby Lobby sells coordinating yarns in different lines. For example you can get the colorway Cinnamon Cedar in I Love This Yarn, I Love This Yarn Chunky and I Love This Cotton! WATCH THIS VIDEO to find out more.

The Infamous Clearance Sale

Let’s talk about the orange stickers—yep, the ones people go nuts for. Hobby Lobby doesn’t advertise their clearance sales, but once a year (typically in June), they mark down a ton of yarn to 75% off. We’re talking $4.99 skeins for $1.24! 🎉

In a recent video, I told the crazy story of what happened to me when shopping the annual clearance sale. WATCH THE VIDEO HERE .

But here’s the important part: clearance pricing is done on the store level, not the corporate level . That means:

  • Not every store will have the same yarns in stock.

  • The timing may vary from one location to another.

  • It’s not a corporate-wide, one-day sale—it’s a gradual markdown process.

The Stores have a certain date they need their markdowns completed by, but there is no official start date. So if you’re trying to catch the sale, you’ve got to check in person. Sometimes multiple times.

And if you see an orange sticker, don’t assume you’ll find it again later. Clearance yarns go fast—like, same-day fast. If you want it, grab it while you can.

If you're looking for even more ways to save money on yarn, READ THIS BLOG POST or WATCH THIS VIDEO.

Dye Lot Clearance: A Hidden Deal

Even outside of the big summer sale, there’s one more type of markdown to watch for: dye lot clearance. This usually happens in late summer, when Hobby Lobby is preparing for seasonal resets.

They’ll take yarns that aren’t discontinued but have oddball dye lots left and mark them down just to clear the shelves. These markdowns are 75% off, and you can still score a great deal. But again, the merchandise available varies store by store.

CLICK HERE to watch a playlist of my Hobby Lobby sale hauls!

The Bottom Line

Shopping for yarn at Hobby Lobby can be a thrill—especially when you catch those orange sticker sales—but you’ve got to know how their system works. The sale schedule is key, clearance isn’t predictable, and private label yarns are only available in-store or on the Hobby Lobby website, and on Hobby Lobby's Amazon page.

If you’re shopping here for the first time, remember:

  • Check the weekly ad, look online or ask a cashier about the sale rotation.

  • Don’t wait on clearance—it might be gone tomorrow.

  • Be flexible. Not all stores have the same markdowns.

  • And if you love a yarn that’s exclusive to Hobby Lobby, stock up when it’s on sale, because it could disappear without warning.

Happy yarn hunting! 🧶

Watch the YouTube video here!

*some links in this blog post may be affiliate links

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