Get a Lot of Yarn For Cheap by Purchasing Mill Ends!

I’ve recently discovered the awesomeness that is mill end yarn! My Jo-Ann started selling it a few months ago and it’s really hard to pass by these huge bins containing one pound packages of yarn for only $7.99!

From what I understand, mill ends can be a lot of things. It could be the end of a dye lot, it could be a defective dye lot, it could be a color a company was trying out and decided not to produce, the skeins could be missing yardage, or the yarn could just be defective in some way. But regardless, in my opinion anyway, it’s still a sweet deal for the price. If ever you need a lot of yarn for a project, this is a great way to get it for cheap!

Last week there was a sale on these mill end bags for $5.99, making them an even crazier deal! I had about six bags in my arms at one point but realized I was being ridiculous and probably looked like a crazy person with my arms so full I could hardly even rummage through the bins anymore! But there was no way I could pass up this bag of what looks just like Deborah Norville Serenity Garden. Seriously, nine skeins for $5.99! Hell yea! To me, this looks like a defective dye lot. It looks just like the Hydrangea color except with dark blue streaks, which I actually really like.

I have no idea what this yarn is. That’s the bummer about mill ends. What if you find something you really like and want to buy more? Sadly, you may never be able to find it.

I loved this color. Five skeins of something 1 ply and bulky weight. I started working with this right after I took the pictures and realized that the dye lots don’t match perfectly but they’re close enough that it doesn’t make a huge difference. One of the skeins also had a few ends within it.

This is another one which I was never able to identify. It looks and feels very similar to Red Heart Unforgettable but they never made a color like this. I discovered that there’s a group on Ravelry for help identifying mystery yarn like this. I got some useful tips but was never able to identify this one.

Have you ever purchased mill end yarn? What do you think of it?

If you can’t find anywhere near you that sells mill end bags, try searching online. I found tons of them on Ebay and various yarn websites. :)

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11 Comments

  1. I love buying Mill ends. I purchase them from A. C. Moore. When I see something I like, I check through the entire bin for more then do my purchasing. Sometimes, It’s NOT THE best, but I make due.

  2. I love mill ends and have made many beautiful things from them. Not only is the price incredible, but often it is yarn I get a chance to try several different ways, perhaps one I may have even passed up at the full price or costly because so much was needed. And best of all if you have a coupon, the price is even better! I highly recommend them!

  3. oh I wish I had been aware of this last week!!! What a GREAT way to get MORE YARN for all the projects!!! I will be checking JoAnn’s “by-the-bag_ online!!
    ~Tess

  4. I started findin these about 6 months ago or so, and yes at really great prices! Some are yarns together, and I wanted them seperated, which can take a very long time! I wasn’t sure if the strands should or should not be together! What was your opinion? Manda

  5. Oh my goodness I love these bags!! They showed up in my local Joanns last spring & I’ve made quite a few projects with them, large & small. Hope they continue this as they completely redid their yarn department & many of the yarns I used to buy here (like the bamboo blends) are no longer available.

  6. I always wondered what those were, and their price. last time I was there I asked the price but the person didn’t know I swore she told me they were mail-ins or something. I sell definitely check them out more closely now.thanks!

  7. I also noticed the and found a couple of really pretty bags of yarn. Have no idea what I am going to do with on bag because it was something I have never seen before ,. But I love yarn and love try new things with yarn

  8. I always wondered why there was all these crates of unmarked yarn in my local crochet craft stores. Now I know what it is, I’m a bit more excited! If you have an AC Moore or Michael’s near you, they usually tend to sell mill ends in the large bins for the same prices as well. Maybe you’ll find more colors!

  9. Hello

    I bought some of the mill ends at Jo Ann’s and got better quality yarns than I would other wise have been able to afford. Also the yarn was only $3.75 per pound on sale. I had to look through each bag in the huge bin and it took time but, I got 2 then went back and got 2 more then yet another time I got yet another two. I ended up with 6 pounds of yarn during that sale. I need to practice making socks (knitted) and did not have actual sock yarn until I got some really great sock your in the mill ends section. I have a ball winder and wound the skein so that the defects, or extra ends or what ever are known before I begin a project with them. I look at the mill ends every time I go in that store now and I have to agree, this is a great way to get a lot of nice yarn for very little investment.

  10. Hello Julie, thank you for your article about Mill Ends. I LOVE Mill Ends!!! I am always on the lookout for them. But not all Joann’s or Michael’s have them; seems like it is rather the opposite. and when I do find them, I do that crazy yarn lady thing and buy ten packages. I mean, why not. Great opportunity for some beautiful affordable yarn that doesn’t happen very often. I wish there was a way to purchase the Fashion Plus packages online. We live rurally, and the nearest Michael’s or Joann’s is at least an hour or more away, or Walmart, who often has fashion name brand yarn for next to nothing. But for me it’s easier to shop online. So when I make it to a Michael’s or Joann’s and find some great mill end yarns, I take full advantage of the opportunity. Thanks again for your blog.

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