This post is for my beautiful Aussie friends who use Spotlight stores to purchase yarn. 

When I first started my craft journey here in Australia I did what I had always done in the UK, shop local. In the UK there were very few local yarn shops in the small towns or villages however those few always stocked a range of amazing yarns suitable for many different projects. They were a tiny Aladdin's cave for all your crafting and textile needs. I'm sure I spent many hours browsing patterns and yarn as well as needle point items and wonderful tapestries. And of course this was all before the internet was available.

Here in Australia I initially found it tricky finding supplies. You see I really love to see and feel the yarn I'm buying for a project. So what are the pros and cons of using Spotlight stores for yarn?

 

PROS

For me Spotlight stores were and are the perfect place to be able to browse, touch and feel. Also, there are Spotlight stores conveniently located near most suburbs and they can be a one stop shop for a multitude of other craft items. 

Becoming a Spotlight VIP member also entitles you discounts and the occasional gift vouchers which come in very handy if you're buying in bulk. I usually keep a running list of items I need and then make use of the voucher to purchase everything at once. There are often yarn sales too which can also give you big savings.

A lot also depends on the type of items you are making. 

Spotlight Marvel yarn is an inexpensive acrylic yarn in a wide range of colours which can be used for so many things. It is part of the 4 Seasons  range. It is very versatile and a good yarn if you are a newbie to crochet or knitting. If you are just starting out you wouldn't want to buy an expensive yarn to practice with so the Marvel yarn would be ideal.

Another inexpensive yarn is Semco Stallion yarn which is also 100% acrylic. This yarn has a different texture and feel than the Marvel yarn even though they are both acrylic 8ply. It has kind of a sheen to it giving items a slightly shiny finish. I believe it's quite popular (maybe due to the price) however I personally wouldn't use this for any quality items. 

Spotlight 4 Seasons range also have a variety of nice yarns such as Half 'n' Half (50% acrylic & 50% wool), Marvel Printed, Marvel Denim Effects, Pure Wool Entwine, Flinders Cotton (100% cotton) and Brighton Cotton (cotton/acrylic blend). I would be very reluctant to purchase any of these on line if I hadn't been able to see and feel and them first. I have had some lovely results with all of these yarns and will definitely purchase again when needed. 

My own favourites are some of the yarns from brands such as Moda Vera, Lion Brand, Baby Bella and more recently Patons Sierra. 

Ok, so I've mentioned some of the pros of using Spotlight for yarns, what about the cons?

CONS

I have visited many different Spotlight stores and my first port of call is the yarn section. It's just my opinion but I've found that in every store I've been in that the yarn department seems to be a little neglected. 

There are always cages, boxes and ladders in the isles. The shelves are rarely fully stocked with many boxes out of reach on the top racks with a note saying something like 'Do not open due to stock take'. That can be very frustrating, especially if it's a yarn you really need and you can see it right there but staff won't touch it!

The shelves are always in a muddle with a mixture of yarn that doesn't belong to the same label. I have often had to rummage through multiple areas to find what I'm looking for. One tip is that if you can't find what you need in its correct place, try looking for it in the same colour slots of other brands. I think people pick up a ball, wander around, find something they like better and leave the original ball in that spot.

If you are buying yarn for a larger type of project, for example clothing or blankets it's important for the yarn to be all the same dye lot. 

I have often tried to buy multiple balls but haven't been able to find the same dye lots for all of them. Without the same dye lot you could end up with and obvious change of shade in your end result. Even with multi-coloured yarns a different dye lot can give quite a dramatic change of colour.

This is one of the draw backs of ordering on-line. There is no guarantee you will receive the same dye lot with multiple balls of the same colour. It's very hit and miss and I try to avoid ordering online in bulk for this reason.

With ordering on-line, quite often the order is sourced from multiple stores. For example you might order ten balls of something and you get a message to say your item is being delivered, 'great' you think. When you receive the package there might only be five balls. Then you have to wait for the next delivery and possibly the next. I have orders that have been sourced from three different locations - and of course all the dye lots have been different. 

Spotlight are pretty good in the fact that you can return the yarn to a store for an  exchange or refund, but that kind of defeats the object of ordering on-line. This is why I try to avoid it. 

The quality, colours and consistency in the 4 Seasons range change periodically. Sometimes colours are discontinued or you just can't get hold of them. So you go with a new/different colour that isn't what you really want only to find the original colour back in stock a couple of months later - very frustrating. It also seems the manufacturing process changes from time to time as the feel of the yarn and working with it can be quite different to older stock.

Last but not least, let's talk customer service. I've found that in Spotlight if you go to any other department apart from yarn you will get someone helpful and knowledgeable, especially in haberdashery. So what's going on in the yarn department? Despite the shelves being in a mess etc etc there never seems to be anyone working in the yarn area (perhaps this only happens when the store is closed to avoid customer contact?). On the odd occasion I've found someone to ask a question they are completely unaware of anything to do with yarn. 

On numerous occasions I've been approached by other customers asking me for help and advice, which I'm happy to give if I can. It would be great if Spotlight had a person(s) dedicated to the yarn section wouldn't it

TO SUM UP

Although I use Spotlight for a lot of my projects I do also use other Australian stores to purchase yarn and tools on-line. I usually do a bit of research on the yarns I want and also look for recommendations from other crafters. And of course price matters! Most of the lovely stores I've ordered from are competitive with their pricing and although sometimes I've taken a gamble on something (not being able to touch and feel) I've never been disappointed.

Will I continue to use Spotlight for yarn? Absolutely.

Will I only use Spotlight for yarn? Definitely not!

I hope you've found my thoughts of some use.

Just to note, I'm not affiliated with Spotlight in any way and have never worked for them. This article is my personal experience and opinion.