I have a little tip for saving lots of money on luxury yarn. Try your local thrift shop! No, not for those dusty plastic bags full of neon yellow sticky acrylic craft yarn. Go to the sweater section. It doesn't have to be your size, it doesn't have to be a style that suits you, it just has to be a solid color that you like. I've gotten a lot of cashmere this way. The thing is, you have to check the inside of the sweater. First, make sure that the stitches are big enough that you can see them. If they are not, the yarn is probably too thin to work with or the yarn is too fuzzy and has stuck to itself and you will never be able to unstick it. Next, check the seams. If they are interlocked and you have to cut them out, you will just have a bunch of long, beautiful strings. You must be able to easily pick out the seams. Also, make sure that there are no holes and no mending has been done on the item. When you get your item home, make sure to launder it and let it dry. Pick you your seams, find an end and then start pulling -- GENTLY!! Wrap the yarn onto a stretched out wire hanger, or I've even used a large book. Tie into hanks, remove from whatever is holding it, and wet it down. Let dry, roll into balls, and you're ready to crochet!
Have fun with this. If it doesn't work out, you're only out a few dollars.
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