Rewards
A yarn subscription box is a small monthly promise: something new to make is on its way. The good ones keep that promise with yarn you'd be happy to have chosen yourself and a pattern that fits it. The rest end up as a shelf of skeins with the labels still on.
Here's how to tell the difference before you pay for one.
How to read a yarn box listing
Every yarn subscription page says "curated" and "premium." Skip those words and look for five facts:
- Skein count and yardage. One skein of fingering is a sock. Three skeins of DK is a shawl, a bag and a hat. Know what a month buys you.
- Who dyes it. Hand-dyed small-batch yarn varies skein to skein (that's the charm). Mill-dyed yarn is uniform. Both are fine; pay for the one you want.
- Fiber. Wool, cotton, silk, blends, acrylic. If you have a wool allergy or a vegan stash, this matters more than anything else on the page.
- Is there a pattern, and is it for this yarn? A box with a pattern written for its own yarn gets used. A box without one becomes stash.
- Cancellation. Month-to-month, cancel from your account, no email required. Anything else, keep looking.
The yarn subscription boxes people recommend
These are the names that come up in knitting and crochet groups. Prices move, so confirm on each site.
Yarn of the Month® Club (Darn Good Yarn)
Ours, and the one we'll describe in the most detail because we know exactly what goes in it. $29 a month plus shipping. Three skeins of small-batch recycled silk yarn, hand-dyed by artisans in India, chosen around a new theme each month — about $54 of yarn at retail. A surprise tool or notion ($6 or more). A knit and crochet pattern written for that month's yarn. And the artisan booklet, so you know whose hands dyed the skeins in your box.
Weights change month to month, so over a year you'll work lace, DK, worsted and the occasional chunky. Members get a monthly coupon code, double reward points and first access to new products. Cancel anytime from your account.
See this month's Yarn of the Month box →
Indie dyer clubs
SweetGeorgia's Secret Stash Club and Frabjous Fibers' yarn clubs are the ones you'll see mentioned most. They're yarn-only (no pattern or notion), usually one or two skeins in sock or fingering weight, and they open in rounds that sell out. If you already love a particular dyer's colors, their club is the easiest decision on this list.
Kit-style boxes
Hooks & Needles and similar boxes send one complete project a month: yarn, tools, pattern. Ideal for your first year, when you don't yet own the hooks and needles; less ideal once you do.
One-time mystery boxes
Not a subscription, but the right answer for some people: a single surprise box with no recurring charge. Our Editor's Box is nine or more skeins of recycled silk in mixed weights and colorways, packed by hand, $119 to $129 for $162 or more of yarn. Final sale, every box different.
The question that predicts whether you'll keep it
After years of watching members come and go, the pattern is clear. People who stay aren't the ones who loved every color. They're the ones who made something from the box within two weeks of it arriving.
That's why we put a pattern in every Yarn of the Month box and write it for that month's yarn. It removes the "what do I make with this" step, which is where most yarn boxes lose people. (Need ideas for a single skein? See our one-skein crochet projects.)
Yarn subscription vs. buying yarn yourself
You will always be able to buy exactly the yarn you want, in exactly the color, for a specific project. A subscription isn't for that. It's for the other kind of making: the kind where you open a box, hold a color you'd never have picked, and find out it's your new favorite. Members tell us that's what keeps them in.
The math also tends to work. Three skeins at around $54 retail for $29 is the point; the pattern and notion are extra.
Join Yarn of the Month — $29/month, cancel anytime →
Yarn subscription box FAQ
What is the best yarn subscription box?
The best box is the one that matches how you make: yarn-first with a pattern if you want to grow your skills, kit-style if you're new, a dyer's club if you already have a favorite dyer. Compare yardage, fiber and cancellation policy before price.
How much does a yarn subscription cost?
Most monthly yarn boxes run between $20 and $60 a month depending on skein count and fiber. Yarn of the Month is $29 a month plus shipping for three hand-dyed skeins, a notion, a pattern and the artisan booklet.
Can I pause or cancel a yarn subscription?
With most boxes, yes, month to month. Yarn of the Month can be cancelled anytime from your account.
