Store-brand yarn, explained: who sells what in 2026
Most big craft and discount stores sell yarn under their own label, right next to name brands like Red Heart or Lion Brand. Store brands are often cheaper per yard, but not always. Here's who owns which yarn brand, and how to compare them fairly.
Who owns which store brand
- Michaels: Loops & Threads (for example Impeccable and Petite Purl) and, since 2025, Big Twist. Big Twist was JOANN's house brand. JOANN closed all of its stores in 2025, and Michaels bought JOANN's brands and intellectual property on June 5, 2025.
- Hobby Lobby: Yarn Bee is Hobby Lobby's own line. I Love This Yarn and I Love This Cotton are sold only at Hobby Lobby.
- Dollar Tree: Crafter's Square is Dollar Tree's craft line, including a small acrylic yarn.
- LoveCrafts: Paintbox Yarns is LoveCrafts' own brand, designed in house.
- Target: Mondo Llama is Target's arts and crafts brand. We found crochet kits and craft twine under that name, but no full yarn line.
- Walmart: sells acrylic yarn under its Mainstays label. We don't include Walmart in our price tracker.
How to compare a store brand with a name brand
- Match weight and fiber first. Compare a #4 acrylic with another #4 acrylic. See yarn weights explained.
- Compare price per 100 yards, not per skein. A 7 oz skein and a 100 g skein can't be compared on shelf price. Our price tracker does the math.
- Check the hook and gauge on the label. Two #4 yarns can still differ. See how to read a yarn label.
- Buy enough for the whole project. Store brands can change or be discontinued, as JOANN shoppers found in 2025, and dye lots vary.
Kimberly's tip: "Comparable" doesn't mean identical. Swatch a store-brand yarn before you switch a big project to it. See gauge swatches.