I’ve been re-reading Al Campbell’s too simple flies and studying them. He used punch embroidery yarn on alot of those flies, but I’m confused. Is that different than regular yarn? I googled it and even found a supplier for it, but I have yet to find out why that yarn is special? I just thought yarn was yarn. 
Sorry to be so dense and thanks in advance,
hNt
hNt,
You ain’t dense, Buddy. This has been asked a lot. The punch yarn Al used is acrylic so it won’t soak up water like wool or other natural fibers. It will get wet, but not water logged. It’s a very fine yarn, that can be split into three threads to “dub” all but the smallest hooks. Very nice stuff to work with.
If you’d like a few yards of different colors, drop me your snail mail addy by PM and I’ll send you some to play with.
REE
Also, it is sold on little spools that are easily stored, in an infinite number of colors and is so inexpensive that each spool will last at least 10 lifetimes.
PM me Your address and I can send You a bunch of colors. As Ron said it’s acrylic and its about the size of 2X Uni-Yarn.
Thanks guys, I appreciate the offer Ron and Bill. A friend of mine’s wife has opened a craft shop here in town, I’ll try to pick some up there. The only thing I knew about yarn was watching my Mama crochet when I was a kid, and the only thing I knew about it, was STAY OUT of Mama’s crocheting. I’ll bet you can figure out what happened when you got in it. 
Thanks for the offer though, I really do appreciate it. lets me know FAOL is really a bunch of good folks, I’m proud to be acquainted with you, even if it is only on an online basis.
thanks again,
hNt
take a walk through you local big box craft store and check out the yarns! talk about confusion! 
I never could find the real yarn that
Al used in his articles. I did get a good
supply from a very generous FAOL
member “thanks again ol’blue” , that
has lasted a long time. I don’t think the
stuff AL used is even made now. If
someone finds any please let us know.
Normand,
You guessed it. I wasn’t going to admit this, but it’s to funny not to tell, even if it is on me. I went to Hobby Lobby the other day and stood with my jaw on the floor at the vast array of yarn. I didn’t have a clue where to start, and naturally, I couldn’t remember that it was called Punch Embroidery Yarn. All I knew was I wanted yarn for fly tying. I mean, yarn is yarn. Right?? NOT by a long shot. Well there i stand, a 38 year old, 6’4" way to close to 300 pound man looking at yarn and here comes this cute little gal to ask if she can help me. I started to just tell her no thanks and leave, but I tried anyway. I told her I had started fly fishing and was interested in some yarn for tying flies. She wanted to know why I fished FOR flies! I explained to her that I wasn’t trying to catch flies, but fish. We were obviously on 2 complete different pages, so I just thanked her for her help and left as quickly as I could. A friend of mine’s wife just opened a little craft shop, I’ll think I’ll try there.
thanks for the help,
hNt
PS I’m not going to go back to Hobby Lobby until I think it’s been long enough the gal won’t recognize me and I know EXACTLY what I’m looking for. lol
Anyone who would like to try some Punch Yarn, PM me and I’ll give you my address so you can send me a SASE and I will send you 3 ten foot sections of Punch Yarn to try, my choice of colors. It is buggy when teased; I use a couple of my dentist’s root canal files to tease it.
mcsteff
A few years ago I couldn’t find it at any local craft or fabric store. I had to order it online. Google “Punch Needle Marketplace”. Hopefully they are still around.
I have Punch yarn, which I don’t think you can find in craft stores anymore. I like it a lot. It is much thinner than regular yarn. It is great stuff for fly tying. A few generous people here sent me some too.
Like others have said punch yarn is not sold in 99% of the yarn shops anymore. The ladies who used the yarn for craft purposes turned their attention else where and punch yarn faded from the market. This leaves a person a couple of choices besides buying it retail over the net. First choice is to haunt fleas markets and thrift stores. This has worked great for me. I bought oodles of the yarn for 10 cents to 25 cents a spool and distributed it to others members of FAOL as well as relatives, etc. The most productive thrift stores I have found were either run by churches or senior citizen centers. Goodwill & Salvation Army stores have not been productive. My second choice is to go to a yarn shop & buy baby yarn, separate the plies of baby yarn and you will have an item about the same thickness as punch yarn.
Tim
This is the place: http://www.punchneedlemarketplace.com/shop/cart.php?m=product_list&c=8
I recall my purchaed assotment was their #2519 Acrylic yarn. If anyone wants to try some send me a PM.
can someone post a pic of the yarn on a typical spool…or more than one spool? I hit a lot of garage sales. Coulda bought a mink?? stole today for 5 bucks, but couldn’t see myself needing it…I know, sick, right?
kinda “twiny” looking, huh?
It is much finer than you seem to think.
Thanks to the two of you that have offered samples. I think I’ll take you up on it. I’ll send a PM later today.
The funny thing is, I searched for this Punch yarn for over a year for a particular pattern I was wanting to tie. But for the life of me, I can’t remember now what that pattern was now. :roll:
I still have plenty if anyone needs some.
Look at the “Too Simple” patterns in the Al Campbell archives. Easy to tie fish catchers. Most of them use punch yarn.
