I love to dye yarn with dry acid dye powder. I love the subtle or vibrant speckles, and the soft control I can get without dissolving the dyes first. There is one small issue, it is hard to know looking at a dye color name or swatch online to see how it will speckle. Therefore, I dye crude swatches with acid dyes! I like to take a little bit of the dye powder and put it on wet yarn to compare to other colors. This way I know when I pick colors for speckles I am picking colors that will look different from one another.
This post is part 2 from a post I wrote almost two years ago sharing photos of crude acid dye swatches on yarn through April 2021. This post is going to be very similar - I will have the swatch images plus a caption with the acid dye brands and names below so you can search this post to find the colors you're interested in comparing. I have also linked the videos where I made the swatches so you can see how the dyes perform in a YouTube video.
Are there any other colors you would like me to swatch? I'm already planning on doing more in 2023!
Swatching all of my purple acid dyes across multiple brands. Key: PC - PRO chemical and dye, D - Dharma acid dyes, J - Jacquard Acid Dyes, PF - Paradise Fibers acid dyes and GS - Greener Shades. Dharma Purple Pop, Dharma Plum Dandy, Dharma Eggplant, Dharma Amethyst, Greener Shades Amethyst Purple, Dharma Espresso Bean, Dharma Berry Crush, Dharma Antique Mauve, Dharma Twilight Gray. Dharma Intense Iris, Dharma Lilac, Jacquard Lilac, Dharma Electric Violet, Jacquard Violet, Jacquard Purple, Dharma Royal Purple, Dharma Deep Purple, Jacquard Periwinkle, Dharma Hyacinth, Dharma Delphinium Blue.
Swatching all of my pink acid dyes across multiple brands.Key: PC - PRO chemical and dye, D - Dharma acid dyes, J - Jacquard Acid Dyes, PF - Paradise Fibers acid dyes and GS - Greener Shades. Dharma Tangelo, Dharma Peach Blush, Jacquard Salmon, Dharma Pink Orchid, Jacquard Pink, Dharma Fluorescent Fuchsia, Jacquard Hot Fuchsia, Paradise Fibers Magenta, Dharma Deep Magenta. Dharma Valentine Blush, Dharma Ballerina Pink, Dharma Flamingo Pink, Dharma Plum Dandy, Dharma Berry Crush, Dharma Amethyst, Jacquard Chestnut, Dharma Antique Mauve, Jacquard Burgundy, Dharma Cabernet.
Swatching all of my Blue acid dyes across multiple brands. Key: PC - PRO chemical and dye, D - Dharma acid dyes, J - Jacquard Acid Dyes, PF - Paradise Fibers acid dyes and GS - Greener Shades. D. True Turquoise, PF Turquoise, Jacquard Turquoise, Dharma Caribbean Blue, Dharma Frozen, Pro Chem Sea Breeze. Greener Shades River Blue, ProChem Brilliant Blue, Jacquard Brilliant Blue, Jacquard Sapphire, Dharma Sapphire, Paradise Fibers Blue, Dharma Peacock Blue, Jacquard Sky Blue. Dharma Dkar Navy, Dharma Blued Steel, Jacquard Navy Blue, Jacquard Gun Metal. Paradise Fibers Green, Dharma Teal Green, Jacquard Teal, Greener Shades Coral Reef Aqua, Dharma Bright Aqua, Dharma Sea Spray. Jacquard Royal Blue, Dharma Extreme Blue, Dharma Indigo Blue, Dharma Alpine Blue, Dharma Baby Blue Eyes, ProChem Cornflower Blue, Dharma Electric Violet, Jacquard Violet, Dharma Delphinium Blue, ProChem Violet, Dharma Intense Iris, Dharma Twilight Gray, Jacquard Periwinkle.
Swatching all of my Blue acid dyes across multiple brands, class blue collection. Close up on Greener Shades River Blue, ProChem Brilliant Blue, Jacquard Brilliant Blue, Jacquard Sapphire, Dharma Sapphire, Paradise Fibers Blue, Dharma Peacock Blue, Jacquard Sky Blue.
July 2022 #ChemKnitsDyeAlong: Dharma acid dyes in Teddy Bear Brown, Pecan Brown, chocolate brown, and spearmint breeze.
2022 Chanukah Night 6 - Dharma acid dyes in Duckling, Bright Aqua, Sea Spray, Deep Purple, Pink Orchid
2022 Chanukah Bonus Night 9 - Dharma Acid Dyes in Pink (pink orchid?), hyacinth, electric violet, indigo, eggplant, deep magenta, berry crush, frozen, and spearmint breeze.
Dyepot Weekly #324 - Liquid dye stocks from Dharma acid dyes in Dark Navy, Indigo, Sapphire Blue, Baby Blue Eyes, Sea Spray, Radioactive, and Flamingo Pink.
Chanukah 2021 Night 4 - Sunset Colors Dharma acid dyes swatches in Fire Engine red, blazing orange, peach blush, honey mustard, brilliant yellow, sunflower yellow, golden poppy, tangelo, cherry bomb, flamingo pink, pink orchid.
July 2021 #ChemKnitsDyeAlong livestream - Watermelon yarn! Dharma acid dyes in poinsettia, Chinese red, cayenne red, oxblood red, cherry bomb, fire red, amethyst, fluorescent fuschia, flamingo pink, pink orchid, peach blush, chartreuse, sour apple, radioactive, emerald green, kelly green, forest green.
Mixing all 40 Jacquard Acid Dyes together, what color is the muk liquid? The muk color came from a combination of all 40 jacquard acid dye powders. The swatches are all powders unless otherwise noted. Jacquard acid dyes in - Chestnut, Brown, Burgundy. Dharma acid dyes in Cabernet, espresso bean, antique mauve, auburgine, teddy bear brown, twilight gray, pecan brown.
May 2021 #ChemKnitsDyeAlong Blue Jays! Dharma acid dyes in Sea Spray, Frozen, Caribbean blue, baby blue eyes, alpine blue, sapphire blue, twilight gray, platinum gray, true black, teddy bear brown, pecan brown, sand dune.
March 2021 #ChemKnitsDyeAlong. Dharma acid dyes in Sour Apple, Chartreuse, Lichen, moss Green, honey mustard, teddy bear brown, true black, and silver gray.
In this photo you can see the swatches fromt eh dharma swatch card along with the colors of the dyes. note how some of the colors look much closer with dry dye powder than they do on the containers. (Note: I cut up a poster and taped the swatches to the tops of the containers, they don't come this way.
2021 Summer Mini Skein Mini Series Night 1 - Dharma acid dyes in Avocado, Golden Poppy, Brilliant Yellow, Pecan Brown, Golden Straw, Sunflower Yellow, Honey Mustard, Sour Apple, Emerald Green.
Swatching My Green Acid Dyes (Video coming February 2023) - Dharma Forest Green, Jacquard Spruce, D. Emerald, J. Emerald, PF Green, D. Kelly Green, J. Kelly Green, G.S. Amazon Green, D. Chartreuse, J. Chartreuse, D. Radioactive, D.Lichen, D. Sour Apple, J. Olive, D. Olive Brown, D. Tobacco Leaf. D. Moss Green, D. Avocado, D Sage Leaf, D. Pistachio, D. Spearmint Breeze, D. Sea Spray, PC Seabreeze, D Bright Aqua, J teal, D Teal green, J. Spruce, D Muck Green, and ??? TBD - Jacqaurd Alligator Green
Swatching My Green Acid Dyes (Video coming February 2023) - Dharma Forest Green, Jacquard Spruce, D. Emerald, J. Emerald, PF Green, D. Kelly Green, J. Kelly Green, G.S. Amazon Green, D. Chartreuse, J. Chartreuse, D. Radioactive, D.Lichen, D. Sour Apple, J. Olive, D. Olive Brown, D. Tobacco Leaf.
Swatching My Green Acid Dyes (Video coming February 2023) - D. Moss Green, D. Avocado, D Sage Leaf, D. Pistachio, D. Spearmint Breeze, D. Sea Spray, PC Seabreeze, D Bright Aqua, J teal, D Teal green, J. Spruce, D Muck Green, and ??? TBD - Jacqaurd Alligator Green
Swatching My Orange and Yellow Acid Dyes (Video coming August 2023) - D. Golden Straw, D. Fawn, D. Tobacco Leaf, J. Salmon, D. Peach Blush, D. Tangelo, D. Persimmon, J. Deep Orange, J. Burnt Orange, D. Saffron Spice, J. Fluorescent Orange, D. Fluorescent Safety Orange, P.F. Orange, D. Blazing Orange, J. Pumpkin Orange, G.S. Sunset Orange.
Swatching My Orange and Yellow Acid Dyes (Video coming August 2023) - D. Champagne, D. Vanilla, J. Ecru, D. Ivory, D. Golden Poppy, J. Aztec Gold, P.C. Saffron, D. Honey Mustard, J. Golden Ochre, J. Golden Yellow, P.F. Soft Yellow, D. Sunflower Yellow, D. Duckling, P.F. Yellow, J. Bright Yellow, D. Brilliant Yellow, P.C. Sun Yellow, J. Sun Yellow, G.S. Sunshine Yellow, J. Fluorescent Yellow, D. Fluorescent Lemon
Swatching My Orange and Yellow Acid Dyes (Video coming August 2023) - D. Golden Straw, D. Fawn, D. Tobacco Leaf, J. Salmon, D. Peach Blush, D. Tangelo, D. Persimmon, J. Deep Orange, J. Burnt Orange, D. Saffron Spice, J. Fluorescent Orange, D. Fluorescent Safety Orange, P.F. Orange, D. Blazing Orange, J. Pumpkin Orange, G.S. Sunset Orange. D. Champagne, D. Vanilla, J. Ecru, D. Ivory, D. Golden Poppy, J. Aztec Gold, P.C. Saffron, D. Honey Mustard, J. Golden Ochre, J. Golden Yellow, P.F. Soft Yellow, D. Sunflower Yellow, D. Duckling, P.F. Yellow, J. Bright Yellow, D. Brilliant Yellow, P.C. Sun Yellow, J. Sun Yellow, G.S. Sunshine Yellow, J. Fluorescent Yellow, D. Fluorescent Lemon
Swatching My Orange and Yellow Acid Dyes (Video coming August 2023) - Dharma Fluorsecent Safety Orange, Jacquard Fluorescent Orange.
Swatching My Orange and Yellow Acid Dyes (Video coming August 2023) - J. Ecru, D. Vanilla Cream, D. Champagne, D. Ivory.
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Don't forget that the color intensity of a given brand and color can vary based on the amount of dye I added onto the swatch. So a color like Teddy Bear Brown may look different in different images. But pay attention to the hue and temperature of the colors as they compare to the others on the swatch.
Want to see all of the swatches in one video? Check them out here:
It is no secret that I love to dye yarn. While you can technically dye any yarn that is light enough to accept more color, sometimes you want a blank canvas so you have the most control over the final colorway. Where do you buy your bare yarns to dye?
In this post, I will list many online retailers of bare or undyed yarn as of January 2023. I will note in the descriptions which companies I've purchased from, received free product from, or am waiting to try out. The companies below vary from large yarn brands with dozens of different undyed yarn bases to smaller companies that maybe only have one or two options.
This post contains affiliate links which means that I earn a commission from sales made through these links. I will note my affiliation with the company in their bullet.
KnitPicks (Affiliate Link) - KnitPicks is the first company I purchased bare yarn from, and I feature this yarn frequently in yarn dyeing tutorials on the ChemKnits Tutorials YouTube Channel. You can purchase individual skeins of bare or natural undyed yarn through the retail site with a free shipping minimum of $65 USD. I love KnitPicks because you can also purchase solids of many of the same yarn lines to work with your hand dyed yarn. There are no longer bulk 20 packs of bare yarn on the retail website (see below for wholesale options), but you can save 10% off 10 skeins of many bare yarn lines with the code "MYYARNPACK" through 12/31/22. (See the KnitPicks website for full terms with the coupon. This doesn't work on every bare yarn base, but appears to work on multiple.) Full Disclosure, I became a KnitPicks Affiliate in October 2017, but I have been using these yarns for YEARS before I started officially promoting them.)
KnitPicks Wholesale (Affiliate Link) - KnitPicks now offers wholesale options where you can save 20-40% off the retail pricing. I'm making this its own category because the wholesale portal is a separate section of the website. The wholesale pricing is 20% off packs of 20 skein and 30% off 50 packs. Select yarn bases (some of the most popular ones) are available for 40% off packs of 100. KnitPicks coupons don't work through the wholesale portal, but it is awesome to be able to purchase my favorite bases at a discount that is better than it used to be through the retail website. Free shipping is available on orders over $400. Full Disclosure, I became a KnitPicks Affiliate in October 2017.)
Wool2Dye4 - Wool2Dye4 offers so many incredible yarn bases at fair prices. I think they have more variety in undyed yarn bases than any other brand listed on this page. Their customer service is incredible and their boxes are always shipped in a very sturdy way. Wool2Dye4 has wholesale discounts for registered businesses on orders of 5 kg or more, however their retail pricing is very fair. I love that they offer cones of bare yarn, skeins outside of the standard 100 g (10 g, 20 g, 50 g, and even bigger than 100 g in some cases) and also super long skeins that are perfect for self striping yarn. Chester Wool Co is the related brand that has warehouses in the UK and the Netherlands.
Paradise Fibers (Affiliate Link) - Paradise Fibers is a great source for undyed spinning fiber and undyed yarn. I've dyed a lot of their rovings and combed tops on YouTube. In 2021 Paradise Fibers released their own brand of acid dyes, and the dyes are super pigmented. When you are exploring the website, you can select "undyed" under search refinement to help you find what you're looking for. Their customer service is excellent and responsive. (Note, I became a Paradise Fibers Affiliate in June 2018 and they have sent me free products to review on multiple occasions. I also unbox their Fiber of the Month club subscription every month on YouTube.)
Knomad Yarn - Knomad offers a lot of staple bare yarn bases (100% superwash merino and Merino/Nylon blends) but they also have some unique bases that I love. Knomad sent me samples to dye in 2022 and I'm excited to try out some of their newer select yarn lines that have even softer merino wool. If you are a registered business you can set up a wholesale account for more discounts on Knomad Yarn.
Dharma Trading - I've never used any of Dharma's dyeable yarns, but they have multiple natural and synthetic bare yarn options. I know other dyers who have used Dharma's bare yarn and have been happy with the results. Dharma's acid dyes are some of my favorite dyes to use to dye yarn, and it is nice that you can also get undyed yarn at the same time. Dharma also has a wide variety of dyeable rovings that include cellulose and synthetic fibers. I've never dyed 100% cellulose spinning fiber, and I'm excited to give it a try.
Yarn Undyed / bareyarns.com - Bareyarns.Com is the website for US based shoppers, but they also have websites for UK and EU shoppers. There is a HUGE assortment of bare yarn options. I have never ordered any yarn from Yarn Undyed, but I know other dyers who order from here regularly. They offer free airfreight shipping on orders over $100 in case you are worried about expensive international shipping.
Ashland Bay - The website is available for wholesale accounts, but you may find Ashland Bay bare yarn through other online retailers. I haven't personally tried any of their bare yarns, but I know that they are popular with other indie dyers. They even provide sock blanks! Unfortunately, you can't set up a retail account with them. In order to set up a wholesale account, you have to commit to spending $750/year and send them a copy of your business license within the fiber/textile industry. I no longer can find the list of online/in person retailers of Ashland Bay Yarn through their website as of January 2023, but three online suppliers (who are also on this list) who offered Ashland Bay Yarn or Spinner Fiber in the past are WEBS, Paradise Fibers, and Fiber to Yarn.
WEBS America's Yarn Store - The local yarn store on the web that has the domain yarn.com, has a limited selection of natural undyed yarns. (Search their site for "undyed" for the results to come up.) They do, however, offer a wide selection of undyed spinning fiber as roving and top. I have ordered dyed yarn from WEBS plus a lot of spinning fiber in the past, although I'm not sure if I've dyed any of it on YouTube yet. I don't live that far from the WEBS warehouse but have never made a visit there, I hope to someday!
Woolery - I consider Woolery to be more of a spinning resrouce than a bare yarn resource, but they do have a few bare yarn options. However, they have a huge selection of bare and undyed roving. I have made multiple purchases from Woolery in the past including some dye-lishus treated cotton yarn that you can dye with acid dyes. They even have a whole dyeing section that includes seeds for setting up your own dye garden!
ACME Fibers - This Canadian company offer a variety of weights and fiber bases. All of the prices are listed in Canadian dollar. I'm not sure what international shipping would cost to the US - the recommend adding items to your cart to see what the estimate would be before checking out. There is free shipping on Canadian orders over $200 CAD. I haven't ordered from here personally, but I wanted to include a Canadian source for our friends to the North.
Elitespun - This is another Canada base company that offers a variety of yarn bases. I found a price list for the dyeable yarns on their site, but it doesn't look like they have pictures of the individual yarns. You will need to contact them directly for price lists, but it looks like they have options for you to order samples and set up a wholesale account.
Artigina is another Canadian retailer that sells dyes and single skeins of bare yarn recommended to me in the ChemKnits Lab Facebook Group. The have dozens of bare yarn bases plus sock blanks. They offer free shipping over $89 for most places in Canada. It doesn't look like the offer international shipping, but I'm happy to include more resources for Canadian indie dyers!
Indie Dyer Yarn - I was a bit confused by the title of this company at first because it sounds like it could be a market place for indie dyers to sell their yarn, but it is a bare and undyed yarn supplier! They offer a lot of staple bare yarn bases and some really unique ones. There are wholesale options available but as of January 2023 I couldn't determine the terms.
Maritime Family Fiber - Bare yarn from a small family farm and a small mill located in Maine. The offer wholesale pricing, bulk bare yarn, and even a sample kit you can get where you can see a 4 oz skein of a lot of the bases.
Fiber to Yarn - They have limited 4 oz skeins in stock, but they also sell some dyeing kits. It looks like this might be a good place to try out some single skeins of Ashland Bay yarns before committing to a bulk order.
Pacific Wool and Fiber - It looks like Pacific Wool and Fiber currently is only stocking bare unspun fibers, but they certainly have a lot of wheel and wheel accessory options. They carry a nice variety of wool breeds so you can have some choices for the fiber types you want to dye and spin.
Quince & Co - Quince & Co offers many beautiful commercially dyed yarns, but almost all of the lines also have an undyed option. There is no bulk pricing, skeins are sold individually. I always love when I can buy a pure solid to go with a skein of the same base I dye myself. They no longer have a category specifically for bare yarns, so you will need to look through the yarn bases to find what you're looking for. This is a great option for undyed yarn if you've ordered from them before - it is awesome to start dyeing a yarn base you already are familiar with.
Thirteen Mile Lamb & Wool Company - This small company offers a variety of natural wool yarn colors in addition to some plant dyed colors. With their natural colors, you can specify whether you would like sport, worsted, or bulky weight in the given natural undyed colorway. I'm not sure if there are other minimums, but this company also does have a wool mill for spinning yarn from fleece
Laxtons - A UK based yarn shop that offers a lot of bare and undyed yarn options. I'm not sure if they ship internationally or not.
Rooster Yarns - This is another UK based company with undyed and bare yarn. You need to become a wholesale customer to order through the website. I've heart others talk about this company but I have no personal experience with them.
Mountain Meadow Wool - There are three yarn bases with a natural (and therefore undyed) option in each of them. This doesn't appear to be specifically a bare yarn company, but there are at least a few options.
Jagger Spun Yarn - You need a wholesale to buy the natural and undyed yarn directly from Jagger, but you can also find a list of retailers on their website where you can purchase from with retail pricing.
A Child's Dream - Child's Dream only has 3 different options for undyed yarn as of January 2023 and include single ply undyed wool or wool/mohair blends in worsted, bulky, and super bulky weights. The yarns appear to come the Brown Sheep Yarn Company in Nebraska.
Darn Good Yarn (Affiliate Link) - They offer a limited selection of dyeable yarns that vary from wool to silk sari ribbon. As of January 2023 there is only the sari ribbon yarn available. You can purchase the yarns in individual skeins. (Note, I became a Darn Good Yarn Affiliate Marketer in February 2018.)
Lion Brand Yarn (Affiliate Link) - While not really an seller of undyed yarns, I need to include Lion Brand on this list since the first ever yarns that I dyed were Lion Brand Wool Ease in the color Fisherman. This yarn is 80% acrylic, 20% wool but it still takes up food coloring surprisingly well. I know that a lot of my followers like to use Sock Ease in Marshmallow (75% wool, 25% nylon) because it is something that they can find in big box stores without needing to shop online. Sometimes I struggle to find some of the dyeable yarn lines in retail stores, but you can find them directly through the Lion Brand Website or even sometimes WeCrochet. (Note, I became a Lion Brand Affiliate in January 2018.)
WeCrochet(Affiliate Link) - A sibling company to KnitPicks, there are limited bare yarn options here now. One perk of WeCrochet is that they also offer Lion Brand yarn and have lower minimums for free shipping ($45) thank KnitPicks ($65.) However, the only bare yarn left on WeCrochet are the Chroma, Wonderfluff, and Curio lines where the bare yarn options are on the same page as the dyed options. (I am a WeCrochet Affiliate)
Your Local Yarn Store (LYS) - Not all local yarn shops sell bare or undyed yarn, but there is no harm in visiting your local shop to see if they sell any. While online shopping is convenient, it is always wonderful to support brick and mortar businesses. Your LYS isn't the best source if you want to buy a lot of bare yarn in bulk for dyeing, but it can be a handy place to find a pastel or natural colored skein to start dyeing.
Big Box Stores like Michaels and JoAnn's - While you won't come up with many yarn options (or any at all) if you search of bare or undyed yarn at these two major US retailers of craft supplies, you can find some dyeable yarn in the stores. (However it is hard to find 100% wool yarn in person at these retailers.) The first yarn I ever dyed with Lion Brand Wool Ease, and this is a line you can sometimes find in big box retailers. If you want to dye yarn with food coloring or acid dyes, I recommend looking for yarn that is at least 20% wool or another animal fiber. 100% acrylic/polyester yarn is a lot harder to dye.
Did I include your favorite place to purchase bare yarn in the above list? Let me know and I can update the list!
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