Thursday, April 22, 2021
Swatching Acid Dye Powders on Yarn
Thursday, December 10, 2020
2020 ChemKnits Chanukah Special!
Happy Chanukah, everyone! Chanukah begins at sundown tonight, and at 8:30 PM we will kick off the 2020 ChemKnits Chanukah Special! Every night of Chanukah I will release a new yarn dyeing video at 8:30 PM EST on the ChemKnits Tutorials YouTube Channel. These will be scheduled as premieres on YouTube, which means that I will be in the LIVE chat room to react, answer questions, and hang out with all of you as we celebrate with some laughter and warmth.
All of the videos can be found in the following playlist as they are released:
- Night 1 (12/10) - 36 minutes
- Night 2 (12/11) - 45 minutes
- Night 3 (12/12) - 40 minutes
- Night 4 (12/13) - 35 minutes
- Night 5 (12/14) - 40 minutes
- Night 6 (12/15) - 46 minutes
- Night 7 (12/16) - 1 hour 2 minutes
- Night 8 (12/17) - 35 minutes
- Bonus 1 (12/18) - TBD
- Bonus 2 (12/19) - TBD
- Vlog (12/20) - TBD
Thursday, November 5, 2020
2020 KnitPicks Big Sale - Predictions and Tracking the Deals!
The KnitPicks Big Sale starts November 9, 2020 at 6 AM PST! All November I will be updating this post to keep track of the awesome KnitPicks deals and discounts they offer, including my picks for the best discounts on bare yarn. I am a KnitPicks affiliate marketer, so the links in this post are affiliate links and I do earn commissions on sales made through my links.
I don't know what deals and specials are coming this year... but take a look at the 2019 KnitPicks Big Sale and 2018 KnitPicks Big Sale to see what deals they have offered in the past. I predict that in addition to hundred of skeins up to 60% off for the Big Sale, we will see some "freebie" deals (eg. free item with $65 purchase), some limited edition yarn bases, and $1 patterns. In the past few years, KnitPicks has released a new special daily deal every couple of days in addition to some specials that take place for the duration of the sale.
Deal of the Day?
In 2018 and 2019, KnitPicks offered special deals every couple of days. I will update this post every morning with any new information so we can see what to expect. The Big Sale starts at 6 AM PST on Monday 11/9/2020, but I'm not sure yet what time any daily deals will go live. They went live at 9 AM EST in 2018 and 8 AM EST in 2019, but I expect that we will learn more on Monday morning. I'm not sure what time each daily deal will go live, but from the graphic below we know when to expect them. UPDATE: Deal of the Days go live at 8 AM EST!
- 11/9/2020 - Launch of the KnitPicks Big Sale! Hundreds of skeins are up to 60% off. Sale ends on 11/24/2020.
- 11/10/2020 - $1 KnitPicks Patterns. The Deal of the Day launched at 8 AM EST (5 AM PST). My shopping strategy with digital deals is to place the rest of my cart in my wishlist and then checkout with the patterns I want, and then get my cart ready for the next day.
- 11/12/2020 - Save 20% off Yarn Value Packs with the coupon code "BIGVALUE" - this daily deal is the same on both KnitPicks and WeCrochet. Unfortunately as of 8 AM this deal did not work on the bulk bare yarn 20 packs, but there are some bare yarn value packs (best of bare lace, best of bare sock etc) that were marked down and stack with the coupon, so I picked up some of those. Don't forget you can only use one coupon code per purchase!
- 11/17/2020 - $1/$3/$5 dollar deals! These look to be the same on both KnitPicks and WeCrochet form a quick look. There are also $5 books on both websites.
- 11/19/2020 - 30% off all knitting needles. NOTE: crochet hooks are not on sale through KntiPicks - but they are 30% off at WeCrochet today! WeCrochet also has a few other freebies so it could be worth checking out the sister sale.
- 11/24/2020 - 40% off ball winders and swifts. This is the last day of the big sale, unless KnitPicks decides to extend it. I predict that it might be a free shipping bonus, maybe a lower minimum.
We Crochet - other deals?!?
KnitPicks has another company, "We Crochet" that has mostly the same products, but there are actually other promotions for the big sale at WeCrochet! There are a lot of similarities, but each site has some different "freebie" deals and you can get a lot of the same yarn discounts on each site. (For example, WeCrochet has a granny square enamel pin that KnitPicks doesn't have!)
- 11/10/2020 - Free print magazine with $50+ purchase
- 11/12/2020 - Save 20% off Yarn Value Packs with the coupon code "BIGVALUE" - this daily deal is the same on both KnitPicks and WeCrochet.
- 11/17/2020 - $1/$3/$5 dollar deals! These look to be the same on both KnitPicks and WeCrochet form a quick look. There are also $5 books on both websites.
- 11/19/2020 - 30% off Exclusive Crochet Hooks
- 11/24/2020 - 40% off ball winders and swifts.
What deals do I wait for?
For bare yarn that I buy in bulk, I will jump on discounts that are 40-60% off individual skeins. Skeins that are 20-30% off I will purchase if I only want a couple. (Here is the math: 20% off a 15% discounted bulk pack gives you a 32% discount on the yarn.) Typically KnitPicks has huge site wide coupons on Black Friday and Cyber Monday (In 2018 this was 20% off sitewide but in 2019 this was 25% off!) so I will wait for this for bulk bare yarn purchases since the coupons stack with the discounted bulk purchase.
Remember: Individual skein discounts don't stack with bulk bare yarn!
You can get bulk bare yarn discounts at KnitPicks any time of year, saving 15% off packs of 20 skeins. This bulk discount does NOT stack with individual marked down skeins. For example, if Wool of the Andes Worsted is 40% off, you should purchase 20 individual skeins instead of the bulk pack because there you will only see 15% off. It is ALWAYS worth double checking before you make your purchase!
There is a chance that KnitPicks will give deeper discounts for bulk bare yarn, but otherwise I tend to wait for a site wide coupon that historically comes around Black Friday and Cyber Monday. (Again, I have no inside information, these are just predictions based on patterns from previous years.) Site wide coupon codes do stack with the bulk bare yarn discount, so if you have a coupon code, check to see which gives you the better discount.
The Biggest Discounts on Bare Yarn in 2020
- Bare Biggo, Bare Chroma worsted, and Bare Curio are 25% off
- Bare Chroma Twist Bulky is 40% off
- Bare Chroma fingering is 50% off
What is in my cart?
- Limited Edition Bare Merino & Mohair - Worsted Weight 80% Merion / 20% SuperKid Mohair. $12.74 / 100 g.
- Limited Edition Bare Andean Highland Wool - Super Bulky 100% Andean Highland Wool. $7.64/100 g
- Limited Edition Bare Baby Alpaca - DK Weight 100% Baby Alpaca. $11.04 / 100 g.
- Limited Edition Bare Merino Fingering Weight 80% Merino Wool / 20% Nylon, $9.34/ 100 g.
- Limited Edition Bare Organic Merino 100% Fingering weight. Organic Merino Single Ply. $10.19 / 100 g
I am a KnitPicks Affiliate which means that I earn commission for sales made through my links. I made all of the recommendations and product selections on my own and purchased them myself. I have no inside information on the KnitPicks sale and my predictions are based on knowledge of previous years.
Friday, August 28, 2020
Dive into Dyeing with ChemKnits & KnitCrate! (NEW Learn to Dye Subscription Course!)
I am thrilled to share that I teamed up with KnitCrate & Dyer Supplier to create 15 videos for their new learn to dye course: Dive into Dyeing! Last summer, I filmed 15 videos to accompany this three month subscription to help you get started on your yarn dyeing journey.
I am an affiliate marketer with KnitCrate and Dyer Supplier which means I earn commissions on sales made through my links. All of the links and coupon codes to both companies in this blog post are affiliate links/codes.
Dive into Dyeing is a 3-month subscription kit designed to introduce you to hand dyeing yarn with acid dyes and highlights 3 techniques (semi-solid, variegated, and speckles). Each month you will receive 200 g of bare yarn, 3 - 1/2 oz jars of Jacquard acid dyes, gloves, a booklet with step by step instructions, and some other extras that will be helpful in your dyeing journey. I filmed 15 videos to accompany this subscription to help you get set up with tools & equipment, safety tips, and then how to begin your yarn dyeing journey.
What is included in the Dive into Dyeing Subscription?
Each month's Dive into Dyeing box will include 2 - 100 g skeins of yarn, 3 - 1/2 ounce jars of Jacquard acid dyes, 2 gloves, 2 zip ties, a booklet with step-by-step instructions, and some extras. The step by step instructions are fantastic - KnitCrate pulled images from the videos I created and included color coded explanations of formulas so you can keep track of your dyeing recipes.
What are the extras? Box 1 will include citric acid, Box 2 will include some squeeze bottles and wooden stirrers, and Box 3 will also include some stirrers.
What else do I need to start dyeing yarn? What is not included in the Dive into Dyeing Subscription?
The Dive into Dyeing subscription does NOT include Respirator masks / Dust masks, Safety glasses, pots/pans/steamers, measuring spoons, digital scales.
Personal safety is really important. I recommend that you get a N95 or respirator mask with P100 filters for when you are dealing with dry dye powder. I also wear protective safety goggles and gloves.
Make sure that all of the tools and equipment you plan to use for yarn dyeing are dedicated for dye and won't be used for the preparation of food. Here are some of my favorite dedicate dye tools for dyeing yarn.
How much is the Dive into Dyeing Subscription?
Dive into Dyeing is $39.99/month plus the cost of shipping. Starting April 1, 2021, the Dive into Dyeing Subscription will be $39.99 plus ($7.95 S&H Domestic or $11.95 S&H International) As of New KnitCrate customers can save 20% off the first month with the coupon code "chemknits20"
When the kit launched, shipping was included in the cost, as it was with all KnitCrate Subscriptions. I became aware of this price increase in an email KntiCrate sent 3/17/21 notifying customers of price increases across the board.
Can I cancel after the first month?
Yes. I believe that if you sign up again a few months later the system should know you have already received lesson 1 and start you back up with lesson 2. Please reach out to KnitCrate directly to confirm.
What is covered in the videos?
- Dyeing Tools and Equipment
- Safety tips for dyeing yarn at home
- How to make acid dye stock solutions
- Level 1 (goes with the Month 1 box) - How to dye Semi-solid yarn
- Level 2 (goes with the Month 2 box) - How to dye variegated yarn on the countertop
- Level 3 (goes with the Month 3 box) - How to dye speckled yarn low immersion
- Dyeing a yarn cake for a fun gradient
- Dyeing a 2-color gradient with connected miniskeins
- Dyeing self striping yarn
- Dyeing variegated and speckled yarn low immersion
- Dyeing "watercolor" yarn
- Solar dyeing yarn in mason jars
- Ice dyeing yarn
- Dyeing yarn with KoolAid in the microwave
- Dyeing yarn with KoolAid in a crock pot
Want to watch the videos to see if yarn dyeing is for you? You can! The videos I created for KnitCrate are available to the public for free. I created a Dive into Dyeing playlist that I will share on my channel or you can watch all 15 videos below:
Friday, August 7, 2020
Respirator Masks for Dyeing Yarn
- 3M 7500 series respirator - Note that this listing does NOT include the filters. See below. (Here is another link directly to the 3M website but I don't think you can order from them directly: 3M 7500 series respirators)
- P100 filters for the 3M respirators. There are disk filters (that look like pink disks) and combination cartidges (these look more like a box with a cap). I believe that either of these will work with the 3M 7500 and 6000 series half mask respirators.
- 3M 6000 half mask respirators - Some of the options through Grainger include the P100 filters and others you purchase the filters separately. Please read the listings thoroughly! The 3M filter options listed below should work with this mask.
- P100 filters for the 3M respirators. There are disk filters (that look like pink disks) and combination cartidges (these look more like a box with a cap). I believe that either of these will work with the 3M 7500 and 6000 series half mask respirators.
- Honewell North 770 Series Half Mask Respirator - Please note with your selection as some of these come with the respirator cartridge included and others you need to purchase the cartridge separately. I would select one with a P100 filter option.
- Prochem is selling single NIOSH certified N95 masks. As of 8/7/2020 they are only selling masks to existing customers. From their website: "We have limited supplies and need to supply to our existing customers that need these on a regular basis to conduct their businesses. The manufacturers have increased pricing and we have a limited supply of masks available. We will keep you updated as information is made available to us. Thank you for your understanding!"
- Dharma Trading Company - Moldex 8000 Series Assembled Respirator with replacable NIOSH P100 Particulate Filters. This is the resspirator mask that I personally use and am wearing the photographs.
- Dharma Trading Company - N95 Dust Mask - The first masks I used for dyeing yarn.
- Grainger - 3M 1860 Respirator N95 Mask. This was recommended to me by some other indie dyers.
- Fabric Dye Company Advantage(4) 200 LS Half-Mask Respirator and P100 cartridges
Want some fun tutorials on how to dye yarn? Check out the ChemKnits Tutorials YouTube Channel! I love to dye with a variety of dye types and techniques to apply color to yarn. You will find a combination of techniques using food safe dyes and commercial dyes.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
2020 Summer Mini Skein Mini Series
You can find all 5 videos in the following playlist:
Wednesday, November 6, 2019
The 2019 KnitPicks Big Sale - What are the best deals?
In this post, I will share what I think are some of the best deals of the big sale, keep track of the daily deals, and give some predictions on specials we might see. Please note that I am a KnitPicks affiliate and the links on this post are all affiliate links. This means that I earn a commission if you make a purchase through my links. All predictions below are based on sales from previous years. I have no inside information about what might take place?
Why is the big sale so spread out? KnitPicks used to offer these discounts on Black Friday/Cyber Monday... but the traffic ended up breaking the site and it caused a bunch of problems. I think that by extending the sale it makes it easier for everyone to get the yarn that they want.
Deal of the Day
Like last year, there will be occasional specials while the Big Sale is running. This year, they gave us a little sneak peek as to when we can expect these deals to come out.- 11/5/19 - Free Yarn Reel with $150+ purchase with code "YARNREEL - There is a new limited edition skinny blank of KnitPicks Hawthorne that you can unravel for a self striping colorway. I would LOVE a bare version of these reels!
- 11/7/19 - $1 KnitPicks Digital Patterns!
- 11/9/19 - Free Yarn Bowl with $150 Purchase. Use Code BOWL150
- 11/12/19 - $1, $3, and $5 dollar deals! There is a limit of 5 per skein per person, so things might stick around for a few hours. The sale started at 8 AM EST (5 AM PST). I maxed out on the $3 Felici Worsted and grabbed a few hanks of some of the other bare yarns. I also used this as an opportunity to get a free Enamel Pin (use code ENAMELPIN on a $75+ purchase). I grabbed the cat hugging a ball of yarn.
- 11/14/19 - 30% off Knitting Needles. I LOVE the wooden interchangeable set and that is pretty much the only type of needles I use these days. The square ones are awesome.
- 11/16/19 - Free Skein of Muse Sock yarn with $100+ purchase and the code "MUSESOCK"
- 11/19/19 - 20% off Yarn Value Packs with code "VALUE20".
- 11/21/19 - Free Skein of Stroll Tweed Tonal with $100+ purchase with code "TWEEDTONAL"
- 11/23/19 - Free Try it needle set with $50+ purchase! http://shrsl.com/1yvgp Use code "TRYITSET" at checkout.
- 11/25/19 - 50% off onyx swift, 50% off ball winders (no code, prices as marked so these stack with the other freebies)
What are the best bare yarn deals in the Big Sale?
Historically, KnitPicks has a 20% off (almost) everything coupon around Thanksgiving - after the Big Sale ends. This is partly so this coupon doesn't stack with mark downs that are up to 60% off. Therefore, when I am shopping the KnitPicks Big Sale, I look for yarn bases I order regularly that are 40+% off or bases that I order infrequently that are 30% off or more.
Why? I take advantage of bulk bare yarn discounts where you save 15% off of bare yarn packs of 20. 20% off after 15% off is a 32% total savings.
Please note: bare yarn markdowns in the big sale do NOT stack with bulk bare yarn purchases. Compare the prices between the bulk bare yarn and the big sale to see which is the best deal.
The following list is not in order of importance, but roughly by discount amount.
- Stroll Sock Blanks (30% Off) - These usually retail for $19.99 and at 30% off that is a big savings. I prefer KnitPicks blanks to other similar ones because I find they don't start to unravel during the washing process. I will be picking some up in this sale.
- Bare Surefoot Sock Yarn (50% off) - 40% Superwash Wool, 40% Super Kid Mohair, 20% Polyamide (Nylon), I'm not sure why this yarn doesn't get more attention. I know I'll grab a few skeins at this price!
- Bare SuperSilk (60% Off) - 52% Superwash Wool, 48% Mulberry Silk, this bulky single ply yarn is beautiful. Too bad it is normally so expensive, but the sale price is a great deal.
- Bare Capra DK (50% off) - 85% Merino Wool, 15% Cashmere
- Bare Gloss DK (50% off) - 70% Merino, 30% Silk
- Bare Biggo (50% off) - 50% Superwash Merino Wool, 50% Nylon I love this bulky yarn so much! It is chunky and dyes up beautifully. I love it so much that I will stock up other pastel colors when they are on sale.
- Alaina - Simply Alpaca Aran/Heavy Worsted (100% Superfine Alpaca) 40% off. This yarn is so super soft but I haven't dyed it yet. I bought it in a bunch of natural neutral colors last year and they looked so good on their own I couldn't bring myself to dye them. Maybe now I'll take the plunge since I just popped some more of this into my cart.
- Bare Lindy Chain (30% off) - A linen/cotton blend, this yarn is light and airy.
- Bare Rustic Wool (40% off) - I forgot how I loved this single ply 100% Superwash Wool fingering weight yarn! I only had one skein in the past but will need to pick up a few more.
- Bare Swish Fingering (40% off) - This reminds me that I have to do my "old" versus "new" swish fingering comparison. The newer one I got is MUCH softer and is labeled as superwash merino versus superwash wool from the original.
- Bare Hawthorne (30% off) - This is one of the yarn bases that I use the most. At 30% off I won't pick it up now since I have a healthy stash, but I recommend picking up a few skeins if you've never tried dyeing it.
- Bare Hare Fingering (40% off) 80% Merino / 20% Angora.
- Bare Cotton Boucle (30% off) - this 100% cotton yarn made the list because I absolutely love this yarn base.
- Bare Capretta (40% off) - 80% Fine Merino Wool, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon This is the older version of the yarn, it now comes in a superwash version.
- Bare Alpaca-Merino Boucle (40% off) - this is a fun yarn, but I don't knit with loopy boucle yarns very much. Should I grab some more?
- Bare Muse (40% off) - A single ply superwash merino Aran weight yarn... this one is yummy and I have yet to dye it.
- Bare Galileo (40% off) 50% Merino Wool, 50% Viscose from Bamboo Another of my favorites!
- Bare Paragon (40% off) - this yarn has a stunning drape. 50% Fine Merino (20.5mic), 25% Baby Alpaca, 25% Mulberry Silk
- Bare Gloss Fingering weight yarn. (40% off) 70% Merino Wool, 30% Silk
- Bare Cadena Yarn (30% off) - I often overlook this one, but the one time I've dyed it the results were DREAMY!
- Gloss Roving (30% off) - 70% Merino Wool, 30% Silk
- Stroll Roving (30% off) - 75% Superwash Merino / 25% Nylon
The above list only includes yarn that is listed as "bare" - there are likely awesome discounted pastel colors that you can overdye, too.
![]() |
| First draft of my cart from the big sale. Expect an unboxing as soon as it arrives! I do have a few non-sale items in my cart, but these are things that I need anyway. |
What can I say? I do love KnitPicks Bare yarns!
What are my KnitPicks Sale predictions for the rest of the year?
I do not have any inside information, I can only speak on patterns from previous years. I anticipate a 20% off everything coupon around Thanksgiving itself. If a yarn you use a lot is on sale now and is low stock, don't expect that it will be restocked in time for this sale. Usually in December there might be a buy more and save type coupon (eg $20 off of $100+.)
20% off KnitPicks coupons are rare and fantastic. The last time there was a 20% off everything sale was July 2019. As for bare yarn specific sales - the sale yarn of the month was bare yarn (so 20% off markdown) in April 2019 and December 2017 so I'm not expecting this to happen again before 2020.
Based on these patterns, I recommend on stocking up on your most used bases that are more than 40% off now during the big sale and holding out for others that you buy in bulk anyway. However, don't wait too long if you're running low! Waiting for restocks can be super hard.
UPDATE: In 2019, KnitPicks was 25% site wide for Black Friday. 20% off Sitewide Sat-Monday which they extended through Wednesday 12/4/19. They sure surprised me with that 25% off coupon!
Watch the unboxing replay!
Last night I unboxed a large KnitPicks order and chatted about my predictions and strategies. Enjoy!I am a KnitPicks Affiliate which means that I earn commission for sales made through my links. I made all of the recommendations and product selections on my own and purchased them myself. I have no inside information on the KnitPicks sale and my predictions are based on knowledge of previous years.




























