ChemKnits

Wednesday, November 8, 2023

The 2023 KnitPicks Big Sale is Here - Shopping Strategy and All of the Deals!

The 2023 KnitPicks Big Sale is here! Select skeins of yarn are up to 60% off starting 11/8/2023 and going through 11/21/2023. In this blog post, I will keep track of the 2023 discounts and special deals, share my picks for the best discounted bare yarn bases, and talk about my general shopping strategy for both KnitPicks and WeCrochet. I do this every year, and I'm excited to see what the 2023 KnitPicks Big Sale has in store for us! I will update this page daily during the big sale to keep track of the current offers.

I am a KnitPicks & WeCrochet affiliate marketer, so the links in this post are affiliate links and I do earn commissions on sales made through my links. This post was most recently updated 11/23/2023.

What is "The Big Sale"

Every November leading up to Thanksgiving, KnitPicks has a huge sale over a couple of weeks full of many different discounts (hundreds of yarns up to 60% off), mark downs, coupon codes, freebies, and more. Occasionally they even release new yarn bases! In the past these new yarn bases have included limited edition ("special reserve") bases, "Oops" colorways of Chroma, new bare yarn bases, and more. I always have my fingers crossed for new bare yarn bases.

Some of the Big Sale deals span multiple days, and others are only avilable for a day or two. Of course, I write this assuming that this year's Big Sale will be similar to 2022, which I cannot say for sure. KnitPicks and WeCrochet carry a lot of similar items, and usually individual products that are on both websites are marked down the same amount. However, there are often different coupon codes and order minimums between the two sites which is why I will be sharing both here.

Active Deals at KnitPicks and WeCrochet

The Big Sale has a combination of discounts that last the entire sale, weekly specials, and deals that are only valid for 1-2 days. In years past I would keep a running list of all of the active deals and discounts, which gets long and harder to look through. In 2023, I will post the current active deals here, and then archive them down at the end of this blog post once there are new specials. There are often similar deals at both KnitPicks and WeCrochet, but some of the details (such as minimum orders for free shipping) can be slightly different. Some of my favorite freebies from the past enclude enamel pins and project bags.

Please note that most coupon codes are limited to one use per customer, so you can only get one freebie. (However, you can make purchases at both KnitPicks and WeCrochet!) Make sure you see the store websites for full terms and conditions.

KnitPicks Active Deals

Daily Deal: The KnitPicks Big Sale is over for 2023, but there are Black Friay deals! See the archive below.

Weekly Deal: Free Snap Bag with KnitPicks $100+ Purchase using the code "KPSNAP23" 11/20/2023 - 11/26/2023 or while supplies last. I haven't touched this bag yet, but I did order one that hopefully will arrive before this promo is over so I can tell you all about it.

Always Deal: Free Shipping on KnitPicks orders over $65. (No coupon code required. This stacks with the above offers.)

WeCrochet Active Deals

Daily Deal: The WeCrochet Big Sale is over for 2023, but there are Black Friay deals! See the archive below.

Weekly Deal: Free Snap Bag with WeCrochet $75+ Purchase using the code "FREESNAP23". Offer valid 11/20/2023- 11/26/2023 and while supplies last. I have a sample of the KnitPicks snap bag on the way, but it looks like a mesh bag which will allow you to separate different yarns for colorwork, I'm super excited to see what it's like!

Always Deal: Free Shipping on WeCrochet orders over $45. (No coupon code required. This stacks with the above offers.)

What is coming next?

In my Big Sale shopping livestream on 11/8, I did a small unboxing of an order and found an awesome surprise - a calendar for the KnitPicks Big Sale! This shows all of the weekly deals that will be coming up, what days we can expect to find daily deals, and confirmation of a 25% off sitewide sale for Black Friday 11/23-11/24 and a 20% off sitewide cyber monday sale 11/25-11/27. WeCrochet weekly deals may be different.

So what is coming up? After the free project bags there will be free travel sets, then a snap bag, then a chart keeper all with a minimum of $100 KnitPicks purchase. I'm happy to be able to plan.

Build Your Own Yarn Pack

At both KnitPicks & WeCrochet, you can use the coupon code "MYYARNPACK" for 10% off 10 or more skeins of a single yarn line. In 2022 the equivalent coupon code stacked with Big Sale mark downs, so it is worth trying out again. Remember that you can only use one coupon code per purchase. Most coupon codes are limited to one use per customer, but I think this build your own yarn pack coupon can be used on multiple orders.

My Yarn Pack details from the KnitPicks Website. Use the code "MYYARNPACK" to save 10% off 10 or more skeins of the same yarn base through 12/31/2023.

My Yarn Pack Details from the WeCrochet Website. Use the code "MYYARNPACK" to save 10% off 10 or more skeins of the same yarn base through 12/31/2023.

KnitPicks Black Friday Coupons? My Big Sale Shopping Strategy

The KnitPicks Big Sale typically ends before Thanksgiving (11/23/2023). This year the big sale ends 11/21/2023. Historically there is a discount coupon on Black Friday, and then a smaller coupon off of your entire purchase for the rest of cyeber weekend. In 2021 and 2022, KnitPicks had a 25% off coupon for Black Friday and then 20% off coupon for the rest of cyber weekend. We cannot guarantee that these discounts will be available in 2023, but I base my Big Sale shopping strategy around the potential of site wide coupons towards the end of the year. EDITED 11/9/23 - I found a postcard in a recent order that confirmed the discounts will happen for 2023! See above in this post.

Save 25% off KnitPicks and WeCrochet sitewide with the code "THANKS25" 11/23/23- 11/24/23 for Black Friday! (affiliate links) See websites for full details.

Should I order then yarn I want now or wait for Black Friday?

I typically will purchase yarn that is 30%+ off during the Big Sale and then wait in case there is a coupon code later for full price items or items that are 20% off or less - if it is something I want to buy in bulk. If you have yarn you need for a specific project, go ahead and buy it now! I buy hundreds of skeins of yarn a year for the ChemKnits Tutorials YouTube Channel where I film yarn dyeing videos so I am always looking to maximize the savings I get on bare yarn.

On the Retail KnitPicks website, you can save 15% off bare yarn if you buy a 20 pack. (The available 20 packs are now on each individual bare yarn listing page versus all being in one place.) If you have a 20% off coupon and use that on your bulk bare yarn purchase, you have a 28% savings from the retail price. If you have a 25% off coupon and stack that on the 20 pack 15% discount, you save ~36% off of retail price. This is why I will typically purchase the yarn I want that is marked down at 30% off or more for the Big Sale.

Note: Bare yarn is available at WeCrochet again, there was a period of time when it was no longer listed here. Unfortunately I have not found any options for a bulk 20 pack of bare yarn on the WeCrochet website, so I recommend ordering your bulk bare yarn through the KnitPicks retail (or KnitPicks Wholesale website.)

Should I purchase everything in one order?

This is your call, but I typically place multiple orders during the Big Sale at both KnitPicks and WeCrochet, depending on the special deal. (I have a collection of project bags, pouches, and enamel pins from past Big Sales. I adore them!) The KnitPicks Big Sale comes with a lot of discounted products, but then there are also coupon codes in the daily and weekly deals. You can only use one coupon code per purchase. I tend to make a list of what I want to purchase at the beginning of the big sale and then place multiple orders while I wait for a good freebie or even the coupon that historically comes on Black Friday.

My goal is to hit the free shipping minimum with every purchase. I order a LOT of yarn, and tend to stock up on the materials for my videos during the Big Sale. At WeCrochet you get free shipping on orders of $45+ in the US, and at KnitPicks you get free shipping on orders of $65+. There are minimums for free shipping to Canada, the UK, and Australia, but those minimums are higher. This strategy may not be for everyone - as I mentioned I order hundreds of skeins of bare yarn a year so I am always looking for good deals.

My first order (left) so I could get a free project bag.

Other items I want (right) that I plan to order later.

New Yarn Bases!

In the middle of the 2023 Big Sale KnitPicks released some NEW yarn bases! I almost missed this. These don't appear to be limited edition or "special reserve."

I plan to pick a few of these new bases up in my next order. Caterpillar is 57% Cotton, 43% Merino Wool Sport weight. It has some stunning barber polling in some of the skeins. Impressionist is 80% Merino / 20% Nylon, also sport weight. I'm not entirely sure why these are sold in 25 g balls of yarn, this makes me raise my eyebrows as full price is $11.99 / 25 g. I'm a little disappointed because it looks so soft and fluffy.

Y2K Is a new bulky yarn line that is 93% Superfine Alpaca / 7% Nylon and the names of the colorways made me giggle. I think that I first discovered these yarn bases in a livestream on Friday 11/17. Names include "Fetch" "Whassup" "Chillax" and "Lowrise Jeans" and this Oregon Trail Generation / Elder Millenial is dyeing to see what this feels like. It looks like there is a chain construction, which feels perfect for bringing up memories of making icords in my childhood.

Finally, there is Felicini, the sibling of the popular self striping line Felici. I tihnk Felicini (also 75% Superwash Merino / 25% nylon) has smaller stripes and it also comes in a 100 g ball of yarn so you don't need to get multiple for a full pair of socks.

The most important thing is that Future Rebecca needs to remember that new yarn lines can drop in the middle of a sale and surprise us all. Fingers crossed that in 2024 there will be some new bare yarn lines.

The Best Bare Yarn Deals for 2023

In my opinion the best discounts on bare yarn in the 2023 KnitPicks Big Sale include:

Coming Soon - screenshots of my personal shopping cart!
50% Off Bare Yarns

Bare Hawthorne - This is one of the yarn bases that I have dyed the most of. This sock yarn is 80% Superwash Fine Highland Wool / 20% Polyamide. It is 2-ply and dyes up like a dream.
Bare Capretta Superwash - This fingering weight superwash MCN yarn (80% Fine Superwash Merino Wool, 10% Cashmere, 10% Nylon) is a favorite of mine. This is a SUPER good price for the yarn base!
Bare Andean Treasure - This DK weight yarn is 100% baby alpaca and is incredibly soft. I have plans to make myself a whole hat, glove, and cowl set out of this base if I can ever get around to it.
Bare High Desert Worsted - I'm not sure if I've dyed this 100% American Grown Wool non-superwash yarn yet, but I have always wanted to.
Bare Luminance - 100% Silk Lace Weight yarn. This yarn is a delight to dye, but since it is expensive usually ($25.99 / 100 g full price) it is hard to experiment with. I will be picking some up for sure.
Bare Stroll Sock Blanks - Stroll is the yarn base I have purchased more of than any other base ever. It is 75% Superwash Merino Wool / 25% Nylon. These sock blanks are double stranded and stand up to dyeing really well without unraveling. I love that these are $10 each right now!
Bare Hawthrone Sock Blanks - These double stranded sock blanks are knit with the same Hawthorne I mentioned above. For $10 each, this is a great deal!
Bare Gloss Roving - 70% Merino Wool / 30% Silk Roving. I actually have some of this presoaking in my kitchen right now as I'm getting ready to film a new epsiode of Dyepot Weekly focused on this delicious blend.
Bare Stroll Roving - 75% Superwash Merino Wool / 25% Nylon roving. There is now Swish Roving (which doesn't look like it is on sale) as a 100% SW Merino option, but before that the stroll roving was the only superwash option KnitPicks offered.

40% Off Bare Yarns

Bare Swish Bulky - 100% Superwash Merino wool, this is a bulky version of one of my favorite DK weight yarn bases.
Bare Paragon - Always a favorite luxe yarn. This sport weight base is 50% Finer Merino / 25% Baby Alpaca / 25% Mulberry Silk.
Bare Reverie - 80% Baby Alpaca 20% Acrylic Brushed. I'm not sure if I've dyed this blend before myself... Why haven't I done it yet?
Bare Stroll Sport - 75% Superwash Merino Wool / 25% Nylon. I don't dye sport weight yarn very often at all, but I do have some of this on hand for requests. The fingering weight version of stroll is the yarn I dye more than any other yarn.
Bare Lindy Chain - this is a fun blend for yarn folk who love working wtih plant fibers. This is a chain plied 70% Linen 30% Pima Cotton fingering weight yarn.
Simply Alpaca in Alaina - 40% off This 100% Alpaca yarn isn't marketed as "Bare Yarn", but the whole line is spun out of natural Alpaca colors. It dyes up beautifully!
Bare Merino Style DK - a great option if you want a 100% merino non-superwash yarn.
Bare Capretta - 80% Fine Merino Wool / 10% Cashmere / 10% Nylon I tend to go for the superash version of this yarn (which is 50% off for the big sale), but the non-superwash is also a dream to work with.
Bare Wool of the Andes Superwash Worsted & Bulky - I consider Wool of the Andes to be my workhorse yarn. It is inexpensive and wonderful for hats and other projects. The superash versions (100% Superwash Peruvian Highland wool) are great for if you want something washable.
Bare Hawthorne DK - 80% Superwash Fine Highland Wool / 20% Polyamide. It is 2-ply and dyes up beautifully.

30% Off Bare Yarns

Super Bulky Soft - Super bulky 70% Superwash Wool, 30% Superfine Alpaca. I adore this yarn, I have dyed and knit myself two hats with this yarn base. It is super warm and holds up well during wet snowy weather.
Bare Twill - this is a heavy worsted weight bounch 100% Superwash Merino wool yarn. There are only 149 yards / 100 g, but this was plenty to make my 10 year old a stunning hat (that also fits me.) This yarn is so bouncy and is fantastic for glazing.
Bare Wool of the Andes Roving - this 100% Peruvian Highland Wool Roving is very forgiving and great for your first journey into dyeing roving. I enjoy spinning and dyeing this a lot.
Bare Cotton Boucle - 100% Tanguis Cotton. This 2 ply yarn has one thick ply and one thin ply, giving a very subtle boucle effect. I love how this yarn takes up color and I dye it up a lot myself.
Bare Woolen Cotton - 50% Merino Wool / 50% Pima Cotton
Bare Simply Cotton Organic Fingering

There are some deeply discounted yarn bases that I have left off of this list (I'm looking at you Muse Sock), and mainly because they're not bases I am considering purchasing myself this big sale. I've tried to limit this list to my favorites. Any yarn I listed above that isn't in my shopping cart right now would be because I already have a lot of it in my stash!

I also left any of the discounted mini samples from the list. KnitPicks offers 10 g miniskein samples of some popular bare yarn bases for $1.50 each (full price.) These are samples versus bulk packages of miniskeins. They are great to purchase if you want to test out a yarn base without committing to a full hank, but they are not an option for buying the yarn in bulk. If you want to find the samples available, sort the bare yarn page by price low to high.

I am anticipating that the individual discounts overlap between the KnitPicks & WeCrochet Big Sales, but I'll update if I notice any differences.

If you want to easily find the best bare yarn deals - I recommend clicking on the 50-60% off category on the big sale page, and then sorting items in alphabetical order. Most bare yarn at KnitPicks starts with "Bare" at the beginning - so this is a great way to see the biggest discounted skeins all in one place. (There are a few yarn bases that do not have Bare at the start of the title, but you can usually find those on the Bare Yarn page.)

If you are interested in dyeing your own yarn, you don't have to limit your deal hunting to bare yarn bases. You can overdye almost anything, as long as the base color isn't too saturated. I have a whole playlist on YouTube dedicated to overdyeing yarn. Typically I would recommend pastel colors for overdyeing, especially if you plan to dye yarn with food coloring.

Big Sale Shopping Strategy Livestream

2023 Big Sale Unboxing!

Streamed 11/20/2023 at 1:30 PM Eastern Time on YouTube

2023 Weekly Deals - Archive

This archive is in reverse chronological order, with the most recent daily deals first. Check the dates to see if the newest deals are still active.

Free Snap Bag with WeCrochet $75+ Purchase using the code "FREESNAP23". Offer valid 11/20/2023- 11/26/2023 and while supplies last. I have a sample of the KnitPicks snap bag on the way, but it looks like a mesh bag which will allow you to separate different yarns for colorwork, I'm super excited to see what it's like!
Free Snap Bag with KnitPicks $100+ Purchase using the code "KPSNAP23" 11/20/2023 - 11/26/2023 or while supplies last. I haven't touched this bag yet, but I did order one that hopefully will arrive before this promo is over so I can tell you all about it.
Free Travel Set with $75+ WeCrochet Purchase with code "FREETOOLS23" 11/13/2023 - 11/19/2023. Limit one per customer while supplies last. This set includes a zipper pouch, a tape measure, foldable scissors, a sticky note pad, and locking stitch markers. I don't have this exact travel set myself, but I do have some of these zipper pouches and really like them. This freebie was still in stock 11/14. As of 11/17 I cannot find this on the website anymore, so I think it sold out.
Free Travel Set with $100+ KnitPicks Purchase with code "KPTRAVEL23" 11/13/2023 - 11/19/2023. This is different (but similar) to the free travel set I got in 2022. It comes with a zippered pouch (I have some of these pouches and they're really nice) filled with an emergency fix keychain crochet hooks), row counter, wire yarn stranding guide, split ring stitch markers, and a tape measure. As of 11/14 this may be sold out, I got a "code sold out" or similar error when I checked out. As of 11/17 this has been removed from the website and replaced with the free calendar code from below.
Free Project Bag with $55 WeCrochet Purchase 11/6 - 11/12/23 with code "FREEBAG23". Limit one per customer. See the WeCrochet website for full terms and conditions.
Free Project Bag with $75 KnitPicks Purchase 11/6 - 11/12/23 with code "KPBAG23". Limit one per customer. See the KnitPicks website for full terms and conditions
Free Calendar with $55 WeCrochet Purchase using code "FREECAL23" 10/30- 11/5/2023. Technically this deal took place right before the Big Sale started, but I wanted to include it because it is a promo that was included during the Big Sale in the past. Plus it shows that deals and special offers started before the official launch of the sale yarn.
Free Calendar with $75+ KnitPicks Purchase with code "KPCAL23". 10/30-11/5/2023. Technically this deal took place right before the Big Sale started, but I wanted to include it here so I will remember that deals started before the official 2023 Big Sale launch in 2024.

2023 Daily Deals - Archive

This archive is in reverse chronological order, with the most recent daily deals first. Check the dates to see if the newest deals are still active.

$29.99 WeCrochet Dot Hooks & Caddy Set (See Below). 11/20/2023 - 11/21/2023 (The Last Day of the Big Sale!) I have a set of bright hooks from WeCrochet that have a soft rubber handle that feels like it would be very comfortable. I'm assuming that these ones might have a similar feel, but I haven't tried them personally.
$5 KnitPicks Exclusive Ebooks 11/20/23 - 11/21/23
$12 Ball Winders and $40 Swift/Winder Sets at WeCrochet. 11/18/23 - 11/19/23
25% Off KnitPicks Interchangable Needle Sets 11/18/2023 - 11/19/2023. I love the wooden interchangable needles, I almost exclusively knit all of my projects with these sets. I love the ergonomics of the foursquare line, but all of the wooden ones are my favorites.
40% off WeCrochet Totes & Cases 11/16/23 - 11/17/23. I own a lot of these bags. The Everyday tote bags are a favorite of mine - the fabric on the inside has a crochet hook pattern. I also own a swift case, a hook case, some of the zippered pouches, and some canvas tote bags, too. Many of these were freebies in previous big sales, but others I purchased myself. 40% off is a great price!
$1.99 Exclusive KnitPicks Patterns 11/16/2023 - 11/17/2023
Additional 10% off WeCrochet value Packs 11/15/23
$5 Exclusive KnitPicks Books 11/15/2023

$2/$4/$6 WeCrochet Yarn Sale! 11/14/2023 Only. The crochet.com sale likely includes many of the same discounted items as the KnitPicks sale, but I will do my best to confirm. Don't forget that WeCrochet has a lower minimum for free shipping. There is a limit of $5/item/customer/website. In terms of bare yarn, Swish Roving was marked down to $4 on both KnitPicks and WeCrochet, but bare imagination was only available at KnitPicks.
$2/$4/$6 KnitPicks Yarn Sale! 11/14/2023 Only. This is a favorite deal, even if the categories are all $1 more expensive than last year's 1/3/5 sale! Update - there is a max of 5 per item per person. Make sure you check it out early because a lot of the steapest discounted yarns will go quickly. In recenty years they started limiting the number of discounted skeins each customer could order. I remember back in 2015 I successfully ordered discounted roving and then there wasn't the inventory to fulfill my order so that item was canceled and I was disappointed.
20% off Pattern Folios, 50% off WeCrochet Exclusive Print Books 11/11/23 - 11/12/23
KnitPicks - $12 Ball Winders and $40 Swift/Winder Sets. 11/11/2023 - 11/12/2023/ I use the KnitPicks ball winders and swifts. I got a new swift in one of the previous years, but I still haven't replaced my old one that I keep repairing with simple fixes.
30% off all WeCrochet Hooks 11/9/23 - 11/10/23. Prices are as marked, no coupon codes required.
30% off all KnitPicks needles & hooks excluding interchangable sets. 11/9/2023 - 11/10/2023. I have a lot of KnitPicks wooden needles and really like them. I adore the interchangable needles (it looks like individual interchangable tips are on sale, just not the bundle sets.)

Want to see how this Big Sale compares to previous years?

Monday, October 30, 2023

2023 ChemKnits Chanukah Yarn Sampler Preorders - Almost Ready to Ship!

Preorders for the 2023 ChemKnits Chanukah Samplers are still available and shipping will start soon! All of the yarn is dyed and I am currently wrapping and labeling miniskeins to pack up the samplers. Shipping should start the week of November 7, 2023. (Sampler shipping will happen in waves throughout the week, so don't worry if you don't receive a tracking number right away.)

Each night of Chanukah 2023, unwrap a 10 g miniskein of yarn and watch how the yarn was dyed in a new ChemKnits Tutorials dyeing video! New dyeing videos will be released every night of Chanukah on YouTube after sunset at 8:30 PM EST starting December 7, 2023. Choose between Fingering Weight or DK Weight Samplers for 8 Nights (100 g total) that will include 10 - 10 g miniskeins to open over the 8 nights. Samplers will ship in November 2023.

You don't need to be Jewish to celebrate Chanukah with me. Treat yourself to a delightfully wrapped miniskein sampler complete with a Chanukah card signed by Rebecca from ChemKnits. This unboxing will be an experience! All Samplers include 8-10 wrapped miniskeins (100 g total), some fun extras, and a hand signed card from Rebecca.

Some of the bonus full skein add-on options are currently sold out, but you can still preorder a Bonus Silk Sock colorway to your Chanukah Sampler. I will restock the Yarn Mops (DK, Sock, and Worsted Weight) and the DK Silk Sparkle Non-Superwash bonus colorway after I have shipped all of the outstanding preorders. All bonus skeins will be wrapped and labeled with the date they are featured in a YouTube video and come with a bonus progress keeper.

The 2022 ChemKnits Chanukah Sampler. Last year's samplers include 8 - 10 g minis and 1 - 20 g mini skein. The packaging and bonuses for the 2023 Sampler will be different.

There are more FAQ's on the 2023 ChemKnits Chanukah Yarn Sampler listing in the ChemKnits Creations Etsy Shop. Please check out the whole listing, or reach out to me via Etsy Messages if you have any questions about this year's series.

I will be in the live chat for the premiere during multiple of the episodes. It is so much fun to hang out and react to the videos while answering questions and chatting with you! Once we get closer to the start of Chanukah (December 7, 2023 is the first night this year), I will make a post here with the approximate run time of the episodes and any nights I will not personally be in the live chat.

Watch the livestream announcement of the 2023 Chanukah Sampler Preorders below:

Monday, June 5, 2023

2023 Spring Mini Skein Mini Series

Tonight is the first night of the 2023 Spring Mini Skein Mini Series! Join me at 8:30 PM Eastern Time every night this week on the ChemKnits Tutorials YouTube channel for the live premieres. I cannot wait to hang out with you in the chat room!

How long are the videos? When premieres are scheduled you can't see the video length. I like to share these times so you know if the premeire (and therefore live chat room) will still be going on if you join late. Typically the countdown is 2 minutes long, so the video itself will begin ~8:32 PM.

Night 1 (6/5/2023) - 33 minutes
Night 2 (6/6/2023) - 40 minutes
Night 3 (6/7/2023) - 45 minutes
Night 4 (6/8/2023) - 45 minutes
Night 5 (6/9/2023) - 50 minutes
Bonus Full Size Skeins (Night 6; 6/10/2023) - TBD, likely around 45-50 minutes
Vlog (6/11/2023) - TBD, These can be on the longer side

What is a YouTube Premiere?

The first viewing of the video will air like a regular TV program that starts at a certain time. There will be a countdown clock at 8:30 (Thanks, YouTube!) and then the video will start playing. If you join at 8:45, the video will be in the middle, but you can rewind it to start from the beginning. After the premiere is over, the

The best part of premieres is the live chat room. I try to be in the chat during the premiers to react, answer questions, and occasionally face palm when I notice something I missed during editing.

SMSMS Yarn

Check out the ChemKnits Creations Etsy Shop to grab more Spring Mini Skein Mini Series yarn. I just updated the main SMSMS listing so you can pick the night of your mini skein set. If you first select a yarn base you can see what nights are available, or if you select a night you can then see the yarn bases that are available.

Friday, January 6, 2023

Swatching Acid Dye Powders on Yarn, Part 2

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.

Swatching all of my Blue acid dyes across multiple brands. Close up on bright blues. D. True Turquoise, PF Turquoise, Jacquard Turquoise, Dharma Caribbean Blue, Dharma Frozen, Pro Chem Sea Breeze.

First Look at ProChemical and Dye Pro Washfast Acid Dye Line - 340 Poppy Red, 367 Watermelon, 119 Sun Yellow, 490 Brilliant Blue, 845 Lilac, 818 Violet, 672 Jet Black, 502 Chocolate Brown, 412 Cornflower, 408 Sea Breeze, 228 Saffron, 826 Deep Orchid, 370 Rhodamine red

First Look at Paradise Fibers Acid Dyes in Brown, Gray, Black, Navy, Blue, Green, Turquoise, Soft Yellow, Yellow, Orange, Red, Magenta, and Violet.

First Look at Greener Shades Acid Dyes - Coral Reef Aqua, Amazon Green, Sunrise Yellow, Sunset Orange, Ruby Red, Flame Red, Midnight Black, Amethyst Purple, River Blue

Crude Swatches of 12 Red Acid dyes from Dharma and Jacquard: Dharma Acid Dyes - Cherry Bomb, Fire Engine Red, Poinsettia, Cayenne Red, Chinese Red, Oxblood Red. Jacquard Acid Dyes - Fire Red, Crimson, Cherry Red, Russet, Scarlet, Vermillion.

1% Depth of Shade of Reds in Dharma and Jacquard Acid Dyes - In Solution. Dharma Acid Dyes - Cherry Bomb, Fire Engine Red, Poinsettia, Cayenne Red, Chinese Red, Oxblood Red. Jacquard Acid Dyes - Fire Red, Crimson, Cherry Red, Russet, Scarlet, Vermillion.

1% Depth of Shade of Reds in Dharma and Jacquard Acid Dyes on finished dry yarn. Dharma Acid Dyes - Cherry Bomb, Fire Engine Red, Poinsettia, Cayenne Red, Chinese Red, Oxblood Red. Jacquard Acid Dyes - Fire Red, Crimson, Cherry Red, Russet, Scarlet, Vermillion.

ChemKnits Dye Along, October 2022. Dharma acid dyes in Dark Navy, Amethyst, Plum Dandy, Cabernet, Teal Green, Emerald, Forest Green, Muck Green, Electric Violet, Royal Purple, Intense Iris, Exterme Blue, Midnight Blue

Does Heat influence the swatching? Dyepot PS #51 (Short answer is Yes! for some colors) Dharma acid dyes in Sage Leaf, Sea Spray, Hyacinth, Dark Navy, Twilight Gray. ProChem Lilac, Violet.

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) - 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. 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:

This post includes crude swatches I've done from May 2021 - December 2022. See The following post for crude acid dye swatches done prior to April 2021.

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

Where to Buy Bare Yarns (Undyed Yarns) in 2023

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.

I have two older blog posts on this topic. The most recent post from 2018 on Where to Buy Bare Yarns is now out of date (as is the even older post from 2010!)

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.
Revolution Fibers - Undyed fiber and some yarn, too.
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!