shop
  • hand-dyed yarn and small-batch kits, made by me in San Francisco

  • get fresh yarn in your mailbox, every other month, with my Kindred Spirits yarn club

  • order my fabrics by-the-yard at Spoonflower

  • more
  • about-me
  • Welcome!
    I'm Anne. I hand-dye yarn, make kits for knitters, and write words for the common good. I put fresh yarn in my shop most Sundays, in tandem with my Sunday newsletter.

  • Meet my beagle, Molly. She likes to steal yarn.

  • FAQs

    GENERAL QUESTIONS

    Where's the yarn? If there's no yarn in the shop, it's because I'm currently sold out. I usually stock the shop with fresh yarn or kits on Sundays, in tandem with my Sunday letter. Sign up for the newsletter to find out what's coming up.

    Do you have a brick and mortar shop? No. I run Little Skein as an online only shop from my home studio.

    Do you make everything yourself? I do! Everything at Little Skein is made, packed, and shipped by me.

    Where are your kits and yarn made? Here in my San Francisco studio. I work with several small mills to supply my yarn, and I go out of my way to use American and Canadian suppliers, and moreover, to partner with other small, independent makers.

    Is your yarn mulesing free? Yes, all of my yarn bases are mulesing free.

     

    SHIPPING

    When will my order ship? I pack, ship, and take orders to the post office once a week. The specific day varies, but it can take up to 4-5 days for your order to ship. This helps me batch organize my work, as well as manage my family's risk of exposure to Covid-19.

    How much does shipping cost? I charge actual postage cost plus $2 for packing materials and labor. Therefore, the cost depends on the weight of your package and whether it ships by first class or priority mail.

    I think I was overcharged for shipping. Shipping rates are based on package weight, but glitches do happen with an automated system. If you think you were charged too much for shipping, just email me at anne @ littleskein.com. I'll double check the weight of your order and will happily refund any overage.

    Can you combine my orders? Yes! Email me at anne @ littleskein.com and let me know that you have multiple orders and I'll gladly refund the overage.

    Do you ship to …? I ship everywhere except the UK and Europe. Unfortunately, it is not currently feasible for me to manage the tax reporting requirements of these regions.

     

    RETURNS, REFUNDS & EXCHANGES

    What's your refund and/or return policy?

    Returns

    I want you to be completely delighted with your purchase. If you are not, please contact me within 30 days of receiving your order, and I'll do my best to make it right. Mistakes can happen, and I am well-known for my superior customer service.

    Refunds

    I do not offer cash refunds for returns. If you need to return something, you may do so within 30 days for store credit, with the exception of pre-orders. For all pre-orders, if I have not yet ordered supplies to make your item, you may have a full refund. If I have ordered supplies, you may have a 50% refund and 50% store credit.

    I received the wrong item (or) something is missing from my order. I'm so sorry! Email me at anne @ littleskein.com and let me know about the shipping goof as soon as you can. I will send you the correct item(s) right away along with a postage-paid return envelope. I do my best to pack each order correctly, but mistakes can happen.

    What if I don't like my order? You can return it within 30 days for shop credit. Email me at anne @ littleskein.com for a return shipping address.

     

    YARN SUBSCRIPTION CLUB

    When does the subscription club ship? The last week of the month in February, April, June, August, October, and December or the first week of the following month.

    What if I don't like the color? This blog post has ideas on what to do with a single skein, especially if the color isn't in your wheelhouse. The yarn club is a surprise, though, so if you don't like surprises, it's probably not a good idea to subscribe. That said, if you're truly disappointed by a colorway, my regular return policy applies: If you return your yarn within 30 days, I'm glad to give you a store credit.

    When do I pay for the yarn subscription club? You're charged for the first shipment when you sign up, and thereafter on the 15th of the month that a shipment doesn't happen (in other words: January, March, May, July, September, and November).

    How do I cancel? Log into your shop account, and click on "Manage Subscription." You can cancel there. If you have any trouble, just email me.

     

    YARN CARE

    Will my yarn "bleed?" True yarn bleeding, where dye gushes from the yarn during rinsing, is exceedingly rare. However, some color in the water when you block your knitted item is common and is usually because of the difference in pH between the water here in San Francisco and the water where you live. Any color in the water during blocking should be minimal and shouldn't lessen the actual intensity of the yarn's color.

    How should I care for my knitted item? While many of my yarn bases are superwash, my experience is that your finished knitted item should be hand-washed and washed delicately in order to preserve color, longevity and size, whether it is made from superwash or non-superwash yarn. I strongly recommend that you:
    • Hand-wash
    • Use cold water
    • Use a pH-neutral wool wash