Dear Reader,
We’ve all been there. A rite of passage, if you will.
The Renderie by Brooke Thorn is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
You’re wandering the walls of your favorite LNS (local needlework shop) or LYS (local yarn shop) when your eyes land on the perfect color. You feel the thread between your fingers, flip over the label, and think: I’ll never forget “Swamp. Like Shrek’s swamp.”
Flash forward two years and… not so much. You’re digging through your stash muttering, “Was it Frog Legs? Pepper Pot? Milan? I think I remember a black label… or was that a different project?”
Or like me! You pop into a cute little yarn shop while traveling in Nice, France, forget to check the labels for meterage, and accidentally bring home half of the orange yarn you need for a sweater. 🫣
Why Dye Lots Matter
Keeping track of your threads (or yarns!) is more than just good organization can make or break a project. This is the case in both needlepoint and knitting. Documenting the brand, fiber type, color, and dye lot can save you from frustration later, whether you’re finishing a canvas or binding off a sweater.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve shopped my stash for a shiny new side project, only to return to the original one and realize… oops. The half skein I set aside wasn’t enough, and the replacement I grabbed looks just different enough to be noticeable.
For knitters, the stakes can be even higher. Imagine running out of yarn mid-sleeve and having to alternate rows of two slightly different dye lots. It can be salvaged (sometimes beautifully so!), but it’s not always the seamless look you envisioned.
Not only can dye lots have variation, our wonderful thread companies go to great lengths to offer a variety of color steps for beautiful shading and transition. I don’t think I’d be able to reverse engineer which green I stitched with with close color families like the one below.
Why Dye Lots Can Look Different
Dye lots aren’t arbitrary. They’re the record of a specific batch of dyeing. Each batch is like its own recipe, and even slight changes can significantly alter the outcome. Variations in:
Water quality
Temperature
Dye concentration
Fiber base
…can all affect the final color. Sometimes the difference is so slight you can’t tell. Other times, the same color number can look like an entirely different hue.
My local yarn shop here in Victoria won’t let me walk out of the store with mix-matched dye lots and I appreciate the extra step when I forget to check.
Remember that infamous Silk & Ivory batch of “white” that came out with a pinkish tinge? 🙃 A true collective memory in stitching lore.
A Small Habit with Big Payoff
Be kind to your future self! Even simple systems can make a huge difference:
Snap a photo of your thread card or yarn label alongside your project.
Keep a little log in your Notes app or a notebook.
Toss an empty label in a project bag as a breadcrumb trail.
I like to keep “thread pairings” or “yarn pairings” saved in my Notes app so I can share them quickly with friends or online. Here’s a template you can copy + paste:
Project Notes:
Feature:
Brand:
Color:
Dye Lot:
Quantity Used:
When You Run Short
And if you do find yourself one skein short of the finish line? Don’t panic. The needlepoint and knitting communities are wonderfully generous. Post your dye lot request in a Facebook group, on IG, or ask your local shop. More often than not, someone will come to the rescue with exactly what you need. 🩵 I have been deeply heartwarmed many times over by how this community helps each other and champions each other’s projects.
Because at the end of the day, while dye lots might seem like small details, future you will be grateful for the breadcrumbs you leave behind.
{switching gears}
Needlepoint Ottoman Update!
I’ve been scouring Facebook Marketplace for the perfect bench, footstool, ottoman situation for my Primrose Footstool project and found this one for $30 CAD. The dimensions are nearly perfect, although I’m not above a little frogging/reworking to get it right.
The owner is out of town until tomorrow, so Ethan and I will be picking it up upon their return. Stay tuned! The initial block is complete, and later tonight I’ll start a second block to get all of the stitches straight now that the pieces is squared off.
Scheming for my needlepoint headboard and bench:
In the meantime, now that the end is on the horizon, I’m feeling very energized by this project. As a result, I’m already scheming about the next projects, knowing they will take years to complete.
The canvas I ordered is in limbo while the shop I ordered from moves, but I’m cool as a cucumber about it. I ordered three yards of 10 mesh, which will provide enough material to stitch both projects.
The Math:
A yard of canvas is typically 36” x 40” bolt. Three continuous yards (be sure to ask for this) will give me 108”W x 40” H.
King Sized Headboard tie cushion:
80” x 36” design on a 84” x 40” canvas
Remaining Yardage:
24” x 40.”
Headboard: My husband is my biggest champion; however, he has adorably shared that he doesn’t want a floral headboard— no problem! So I’ll be making a floral bench 🤭 while we determine a game plan for the headboard.
Bench: I am so excited about what I designed for the bench and am looking forward to getting started later this fall! I have a few scraps of canvas and will be creating swatches in the next few weeks while I wait.
Sharing Katie’s videos on her project!
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Happy stitching (and knitting),
xo, Brooke
The Renderie by Brooke Thorn is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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