FAQs

Monthly Yarn Club FAQs

Q: What different types of Yarn Clubs do you offer?

A: All the information on each Yarn Club can be found by checking out the listings on my Yarn Clubs page; but here’s a quick summary of what I currently offer:

Speckles Club is the yarn subscription that brings the party to your crafting projects. Confetti, sprinkles, speckles - whatever you call them, these little pops of colour are a joy to see revealing themselves as you crochet or knit.

Glow Up Club is your dream yarn club if neon is your favourite neutral. UV-reactive fluorescent dyes create wild and vivid yarns. (And yes, they really do glow under UV light.) Sometimes solid shades, sometimes variegated - but always neon.

Blanket Club is the one for you if you love doing colourwork, duplicate stitch, intarsia, Fair Isle, or you just plain love a graphic colour block knit or crochet design. Here you’ll find richly saturated solid and semisolid shades of hand-dyed yarn.

Selection Box: If all of these options somehow sound like your perfect monthly yarn subscription club, you might opt for this one. This mini skein subscription box gives you a 20g mini skein taster of all three Yarn Clubs. Perfect for those of us who love to collect pretty yarn with no particular project in mind. You’ll be able to mix and match to create your new favourite WIP.

Q: How often will I receive yarn as a member of Indie Yarn Club?

A: Once a month; at the beginning of the month. (Please note: I have in the past made arrangements for customers who want to receive, say, 6 months’ worth of yarn all in one parcel. This can be especially appealing for overseas customers who may wish to save on shipping costs. Drop me an email if it’s something you’d like to arrange.)

Q: Can I choose the type of yarn I receive in my subscription box?

A: Absolutely! Each Yarn Club page has a drop-down box to choose your preferred base; and I am ALWAYS open to special requests. If you love BFL or yak or Tencel, I can order some in. (Speaking of Tencel, I’m working on some vegan/plant based yarn options, so watch this space. My mailing list sign-up box is at the bottom of the page.)

Q: Is shipping included in the subscription price?

A: Yes, for UK customers it is included. For overseas customers, additional postage costs are applied automatically.

Q: What happens if I need to skip a month of my subscription?

A: No problem! Just drop me an email and I can set that up for you. I can set your subscription to take a break for one or more months - whatever you need.

Q: I need to change the address my sub box goes to. How do I do it?

A: A quirk of Squarespace, the website building platform I use, is that the delivery address for a recurring payment (such as a sub box) cannot be changed. The only way to do it is to cancel the subscription, and then sign up again with the new address. For a one-off, you can just email me and I can manually create the postage label; but if it’s going to be a permanent change, please do unsubscribe and re-subscribe. If the monthly price of the box has increased since you initially signed up, get in touch and I’ll send you a discount code to ensure all future payments will remain at your original monthly cost.

Q: Can I cancel my subscription at any time?

A: Yes, you can cancel your subscription at any time by logging into your account and cancelling your subscription. If you meant to cancel, but another payment was taken before you got a chance - don’t worry! It happens! Get in touch and I can refund it for you. (Please be aware that a refund won’t be possible once the yarn gets posted out.)

Q: Can I purchase Indie Yarn Club subscriptions as a gift?

A: Yes! I love this idea. You can find 6-month gift subscriptions for all my Clubs on the Gifting page. For any other length of gift subscription, please email me and ill be delighted to set it up.

If you want to give the gift of Indie Yarn, but you don’t know exactly what they are into, I also offer online Gift Cards.

Q: I joined the club on the 21st of [month] and now it’s a whole month later, another payment has come out, and I still haven’t received my first box! Is this normal?

A: It is normal, although I appreciate that it’s a long wait! The cut-off date for my yarn clubs is the 20th of the previous month. For example, if you joined on 21st January, you would have just missed the cut-off for the February box, and so your first box would arrive in early March. If you would just like one box to try before committing to a subscription, make sure to cancel your subscription once the first payment has been made.

Shipping and returns FAQs

Q: What domestic shipping services do you use?

A: I use Royal Mail for most parcels.

Parcel value under £20: Second Class
Parcel value over £20: Second Class Signed For
Parcel value over £50: Special Delivery/other tracked service

Occasionally for larger or particularly high value parcels, I may use a courier service.

Q: Do you offer international shipping, and how much does it cost?

A: I do, and I’m happy to ship anywhere Royal Mail will deliver to. Useful information can be found on their International Incident Bulletin.

Prices vary depending on your location, and the weight and value of the parcel. It is automatically applied at checkout, so you’ll know the price before you commit to your purchase.

Parcel value under £20: International Standard
Parcel value over £20: International Tracked and Signed

Please be aware that you will be responsible for any customs or import charges that your order may incur.

Q: Can I track my yarn order?

A: Parcels to the UK with a value over £20 are sent using Second Class Signed For, which is not fully tracked, but can tell you when a delivery attempt has been made - and it gives delivery confirmation too. For parcels valued over £50, a tracked service will be used.

International parcels with a value over £20 are sent using an International Tracked and Signed service, which is fully trackable to the point of delivery.

Q What is your return policy?

A: I want you to be totally thrilled with your yarn, and if for any reason you aren’t, I will do my best to make it right. I’m a human person with empathy, and I’m also a consumer myself, of course; so top customer service is a priority for me.
Read my full return policy here.

Q: How often do you post out orders?

A: I’m currently posting orders out approximately once a week - but if you need a quick turnaround, let me know and I’ll do my best to help.

Q: Do you combine shipping on multiple orders?

A: Absolutely! If it will save you money on postage fees, I will always endeavour to combine shipping where possible, and refund you the difference.

Q: What’s all this I’ve heard about flat packed yarn?

A: It’s true! Individual 100g skeins are sent, laid flat and unwound, in a “large letter” size flat box. The skein band and info label are included, so you can twist up the skein at home if you wish - or, it’s ready to be caked or balled right away. The reason for this postage method is threefold, and came about as a result of the postage disruption during the Covid-19 pandemic. First, the postage costs are lower for a “large letter” than a “small parcel”, and that saving is passed on to you. Second, the package takes up much less space, making life a little easier for the postal workers who process and deliver it; and also making less of an impact on the environment, as it takes up less space in carbon-emitting delivery vehicles. Third, the “large letter” package can be posted straight through most letterboxes, meaning you don’t have to wait in for a parcel, or collect it from a sorting office; and (as a hang-over from Covid days) it’s contact-free. It’s a win-win-win.

sustainability FAQs

Q: What is Indie Yarn Club doing to reduce its environmental impact?

A: At Indie Yarn Club, I’m committed to reducing my impact on the environment in as many ways as I can. This commitment informs every business decision I make, from selecting the coating on my skein bands (no coating, to ensure recyclability) to deciding whether I make a separate trip to drive to the post office or make my long-suffering husband drop the parcels off on his way to work. (Sorry babe.)

Current recyclability of packaging materials:

Mailing boxes - recyclable, compostable
Mailing bags - recycled, recyclable, compostable
Parcel tape - recyclable, compostable
Skein bands - recycled, recyclable, compostable
Thank you cards - recycled, recyclable, compostable
Tissue paper - recycled, recyclable, compostable

Address labels - non-recyclable
Yarn info stickers - non-recyclable
Sealing stickers - non-recyclable

I have so much to say on this topic - please keep your eyes peeled for a future blog series on the concept of sustainability in the knitting and crochet community.

Q: Can I recycle your yarns?

A: Yes, with a caveat. From what I understand, yarn generally isn’t “recyclable” as such; but you can recycle just about any yarn by unravelling the fabric and re-winding back into a ball, to be used again in a different project. In addition, all the yarn that I dye is 100% natural fibres, and as such, it is actually biodegradable in both composting and marine environments. Most unusually, this includes all of my superwash-treated yarns. My yarn suppliers, Chester Wool Company, are WONDERFUL. Here is a direct quote from their website:

Superwash is a treatment applied to wool fibres that makes them more resistant to shrinking and changes the dye absorbability. In the 80s, superwash treatment got a bad rap because in some countries the effluent was not recycled. This has, however, has changed dramatically as the EU enforced very strict laws and any by-products must be removed from the water before it is discharged into the water systems. The mill [where] we get our merino processed is accredited with the EU Flower and OEKO-TEX 100 and runs a state-of-the-art effluent treatment plant. This now means that the water is recycled and when it is discharged it is better than the drinking water you get from the tap. We can only speak for our own fibres, this does not mean that other superwash treatments follow these procedures. We are very particular about where our wool is superwash treated. [We are] also constantly reviewing the biodegradability studies of superwash yarns, and there is some great research being published on that front.

So... what does the process involve? Again please note this is only relevant for our yarns, it may not be applicable to other superwash fibres. Firstly the wool is treated in chlorine to dull the edges of the scales of the wool, this reduces the ability of the scales to stick to each other and therefore reduces felting. Secondly, a resin is applied and creates a microscopic web-like structure permanently bonded to the wool, this smooths the scales, improving the handle and preventing felting whilst maintaining the dyeability. Recent studies have shown that the type of superwash wool we use, biodegrades very quickly in composting and marine environments, the good thing about the resin used on our wools is that it is a fairly weak structure, (unlike other resins which are applied to other types of shrink resistant treatments and may resist breaking down) which means it is a great option because it has shown in studies to break down very quickly leaving no residues. The other shrink-resistant treatments also inhibit the dyeability of the wool which is why they are not suitable for our yarns.

Q: What is your policy on mulesing?

A: I strongly oppose the practice of mulesing, which is a controversial method where strips of skin are removed from a sheep’s hindquarters to reduce the risk of flystrike. It’s considered to be an extreme and unethical way to manage the problem.

The yarn supplier that I use does not work with any farms that practice mulesing.

caring for hand-dyed yarn FAQs

How do I care for my hand-dyed yarn?

If you have an item made with hand dyed yarn, it's probably a cherished piece. It’s important to care for it properly to ensure it lasts for years to come. While Indie Yarn Club’s superwash merino is technically machine washable, it's recommended to hand wash items. If you must use a washing machine, make sure to use a gentle cycle and cold water to minimise any risk of colour bleeding or felting. Use a mild, wool-safe detergent and avoid using fabric softeners or bleach. Have a browse of my Caring for Hand-Dyed Yarn page for a deep dive into yarn care.