Frequently Asked Questions

When will my yarn arrive?

Inventory orders generally leave our studio within 5 business days.
Dyed-to-order items may take up to 4-6 weeks
Mega gradients may take up to 8-10 weeks

Why does it take so long?

Our gradients are not dyed using the usual methods; we hand paint each one, yard by yard, using our super secret method. The benefit is that it allows us a flexibility that yarn blanks don’t offer; for sweater kits or giant yardages for example. The downside is that each one is a labour of love and we are a two person company who can only paint so many per day. We do our best to keep our customers apprised of life events that can get in the way; via social media, newsletters and email. Please email us if you have timing concerns.

How do I wash my hand made items?

• Choose a sink or vessel large enough to allow the project to move freely without completely sitting on itself.

• Fill that vessel with cold water and add two tablespoons of white vinegar before adding the yarn.

• Gently press your project into the water while keeping an eye out for any bleeding.

• Do not agitate the project in the water, let it absorb water at its own pace.

• After 20 minutes or so, take it out and gently press the excess water out with a clean, dry towel.

• Lay flat to dry, or pin out if blocking lace.

  • If you have concerns about the yarn please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@thebluebrick.ca :)
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Why is the yarn so expensive?

See above re timing :) In addition to that, our yarn is sourced here in Canada for the highest quality merino and cashmere that we can offer. We also take the time to swatch every colour, cake our larger skeins, and photograph and retouch every colourway on every base. We put out shopping guides, social posts, and newsletters to ensure that you’re getting the best possible representation of the product before you buy. We also do the math for sweater kits, hats and gloves, sock sets and other ways of creating custom gradients for popular projects. That takes up a lot of time, and we build that into the value of what we sell.

Do you sell in Canadian or USD?

We are located in Ontario, Canada, and our store runs on Canadian dollars.

How do Puppy Points work?

Puppy Points are our super popular reward program! For every dollar that you spend with us, you earn 1 puppy point. Points may take up to 10 days to be reflected in your account. If you're a new subscriber, you'll get 500 points just for signing up, and you'll recieve 1000 points every year on your birthday.

Redemption tiers are $5, $10, $15, $20, $25, $30, $40 and $50. Once you redeem your points you will recieve a discount code to use at checkout. Please note that this code cannot be combined with other codes. Please also note the currency exchange; if you are in the USA, and you redeem a coupon code or puppy points, you will be given the USD amount. So, for example, if the code was for $10, you will receive $10 Canadian off, at whatever the daily exchange rate is.

How is shipping calculated?

Our shipping rates are calculated by the carrier directly, based on the weight of the product you ordered. We do our best to make sure the weights online are accurate so you get charged as little as possible.

Why is there a knot in my yarn?

Blue Brick gradients will always have at least one knot, more or less in the centre of the gradient. It’s a by product of the way we do our gradients, and larger yardages may have more than one knot. Up to three is possible.

I see new items for sale online but I still haven’t gotten my order. What gives?

The Blue Brick doesn’t operate on a one sale:one fulfillment ratio. Rather, we have an ongoing rotation of colours, both new and requested. This allows us to respond with the most flexibility to customer demand while also allowing us to follow our creative inspirations.

My yarn is bleeding onto my hands! Eek!

Bleeding is a bigger deal with gradient yarn than it is with tonals, because of the potential for dye to bond in the final wash to a different part of the gradient from where it belongs, ruining your work and creating a muddled result. Blue Brick yarns are washed three times after dyeing to ensure that our yarns are fully bonded, and that excess unbonded dye particles have been removed, but it can still happen.

Dye transfer (or dry crocking) can occur for 2 main reasons;

One possible reason is the personal pH of the person working with the yarn. I used to have a mother-daughter team working at The Blue Brick, and at the end of a day of skeining one of them would have tinted hands, and the other one would not; it can happen! Sweat and moisture can make a difference as well.

The other possible reason is that there is excess dye sitting on top of the yarn that didn't get absorbed completely during the dye process. This is not unique to indie dyers; it can happen with any situation where fabric has been dyed (this is why we still separate our whites, even with clothes we've washed many times!).  

In both situations my advice is the same;

• Choose a sink or vessel large enough to allow the project to move freely without completely sitting on itself.

• Fill that vessel with cold water and add two tablespoons of white vinegar before adding the yarn.

• Gently press your project into the water while keeping an eye out for any bleeding.

• Do not agitate the project in the water, let it absorb water at its own pace.

• After 20 minutes or so, take it out and gently press the excess water out with a clean, dry towel.

• Lay flat to dry, or pin out if blocking lace.

  • If you have concerns about the yarn please don't hesitate to reach out to us at hello@thebluebrick.ca :)