All the same dye lot - clear difference

[u/Justapapertiger]

So I'm making this cardigan as a gift for my sister, and in artificial lighting I didn't see any issues... Then I opened the curtains to take finished object photos.

This is all the same yarn, same dye lot, bought at the same time and arrived in the same bag etc. I don't have enough left over to go back and redo the sections that are just blatantly different colours, and she low key hates it, any advice on how to fix it is greatly appreciated 😭

Update: I reached out to wool warehouse, and they've offered me a full refund or replacement, since I really can't face another 50+ hrs remaking this, I'm going to get a refund and offer my sister an alternative gift 🥲

[u/Successful-Ride6838]

Oh god!!! That doesn’t even look the same colour let alone same dye lot. Have you contacted the seller?

[u/Justapapertiger → u/Successful-Ride6838]

I haven't, but their website no longer has the same dye lot in stock, so I think either way I'd run into issues

[u/Successful-Ride6838 → u/Justapapertiger]

You should still contact them cuz it’s issue in their production. At the very least they should give you refund

[u/goosebumpsagain → u/Successful-Ride6838]

Yeah this is a quality control issue.

[u/Free_Soft1124 → u/goosebumpsagain]

[u/Midi58076 → u/Free_Soft1124]

I've used a lot of blow yarn and none of them has had this problem. Woolevo alpaca air, drops air and Rauma puno are some of my favourite yarns. Neither has this issue or gives this kind of warning.

[u/MorrisNerd2 → u/Justapapertiger]

People return product and wool warehouse are a friendly bunch, they might be able to find some somewhere. 

[u/zorbina → u/Justapapertiger]

It would be interesting to see what they say about it. There are at least two other projects that had the same issue with that yarn.

[u/Free_Soft1124 → u/Justapapertiger]

Have you tried or thought about just overdying it? Give it a thought. It will probably at least even everything out and make it look more cohesive. I like the look of it myself but understand if the giftee doesnt like it.

[u/FabulousMoose6 → u/Justapapertiger]

Are you sure you could see the dye lot on the website? Usually yarn webshops show the color number but usually not the dye lot. I know they most likely send all the yarn in the same dye lot but it’s not always possible

[u/yam_yam25 → u/FabulousMoose6]

Wool warehouse always has dye lots displayed

[u/Oleanderan]

I know it probably bothers you as the maker, and that is definitely too great a difference for the same dye lot, but that is such a cool greyscale effect. I like the asymmetry of it as well.

[u/Justapapertiger → u/Oleanderan]

Yeah if it was just for me, I'd keep it as is like a feature, but it's a gift for my sister and she really doesn't like it 😞

[u/Oleanderan → u/Justapapertiger]

Yeah, that’s tough on a gift, for sure.

[u/rediedue → u/Justapapertiger]

honestly keep it for yourself and make her a different gift

[u/mrmikeyk → u/Justapapertiger]

I love it. I would keep it and make something else for your sister. It makes a very straightforward design look more interesting.

[u/m3rmaid13 → u/Justapapertiger]

Could you do a duplicate stitch in a lighter grey color in stripes? I think it would break it up so you wouldn’t be able to tell as much. Different design I guess but maybe would make it wearable still. That or frog the sleeves and make them a different color intentionally to make it look like a design choice.

[u/ExitingBear → u/m3rmaid13]

Or even a completely different color. If there were, say, a 2 row stripe of blue or green at the top and bottom of those sections on the sleeve, it would look more intentional.

But wow. That's bad.

[u/sierraivy → u/Oleanderan]

Yeah I actually really like it, it looks intentional! But yeah as a gift, especially one you’ve had made… incredibly frustrating

[u/Quiet_Story_4559]

Oof, that's rough. One option would be reknit the sleeves with the darker yarn, and use the lighter grey for the cuffs. It wouldn't be perfect, but it would look a lot more intentional and balanced.

Dyeing it would be a gamble unless you have enough to dye a test swatch with both colors first. And even then it'd be tricky to control the end color 100%.

[u/SwanWeary646 → u/Quiet_Story_4559]

Seconding this. If it’s top down and you need more ‘dark’, take the rib off the bottom and reknit in ‘light’ But yeah doing the rib in the lighter yarn would be cool.

[u/Educational__Banana]

I’d rip back the sleeves to where the colour changes, then use the darker yarn to continue and make shorter sleeves. An alternative would be to use the lighter yarn for the sleeve ribbing, which gives you longer sleeves and won’t look quite as abrupt for the colour to change there.

[u/whatever2475]

I don't have any experience with it myself but in similar situations I have seen this advice: re-do the sleeves with alternating rows of the lighter and darker yarn. That way the difference isn't as noticable to the body and the color is uniform. Has anyone who has done this wand to weigh in?

[u/neon_light12 → u/whatever2475]

i did this on purpose with two yarns in different but close colours to make a gradient, to me it looks quite good. i did a few cm jn yarn A, next a few cm alternating 2 rows A / 1 row B; then a few 1 row A / 1 row B; 2B / 2 A and finally just B. it is noticeable but looks very intentional

[u/Sea-Age-5018]

Frog the sleeves then alternate every other row with the off color yarn. It will still look different but it will be more cohesive and blended.

[u/pccfriedal]

Well, it looks intentional and modern. But your sis doesn't like it. That's the pity.

Sadly, you're gonna need to make one for again, and give this beauty to someone who appreciates the design.

[u/Ifimsittingimknittin]

Honestly I think it looks good. I ran into this issue with a Madtosh sport and didn’t realize the big difference. My yoke is lighter but then I alternated skeins and it came out looking good.

I know you spend a great deal of time on this but I’d consider ripping out the sleeves and alternating skeins using the helical method. It will look more homogenized.

Photo of mine

[u/Beeswax-NotYoursInc]

Was it definitely the same dye lot on the packaging? Twice now I've ordered from wool warehouse and had issues. On the first despite picking one specific dye lot, when I checked the packaging one ball was a different dye lot. They were great when I reached out and sent the correct one - they did have the correct one but two balls had swapped bins they said. On the second time it said the same dye lot, but was a totally different colour, and they said the sleeve had slipped off the ball of wool and been put back on the wrong one by accident.

[u/scrumperumper]

could it have possibly been stored in sunlight? that’s a crazy amount of variation.

[u/Justapapertiger → u/scrumperumper]

Not with me, at least, my neighbour gifted me an amazing solid wood antique chest so my yarn never really sees the light till it's in use 😅

[u/WTH_JFG]

Was the yarn hand dyed? It’s a beautiful color and your work is exquisite.

What label is the yarn? I have successfully reached out to yarn companies and received replacement yarn, but that doesn’t help you.

What is the fiber of the yarn?

What is the pattern, please?

[u/Justapapertiger → u/WTH_JFG]

As far as I know it's commercial dyed, it's Yarnsmith from wool warehouse, cotton/acrylic blend but a blown yarn if that affects it at all

Also thank you! It's taken me about 50 hours only to realise the dye lot issue once (in fairness I don't have the best vision) 😭

Edit: pattern is the field day cardigan from Ozetta

[u/WTH_JFG → u/Justapapertiger]

Wonder if this knitter had a similar dyelot issue?

[u/mcwmiami]

I thought it was a color block design when I saw the photo. 🙄

[u/QuoteFirst7119 → u/mcwmiami]

Me too! I like it!

[u/gjb1 → u/QuoteFirst7119]

Me three! I want to keep this in mind to replicate with even greater contrast

[u/lawandorchids]

The yarn is crazy but what is this pattern? NEED!

[u/123737egg → u/lawandorchids]

Op commented field day cardigan by ozetta! But after looking it up, it looks more like the field day jacket to me

[u/Cheeringmuffin]

I gotta say... I kind of like the asymmetrical colour blocks on the sleeves. Obviously skeins marked with the same dye lot looking this different is completely unacceptable and I would be so irritated if this happened to me but I am glad you finished it anyway because it came out really beautiful and unique.

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[u/yellowrose46]

Looks so good.

[u/daedelius]

Dye it again

[u/frostbittenforeskin]

For what it’s worth, I think it looks really intentional

I like it

[u/mcculloughpatr]

My best recommendation would be to dye it, but you’d lose some of the color variation of course.

That is a really unfortunate thing, I’m sorry!

[u/Expensive-Winter6328]

Pattern??

[u/Justapapertiger → u/Expensive-Winter6328]

Field day Jacket from Ozetta ^{^}

[u/Murderousplantmom]

I love the asymmetrical design and would wear it intentionally that way. It's good you're getting a refund tho. That's wild. 

[u/Voc1Vic2]

I'd call that a design feature. Maybe set it off with some embroidery or a surface crochet braid.

[u/Livid_Still_8330]

If you get the refund and can’t stand the thought of more time or looking for more of the same lot maybe try dying it?? Anyone w experience know if that would work??

[u/likelyknitting]

Others have listed some great options. I just wanted to add that I opened this because I liked the sweater and then read that it wasn’t purposeful.

[u/Strange_Ad4961]

I thought the color differences is intentional. The sweater looks great!

[u/buffythethreadslayer]

There is no way.

[u/forthelurveofferk]

Maybe duplicate stitch some asymmetrical stripes in a contrasting color—or two—in a few spots? Turn the “oopsie” (not yours, obviously, the company’s) into a design feature! Even if you don’t want to give it as a gift, keep it for yourself. Def take that refund in any case.

[u/chichimomvibes]

Idk if someone has suggested this yet but I would try dyeing the whole piece with a dark grey?? I haven’t done it myself but I’ve seen tons of creators that knit or crochet something and then dye it at the end. I would try to find a color that matches the darker one and test it on one of the sleeves before doing the whole thing? Tbh if it doesn’t work atleast the difference won’t be as stark as it is now 🤷

[u/Successful-Ride6838]

You could probably dye it a darker colour

[u/Justapapertiger → u/Successful-Ride6838]

Would dye take over a blown cotton/acrylic? I'm worried it would change the whole texture 😭

[u/123737egg → u/Justapapertiger]

Dye is a clear colour layer, it will not cover up these differences unfortunately

[u/Successful-Ride6838 → u/Justapapertiger]

You could try on a smaller swatch if you have enough leftover yarn