Inspiration
This Tariff Thing
Dear all,
In the past few days I’ve received three email newsletters from folks in Europe who run knitting-related enterprises that I admire utterly. Each explains how they are responding to the tariffs that are being imposed on orders going to customers in the United States.
In short, it’s a mess. People are doing their best to continue to serve their U.S. customers, but it’s fraught with difficulty and expense at every turn.
Their concern, of course, is that we in the United States will stop ordering from them because the expense of tariffs is too high.
I heartily encourage everybody to keep the love and the U.S. dollars flowing to these businesses; they need it. The U.S. is by far the largest set of customers in the world for yarns, patterns, designs, notions, and tools. Knitters in the U.S. are enriched immeasurably by the work of these businesses. Sadly this fact may only truly hit home if they disappear.
The current tariff situation is fluid; it changes in a way that is unpredictable. It’s not like the lean teams of these small businesses have even a second of spare time to fool with any of it. And yet, and yet—they must spend time responding to the effect of these new taxes (for that’s what a tariff is, plain and simple).
We here at MDK are struggling with the tariff situation as well. We’re working right now on developing a new palette of our British-made Jane yarn. We’re pushing ahead because we’re eager to expand the color fun that can be had with our all-British yarn (British wool, British dye house, British mill). We have no idea what the tariff situation will be when it comes time for our yarn to ship from the U.K. But it’s unsettling, to say the least.
We knitters are so lucky to have an international marketplace for yarns—getting a parcel from a distant place is big fun. Would love it if you’d leave a comment with your favorite non-U.S. knitting/yarn/design company.
And, of course, your favorite local U.S. hand dyer is fighting this situation as well—many yarn bases are made outside the U.S. So shopping with them is important as well.
Our support for domestic yarn production remains undiminished. We admire, purchase, sell, and knit with American yarns as often as we can, and MDK’s own beloved Atlas and Atlas x Madelinetosh yarns are grown, spun, and dyed in the U.S. But let’s state it plainly: the yarnmaking supply chain in the U.S. is not robust; it would take many years, and millions upon millions of dollars of investment, for U.S.-based yarnmakers to be able to supply the variety and quality of yarns that have been manufactured abroad for as long as we have been knitting.
I dread the possibility of one of these beloved non-U.S.-based companies folding because the tariffs were the last straw. Think about the stab to the heart you feel when a knitting company you love writes that awful announcement. Let’s do what we can to support them.
Your abiding support is a powerful, important thing!
Love,
Ann
Boston Tea Party image from Wikipedia. (And yes, we realize the Boston Tea Party is a totally different sort of tariff situation. We just like this drawing, mostly.)
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So much in our poor old world has gotten so much worse so very quickly.
I love love love Shetland wool and buy from Jamieson & Smth a lot. Also love the yarns Carol Feller offers at Stolen Stitches in Ireland,
I’m lucky enough to be a US expat in Canada… which leads me to ask if there may not be a way in which you could, perhaps, possibly, per chance, work with some… any… of your Canadian connections (Kate Atherley in Toronto, Claudia in Hamilton, heck, even little old me here in Cambridge in between those other 2) and create a Canadian MDK intermediary through which MDK members can order their EU faves AND MDK UK-made Janes can pre-arrive.
I’m not sure if it lessens or mitigates the problem, solves the problem, or merely replaces one with another (or multiple others) but it might be something for a really good accountant to look into.
And ditto UK – it would be madness indeed if, to buy MDK’s British Jane yarn, knitters in Britain have to pay the effect of tariffs twice (out and back). Presumably everyone is looking for workable workarounds pending the actual US intention that the sheep, the spinners and the dyers move from UK to US, somehow have no set-up costs, and then UK buyers just buy from the US with one lot of tariffs (or one lot of tariffs, applied on higher prices, because of course, set up costs are *not* zero, and as the prices are higher, the tariffs are higher).
No-one’s a winner?
The news said today, and I had already heard, that some countries, including UK, will not be shipping to the US. So it may be out of our beloved yarn suppliers’ control.
Sounds like a very good idea.
Faves – Kate Davies, John Arbor, Carole Feller
I just bought some beautiful yarn by Frankie Grey Fibres from Yarn Byrds at the Pittsburgh Knit and Crochet festival last weekend. http://www.FRANKIEGREYFIBRES.com
It is a sad day when we can no longer chose where our yarns come from. I lived in NZ for a looong time, and felt that I was blessed with a beautiful selection right under my nose. I did occasionally order yarns from Australia, Canada and the US.
Now, I am based in France, and still finding my feet in the fibre/yarn world. Is this a good place to ask: where/who are the indie dyers in France? I wish to support local small businesses. Thank you!
The Lyon Knit Eat Festival is coming up – there will be Indy dyers there. Lyon France
It’s a sad, dark time in the world, and to see that spilling over into our yarn crafts is just heartbreaking.
I made a couple of orders, hopefully just under the deadline, of Spindrift and Carol Feller’s Nua Sport (which is my very favorite yarn to wear next to my skin). I hope that somehow they won’t be my last.
This dawned on me last night as I am nearly done with a pair of socks – The Fibre Co – Amble.
Knitting for Olive – fortunately my LYS has stocked up.
Perhaps I need to go across the pond on a trip with an empty suitcase to go yarn shopping for my friends and I?
Thank you for this timely statement. I have now heard from Kate Davies, Alice Starmore, Susan Crawford, John Arbon, Loop, and Marie Wallin in the UK, and Sonder Yarns in Canada about how they can no longer ship to the US until they are able to figure out both how to collect the tariff and then how to pay it to the US. I have resolved that, when they are able to continue shipping, I will continue to buy yarn from these lovely folks in spite of the tariff—but I know this may not be possible for everyone. It angers me that these important businesses may be put in jeopardy by the greed of the US government. I can only hope that this policy will vanish in that same way that it appeared—quickly and with little forethought.
I support a couples of dyers in Canada. But there is one that I can no longer support as she stopped shipping to the US and she was the source of my beloved merino/silk/yak. Melissa from Alley Cat Yarns said in her farewell email that it had become too much headache inducing work to figure out that days mess of tariffs/taxes so she stopped putting herself thru it. More’s the pity for me!
Another Canadian dyer that I love is Arcane Fibre Works.
I’m currently awaiting an order placed on Aug 6th. (It’s last known location was Bell Gardens, California!) Pls take a look at Arcane’s website as Tyler Burgess’s “mood board” for each colorway is so incredibly beautiful! And with every colorway is a picture of what that yarn looks like knit up as a stockinette swatch! I wish every dyer showed that!!
That’s my 2 cents worth of this cluster-fuck that is tRump’s presidency
Try On the Round, she is an indie dyer and knits/crochets swatches of her beautiful yarns. http://www.ontheround.com
As an English knitter, regular reader, fan and purchaser of MDK items I just want to second the message here. I absolutely love the way the internet has opened up the knitting community across the world. I love being able to knit patterns from designers all over the world, order beautiful yarns and support enterprising small creative businesses. I enjoy reading blogs and learning from other knitters wherever you are and I’ll never forget the first time I shared the joy with a fellow knitter on the other side of the world, in Canada, after we had both completed Kate Davies’ Bluebell sweater.
Ann, thank you for that update/ explanation. Through the years, I have developed a real sense of a global knitting community. thanks , in large part, to MDK. Together we’ve grown to appreciate our shepherds, dyers, suppliers with a new awareness and respect. I am committed to supporting the people that provide so much to me. I look to this space for any ways to be more supportive.
I love Kate Davies Designs https://katedaviesdesigns.com –Like MDK I love the writing as much as the yarn –just received an email with a long explanation of how they are dealing with the tariffs -very complicated -their yarns made in the UK have one tariff percentage, their yarn made in Ireland has a different one, there’s a new Royal Mail Service system they’ll be shipping under –And Fleece & Harmony on Prince Edward Island -wonderful vlog on YouTube —They both (and others I read) are apologizing to US for the hassle of the tariffs –UGH I want to apologize to THEM.
I have received yarn a couple times from the Wool Warehouse in the UK, which arrived in about a week each time. Also have recently received yarn from Rito.com in Denmark. I have also received a kit from Virtual Yarns in the UK and it arrived in less than a week. Wonderful customer service from each company.
While in Canada, I have bought a lot of Canadian yarn, (Briggs & Little and MacAusland), and hope to get more as I need it.
I understand what you’re saying, and completely agree. I went to Shetland Wool Week for the first time last year (2024) and met amazing yard makers and farmers. One of them, Midwinter Yarns, just came out with a fantastic new linen yarn called Lithuanian Linen. It’s so intrigued me that I ordered $100 worth of it, seven or eight colors, and had it sent to my niece, who lives in Glasgow. Coincidentally, I have friends who are taking a trip to Glasgow, so they will meet my niece for a beer and make the exchange! It is sad? ridiculous? that all this has to happen because of the turmoil the nonsensical/unnecessary tariffs are causing. Midwinter Yarns is worried that stuff will get stuck in customs for ages, so may not be shipping to the United States until things settle down. Sad!
Thank you for this article; as always with MDK, I learn something new.
I just quickly checked my yarn stash.
I have yarn from Italy, Ireland, Peru, Turkey, Germany, UK, Shetland Islands, etc. and one from Vermont, USA.
Never did I stop to think that 90% of my yarn is from outside the US
Thank you for this
As a Canadian, we are doubly hit, tariffs, then their massive hit to our economy, which lowers our dollar so the exchange rate (which is heading towards 40%) increases.
Very troubling and uncertain times all around.
Postal services around the world are now responsible for collecting the tariff on all parcels to the US and forwarding the money and paperwork to US customs. Only parcels which are gifts are exempt. It’s incredibly complex and most countries seem to have a temporary pause while they work it out. It introduces a lot of extra cost on to vendors as well as the postal services so I imagine that postal costs to the US will probably increase along with the cost of goods. Our postal service in NZ thinks it will be several weeks before the processes are resolved. Meanwhile many small businesses/cottage industries are very fearful they wont survive.
I think gifts are exempt only up to $100.
Wow, gifts are exempt? That’s quite amazing. Here in Malta we have to pay VAT on anything from outside the EU, and if it’s over 150 euros we then have to pay extra tax. Before we joined the EU we had to pay tax on everything. From everywhere. Even if it was a gift.
Someone mentioned La Bien Aimee. Never tried anything of theirs because they’re super pricey and mostly superwash. I can recommend Walk Collection, their hand dyed yarns are beautiful. I’m knitting one of Eri Shimizu’s pattern up in their Linea, which is alpaca, silk and linen. Wonderful yarn.
I’m old enough to remember a time when everything you bought from abroad usually came with a fake lower value on the outside, to try and save customers tax… this was before the computerisation of everything.
Surely some of you must have friends abroad who could send yarn to you as gifts? Ahem…
Perhaps each and every American needs to write their Congressional representative and the President demanding the tariffs stop immediately. The tariffs have deeply harmed the consumers, as well as small businesses, mid-sized companies, and large corporations. The tariffs have harmed long standing relationships the USA has had around the globe. All this harm for nothing in return.
I have written to the people in Congress, elected by voters in my red state, about other things – Medicaid, public media, education – and their responses tell me that they don’t care what I think. We have to VOTE and get more responsible people – dare I say women – in Congress.
Thank you for reminding us that these tariffs didn’t just happen, like a tornado or other natural phenomenon,. They are the direct result of some, actually one, really bad, inexplicable, mind-bogglingly self-harming choices by the American electorate, some of them probably knitters. Writing one’s representatives and the president may help, but a more informed, thoughtful, and compassionate electorate would belp even more.
Yes. Dolores and thank you.
There a painful reality of what freedom of choice means in real time and real life – and this is “just yarn” (my ironic emphasis).
Let’s protect our freedom(s) of choice: So, bravo Dolores for “calling a thing a thing” as we say in my Black American community.
We have get out of this ugly state of affairs in our country – the USA – if yarn advocacy for unfettered access to the multiplicity of cultural creators and producers of this beautiful fiber is one pathway, so be it.
I am originally from Denmark and love Danish knitting designs made by for example My Favorite Things Knitwear, Knitting for Olive (design and yarn) and Anne Wenzel. I buy the fabulous Danish Isager Yarn and Norwegian Sandnes Garn yarn through American located distributors. Have received emails expressing worry about the tariff situation from them.
I live in Florida. I just received an email from a shop in Australia, telling me that they had to cancel my order due to “unforeseen circumstances”. It’s so sad.
This whole conversation makes me want to cry. I just came back from a trip to Montreal and to Ottawa. I was fortunate enough to be driving through Quebec the weekend of the Twist Fiber Festival and thoroughly enjoyed shopping from local dyers there.
I live in Cincinnati just north of the Bourbon Trail. The impact of our terrible political environment goes both ways. No bars, restaurants, etc. appeared to have any US produced spirits on their shelves. The bourbon producers in the US have been significantly impacted by the boycott in Canada and sadly, I have to totally support the Canadian’s decision to boycott our products…we are not playing fairly!
I have yet to figure out who in the world will benefit from all of these ridiculous motions put in place by the frightening crew in DC! The thought that one man can cause so much havoc and destruction to so many amazing people all over the world makes me so sad! I will continue to do everything I can to support the international yarn producers for long as I can continue to get my hands on their products!
So many agree with you —-
” The thought that one man can cause so much havoc and destruction to so many amazing people all over the world makes me so sad!”
For IPY who posted looking for French yarns…and everyone else…I got a beautiful kit from La Bien Aimee, a dyer in Paris. Really nice yarn and amazing colors. Highly recommend!
Still grieving over the demise of Elite and its wonderful Liberty Prints washable wool. And until just now, it had not occurred to me that tariffs and shipping stoppage from Europe would affect my favorite pasttime.
Canadian knitter here. I have always enjoyed the “international” bonuses of my craft – from visiting workshop animators willing and able to cross borders, to finding overseas gems to add to my stash. This is such a wretched shame. Some people will say that the situation will ease with time, but the damage being inflicted on our small piece of the fabric of international relations is just a tiny swatch in what will be a very tattered and frayed end product in years to come.
I am most proud of the national postal systems in multiple countries who are refusing to ship to the US. It will be a horrible pain for so many but there is no reason other countries should be forced to collect taxes our government has imposed. It’s an absolute dumpster fire and a whole lot of other worse things I could say. What an anti-business action.
As usual, you guys are the best. Thank you.
This entire situation is both frustrating and terrifying. Taxes–including tariffs–are there to pay for things like roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, etc. and for services like FEMA, the CDC, the Dept. of Education, etc. yet those budget lines are being gutted at the same time as “we” are generating a huge revenue stream into our coffers that should be supporting existing programs. To date, no one has been able to explain to me how this is not counter intuitive.
The news is full of newly appointed leaders giving the reasons for all the cuts in their departments. I can tell you first hand that they are lying. I won’t bore you with the details but simply say a reason was given for cancelling the funding that I had received that had absolutely nothing to do with the purpose of the funding.
I want to know where this money is going and who is benefitting from it.
P.S. I am also so angry about the car commercials that I keep seeing saying that their cars are “assembled” in the U.S. Duh! We know what assembled means. The parts are all still coming from somewhere else. Stop “Made in the USA-washing” your products.
I love yarns from Isager, La Bien Aimee, and Kate Davies. I hope they survive.
My stash includes an abundance of Rowan, Lopi, Manos de Uruguay, and Malabrigo yarns, companies large enough to cope with tariff payments and shipping headaches. But I worry about how at this end of the supply chain, any small LYS will be able to survive the sudden, inevitable price hikes when it comes time to restock.
Hi-
Would love to see you add a paragraph about all the LYSes that bring those brands to the US, and take the financial risks as well.
The Wooly Thistle on the East Coast imports lots of good yarns from the UK. Of course their prices will have to rise eventually but it’s a great source.
https://thewoollythistle.com
I’d like to add, when we get the emails that say “We are no longer shipping to the US”, as I have lately, don’t unsub. This won’t go on forever, and we can’t afford to support them with money we can support them by staying with their emails.
My favorite is Helene Magnusson and all the Icelandic yarns…
…so much – hopefully repairable – damage in such a short time…
Thank you for this and for all of the insight you have shared. Kay wrote a beautiful email to me in response to a question I asked on this very subject. In addition to thanking her, I wrote this (I know it’s a bit off the subject, but it expresses how I feel about MDK and how she helped me reframe the issue of availability of my favorite yarns … too many to list, but Rowan Handknit is one.):
“You are reaching people (me included) at a heart level and you draw us toward experiences that enrich our lives and give us a place to express and explore our creative “voice”. It brings us together in a truly lovely way. Thank you. What you are doing matters.
You have reminded me how important these relationships are. Learning to be creative with what I have and what I’m able to source may just help me improve and expand my “voice”.”
I will continue to source as many yarns as possible through MDK as it is evident that, by doing so, I will join you in supporting the suppliers who are impacted by the tariff situation. I hope that our collective commitment to them will make a difference and that they will feel the love.
I am filled with so much rage and grief that I don’t know where to begin expressing my thoughts. In a bid to stay positive and support US producers, I’m going to give a shout out to Faribault Woollen Mills in Faribault, MN.
https://www.faribaultmill.com/
I took a tour recently and learned about their 180 year history (they even survived a buyout by private equity!) They are keeping American craftsmanship alive and well. And generating employment in tiny Faribault. No yarn, alas, but lots of great products for wool lovers. Extremely high quality and they have wonderful partnerships with artists. Have a look.
I have visited and highly recommend another US wool mill:
https://mountainmeadowwool.com
My most favorite yarns are made in Ireland – Life in the Long Grass and Hedgehog Fibers. Purchased both in March on my most recent trip to Ireland when I had the most fun visiting the Hedgehog facility in Cork.
Yarn is always my favorite souvenir when I travel and I relive the experience when I wear the pieces I make from that yarn.
You really don’t want to anger knitters. We have pointy sticks we know how to use, and most of us watch a lot of cozy mysteries, so we know a lot of ways to kill people….
❤️❤️❤️❤️
Big picture — if this angers/saddens/frustrates you, me (all of us in the US) then, please, be certain you are registered to vote, and that you remember all of this and VOTE every time, every election. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE. We can’t wish this away, or protest this away — we have to VOTE this away, every election at every level — local, state and federal.
Knitting for Olive first said they couldn’t ship but now have found a way. I also love Myak yarns. I have no idea, what they plan to do.
My all-time favorite yarns are the South African merino and mohair yarns from Yama Fiber Arts. They are the most “comforting” yarns I’ve found. Pulling a shawl knit from Yama yarns around you is like getting a warm hug on a difficult day. Madeleine is a small-batch dyer. She shares InstaGram videos of her walks through the nature preserve near her rustic home, highlighting the beautiful plants , flowers, and views found nowhere else. You can find her @Yama_Fiber_Art.
ChiaGoo needles are going up in price. I will always support and buy them over any other brand. I just started knitting Unwind with Noro yarn – another favorite of mine (this is my 2nd Unwind). And the list would go on and on.
I have loved your site and products but will not buy American products now. I live in Canada and we are boycotting American products as long as your President continues to treat our County badly.
☹️
Carol
. . . understood
It’s so hard to keep up – and the industry will take quite a hit. Some can’t ship to the US as their home country’s postal system can’t handle it.
Prices will double. Not just on yarn, either.
I’ll support my LYS and others when I can and knit from stash.
Meanwhile, my utility and grocery bills are shooting to the sky.
It’s hard on all.
The Husband is an academic economist- if I mention tariffs I’m likely to get the full classroom lecture.
This tariff business is beyond beyond. Belief. Admittedly, I do not understand world economy, but I gather from reliable sources that there is no informed, intelligent rational behind the present tariff action. Our vote is important.
Thank you for addressing this subject. I am a Canadian who has followed MDK since those early letters and am happy to see your progress over the years; I really admire your work Ann and Kay! Having said that, I am not buying US products these days. I recently received an email from a yarn distributor based in the UK saying that they are moving their business to the US to help their American customers; it was all rather confusing, as this stuff is, but now I have no idea how the tariffs will affect me in Canada since my favourite yarns are Rowan.
I am currently working through my stash and hope that this all sorts itself out in a timely manner. Good luck to knitters everywhere!
You are so right, Ann! Such rot at the top! I will soon be traveling to Denmark and Iceland (with the ever-wonderful Rowan Tree Travel!), and recently received a message from a fellow-traveler which contained a link to this article in the Iceland Monitor
https://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/news/2025/08/22/everyone_is_stunned_by_these_decisions/
It was news to me that (as mentioned by a poster above) that the collection of the tariffs has been dumped on the countries exporting the goods—and, the tariff rate is based on the origin of the MATERIALS used in making a product. So, for Iceland the tariff rate is 15%, but if the goods include materials made in China, the tariff rate on that portion goes up to 50%.
As a frequent RTT traveler, I enjoy my souvenir yarn. It used to be one could bring goods up to $800 into the US duty free. That limit has now been lowered to $100.
Of course, expect super long lines at customs when you enter the US. My daughter and her husband recently returned from Zimbabwe, where they frequently travel to visit his family—the usually-quick customs lines were extremely long!
Jamieson’s of Shetland is a firm favorite, as is Marie Wallin’s British Breeds. I’ll definitely continue to support them through this nightmare!
My all-time favorite yarns are the South African merino and mohair yarns from Yama Fiber Arts. They are the most “comforting” yarns I’ve found. Pulling a shawl knit from Yama yarns around you is like getting a warm hug on a difficult day. Madeleine is a small-batch dyer. She shares InstaGram videos of her walks through the nature preserve near her rustic home, highlighting the beautiful plants , flowers, and views found nowhere else. You can find her @YamaFiberArts
So many to choose from. Marie Wallin! Arne and Carlos! I’m sure I will be back all day as I remember more.
Blackbird fabrics!
I hate what these tariffs are doing to oversea sales. I just hope the merchants will return to selling to the US. I love the European products.
I love the beautiful yarns from cowgirlblues in Capetown, South Africa.
I’m lucky to be going back to Shetland Wool Week in a month so I can stock up on Jamieson’s Shetland Spindrift, my favorite. I hear there are 14 yarn producers in Shetland now! That has to be a product of how successful Wool Week has been and us knitters’ influence on their markets. My other favorite is Kate Davies.
This too shall pass – yes it’s tough especially on the smaller companies but it can’t last forever. Write to or call your representatives and complain!