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,
Carol Feller quickly came up with a plan that takes the uncertainty out of ordering from the states.
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.
A big shout out to Carol Feller’s Stolen Stitches and Kate Davies’ website!
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!
La Bien Aimee, shop in Paris and on line.
De Rerum Natura is a good one. Also Les Toisons Bretonnes.
And you have Anny Blatt, of course, with a selection of beautiful yarns.
My favorite online shops in France are: https://www.laine-et-tricot.com/ and https://lainedesiles.com/, but they do rely a lot on foreign yarns.
Keep on looking, you’ll find there are more than you think. And try to find your local yarn fairs or textile fairs, that usually offer a selection of yarns.
The Lyon Knit Eat Festival is coming up – there will be Indy dyers there. Lyon France
Love Knit and Eat Co, great knitting festival!
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?
Unfortunately, you will have to declare your purchases at the border when you return and will get dinged for the tariff taxes then. I already explored this with JST, and they alerted me to that sad situation.
knitting trips to buy the yarn in person is a little tempting….
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
And she’s an all-around lovely person
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!
You are so lucky to go to Shetland Wool Week. I’ve wanted to go for many years but have yet to bravely start planning.
Amen to all you said.
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
What a good idea to actually check your stash! It made me think that there are plenty of US yarns that are have content from outside of the US. I think Peruvian wool is used a lot. I stocked up on all kinds of yarn during the pandemic and am turning to my stash to knit. I have some yarns from beautiful small makers in Scotland including Birlinn yarns , Uist wool and Zakami hand-dyed.
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 believe that it won’t be a pause. We won’t see any packages shipped to the US for as long as this foolishness stands.
International law says that tariffs are collected at the port of entry. Trump said he wanted to do tariffs. Someone said, “sure thing it’ll take two years to set up the infrastructure to collect it, we’ll get right on it.” Trump said, “no I want it now, those other countries can collect it and give us the money.” He doesn’t understand what tariffs are or how they work.
Other countries aren’t going to do it. It looks like everyone is refusing to send mail (or at least not packages) to the US. This is what they have to do. There is no equipment or forms or information databases or logistics or accounts to handle the money transfers set up. The rest of the world isn’t going to invest the very large sums of money needed to do so. The whole concept of “other countries collect the tariff” goes against international trade law and Trump is likely to like he always does when it becomes clear people will be pushing back against his agenda.
Trump can count on the backing of a corrupt Supreme Court to force through his illegal orders, but that won’t happen in the international realm.
The only thing we can do is wait to see how this all shakes out. And if someone is in financial trouble, order goods to be delivered when the tariffs are over.
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.
I’ve written to members of Congress elected by voters in my blue state and to members of Congress in many red states. The response I always get is that I need to contact my own representative — yet my own elected official has NEVER once responded. Maybe what we all need to do is flood Congress with postcards through the U.S. mail, telling them loud and clear: DROP THE TARIFFS.
Now they are messing with my knitting, as if I was not already at wit’s end! There is so much to contend with every day.
I have one of the most unresponsive representatives in the country, Mary Miller spends her time trying to be one of the MAGA mean girls and ignores her constituents. (She is the one that, on her first day in Congress, said about capturing the minds of children early, “Hitler was right.“) It is pointless perhaps, but I frequently write and call to do what I can.
I’m in NY, but I’ll send Mary Miller a postcard too—maybe it’ll interrupt her MAGA “Mean Girl” auditions and remind her she’s supposed to work for her constituents.
Address:
Mary E. Miller
1740 Longworth HOB
Washington, DC 20515
What we have to do is stop electing the same people over and over until they feel godlike and no longer care what the people need or want. Something also needs to be done about the 2 main parties who haven’t cared about the people in a long time.
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!
Yes, not many will benefit from a lot of revenue collected through these tariffs…
The info is all out there. This administration has cancelled many services AND imposed tariffs with the proceeds from both will line the pockets of those who are already super wealthy by cutting their taxes down… this is American “Freedom” and “Liberty” for those who can afford it.
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!”
I have never been so glad to have a healthy stash. My KDD order is on hold in the meantime. Ridiculous.
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.
Very well put.
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.
So. I feel overwhelmed, angry, sad, and frustrated. Voting has consequences, and I did not vote for this administration because I feared that many bad things would happen if they regained power.
I was outvoted, and now one of my main refuges is being hit by indiscriminate, illogical, and punitive actions in the form of tariffs that will hinder my ability to add to my stash of yarn.
I have sorted my stash, and I am set up to shop my stash, and that is good for my pocketbook, but there are so many beautiful yarns and patterns I still want to create and I may not be able to do so. All because…well, because actions have consequences.
Thank you for your educational explanation, Ann. I will do my best to continue supporting MDK through these trying times.
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.
I work in elections, in a jurisdiction with one of the highest turnout rates in the country, and we had notably low turnout (for us) in recent elections.
Voting is certainly not the only useful action but it is a good one and remarkably few people are taking it.
Be sure to come out to vote in the PRIMARY elections. There is real power in the primary because so few people vote.
In my neck of the woods they are also taking control of school and library boards. Over fifty percent of the staff at one district library quit in frustration, closing the library until new staff was hired. This is only going to end when these people are gone. Voting blue in my area is the only way out.
Cassandra The Knitter – yes, yes, YES! You are so right. Nothing is going away unless we (USA voters) do something about it.
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
You are so lucky to go to Shetland Wool Week. I’ve wanted to go for many years but have yet to bravely start planning.
Amen to all you said.
. . . 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!
Yes. That company is LoveCrafts. As a Canadian I purchased a lot from them in CAN$ and because they shipped from a warehouse in the U.K., I received it in about a week.
Now they are moving the warehouse to the USA, which completely shuts out Canadian customers in favour of American knitters.
We’ve lost WEBS, KnitPicks, Little Knits and Jimmy Beans as sources for our yarn habits. But on the other hand I have found LYS that I didn’t know existed, and a fabulous wool mill using local sheep’s fleeces tucked away in Muskoka ON.
I won’t buy from American producers at this time, but will continue to support designers by purchasing their patterns, and subscribing to inclusive websites like this one.
Bravo MDK for speaking out on this issue.
Ditto from another Canadian. Wish it weren’t so…
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!
We certainly live in dark times on many fronts and all are the creation of our current federal administration, so please make sure you are thoughtful with your vote and you truly know what your representatives stand for.
I knit with many of the yarns mentioned here because I love to knit with yarn from heritage sheep and now with Brooklyn Tweed gone the US selections are limited. I also knit with Icelandic yarns (Helene in particular) and La Bien Aimee.
I’m currently knitting the floating squares wrap (MDK Field Guide No. 29) with stunning variegated mohair from Lichen and Lace in New Brunswick, Canada, lichenandlace.com. As for the economic insanity of the on again off again on again tariffs, it makes me think of a 3 year old with a stick in his hand whacking at anything that comes into his line of sight.
I love Black Isle Yarns in Scotland. Julie sources yarns from local sheep and has it spun in local mills. It is the yummiest yarn! I hope all of this craziness doesn’t cause trouble for he small business
Politics isn’t something you can ignore.
I love Sonder Yarn in Canada, such great colors. ZaneteKnits in the UK, Kutovakika in Finland, Minime Knit Designs in Italy, I could keep going and going.
The global knitting community as we know it today is one of the best things to happen in my lifetime and if companies can work out how to ship, given the tariffs, I will continue to order yarn from them. But the priority should be to work to remove these daunting economic hurdles of an economic policy that is completely counterproductive. I order yarn directly from Iceland, Germany, Ireland (Carol Feller’s Nua Sport) and the UK (Daughter of a Shepherd based in Yorkshire). Oh, and I’m all for creative ways around this situation as have been suggested by some here!
Thank you for this timely warning. It makes me heartsick. I have already received an Instagram from an English company (sorry I cannot remember then name) that they are no longer shipping to the US. I am headed to Ireland soon, where I intend to buy yarn from This is Knit in Dublin.
Junction Fiber Mill in Vermont was hit with $12,000 in tariffs when they bought some equipment from Italy for their mill. This is a small mill run by 2 women and was a significant amount of money. They talk about it on today’s millcast: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlS7y4XwUnU. Amanda and Peg who own the mill are delightful and down to earth. I love their yarn and would encourage you to check them out if you haven’t heard of them: https://junctionfibermill.com/.
Thanks for this enlightening article! It is necessary for you, Ann, to be an eye opener for many who are uninformed about how bad this situation is and how much worse it might become… And this – in only one small sector of the huge economy of this country.
The tariff situation is bad, but let’s face it American policies have always been unfavourable to foreign businesses by being extremely protectionist while at the same time condemning other countries for the same..? The fact of the matter is that smaller countries must protect themselves more than the big ones who can prevail and usually do with ease – regardless. The almighty buck comes always on top.
And even now, with all this burden, many countries seem to be willing to play ball with this isolationist administration hoping to save the shreds of the relationship they used to have. Good luck!
Rowan Yarn, Hedgehog Fibres, Malabrigo… so many quality yarns unmatched in creative depth of colors … and I’m obsessed with Kate Davies’ patterns. Needle crafts bring the world closer together, something to value and protect.
Thank you, Ann, for writing this letter. Like many others here, I, too, have received emails from several designers, explaining their situation and solutions. Although the stash is already over-large, will continue supporting these gifted creators.
I am gobsmacked once again at the wonderful international world connected by knitting as evidenced by all of these thoughtful and heartfelt comments. Thank you Ann for opening this discussion. It is so painful to be an American right now when we have been so proud of our country in the past.
I have a beautiful multi-national yarn collection and will be going to my stash for all projects in the near future. I love MYak, La Bien Aimee, Lettlopi, Stephen and Penelope and anything from Daughter of a Shepherd, Nori, and the masterful Rowan. I have other international yarn because I am always curious – what does it actually feel like! So I buy a few skeins. I will continue to support the small yarn companies in the US – it is not their fault, this horrible climate of fear and retribution. As a small family farmer, I know the importance of supporting small business. And lastly, it did my heart good to read all your posts and know I am not knitting alone.
Regarding the question we were asked to answer, I nominate Blacker Yarns.
They’re a British Mill and seller of British yarns. If you keep an eye on their website you will get lucky when they offer collections of 10 or more different rare or endangered breeds. You can put together your own 10 or 6 pack and those particular yarns are all natural. Throughout the year they sell rare or endangered yarns when available.
They do dye their everyday yarns and once a year they unveil their special yarn of the year and these are designed by students.
So far they’re still selling here. And they have some lovely patterns for sale.
I love Shalimar Yarns—lovely couple on the Isle of Skye who hand dye with flowers and herbs they grow themselves. Beautiful colors!
Thanks for this timely article Ann! I can see by the responses how the tariffs are affecting so many of us. I’m up in Canada and trying to buy Canadian products as much as possible while still staying supportive of American companies like yours. When times get difficult to ease the anxiety I pause and try to remember that “this too shall pass” 🙂
I have trouble with this statement: I heartily encourage everybody to keep the love and the U.S. dollars flowing to these businesses; they need it.
I love products coming from overseas. I KNOW that overseas sellers need the continued support. This is not a situation we asked for.
That said, I cannot continue purchasing items that cost me 30% more without hesitation. While in the past, I might have been spontaneous about my purchases, this situation requires me to consider and reconsider any purchase.
Yes
Not everyone can afford the up-charges from these tariffs.
It hurts on both sides.
Yes, agreed.
These problems are being caused by the end of the “de minimis” exemption which allowed the first $800 of goods to enter the US duty free. Apparently this happened quickly and without enough information for shippers to react. This has caused many countries (all of the UK, most of Europe, India, Sweden. New Zealand and many more) to suspend shipping to the US entirely.
Right now the best, and probably only, way to support these international suppliers is to buy their goods from US yarn stores.
My favorites are Positive Ease (Austria), Yama Yarns (South Africa), Life in the Long Grass (Ireland) and Knitting for Olive (Denmark).
Yes, it’s very important to support the small businesses we love. Democracy is a team sport. Equally important to speak out to our local, state, and federal representatives about this and other issues that we care about.
Briggs and Little, Turtlepurl, and Polka Dot Creek are all great Canadian products.
Kate Davies’ Millarochy Tweed for the win, and also Gauge Dyeworks! (Just placed orders with each…)
Blue Brick, in Canada! Shireen’s colors are gorgeous, and I love supporting a woman-owned, POC-owned, small business. And her dogs are lovely too
Yes! Such beautiful colorways!
Not a quick fix, but please, please, everyone needs to VOTE. And although it feels hopeless (I live in Texas), I write to my US senators and congressman fairly often.
I am hopeful that this, too, shall pass.
Knitting for Olive is a fabulous favorite. Thank you for writing this article, Ann.
I agree, 100%.
Thank you.
Botanical Yarns is gorgeous! She is a small dyer in England. Love her YouTube videos.
Right on!
I love Wollmeise https://www.rohrspatzundwollmeise.de/en/ and KDD & Co (Kate Davies Designs) https://kddandco.com/ and Istex https://istex.is/en/ …but I love even smaller vendors, too, the ones who send their fleeces to be milled and then sell the results. It’s hard to imagine how those would handle tax changes, and a cooperative isn’t always the right answer.
Not buying American products while your president threaten my country….Canada.
Love you products but love my Country more
Makes sense.
BTW. My president (DJT) is also a threat to MY country (USA).
I’m a Canadian, and the issue in a nutshell is that not only has the US government imposed a tariff that applies to small individual businesses, they expect the Canadian indie dyers to figure out the tariff due, charge their US customers (because yea, YOU pay the tax, not us here in Canada) and then forward the $$ on to the US government.
We Canadians have had to pay taxes and duties on many purchases from the US for decades. Our government figures out what, if anything, is due, and we the customer remit the amount before we can receive our parcel. Then it gets forwarded on to the US government. Your government needs to put infrastructure in place to do the same. It’s kind of crazy to expect foreign countries/ businesses to collect a tax from US purchasers on their behalf.
It’s pretty clear many Canadian yarn producers may not make it and will have to close shop, a sad result for all of us.
I discovered Holst Garn last year – https://holstgarn.dk/en/ — when I found their cotton and wool mix in a wonderful array of colors. Here’s another vote for Kate Davies (whose blog is just as likely to focus on Labrador retrievers or an astonishing garden as it is knitting) and an endorsement of all of the companies and designers featured in the Fruity Knitting podcast (https://fruityknitting.com/) produced by Andrea and Madeleine Doig. If you haven’t encountered them yet, visit the site–interviews of designers, teachers, and producers around the world, tutorials, etc.
As others have said, all those who work to bring this bountiful amount of information, product, and community into our lives continue to have an enormous, positive impact. The online fiber world helped get me through the pandemic, and the fun continues!
I’m an Australian dyer with 40% of my sales going to the USA. After building my business up over the last 15 years this will probably kill it.
I already collect GST for the Australian Government so why am I expected to do the USA Governments work too. I’m expected to calculate the total tariff amount from my buyers, collect it from them and then pay it to the post office.
One of my main suppliers is from the USA so with my business depleted or closed down they will be hurt too.
I had the pleasure of visiting Stephen & Penelope in Amsterdam last year and bought lots of yarn then. I held off reordering when all this began, but last week an email arrived stating that any duties/tariffs on orders for U.S. shipments would be included – no surprises, no guessing. Takes the sting out of uncertainty; does not take the sting out of the extra cost.
Whoever the insightful soul was who so many decades ago said, “Everything is political” said a doggone mouthful.
Vote. Please. Lives depend on it.
I received an email today the Jamison Smith, Shetland, will no longer ship to USA.
I just received some lovely KnitPro needles shipped from Germany. I remember thinking that they may have been one of the last packages to come through customs before the tariffs are in place. I’m hoping it will all eventually settle itself out in the near future.
I agree we need to support those companies we love, domestic and abroad. We also need to do what we can to help America become more financially solvent. I will continue to purchase from them even when they hike prices which will be inevitable to make the tariffs more equal. We need to understand we CAN pay more individually instead of having our government subsidize. Thanks.
Thank you for opening this conversation; I love the yarn from Eriu in Ireland. Also Undercover Otter from Amsterdam and Wee Yarn Company in Scotland. These are all small indie dyers offering beautiful yarns. Today Undercover Otter announced that there would be no more shipping to the USA due to the tariffs. Every little bit that we can offer is a mercy.