Here are the most commonly asked questions about knitting and our wool products and accessories. If you have another question, feel free to get in touch. You can also sign up for our newsletter to receive all the latest knitting news or join our growing knitting community on Facebook, Ravelry, Instagram and YouTube. Happy knitting!
I am afraid that once your order has been completed and transacted, we are unable to add or subtract items from your order.
Yes! We have a retail super store in Napier at 102 Taradale Road in Onekawa, we have loads of parking, big enough for campers and we are just 7 minutes by Uber or Taxi from the Napier i-site in you are visiting or coming in off a cruise ship.
Of course, we have flat rate shipping to addresses in New Zealand or we can calculate the shipping rate for your international destination using our delivery provider DHL.
New Zealand customers should receive their parcels between 2-7 business days after shipping – depending on your location and delivery availability in your area.
International customers should expect parcels to arrive within 5 – 15 business days.
Please check your tracking via the email link you will receive when your yarn is collected and scanned by the courier on despatch. If the tracking doesn’t reveal where your parcel might be, please email us at info@skeinz.com and we will stat the process to track your yarn for you. If your yarn is still within the delivery window, please be patient as it still could be coming.
Our yarn is grown and made in a variety of locations including New Zealand. Have a look at our Origins page for where our key brands are sourced and made.
We recommend that knitters always knit a tension square before they begin their project. Even expert knitters may not be experienced in knitting every type of yarn and can expect a variance in tension from yarn to yarn. Any variation will impact on the size of the finished garment. See instructions below for how to check your tension. Not having correct tension is the number one cause for garments not fitting correctly.
The term ply traditionally referred to the number of single spun threads twisted together to make a finished yarn. However ply is often used as a description for the thickness for a yarn.
We advise that it is best practise to use yarns from the same batch as subtle colour variations can occur from batch to batch. If you are unable to get more yarn to complete a project in the same batch, we recommend using the differing batch on elements such as sleeves, collars or separate with stripes or textured stitches to mask any colour variances.
We always recommend at least a 10% contingency for every project to account for variances in your tension, subtle modifications or mistakes. If the yarn is a one off, discontinued or on sale, we recommend a 20% contingency. It is always better to have yarn leftover and knit a wonderful accessory than run out and be forced to modify your design!
Yarn substitution is what we are expert at here at Skeinz! Patterns are written and tested often for very specific yarns – however if you were to substitute we always recommend you go like for like as much as you can. We always calculate our yarn requirements based on metres not ball weights as the metre per ball can vary from yarn type, fibre content and construction. If in doubt – email us and we can help guide you.
Due to the process of yarn spinning and balling, sometimes knots do occur. Industry standard is no more than two knots in any one ball. If you do find a knot in your yarn, we advise unpicking your knitting to the beginning of the current row. Cut the knot out, then rejoin your yarn at the edge and continue knitting. If you are knitting in the round you can splice the yarns together or cut out the knot leaving enough ends to weave into the back of your work.
First check your tension for each and every project. If you have loose tension you need to reduce the size of your stitches so try knitting on a smaller needle. If you have firm tension you need to increase the size of your stitches so try knitting on a larger needle. It is important to achieve the stated tension in the pattern as this has been used to calculate the pattern instructions. Any variation could result in an item measuring smaller or larger than stated.
It depends on the yarn – many yarns can be knitted from either end but some yarns may tangle and knot if worked from the inside (like brushed mohair).
Generally, to sew up your garment you should use the same yarn you have used to knit it. However, when knitting with a fancy yarn (like brushed mohair) we often recommend using a matching plain yarn instead.
Superwash refers to a trademarked specific shrink treatment on the fibre to make the yarn machine washable, where as a yarn simply labelled as machine washable is one that could have either fibre or and after yarn treatment applied to allow the yarn to be washed in the machine. We always recommend you hand wash all your knits, regardless of the nature of the yarn – this prolongs the life of your garment and reduces wear and stretching.
Pilling is perfectly normal! All hand knitted or crocheted garments will pill so some extent once they are worn. Stronger more rustic yarns (like Southlander) or those with more twist (like Orb) will pill a little less. Regardless, part of your care regime for your precious hand made garments is a good quality depillar like our Fabric Shavers or Sweater Stones. These will help keep your items looking as good as the day they came off the hook or needles.
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