Disclaimers / Good to Know
Search Feature Disabled
We had to disable the search feature on our site. Hopefully SquareSpace will fix the glitch, and we will once again be able to add a Search button to the site. Until that time, if there is something you cannot find, you can contact us using the button at the bottom of each page. We would love to be able to help.
Yarn Specs
Hank weight / yardages are approximate from mills - typically a 5% variance either way is acceptable
Electric skein winders measure and wind yarn under tension. Specs more than likely will change if measured when off the winder and in a relaxed state. Some yarns will show more of a difference than others due to type of fiber and type of spin. Use this information when determining how many skeins to purchase in relation to your pattern requirements. Don’t cut things too close unless you want to play yarn chicken.
Our skeins are tied in multiple places to ensure tangle-free transfer to a ball-winder or for hand-winding a ball. Please make absolute sure there is not an errant loop of yarn getting caught going the wrong way on your swift. We've all been there when this happens, and it's not a pretty sight. Returns will not be made for such a tangle.
Although none of us enjoy finding a knot or imperfection in our yarn, it does happen for all of us - whether it is a skein from an artisan, or one from a big box store. If CST notices a knot, we pull the skein to inspect it for additional knots. Industry standard is 1 or 2 knots in a 50 gm skein of yarn, although we try to not have that happen to any of our products. Having said that, it would be impossible to touch and view every inch of each skein, and imperfections can sneak past us.
If purchasing yarn of one colorway, please realize each skein will differ from it's dye partners. We do suggest alternating skeins to make any differences more diffuse in your finished product.
We do our very best to minimize color bleeding in yarn. We steam for well over an hour. We let the yarn cool down before washing. We wash in warm water to help dislodge any dye molecules that are unattached. Please be aware that although our skeins leave here without bleeding, the hardness and chemical make-up of your water and/or the soap you use might cause you to see a slight discoloration in the water the first time or two.
Photo / Presentation
We do our best to color correct our photos to match our products.
As you probably already know, monitors differ (even ours here differ from each other)...and the item you receive may not match your monitor exactly.
We do try to take quality pictures, so you see the details of the product before purchase. Some of our items use vintage textiles, and as such may look used/worn etc. This is the beauty of working with pre-loved fabric.
Care of our yarn
We recommend a quick handwashing in cool water with a PH neutral product, and laying flat to dry. This could help alleviate potential dye migrations that could result from a long soak with a different water /soap combination than ours. Color Catchers, btw…rock!
If you have had a bad experience with other yarn ( even some commercial yarn bleeds), and feel safer pre-washing the skein in your water…go ahead and soak for 10 minutes in cool water and your chosen soap. You can tell right away if there will be color fallout. If so, repeat after rinsing until your water runs clear. I have to admit, I’ve done this with indie-dyed yarn with good results after the second rinse. This is especially helpful when combining a deep saturated skein with a lighter color. Gently squeeze the water out, and hang or lay flat to dry…turning from time to time to help speed the process along.
We recommend laying flat to dry for all our yarns, even the Superwash. Superwash has a tendency to stretch when washed, and by handwashing in cool water / air drying, you can help your finished item remain the size and shape you intended. Having said that, we have been known to throw our Feet First Legacy socks right in the washing machine and dryer with everything else (still washing with cool water).
It's Good-to-Know
We love our rescue Doberman, our rescue Siamese, our rescue gorgeous mixed cat....as well as the feral feline colony we help care for. Our animals know they are not to be anywhere near our products, and we take care to not place products in the way of temptation. There should be no fur sneaking into your product, but since we do hug our animals, and since humidity levels fluctuate, pet hair may stick to our clothing and transfer to your product. We try very very hard to keep this from happening, however, we do want to alert you in case you are supremely allergic to pet fur; we do share our home with some wonderful critters. We love working with textiles, but we also love and feel a responsibility to offer a nurturing home to our pets as well. Thank you for understanding.
The studio is not set up as a brick & mortar store, and thus cannot accommodate visitors. If this changes one day, you will be the first to know!
We do sell on Etsy, in two locations. For non-CST items, you can find us at CityMakesAndFinds . CST special orders are found at CityStreetTextiles - ( these include International purchases as well as folks who prefer not to use PayPal.)