New Yarn Vendor

My first order of undyed yarn was quite a disappointment. I ordered from a vendor in Hong Kong after doing lots of research for different wholesale vendors, comparing costs, and looking at samples. It bothered me that I had to buy from abroad in order to get the best pricing, but I did it anyway. Their prices were substantially less than competitors, even with the shipping it was lower, and their yarn felt great. But it was full of knots and flubs, so much so that my yield was much less than expected. When I contacted them, I was told that the "industry standard" is no more than 3 knots per 50 gram skein, but their standards were higher, no more than 2 knots per 100 gram skein. Now, 50 grams is about 200 yards and makes one sock, so I'm being told that it is acceptable per industry standards to have 3 knots in a skein that will make only one sock, which means it is acceptable to have 6 knots in a 100-gram, 400-yard skein? If I bought a skein of yarn with 6 knots in it I would take it back. I don't expect to find even 1 knot, much less 6! So when I skeined up this order, I cut at knots and started making mini-skeins of 100 yards that I was reading on the Ravelry forums people want but not many indie dyers are providing. But I was still discouraged by the numbers of knots and flubs in this order.

The new yarn I just received was from another vendor, here in the U.S. (YAY!!) and I've skeined up 2 of the 9 cones I ordered without a single knot. I'll skein up the remaining 7 I purchased later on today and tomorrow, but I'm quite optimistic that I'll be able to buy domestic product and feel much better about doing it, and have a better yield of goods to sell as well. Very happy dyer indeed.

Time to go skein more yarn...