For any project you start, make sure you have plenty of floss from the same dye-lot for each color you need. Sometimes, this isn't always possible. Therefore,...

What is a dye-lot?

A dye-lot is a batch of floss which is dyed at the same time. The raw fibers may be dyed before spinning or the spun floss may be dyed. Using skeins from the same dye-lot ensures that their color matches perfectly. Skeins from different dye-lots may vary slightly.

What causes the color variations between dye-lots?

The final color depends on 1)the type of fiber 2)the dyeing materials and 3)the amount of time the fiber is soaked in the dye. Natural fibers have slight variations in structure which affect how much dye is absorbed. Manufacturers may change their dyeing process. This might be due to new environmental regulations (such as a certain chemical no longer allowed), discovery of more consistent dyeing techniques, or less expensive dye substitutions. Hand-dyed floss varies even more.

Where is the dye-lot printed?

on the floss packaging - the outside of the paper band wrapping the skein or the card to which the skein is attached on the inside of the paper band wrapping the skein on the box in which the skeins were shipped this generally won't be available to consumers, only retailers If there is no visible dye-lot, the best thing to do is visually compare the two skeins in natural light (fluorescent lighting can be deceptive). It's fine to use floss from different dye-lots if they appear similar enough. Just remember to ask the store owner before you take those unpurchased skeins outside for inspection! Or better yet, stay inside and just go near the store window for natural light.

Mixing dye-lots

If you have an equal amount of floss from two different dye-lots and you are stitching with two strands, use one strand from one dye-lot and the other strand from the second dye-lot. Taking this further, if you have twice as much floss of dye-lot #1 than dye-lot #2 and you are stitching with three strands, use two strands from dye-lot #1 and one strand from dye-lot #2. The idea here is to evenly spread the floss from each dye-lot over the entire project so there are no apparent variations in color.

Using different dye-lots to your advantage

What if your project only uses one strand at a time? Randomly use a strand from either dye-lot. Make sure you don't run out of one dye-lot too early! The slight variations in color from place to place in your project will make that color more 'natural' looking and give your project additional depth.

Using up the old dye-lot

Use the floss from the older dye-lot in very small projects when you know you have enough floss of that color. It's even possible to use it in larger projects. There might be one or two places where it won't matter that the color is slightly off. For example: One of my projects was a lady cross-stitching in the middle of a floral border. The color 'ecru' was used in both her stitchwork and in the border. My old ecru floss was clearly darker than my newer ecru. I used the old ecru in the lady's stitchwork and the new ecru in the border. The color difference isn't even noticeable!

When you've run out of a color...

Even the best laid plans can go awry. If you have been working on a project and suddenly run out of a certain color, you may find that the newly purchased floss differs in color noticeably. All is not lost, though. Here are some things to consider: Ask your needleworking friends and family They may just have enough matching floss to give you! Ask the needleworking "buddies" online There are many forums for needleworkers to discuss problems and solutions in stitching. And many are willing to help a fellow needleworker who needs just a few skeins of a certain color. Un-pick random areas of the older color and re-do those stitches with the newer dye-lot. This is similar to the section above, "Using different dye-lots to your advantage". This may be a lot of work, but depending on the project, this may be easier than starting from scratch. You don't necessarily need to un-pick many stitches; just re-do enough to even the variations in color. Contact the manufacturer When manufacturers change their method of dyeing, the old dye-lots may be warehoused for needleworkers who need them to finish projects. Call, write, or e-mail the manufacturer and ask them if they still have those older dye-lots available.