I had a lovely time shopping here with my mom recently. I've been coming to Dharma with her since I was a kid, but our most recent trip had a different purpose for me as a newly minted knitter. Their customer service was friendly and helpful without feeling stifling; they gave us room to browse, which was nice. They offer various classes that sound fun and interesting. I appreciated the friendly vibes; their sale section had some great finds, too. They're committed to selling ethically sourced products and won't sell things made in sweatshops, which is excellent and makes me so much more inclined to shop there again. I've been interested in trying Shibori dyeing for a while and will likely return soon to buy supplies and more yarn. Overall, they have good vibes all round, and I recommend them for your crafting needs. read more

I love the Darma Trading Company but the hours are limited for my schedule. They are open from 10-5, Tues-Sat. Tons of cool yarns. This isn't your Mom's Hart selection. Hope you stop by and enjoy the selection plus other cool stuff. read more

Dharma Trading Co. - Yarn Crawl! - Art Supplies Near Me - San Rafael, California

Grateful and appreciative for Dharma to support school events by supplying their products for free. Generosity goes a long way. Thank you!!

A wonderful variety and selection of yarns and dye materials. I took my first class to hand dye yarn here and it was informative and fun! read more

Dharma Trading Co. - Dye bath - Art Supplies Near Me - San Rafael, California

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They have a wide range of quality yarn options, as well as fabrics and a LARGE section for tie dye materials! read more

Dharma Trading Co. - Worsted, superwash wool - Art Supplies Near Me - San Rafael, California

Dharma Trading is basically the benchmark for which I compare niche crafting companies. I have been mail-order buying from them for over a decade and when I lived in the SF Bay Area I made the trek up to see their store in person. This company has roots in acid trips and hippies, and has managed to stay open since then in an area with stupidly high costs of operation. They sell basically any kind of textile/fiber dye for any kind of material plus all the things you would want to dye. What puts them a step above your average craft store supplier? Let me count the ways! 1) In-depth tutorials and product specific information 2) Customer service that knows how to help you in your project needs 3) Commitment to ethical/non-sweat shop labor 4) Logical/more environmentally friendly shipping packaging (long ago I had packages that they repurposed/reused and dissolvable packing peanuts) 5) Bulk discounts that aren't impossible to achieve for a one-person business 6) So many blank items that don't suck (and super easy to do a tub-dye to make them anything but white) 7) Stuff for dyers, painters, costume makers, sewers, knitters, spinners, group kits for multiple newbies, and less common tools What prompted this review? I'm diving into some older fabric and decided to dye a bunch of white cotton knit I had laying around. I needed to sing my praises as I consult their tutorials for a refresher on how much of everything I need. read more

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It'd be wrong of me to use a review of Dharma Trading Company to criticize another nearby place that sells yarn but the contrast was so extreme that I'll just say this: Dharma can and will willingly help you get what you need for whatever yarn project you may have, even if you barely understand what you're in search of. Not every yarn store operates like this, 'nuff said. Dharma Trading Company is so anti-fancy that it brings to mind in me the original health food stores of the 1970's. It's simple and humble but very well-stocked. It feels like a textile supply store for the everyman. Or everywoman. My introduction to Dharma Trading Company was years ago when I took my mom, a knitter, there. Boy did she like this place. She sensed in it a space to get what she needed or help with what she needed. Not a knitter myself yet, I didn't realize what a blessing that is. When we work on something and need assistance we want to go somewhere that doesn't intimidate and helps without judgement. Dharma is that. My recent visit here was for yarn only but to classify Dharma as only a yarn store would be incorrect. They sell looms, dye, patterns, and other stuff that would be considered yarn-adjacent. You could go to that other place for yarn but why? Your experience at Dharma will prove far more satisfying. read more

An incredible resource for any fiber fanatic. If you dream in color, you'll be thrilled and inspired.

Loved going to this place they had everything I needed and more would come back anytime

My mom lives in Massachusetts and has been ordering from dharma for decades. When I moved to SR she recognized the name of the town and couldn't wait to visit the actual store. She was not disappointed. This place is amazing - everything you need for professional-quality textile dying. They also have a phenomenal selection of the softest clouds of yarn in every color and fiber imaginable, and a whole room full of gorgeoussssssss dyable cotton and silk fabrics at wholesale prices, and sooooo many random and fun tools and goodies. Need a pocket-sized pair of scissors or a tree-cookie button? Thinking about getting into sun-printing or stamp carving or basket weaving? They've got it all and then some. Only problem - good luck sticking to the list. You will walk out with supplies for all of the projects you didn't even know you wanted to attempt and definitely don't have time for. If only I had multiple lives to live and supply closets to fill. A girl can dream.... read more

Dharma Trading Co. - When your friend wants a hat in warriors colors. - Art Supplies Near Me - San Rafael, California

Love this place and their selection of products. However, be careful when buying fabric here. They shorted us by about an inch. I'll be the first to admit that seems like a small amount but the feels are not good. If anything they should err on the side of the customer when cutting fabric. A project may hinge on it. Of course one should always buy with some allowance, and we do, so we were fine but the store should not be working against this. Our resident expert seamstress with decades of experience agreed seeing the fabric later on the same day that this was a bad cut and not just a case of fabric stretching or flexing or shrinking or laying this way or that. We considered returning it on principle, but we did not because we do want to support small businesses and we survived the experience (first world problems). I just have to hope this isn't a regular practice for them. read more

I once really liked using Dharma as a supplier. However, some cracks in their veneer of professionalism began to show, despite having always been courteous to whomever I spoke at the store. When I ordered a large quantity of silk fabric, what I received was a lesser quality than what was ordered. I had used less than half of it when I realized the mistake. I called and was treated very brusquely by one of their staff. I basically was told "too bad." I didn't react rudely and angrily. Subsequently, I received dyes that were not securely wrapped and leaked in the shipping package. Then I received fabric with a label of the contents that included the words "difficult customer". I have never behaved in any way that would justify this label. Although there are some items I still must buy from Dharma, I now look for alternative suppliers whenever possible. For just a few dollars more, I can obtain fabrics that are higher quality - thus a better value - elsewhere. read more

You may not care about "Dutch Chocolate" as a meh purple (think Bic pen exploding on your grandpa's shirt) but I do. Even though Dharma says its dyes are great for ice dye, this one definitely was not. And when you bring it up they send you to Reddit. They tell you, it's unpredictable! Lots of excuses. The Dutch beg to differ. read more

Excellent products, great knowledge of them. Highly recommend this store. I have been shopping at Dharma since they started in Berkeley in the 1960s. All of us dyers utilised their resources read more

Purchased fabric, dyes, and silk yarn from Dharma Trading Co. The dye colors are vibrant and so easy to use. The fabric and yarn are gorgeous and so affordable! Shipping was incredibly FAST. I love Dharma Trading Co.!! read more

I needed some special kind of yarn for two projects I was doing, and the people there could not be more helpful and friendly. Plus, I learned a lot about the different types of yarn and they had a gorgeous selection in all price ranges. Will definitely return to get my craft on! read more

These people could write the book on customer service. I have had questions over the years and have always gotten great information from them. I have purchased procion dyes and indigo plus misc. other odds and ends. Oops, silk dyes too. They have great dyes, beautiful colors and complete instructions to let your inner kid play safely and confidently. They are wonderful and I hope they are in business for many many years to come!! read more

Dharma Trading Co. - Art Supplies Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Driving around San Rafael never been this way before. Wildfires are raging like hell, so to relax, I popped in this store. Never seen anything like it, a rainbow of yarn on the wall. Some you can dye as you see fit, I wish I could buy them all! A room of fabric all in white a section of specialty dyes. This store is such an inspiring sight so come feast your creative eyes! read more

Strictly a review of their online shop! I've been using Dharma Trading dyes for, like, ever (or at least since around 1998 when I used to tie dye in my backyard) and recently ordered some for an ice dyeing quarantine project. The quality is just the best! Scrolling through the page of colors on their website has me feeling like a kid in a digital candy store. My latest order included colors like shiitake mushroom, terracotta, muir green, ecru, and lime squeeze. What a dream! I've made two purchases now, one for five dyes that already arrived and then another for eight more than hasn't arrived yet (I ordered just a couple days ago). The first time around, someone from the shop promptly emailed me to let me know the shade of black I ordered wasn't available, so they could swap it or remove it from the order. I asked if they could swap with something similar and they got it done right away. They have a banner on their site letting you know that due to potential delays around COVID-19, items may not ship for 12 days or so. Nothing I'm making is urgent (just crafty stuff for funsies), so that's not an issue for me. They have clothes for dyeing, books, tools, and other supplies on their site, but I've only ever purchased dye and soda ash. Also recently discovered that they have full kits for tie dye, batik, silk painting, airbrushing, and more if you're just getting started. Love this biz! read more

WOW!!! I have been a LONG time customer of Dharma Trading, and have always given them a ton of praise. So please read this review until the end because they definitely deserve the praise. While the COVID-19 crisis has been going on, unfortunately they have become short on supplies and orders have become very delayed. Not their fault, but when I asked if they could substitute certain out of stock items for others, AT FIRST they refused. I was very upset because I prefer to order a lot of products at once because of shipping costs. HOWEVER, I sent a few emails to their customer service, which I've been told is overwhelmed right now, and after being told no a few times, almost completely giving up hope, and looking for another company to order from, I got the BEST NEWS. I regret and take back EVERYTHING I said earlier about Dharma Trading. As disappointed as I was with their service at first, somehow an angel in their office caught my issues and dealt with them above and beyond my expectations. They were able to fulfill multiple key items that were missing out of my order AND replace what they could not fulfill with my next personal choice. WHATS EVEN BETTER- they also waived my shipping cost AND my order is scheduled to arrive TOMORROW. I know this is a huge favor because other customers have been waiting on standby for WEEKS for their shipping confirmations. I am literally mind blown right now. Shocked. Dharma for life everyone!! I'm glad I wasn't over-the-top about complaining because now I couldn't think of anything more I'd ever want! Outstanding service!! I cannot express how grateful I am! I would give them 10 stars if I could! Epic service- above and beyond any company I've EVER dealt with. I've been a loyal customer for years and I don't see that changing at all in years to come! Thanks Dharma! :) read more

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Great place for all your dye needs ! Many , many hard to find items ! Theyre very knowledgeable on everything they sell .

i cannot express enough of how disappointing this company was. I placed a large ordere of dyes, close to 500 dollars. The company called me and said they were out of blue, did i want to wait. Otherwise I would have to pay two shipping fees. I decided to wait, and they refunded my money. They were in contact a total of 4 times over 2 months to tell me how the order was going. I spoke to more than one rep and once it seemed like there was total confusion on their end. The left hand didn't know what the right hand was doing. However, more than once i discussed the price and asked them to look it over and make sure i wasn't going to pay more when the stock finally came in. They assured me i wouldn't. I even discussed what a good deal it was and they agreed that buying in the very large quantity was a bargain. When the dye finally came in they had the order filled and i asked them to resubmit the request and they informed me, oh, the pricing has changed , it is now 2800.... really? Then they said, it was a mistake on my end. My computer was the problem! really, how much weed to you smoke on the west coast? They won't honor the original price they gave me. I only wish that i had agreed to pay shipping twice and had gotten the original pricing. I won't use this company. I won't deal with someone who doesn't honor their word. I mean, come on,, this was discussed several times and i have the emails to prove it. Also, on the phone. Shame on them. I know i'm only one little dye grain in the vat but i can order direct from china too. read more

This is one of the very few fiber art places, with a great selection of yarn, that has survived. Most of the yarn stores I used to frequent have closed down. Online shopping for something so touchy-feely as yarn just does not do it. read more

Glow in the dark paint. Lots of it. And there's a selection of it too. Fabulosity to the power of 10. That is all. (seriously though, this place is stocked with some of the most genius craft items ever....ever) read more

Dharma Trading. What do I say? The catalog arrives promptly. I find cool stuff, like long-sleeved black cotton shirts. Order a batch. This is reality. I also think about doing a craft project. Think about buying a manikin to exhibit my crafts project. Think about buying cool dyes in many different colors. Think about dyeing hats to sell at the Farmer's Market. This is my imagination working overtime. I never do these things. But (God bless ya, Dharma) the catalog arrives promptly anyway. I buy the shirts. I wear the shirts. The rest...well, ya gotta have a dream.* * PS, these folks do. Poke around their website and you'll see photos of the Bolivian children's heart repair project. And the eye clinic. And the Indonesian children's educational fund. Its nice to know that if you buy from Dharma Trading, you are going to help make the world a better place. Grab that catalog and order now! read more

Dharma Trading Co. - From Dharma website, Isaace Goff with Bolivian child, heart repair project - Art Supplies Near Me - San Rafael, California

When I used to live in the Bay Area, visiting Dharma's beautiful brick & mortar store was always a treat for me. Now, I'm in SoCal, and really enjoy ordering from them online. Despite the COVID warnings on their site, I've been receiving my orders (for undyed yarn and acid dyes) within two days of placing them. I had one mistake in an order, and they handled it speedily and kindly, shipping me the correct item free of charge. One thing that makes them especially wonderful is the extensive tutorials they post on their website, which have given me all the information I need to start using acid dyes. I'm sure they're working unbelievably hard during this pandemic, and I'm so grateful that their hard work makes some fun and normalcy possible for me. Thank you, Dharma! read more

Great service from the gentle and patient staff here . While my purchase this day was small the service was a million hold stars . Staff was patient helping me find dye for a faux fur coat . I can't wait to go back ! Ps- thanks for letting shoppers use the potty read more

I ordered several hundred dollars worth of supplies. Some of it kinda heavy.... They took forever to ship my order (I think about 7 days), as a result the order was scheduled to be delivered while I was out of town for about five days. Instead of having UPS hold it for me to pick up as soon as I got back, they had UPS ship it back to Dharma after three attempts. As in the first one was Wednesday, then on Friday the order was irreversibly on a truck back to them in Cali. They then refused to help me turn it around, even on Friday afternoon, and charged me for the return shipping, and told me I could pay in full to reorder everything!!! No thanks. read more

This place is awesome, but the hours listed are incorrect. They are open Tues - Sat ; 11 -6. Closed Sun/Mon. I would have been super bummed if I drove all the way from Orinda without calling first!! read more

EVERY YARN IN HERE IS SOOOO SOFT!!!!!! I opted to take a picture of all of the soft yarns that I wanted; I figured it would be four or five. It was just about every single one. Oh my god, I could have spent wayyy too much money in here. Per usual, I limited myself to about $50. If you're in the area GO HERE. Heck, find a reason to be in the area and GO HERE. Everyone was also really nice and the table they have seems like a good place to do work. I'm not into dyeing, but their selection made me wish I was. They also had a super cool drop spindle that I was so close to getting but resisted. When I'm back in the Bay, another visit will be a must! I'm getting that drop spindle. read more

I needed the customer service because of shipping issues . They handled it with Grace and charm, immediately. I would highly recommend Dharma Trading Company to anyone . read more

Thank you Dharma!! T-shirts for our sand soccer tournament came out GREAT! When I called Dharma to place my order, the representative was very patient in helping me choose a kit and the colors. WOW, shipping was extremely fast. On top of that, and more impressive, were the bright vivid colors of the shirts!!! I was impressed with the entire transaction. We have dyed shirts in the past using products purchased at hobby stores but sadly, the colors faded out. With Dharma dyes, the colors did not fade or wash out. The girls and parents were all happy with the shirts. Thank you for providing such a great products, customer service, and prices. We highly recommend Dharma products. read more

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I'm in heaven! The yarns can be overwhelming--They are all so beautiful. So tired of the same old, same old acrylic and junk you get at the other places. Forget going any place else! This place has what you need and then some........ Be careful. Everything, everything is fantastic including dyes, fabrics--things you didn't know you needed but now you can't live without! The people are super kind and helpful. They even have dye classes and things I am going to look forward to hearing about all year around. I love this place. Huge store. Huge selections. Love it!!! read more

Dharma Trading Co has been great to work with. The price of shipping was a little much but even with that included the total was still cheaper than Amazon and I'm supporting a company that is smaller. Dharma had great customer service and sent our order out ASAP. We appreciated the service! read more

When Worlds Collide: A Brief Yarn about Silks and Vintage Microphones As happens much too frequently in life, I found myself in need of something about which I knew next to nothing. Specifically, I needed a small quantity of silk and that silk needed to be 80 threads per square inch. My knowledge of silk is extremely limited. I think I know that it comes from insects, and I'm pretty sure that Buffalo Bill had some moths that made silk in the Silence of the Lambs movie in the house where he commands the woman to put the lotion in the basket or she'll get the hose again. But really, none of this is going to help me acquire the silk I need which is going to be used to restore the internal windscreen in a vintage Shure 55S microphone. Can you see my predicament? After trying some other fabric stores which were horrible and I'm not even going to get into how or why but let's just say that Buffalo Bill's basement would have been an improvement, I found myself in Dharma Trading Company in downtown San Rafael. The first thing that I noticed was the unbelievable abundance of yarn lining the walls. Had I ever known that so much yarn existed and in so many colors? The shortest possible answer is: no. A very helpful woman asked me if I needed help, and I explained what I was doing (omitting the part about the basket and the lotion) and what I was searching for. Within moments, I had the exact thickness of silk I needed and a few more moments after that I was on the street and on my way home to my microphone restoration project. Dharma Trading Company had just what I needed and very friendly, helpful staff to help me find it. Aces! read more

During a walk with husband and child, we decided to stop here and check out their fabric selection (of course we had no idea that they didn't really carry fabric). So we're in there looking around, and there were quite a few women gathered around a table together, and it seems like everyone just froze when we walked in, and they just followed us with their eyes throughout the store... Are men and children not allowed here? We felt REALLY uncomfortable, so I quickly asked if they had what we needed, and of course we were told no. And not just a simple "No" it was more like "You should already know what we carry in this establishment, how dare you bother me with your stupid questions?" Not welcoming!!!! read more

The hippie ladies working here have taught me obscure facts about fibers and dyes over the years. Warning, if you are a yarn junkie - have a budget before you go in. I love to fondle the angora. read more

I can't believe this place has been rated only 5 times! I guess their clientele doesn't use yelp-- ha! This place is where you get everything you need to dye or paint clothing and fabric. Besides all kinds of dyes and paints for various types of fabrics, they have an extensive selection of white fabric yardage (various weight cottons, linens, silks, rayon, hemp, etc.) They also have clothing "blanks" which are undyed white clothing that's already been sewn. They have such things as camisoles, leggings, sundresses, hawaiian shirts, socks, bathing suits and more-- in styles for men, women and children. They also have a few household items in blanks such as bags, table linens, bedding (including pillow cases). It used to be where all the hippies go to get tie dye supplies and earth mothers would go to get "wearable art" materials... but that clientele is getting older so I hope this business lasts. It's a good-sized store and they have a website that's pretty educational if you don't know what you're doing. It doesn't have to be hippy-- it's all what you make of it. Good place! read more

Yes, I know this is out of the city. But, with service this crappy, it deserves a review! I needed a very specific product (bleach thickener and a discharge stopping agent) for a shirt dispersion dye project I was working over in my head. Much to my surprise, I got out of my freelance job early today and actually would have had time to make it over there before they closed at 6! So, I hopped off of BART at my home stop of Colma, got in the car and hightailed it up the 101 north on a Friday at 4:30. (Not smart.) And, it was pouring rain (making traffic even slower). And, once I did get all the way up to that part of Marin county, my Rand Mcnally map didn't specifically say "get off at Central San Rafael", so I missed my exit. By this time, it was a quarter till. I called ahead and told them exactly what I needed, and that I had battled traffic all the way up to get to the store, so if I could be there *right at* 6, if I could just pay and leave. The desk lady was a total bitch. And, I made it within 2 minutes of closing, so she had the door already locked and the closed sign turned. (Hate to split hairs, but by this point, I just wanted to get the stuff and go and I had gone through all that effort! She couldn't be bothered with that whatsoever.) As a small business owner myself, I would never do this, especially if the potential customer came at closing time in an unusual circumstance and called ahead. Not only has this crappy cashier lost my business, but I've already found new dealers for Procion MX dyes and other related products, and I'll tell everyone I know that this store isn't worth patronizing... but is worth patronizing. Not only that, they're closed on Sundays, and only open Mon-Sat 10-6. Totally inconvenient if you want to visit and actually work! read more

At some point, there is too much yarn. There are too many miles, too many hours, too much investment in the procurement and perusal of yarn. I don't think today is that day. I was bored this weekend, so I hopped in my faithful Robin (gray Yaris) and drove about an hour northeast to this quirky, colorful store. At first I was kinda surprised; I got the vibe (from the website) that this was a store that just happened to have yarn in it. In fact, the yarn was the main event (definite two stars for that!!!). The location is on the outskirts of the Main Street, which is nice, and makes it easy to find parking (1gold star). Customer service was pretty good (I wasn't stared at too intently, I guess), but the selection was top notch (Star the fourth). I ended up with a yak/merino blend in a serviceable black- enough for a sweater. They also had camel fiber, so I stocked up. The best part? I was there on the day of a sale, so everything was ten percent off (thus another star)! read more