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Bag each skein separately in plastic, add a card noting the dye lot and fiber content, and pack skeins snugly in a box or padded mailer so they cannot unwind or crush. Keep yarn dry, away from strong scents, and do not vacuum-seal delicate fibers.
Yarn is soft, so people assume it is indestructible. In practice, a loose skein can unwind into a tangled mess, a crushed skein loses the loft that makes a finished piece drape well, and wool absorbs odors and moisture from anything stored nearby. A parcel left in rain can soak yarn through a paper mailer, and dye from a wet skein can bleed onto a lighter one packed beside it. Individual plastic bags solve most of these problems at once: they block moisture, stop dye transfer, and keep each skein contained.
For knitters and crocheters, the dye lot matters as much as the color name. Two skeins of the same color from different dye lots can differ visibly in a finished garment, so note the dye lot, brand, color name or number, fiber content, and weight for each skein on a card tucked into its bag. If you are sending yarn from a destash without labels, write what you know and mark anything uncertain, such as "believed to be wool blend." A recipient who finds a surprise extra skein in a matching dye lot will thank you; a recipient who runs short mid-sweater will not.
| Yarn type | Packaging note | Caution |
|---|---|---|
| Acrylic | Bagged, snug in a mailer or box | Can pick up static and attract lint |
| Wool | Bagged, with a cedar sachet if stored long | Moth risk in warm storage; keep sealed |
| Cotton | Bagged, kept dry | Heavy when wet; moisture matters more |
| Delicate fibers (silk, mohair, alpaca) | Bagged, loosely packed, no vacuum seal | Crushing flattens halo and loft |
| Hand-dyed skeins | Separate bags, dye lot cards | Dye can transfer if damp |
A single skein fits well in a padded mailer inside its plastic bag, with the label card visible through the bag. For several skeins, use a box: stand skeins upright like cans on a shelf, or lay them flat in layers with tissue between layers. Fill gaps with tissue so skeins do not shift, but do not compress them hard: yarn that arrives squashed flat takes time to recover its loft, and delicate fibers may never fully bounce back. Vacuum-sealing is tempting for a large destash, but it is best reserved for sturdy acrylic, since it can crush the halo off mohair and flatten hand-wound cakes.
Yarn picks up smells from smoke, pets, and strong cleaning products, and a recipient with sensitivities will notice. If your home has pets or smokers, say so honestly in your listing or note, and keep yarn bagged from the start. For wool, a sealed bag plus a cedar sachet or lavender pouch in the box helps deter moths during storage, though neither replaces a sealed bag. Add a small silica packet if you ship in a humid season, and always seal the outer box seams fully: a box that opens slightly in rain lets water reach every bag inside.
Weigh the packed parcel, since a box of cotton yarn gets heavy quickly. For shipments within Canada, a Canada Post Xpresspost label through LetterAgent covers parcels up to 5 kg at a flat rate: ask your AI assistant for a per-label quote, approve the exact price, pay once through Stripe, and print the label PDF provided. Split a large destash into two parcels if it passes that weight, and put the address label flat on the largest face of the box or mailer so it scans cleanly.
Ready to ship it? Get a shipping label with LetterAgent: describe it to your AI assistant, approve the exact quoted price, and get your label.
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