Dharma Trading Co.

Good customer service. Large store.

They are amazing. Helpful. Wonderful place for buying yarns and textile dyes. SO much fun to learn a new art hat trick! They answered a ton of questions and helped me get started. I even built a silk loom based on their input. Fun new hobby.

Great selection of yarns and patterns, as well as dyes and dyeable garments. Small selection of roving for the hand spinner. I love the Dharma brand Acid dyes, the pricing is a little lower than Jacquard, but they are offered in 2 oz size, where Jacquard is 8 oz. Very helpful staff, who are willing to explain if you have questions. Fabric selection is good if you are into dyeing your own fabrics, and the prices are comparable to other shops that I have looked at.

I stopped in here after discovering via Unilocal that the very same Dharma Trading Co I have been lurking online for yarn dyes for a couple years has an actual physical location. Hooray!!!
First of all after driving through the downtown area I came to realize that the tiny little parking lot on the side of the building was a huge bonus because there was very little street parking to be found on this particular day.
Upon entering the store I was immediately greeted and asked if I could use any helping finding anything. Another huge bonus because my traveling companion was my very active 1 year old which meant my time was limited to his attention span.
She then let me know that there happened to be some toys to keep my little guy busy while I looked at dyes (I wish a lot more stores could offer this amenity) so I was able to select everything i needed then got to look around.
The store was well laid out with a really nice selection of yarns and patterns and other yarn like accessories in the front. The back was all about dyeing and blanks. I’m certain there were a few other craft items to be found but I didn’t stick around long enough to tour the entire store.
I will definitely be back and am really glad I happened across this little gold mine.

been waiting for a tracking confirmation after 9 days since my order, nothing. Can’t leave a message as they do not answer, so unprofessional. Do not order from these people as you will not get the items ordered, they are a fraud company

I have been buying dyes and such by mail for a long time… long before computers… and they’re still the same wonderful place to browse, dream and shop.
It’s my first thought when it comes to fabrics or fabric arts… and with fabrics, I check and if they don’t have it then I have to question if I really need it – so they save me money (and the hassle of driving to a store and looking [repeat 5 times ore more)…
I learned about batiking and fiber reactive dyes from friends and while out of touch I think of them everytime I look at a catalog or plan the next dye bath. What a gift sharing the knowlege of arts, crafts and their tools… and that’s how I see Dharma Trading… a sharer of gifts…
Thanks!

Great place! The selection of yarn is wide and varied, and the prices are superb. There’s also an entire section dedicated to yarn and fabric dying, with various articles of clothing that can be purchased and dyed. I didn’t get the feeling of snobbery or stuffiness that sometimes comes with yarn shops, either, which was quite refreshing. There was good jazz playing on the speakers, and the women working there were friendly and helpful. All in all, I probably spent more than I should have, but I’ll definitely be back.

No better place in the universe to get tie dye supplies! Love going into the store when in the area, but rely on the Internet the rest of the year! Simply theBest !!

After several exhausting calls to Michael’s and Joann’s Fabric to find fabric paint to use with kindergarteners, I found Dharma. I thought, «is this the one on 4^th Street I drive by when I take my daughter to school»? Cool. It was. They have a plethora of paint for fabrics and a great selection. They also have a huge selection of adorable dyeable clothing, bags, hats and other things for your creative endeavors. Very helpful. Highly recommend.

This place is amazing! I ordered swatches of silk to potentially use for my wedding dress. They arrived and the fabric was very beautiful and soft, so I ordered the fabric (about 20 yards total of 3 different 100% silk varieties). It just arrived in the mail today… just as beautiful as the swatches, and I’m SO happy about the whole experience! Wonderful quality silk, amazing prices, quick shipping… Thank you so much, Dharma Trading Co!!!

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!

Thank you for your quick help over the phone today with my yarn needs! I was happy to find a yarn store within walking distance of work, and there are so many wonderful types of yarn to choose from! Yay!

Thank you to Dharma for assisting me with my knitting. I came into the store today for help fixing a mistake that I made some 8 – 10 rows back. Not only did the knitting instructor fix the error, she also helped me get set so I don’t have the problem again.
Thank you ever so much.

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)!

i’ve been a little out of the Unilocal loop lately. i tend to do this every couple years. life just takes over, then bam– i realize i haven’t written a review in far far too long. that happened this morning and god dammit, i’m fixing that. i was jarred back into Unilocal writing by a friend request from marcus k., who instead of leaving the default «your reviews are great» form email, changed it and said my reviews make him smile. how’s that for making a girl feel good!!!
so a big part of why i’m off the Unilocal wagon, or on it, or whatever it is (i can never remember how that goes) is because while still in nursing school, i actually already became a nurse, and unfortunately the bums have lost (lebowski reference) and i got me a job. actually, 2 jobs, but whose counting. so while i now have my own income for the first time in years, i also have less time to sit at home and do things that numb my brain… like write Unilocal reviews.
and how am i spending said new finances, you might ask? why at dharma’s of course! this is a tie dye junkies wet dream (yes, we actually have wet dreams about tie dying). i’ve been ordering online for a long time, ok not that long cause i’m only in my mid-30’s after all, and just realized that they had an actual store. where you can go and see everything they have online. and it’s friggin in san rafael!!! my first trip there was like finding a golden ticket and getting behind the factory gates. i love it there so so much. they have everything and anything a tie dyer could ever want (except funnels) and more. i realize that the only reason i became a nurse is so i can spend all my money at dharma’s…
oh. and my old man wants to move to san rafael because phil lesh opened a place there this year. i said no way. but then i started to think about living really really close to dharma’s… and san rafael is starting to sound like a great place to live!

great shop for yarn! stopped by yesterday and was greeted by a helpful employee. they’ve got tons of specialty yarns. most of them are wool or wool mixes, which is a bummer for me because i find it too itchy, but they also had some acrylic and cotton blends. i bought two skeins of some super soft yarn and a pair of knitting needles. they even have a knitting help circle available 3 times a week. nice to know i can stop by if i need some advice.

Dharma Trading Co has been «my» company for white silk scarves and dyes since 1997. Their product is superior to other stores and they service me in a way that is beyond what I expect. Their personnel are all friendly when I call in an order and my shipment arrives promptly and with no spilled dyes or missed items.
Thank you to Dharma Trading Co. for helping artists to create their artwork

I’m a complete fabric fanatic. I shop fabric in every city I ever travel to.
They have a great selection of fabrics. Their fabrics are geared to artists who dye fabrics, tie dye them, batik them, etc. However, they have great fabrics for people who do not dye fabrics. Their silks are all off white or ivory colored. If you’re planning a garment in this color range, then go to Dharma. They have (in white or off white & in some cases, fabrics come in black) rayons, chiffons, silk gauze, organzas, georgette, raw silk (also in black), rayon/​silk velvets that are fabulous in white or black. Black silk charmeuse that is wonderful. Black silk chiffons. Black china silk.
MUSLINS! Cotton sheetings, cotton broadcloth, voile, lawn, gauze, white denim, sateen, velveteen, bamboo and more. (I’m looking at the catalog they gave me at the store — ask for one, it helps you keep track of what they offer).
Or you can learn to dye these fabrics in your washing machine and get the exact color you want.
I use their silk organzas as sew in interfacing and underlining in garments. Their black silk velvet is superb — soft, wearable.
Prices are very affordable and the best you can find in the area. If they don’t have a large quantity for something in the store, they can order it for you quickly (sometimes same day) from their warehouse.
Found out that Dharma sells to fashion and textile departments in schools and universities. Those school bookstores mark up the fabric prices — so shop from the source at the Dharma store and save money! Dharma also sells to movie studios costume departments and even the Cirque du Soleil costume makers. How cool is that?

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!

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)