BUTTERCHROME FAQ! 🧈
🌈 faqs, fun facts + tips! 🦋
General Info
Release Date
Sunday, April 26th at 7pm Mountain Time
Turnaround Time
The Butterchrome Collection turnaround time will be 12-18 weeks, with all orders shipping by August 30th at the latest.
Please note that this is the latest date your order will ship. We start shipping preorder yarn about 4 weeks into dyeing so that we're able to move yarn through the studio, making it more likely that you receive your order in a shorter turnaround timeframe.
Shipping
we automatically combine orders if you place more than one during the preorder – this is automatic so no need to email us asking us to do so!
all shipping overages over $5 will be refunded
we ship orders as they become ready, so depending on what you order and when we dye it, you could get it well before the stated turnaround time.
if you need to change your shipping address, you must email our Customer Relations manager, Jenn, at hello@explorerknits.com so we can update it in our shipping system!
Love Tax
As of June 2024, we have updated our Anti Fat Tax (Love Tax) policy. Going forward, our Love Tax discount will be 15% off orders of 7+ skeins of any colorway/base that are intended to be used for a single project with the discount code ANTI FAT TAX.
We ask that you put Love Tax-eligible yarn (e.g. an 8-skein sweater quantity) in an order separate from yarn that the discount does not apply to (e.g. a sock set). We automatically combine orders and refund all shipping overages over $5!
Any kit with 7+ skeins is eligible for our 15% Anti-Fat Tax (Love Tax) discount with the code ANTI FAT TAX KITS. Please place your Love Tax-eligible kits in an order separate from any Love Tax-eligible non-kit yarn AND any Love Tax-ineligible yarn. We automatically combine orders and refund all shipping overages over $5!
This system will only work if we have trust between each other and faith that only those that actually need the code use it. If we have fears that people are taking advantage of this inclusivity discount we will find another way to implement it for those who need it.
Bases Offered
Suri Alpaca Lace ($29): 74% Baby Suri Alpaca, 26% Mulberry Silk • lace weight • 328 yards (300 meters) per 50g
Cashmere Caverns Sock ($30): 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Nylon, 10% Cashmere • fingering weight • 4-ply • 435 yards (398 meters) per 100g
Denali Sock ($29): • 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon • fingering weight • 2-ply • 400 yards (366 meters) per 100g
Denali Sock 50g ($15): 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon • fingering weight • 2-ply • 200 yards (183 meters) per 50g
Denali Sock Mini ($8): 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon • fingering weight • 2-ply • 80 yards (73 meters) per 20g
Earthy Sock ($30): 100% Non-Superwash Merino • fingering weight • 4-ply • 436 yards (399 meters) per 100g
Earthy Sock Mini ($8): 100% Non-Superwash Merino • fingering weight • 4-ply • 87 yards (80 meters) per 20g
Linen Sock ($30): 80% Non-Superwash Merino, 20% Linen • fingering weight • 4-ply • 437 yards (400 meters) per 100g • 18.5 microns
Tweed Sock ($29): 85% Superwash Merino, 15% Donegal Nep • fingering weight • 2-ply • 438 yards (401 meters) per 100g
new! Cloud Confetti ($30): 42% Superwash Merino Wool, 32% Superfine Alpaca, 18% Neon Donegal Nep, 8% Linen • fingering weight • 2-ply • 437 yards (400 meters) per 100g
Teton Sport ($29): 80% Superwash Merino, 20% Nylon • sport weight • 3-ply • 328 yards (300 meters) per 100g
Rockies DK ($29): 100% Superwash Merino • DK weight • 8-ply • 274 yards (251 meters) per 100g
Rockies DK 50g ($15): 100% Superwash Merino • DK weight • 8-ply • 136 yards (124 meters) per 50g
Cashmere DK ($30): 80% Superwash Merino, 10% Nylon, 10% Cashmere • DK weight • 4-ply • 231 yards (211 meters) per 100g
Earthy DK ($30): 100% Non-Superwash Merino • DK weight • 4-ply • 246 yards (225 meters) per 100g • 26 microns
Linen DK ($30): 80% Non-Superwash Merino, 20% Linen • DK weight • 4-ply • 231 yards (211 meters) per 100g • 18.5 microns
Bouclé DK ($31): 100% Superwash Merino • DK weight • single ply • 240 yards (219 meters) per 100g
Tweed DK ($29): 85% Superwash Merino, 15% Donegal Nep • DK weight • 4-ply • 231 yards (211 meters) per 100g
new! Confetti DK ($30): 85% Superwash Merino, 15% Neon Donegal Nep • DK weight • 4-ply • 231 yards (211 meters) per 100g
Carlsbad Worsted ($29): 100% Superwash Merino • worsted weight • 4-ply • 218 yards (199 meters) per 100g
Colorways Offered
In My Neon Era | BFF4L
Roller Skate Red | Grapefruit
Pepperoncini | Lemon Drop
Freezie Pop | Spindrift
Butterfly Pea Flower | Escapism
Chaos Bloom | Metamorphosis
Fractal Garden | Chrysalis
Butterfly Effect | Ephemeral
Unburdened Flight | Emergence
Radiant Chaos | Transcendence
Sets Offered
tonal full skein sets
type
BUTTER Tonal Palette (5 Butterfly Effect Tonals)
CHROME Tonal Palette (10 Monochrome Bright Tonals)
BUTTERCHROME Tonal Palette (15 tonals)
bases
Suri Alpaca Lace — Denali Sock — 50g Denali Sock — Cashmere Caverns Sock — Earthy Sock (NSW) — Linen Sock (NSW) — Tweed Sock — Cloud Confetti (SW+NSW) — Teton Sport — Rockies DK — 50g Rockies DK — Cashmere DK — Earthy DK (NSW) — Linen DK (NSW) — Tweed DK — Bouclé DK — Confetti DK — Carlsbad Worsted
variegated full skein sets
type
BUTTER Variegated Palette (5 Butterfly Effect Variegated)
bases
Suri Alpaca Lace — Denali Sock — Cashmere Caverns Sock — Earthy Sock (NSW) — Teton Sport — Rockies DK — Cashmere DK — Earthy DK (NSW) — Carlsbad Worsted
mini sets
type
BUTTER Tonal Palette (5 Butterfly Effect Tonals)
CHROME Tonal Palette (10 Monochrome Bright Tonals)
BUTTERCHROME Tonal Palette (15 tonals)
bases
Denali Sock
Earthy Sock
Tweed Sock
sock sets
Single Mini Sock Set
(our classic version — 100g variegated skein + 20g tonal skein, AND, for Monochrome Brights, 100g tonal + 20g coordinating tonal skein - yes, you can mix and match within Monochrome Brights pairings!)
bases
Denali Sock
Earthy Sock
Chaos Bloom + Metamorphosis
Fractal Garden + Chrysalis
Butterfly Effect + Ephemeral
Unburdened Flight + Emergence
Radiant Chaos + Transcendence
In My Neon Era + BFF4L
BFF4L + In My Neon Era
Roller Skate Red + Grapefruit
Grapefruit + Roller Skate Red
Pepperoncini + Lemon Drop
Lemon Drop + Pepperoncini
Freezie Pop + Spindrift
Spindrift + Freezie Pop
Butterfly Pea Flower + Escapism
Escapism + Butterfly Pea Flower
entire collection full skein sets
type
Monochrome Brights Palette (10 tonals)
Butterfly Effect Palette (5 tonal, 5 variegated)
BUTTERCHROME Palette (15 tonals, 5 variegated)
bases
Suri Alpaca Lace — Denali Sock — 50g Denali Sock — Cashmere Caverns Sock — Earthy Sock (NSW) — Linen Sock (NSW) — Tweed Sock — Cloud Confetti (SW+NSW) — Teton Sport — Rockies DK — 50g Rockies DK — Cashmere DK — Earthy DK (NSW) — Linen DK (NSW) — Tweed DK — Bouclé DK — Confetti DK — Carlsbad Worsted
Kits Offered
We will be offering yarn kits for some of our favorite patterns for the collection launch! Friendly reminder: These kits are only for the yarn – to get the pattern you will need to purchase it directly from the designer in the links provided!
Butterchrome Ravelry Bundle (in all its glory 😍)
Khối Pullover
ozuko
The Khối Pullover is a seamless, top-down v-neck sweater with asymmetrical color blocking. Designed for an oversized fit with 6-8” / 15.2-20.3cm positive ease, and dropped shoulders. This is a perfect garment for learning (or practicing!) intarsia in the round.
Yarn Base: Rockies DK
Colorways: In My Neon Era (MC) + BFF4L (CC)
Superlative Sweater
Samantha Guerin
The Superlative Sweater is a drop-shoulder sweater worked from the top down. The back of the sweater is cast on at the shoulders. Left and right front shoulders are picked up from the cast on edge and worked flat with shaping for the neckline. Sweater front and back are worked flat to the sleeve depth and then the body is joined to work in the round. Sleeves are picked up and knit downward. The body is finished with a folded hem. Collar and cuffs are finished with 1x1 rib and a tubular bind off.
Yarn Bases: Bouclé DK & Rockies DK
Colorways: Roller Skate Red (MC) + Grapefruit (CC)
Superlative Sweater on Ravelry
Abuela Tank
Michelle Jones MMMaking
The Abuela Tank is crocheted in timeless granny stitch. Made from a light and cool cotton, it’s worked in two parts (front and back) from the bottom up with the edgings added after seaming.
Instructions are given for one-color, however, our sample is in two colors and this is easily achieved!
Yarn base: Teton Sport
Colorways: Pepperoncini (MC) + Lemon Drop (CC)
Imber Socks
Summer Lee
The Imber Socks were designed using a classic houndstooth pattern. The colorwork chart is easy to memorize, making these socks an interesting-yet-soothing knit.
Yarn base: Denali Sock
Colorways: Spindrift (MC) + Freezie Pop (CC)
Fortuna's Wheel Pullover
Elspeth Vance
Fortuna’s Wheel is a top-down raglan pullover, the neck shaping is worked flat, then joined and worked in the round. The front, back and sleeves are separated by striped raglan seams worked in alternating yarn A and yarn B in 1x1 Rib. Shaping is worked on either side of these raglan seams.
Yarn base: Carlsbad Worsted
Colorways: Escapism (MC) + Butterfly Pea Flower (CC)
Fortuna's Wheel Pullover on Ravelry
Farfalle Cardigan
Amy Christoffers
The Farfalle motif pattern is charted. Mosaic colorwork is created by working 2 rows with a main color (MC) and followed by 2 rows with a contrast color (CC), slipping stitches to produce the pattern. The Farfalle cardigan is worked in pieces and seamed. The body and sleeves are worked with allover mosaic and ribbed hems, cuffs and front band.
Yarn Base: Carlsbad Worsted
Colorways: Metamorphosis (MC) + Butterfly Effect (CC)
Plaid Sweater
Megan Monroe
Using our Rockies DK base, Megan created a literal colorwork masterpiece, somehow perfectly showing off how well every one of these colors interacts with one another in this structured, clever design!
For those of you that are interested in getting yarn for this design, Megan will have an information sheet with yardage info for you to make this one when the pattern is released at Flock.
Inspired by a ready-to-wear sweater and an old ski hat found in the back of a closet, this is an all-over colorwork sweater worked from the top down with compound raglan shaping. The colorwork is mostly worked in the round, with some short rows for neck shaping that are worked flat. You can sew down the neck ribbing for a folded collar or leave it up as a mock turtleneck.
Yarn Base: Rockies DK
Colorways: Metamorphosis, Ephemeral, Chrysalis, + Emergence
Megan's sweater design will be released at Flock Fiber Festival!
Pathways Sweater
Sarah's Handmakes
Designed by one of our very own, this stunner of a sweater is sure to turn heads! It's all about the details with the Pathways Sweater – i-cord finishings, crisp twisted ribbing, texture play, and countless chances to add creative pops of color.
The back is worked flat with short rows and increases to shape the neckline and shoulders. The left and right fronts are picked up along their respective back increase edges and worked flat with increases to shape the necklines. The fronts are joined together and worked flat to create the armholes. After joining the front and back in the round, the body is worked in stockinette stitch and finished with a twisted rib hem. The taper/balloon sleeves are picked up and worked in stockinette in the round and finished with twisted rib cuffs. The collar is picked up and worked in twisted rib. Finally, i-cord accents are worked along the shoulder seams and armholes.
The Pathways Sweater will be available on May 2nd! If you purchase it before then, you will get a discount code for Sarah's other patterns and the pattern will be auto-delivered to your Ravelry library on Release Day.
Yarn Bases: Denali Sock + Suri (garment) & Cashmere Sock (i-cord)
Colorways: Ephemeral + Butterfly Effect
Pathways Sweater on Ravelry (out May 2nd!)
Base Spirit
Park Williams
The Base Spirit is the basic, t-shirt version of Park's Ghost Whisperer and Phantom Fuzz designs for the people who want to wear a classic t-shirt, minus the classic part. Knit from the top down, the see-through and airy fabric knits up extremely fast!
Yarn Base: Suri Alpaca Lace (held double)
Colorways: Fractal Garden + Unburdened Flight
Brighten Sweater
Sarah Opie
Brighten Sweater is a stranded colourwork compound raglan worked top-down. The collar is worked in ribbing in the round before short rows are worked to shape the neckline (this is the only flat knitting for the entire sweater, and it’s just 14 rows!). The pattern calls for four colours, but is easy to modify for a scrappy version, or additional colours. Brighten Sweater pattern has 12 sizes and adjustable body & sleeve lengths. The colourwork is always just two colours at a time and avoids long floats.
Yarn Base: Denali Sock
Colorways: Metamorphosis, Ephemeral, Chrysalis, + Emergence
Nest Vest
Sarah Opie
A squishy and cozy garter stitch vest, dotted with buttons. Nest Vest is worked in all-over garter stitch with I-Cord edging worked during the main knitting, for minimal finishing. The rounded neckline is mirrored by the curved hem, all done by simple increases and decreases. The pattern includes options for 4 lengths and has a fade made up of 4 colours. The vest can also be worked in a single colour. Buttonholes are optional and can be places on either side of the vest to suit you. The vest can be worked in fingering weight held double or DK weight (the sample was worked in DK weight).
Yarn Base: Rockies DK
Colorways: Butterfly Effect, Unburdened Flight, Chaos Bloom, + Fractal Garden
Fizz Cardigan
Sarah Opie
The Fizz Cardigan uses marling to create a cohesive fade with yarn held double. Worked top down with compound raglan shaping and a single button. The body has A-Line shaping that gently flares toward the hip and is emphasised by a curved hem knit with short rows. The yoke and body are worked flat, then the sleeves are worked in the round. This cardigan can be worked with two strands of a fuzzy yarn such as mohair or suri, or two strands of fingering weight yarn. The pattern includes two sleeves options: balloon sleeve (as seen in the sample) or bell sleeve (flares to mirror the A-Line shape of the body). Choose between 4, 6 or 8 colours to bring your fade to life!
Yarn Base: Suri Alpaca Lace (held double)
Colorways: Unburdened Flight, Butterfly Effect, Fractal Garden, + Chaos Bloom
Summer School Slipover
Lindsey Muscarella
The Summer School Slipover is a playful Tunisian crochet summer vest. It uses beginner-friendly Tunisian crochet stitches and surface slip stitching to create the checkered pattern. The Summer School Slipover isn’t only for summer; you can layer it in your favorite collared shirt or turtle neck during the cooler months.
Yarn Base: Rockies DK
Colorways: In My Neon Era (MC) + Ephemeral (CC)
Summer School Slipover on Ravelry
Twigsy Scarf
saskie&co
The Twigsy Scarf is a stranded colourwork scarf knitted exclusively in the round!
Yarn Base: Carlsbad Worsted
Colorways: Roller Skate Red (MC) + Grapefruit (CC)
Tegel Hat
Jean-Philippe Cliche
The EKF team made these hats together in all different color combos and WOW do we love them!! We're already dreaming up scrappy versions with every block a different color 😍
This hat is knitted flat using intarsia to create the color blocks. This hat is sideways, with short rows forming the crown! You will graft in garter stitch to close the hat.
Yarn Bases: Cashmere DK + Cloud Confetti
Colorways: Roller Skate Red (MC) + Spindrift (CC)
Mooi Scarf
Niina Tanskanen
Mooi is a lightweight rectangular scarf worked in an unusual way: a z-shape form. One section consists of four parts, and the sections are repeated three times in total. Mooi means “nice”, “pretty” and “beautiful” in Dutch. Niina Tanskanen loves simple graphic styles and earthy yet cheerful colours – hence the name. The scarf is playful and also a fun experience to knit.
Yarn Bases: Denali Sock
Colorways: Emergence, Ephemeral, Metamorphosis, + Chrysalis
Any kit with 7+ skeins is eligible for our 15% Anti-Fat Tax (Love Tax) discount with the code ANTI-FAT TAX KITS. Please place your Love Tax-eligible kits in an order separate from any Love Tax-eligible non-kit yarn AND any Love Tax-ineligible yarn. We automatically combine orders and refund all shipping overages over $5!
All dyed-to-order (preorder) sales are final.
Non-Superwash Fun Facts
New to NSW? No worries! We all know how much I love our superwash bases, so this info is for those like me who haven't worked with non-superwash much and are curious to learn more about it! Here are some interesting facts and benefits:
regulates body temperature well (keeping the wearer not too hot/too cold) - hikers often use wool as insulating base layers/socks to keep dry while hiking
stitches bloom well and fill out when blocked (especially noticeable in colorwork projects) and don't stretch out (NSW garments have good memory)
moisture-wicking and more water-resistant than superwash yarns
more sustainably produced (minimally processed and non-resource-intensive to create)
appear less saturated than our superwash yarns, often looking like a more blended, lower-contrast version of the colorway (especially in variegated colorways)
Earthy Sock is very soft as non-superwash bases go, Earthy DK blooms beautifully and becomes even softer after blocking, and Linen Sock and Linen DK have a lovely heathered look in most tonal colorways. It is within the nature of non-superwash yarns to be much blendier than superwash yarns in variegated colors, often resulting in diffused, murkier shades (especially with darker colorways). Make sure to reference the photos of our NSW yarns on Instagram to see exactly how they will look!
Clouds of Confetti 🎊
What better way to celebrate our favorite neon colors than adding EVEN MORE NEON to them?!? That's why we added two BRAND-NEW limited-edition bases for Butterchrome: Cloud Confetti and Confetti DK!!
Available across all tonal colorways for The Butterchrome Collection, these bright, over-the-top-good bases are a feast for the eyes and a major asset to your wardrobe! Read below for the hot goss on the hottest new yarns around 💅🏻
Cloud Confetti ($30)
42% Superwash Merino Wool, 32% Superfine Alpaca, 18% Neon Donegal Nep, 8% Linen • fingering weight • 2-ply • 437 yards (400 meters) per 100g
A delight to work with and soft as a feather, our Cloud Confetti base is a blend of superwash and non-superwash – and it's 100% joy! The lofty plies of this base add lift and warmth to any garment, and the fact that it's both fluffy AND fingering-weight gives you the option to hold it single or with another yarn in a variety of designs! The base color of Cloud Confetti is a buttercream yellow, so colorways dyed on this base have a slightly warmer tone than on our classic superwash bases. The neon neps even glow under UV light, making both bases perfect for your next party (or the roller rink 🛼)!
Confetti DK ($30)
85% Superwash Merino, 15% Neon Donegal Nep • DK weight • 4-ply • 231 yards (211 meters) per 100g
Impossibly soft and full of pops of color, our brand-new Confetti DK base is so much fun to work with and to wear! It has all the comfort of our other superwash Merino bases, plus sooo much more fun 🤩 Because the neps are made of polyamide, they resist dye and are able to keep their out-of-this-world color 🪐 The base color of Confetti DK is a buttercream yellow, so colorways dyed on this base have a slightly warmer tone than on our classic superwash bases. Try Confetti DK as a fun summer top, a mood boost of a sweater in the winter, or a little scarf to add a neon accent to your outfit!
Bouclé All Day
We are SO excited that you all have been loving our Bouclé DK base! A lot of people are just starting to use bouclé, so we asked one of our lovely sample knitters, Megan, for some tips and tricks for your first time working with this yarn:
swatching with bouclé yarn is essential — because our Bouclé DK base is less elastic compared to our other DK bases, your bouclé gauge will likely be different than your non-bouclé gauge (our sample knitter knit swatches on US 2-6 to see the fabric the bouclé creates on each size for our Port Sweater sample)
use markers — stitches in bouclé yarn are harder to read and tell apart, so having removable stitch markers for marking increases/decreases, etc. is recommended!
test out needle/hook styles — some makers prefer super sharp needles to get into the bouclé stitches easier, and others prefer dull needles to prevent snagging the bouclé loops. Our sample knitter recommends trying both if you have the option when swatching!