Dharma Trading Company
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
14 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"I wasn't even plannng on buying a wedding band today but I ended up purchasing one! haha... our sales person was extremely nice and they…" read more »
12 Reviews for Dharma Trading Company
Pricey, but a good selection of Yarn....fine yarn.
I have to literally steal (from my husband) in order to shop here. I think it's cheaper than other yarn stores I've visited, but still expensive. They sell my favorite yarn here, which I'm not telling you what it is because I don't want you to buy it. Hey it has dye lots. :P
A great place to buy those fancy yarns. Don't buy your needles here unless you absolutely can't find it at Michael's or Joann's.
They also have knitting classes here.
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Boy, did I salivate when I stepped over the threshold! I have only recently gotten into tie-dyeing and this place has *everything* one could want. Except not always in the size I was looking for. Their selection of clothing blanks is what brought me in, since I spent a lot of time browsing their website ahead of time but I needed to actually hold some things against the baby to know what size to get, whether that type of hat looked silly, etc.
I didn't find that the staff were cranky at all. In fact, I got stuck there waiting for a friend to meet me, so I nursed the baby and perused a pattern book, and no one blinked. Everyone was friendly - in fact everyone gushed over how cute the baby was, so I imagine that helped.
I did find that the person who was working front had some trouble helping me size the clothes I needed. There are a lot of racks - be prepared to go through them because there's almost one of everything in each size, but just almost. The one thing I came in for (a two-piece set for baby with footie pants!) they didn't have in her size. But I found other things I liked more, things i hadn't been looking for. I can say that the person who helped me knows dye colors. I showed her a shirt I had already dyed and she reeled off the color (out of about twenty shades of blue) that matched.
I decided not to buy any yarn, but I found some really beautiful stuff. I compared prices with online shops and the yarn I really liked (Jelli Beenz) cost about $0.30 more at Dharma - reasonable markup for a retail shop.
great for finding random craft things, but don't ask for help - the owner is cranky & the place is a little dirty.
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!
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Yes, Dharma is the place for those crafty folks who like to dye. I imagine this place is really popular with the tie-dye set as well as those into the fabric arts.
That's not why I come here. They also sell yarn!
Back before knitting was in vogue and there was a knitting shop on nearly every corner, I needed sock yarn. I found some fabulous space-dyed sock yarn there. A knitted up a pair of socks for Mom and she wore them until they were in tatters.
They have a nicely edited yarn selection in the front of the store with knitting notions and patterns. In the back of the store is where all those other crafting materials are kept. I've yet to venture back there. My wallet can only handle one or two crafting obsessions at a time.
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-Anything you could possibly want to dye (dresses, tees, baby booties)
-Great selection of yarns and pattern books
-wide range of dyes and other fabric decorating supplies
-helpful staff (she wrote down a pattern she had made up after I eyed the half-made scarf)
It is just too bad that they are in San Rafael, and not open on Sundays.
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I have been really impressed with the variety of fabric arts-related gear you can find on the Dharma Trading Company website, so I couldn't resist stopping in to see the shop when I first moved to the Bay Area. If I had found this place first, I might not have sought out the website. It does not do a particularly good job of representing their products. Sure, there is quite a selection, but the shop is, for lack of a better description, rather tired. I love to hang out in creative spaces, but this place didn't make me want to stick around for long. If there had been anything in particular that I had wanted, I would have grabbed it immediately, paid and left. One thing that is particularly nice, though, is the room of fabrics. While the room itself is lacking in terms of atmosphere, no swatch package will give you a fair sense of what you will like in the way that the fabric hanging on the bolt will. So if you're considering parting with more than a little $$ on some specialty ready-to-dye silk fabrics, I can't encourage you enough to stop in and check them out first before ordering/buying.
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Hannah, with all due respect...you weren't even vaguely influenced by that horrific Friday traffic on the GG Bridge, were you?
I've known Dharma Trading since their start-up days on University Ave in Berkeley. Good stuff, ethical folks *and* decent prices.
Even though San Rafael is easy for me to get to via the Richmond Bridge...I would probably aways opt for having materials shipped to me.
But then, I try to plan ahead. Life is much sweeter, than way!
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I have only ever purchased things from their mail order business. I'm at a bit of a loss as to why anyone would even bother going to the retail store when items purchased on line or on the phone arrive in one or two business days.
They have all kinds of everything imaginable for fabric manipulation, as well as their own range of dyable fabrics and dyable clothes. Great place to buy cheap baby clothes to decorate for gifts.
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All of my dealings with Dharma have been great. I've asked questions via email and received quick and informative answers.
Living in the bay area, I can use the cheapest shipping and have it arrive in a day or two. I've always been happy with their products and have no reason to complain.
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!
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I cannot begin to express the extent of my disagreement with the first reviewer of Dharma.
Since moving to Marin from NYC (you know, get it whenever you want it NYC) I have found Dharma - and the EXPERTISE of the sales staff - totally helpful and informative w/o the sales hustle; AND, I'm a commercial artist, adept at the many techniques and supplies they have on stock - I don't always need my hand held and I need to make my own creative choices. They are always there to help - at any level - from the beginner, learning to cable stitch boucle mohair yarn, to the expert, re-dying those favorite black jeans.
As for the earlier review: think about it - it's a cold and rainy night - perhaps the "bitch" available, at the precise moment of closing, was concerned about her kids, family, making it home safely herself, etc. The customer isn't THE center of priority on such an evening and it isn't fair to trash the whole place because of the isolated incident. Additionally, anybody driving up from the city @4PM is ASKING for trouble when they're on the 101 north of Mill Valley; it's one big parking lot.
I'd give these guys seven stars if I could, but the early closing time IS a pinch. But they are SO worth it, I'd definately make the extra effort!!
BTW, don't miss the free Saturday morning knitting class - if it's convienent for you - ;)
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