What to Put on a Yarn Dye-Lot Pick List

A pick list that only names a yarn color can leave the most important choice to the person at the shelf. If an order is meant to stay within one lot, print that lot explicitly.

Record the exact identity

Include internal order ID, yarn line, manufacturer color code, lot label, skein quantity and shelf location. Store lot labels as text so leading zeros survive spreadsheet imports. Use a separate field for unknown lot labels rather than inventing one.

For a six-skein order assigned to lot 0042, the pick list should say six from 0042. The picker should compare every label with the sheet and verify physical quantity before marking it packed.

Keep exceptions out of the completed pile

If there are only five matching skeins, leave the order unresolved. Record the shortage and use the shop's normal customer-contact process before substituting. A worksheet should never silently convert an unknown lot into a match or assume a customer has approved mixed lots.

When a reserved order is cancelled, return its quantity to the same lot record. Recount if the physical yarn has already moved. Keep a timestamp on the snapshot so the next packing session does not reuse stale quantities.

Avoid a second inventory system by accident

POSIM's needlearts tools already combine lot-level inventory with retail operations and kits. If your current system handles picking well, a separate worksheet adds work.

The proposed LotTogether workflow is deliberately a single-session allocation aid. Its $19 one-time price and practical time saving remain unvalidated. It is not available today and does not synchronize a storefront.