Step away from the programming language ...

Step away from the programming language ...

I simply should have a padlock on the part of my computer which allows me to tinker with the behind-the-scenes programming features. Every once in a while I get a mad and uncontrollable rush that cannot be stemmed or guided, and nothing will do until I have had my way with the website's background. Simply stated, I think I know more than I actually do about my program.

This time came on one of the busiest days we have had lately. We were preparing for a really big incoming stock shipment, and putting up all available stock on the shelves. Too, we had to prepare at least a hundred receipt packages so they would be ready for order filling on Thursday and Friday. Then, we got in a shipment of a new yarn (which is a secret for now and will be sold in September), and of course, there was the off and on search for any earthquake damage from yesterday. So, all in all, a busy day.

Today appeared to me, for some strange reason, to be the perfect day to rearrange the payment methods that a customer would see on the Wool2Dye4 website. I do these things because I am incapable of learning from experience in certain areas of my work life, and maybe in life in general, come to think of it. So, off I headed to the very serious list of modules which control the important aspects of the website such as payment and shipping, and I decided to start accepting checks. This, in total disregard for previous bad check experiences, but never mind. Today I decided, for about two hours, to accept checks. Then, I noticed that the order that the payment choices were appearing on the website seemed not to be very pretty, and here at Wool2Dye4 we like to make everything pretty. So I rearranged the order of checks/credit cards/PayPal to a pleasing array on the payment page, clicked 'Save and Update' and went back to work with the packers.

About two hours later, in checking my eMail, I got a shock of seeing letter after letter with one common word in the subject line and that was, 'problem.' Nothing, absolutely nothing is less welcome on a busy day than an eMail with the word 'problem' in the header, and this was not one but many eMails screaming about a problem. Oh, No. Quickly, I read various descriptions of the same issue: the website was frozen in place and was accepting no orders at all.

There could only be one reason. I'd been fiddling around in the secret depths of the program and caused this mess myself. But how to fix it? I thought that undoing my changes and restoring the original choices would do the trick, so I undid the choice to accept checks and reordered the payments to the original lists, I thought, ... but, no. So, I tried it again with the same results; however, this time I knew how to take a screen shot (because of my new online class in Adobe Acrobat, no less! See? I am trying to learn how to fix my problems). Quickly I fired off two screen shots to WebGuy with a short and sweet confession of my errors. Then, I called the credit card processor.

The young man at the other end of the line was insistent that there were only three errors which could yield the Error Message Number 13. It had to be thirteen, right? Numbers one and two were not applicable, he said, but I just couldn't believe that choice number 3 was right! That one was that I had changed the log-in name. I had not, or so I thought. I continued to try to bring his attention back to reasons one and two. Eventually, he made a deal with me that if I would just try to reset the log in, and if it didn't work, he would take care of setting everything back to normal by himself. But I had to give his way a try ... and long story made short, of course his suggestion worked. In practice, I had not reset the log-in, but in reality I had inadvertently done just that. That is to say that the program had an automatic reset to the default login of the program, not the card processor's coded login, and that was how the error message came to show on the website.

While I was at the crucial point of understanding what all of this actually meant in plain English, my call waiting feature started to buzz and buzz and buzz. So, we quickly got off the phone, and there was WebGuy to the rescue, hoping he was not too late and that I had not reset the basic code. Luckily, I had not, but it was an opportunity for me to ask him when the new program would be ready.

The new programs are a lot easier to handle for a natural born fiddler like me. There are checkmarks where the changes are immediately shown in example format. I am guessing that some smart programmer came up with that idea to stop people like me from ruining the delicate programming features they work hard to create. At any rate, when I turned eMail on again, there were zip/zip/zip several orders posting one after the other. Two, of course, were my own from the testing, but I didn't care. Orders again. Ahhhh.... that lovely sound of the soft little ping when the order notices come in.

I'll admit to a moment of panic, OK, yes. But, I must say that I had a moment of pride, as well. When I realized that I had a hand in fixing the problem, I was really proud of my day's work.

Honeysuckle Patterns

We took the samples of the patterns developed for The Honeysuckle Project to Sock Summit 2011,and we had so many wonderful and positive comments. These ten patterns will be sold on HoneysuckleProject.com and the site will be up and active in the next week, by August 17th. Please check back and after a week or so to see when the site opens up for sale of yarn, patterns, and kits.

The Honeysuckle Project at Sock Summit 2011

What a wonderful reception for The Honeysuckle Project, our breast cancer awareness campaign, at Sock Summit! Caught a couple of new designers who want to be added to the project, a major magazine is going to mention THP in the magazine's next editorial. So many breast cancer survivors came by the booth to thank us for getting knitters involved at any level, and I gave skeins of Honeysuckle pink to each one. I heard stories and shared tears and laughter. It was wonderful and moving and made me so very proud.

Pictures from Sock Summit

Our booth

A closeup of the yarn display ...

Sharon G and Barb B burst into song!

Our booth stood out on the marketplace floor!

Single & Fabulous fabric

Luxury yarns are just that ... made of delicate fibers and requiring extra care. They are not the workhorses of our knitting bag, but are of rare fibers with unique properties. Alpaca, silk, cashmere --- these are three fibers which we are lucky enough to be offering in our current lineup of yarns and they number among some of the most expensive fibers on earth.

Here is the Single & Fabulous yarn after being dyed and dried, and in the process of being knit into a fabric. In this case, a hat which will be lined with the same fiber in a different color before it is finished.

Single and Fabulous

On Ravelry.com a question was asked about how Single & Fabulous holds up. It is a single, not plied, yarn and many of them on the market are pilling as they wear. I dyed up a skein this morning in a steely light blue, using two of ProChem's acid dyes, Periwinkle Blue and Chocolate Brown, in a watered down pot of warm water. Then I dunked the skein in a clear warm bath and the green from both dyes separated out, leaving a nice toned down blue. Very sky-like on a hot day, which is appropriate for our Virginia summer heat wave.

Alpaca is a slippery fiber, but at only 40% of the blend, the merino (40%) and silk (20%) should hold it in place. The twist of Single & Fabulous is not loose and almost like spinning fiber but has enough to make for a definitely knittable yarn. Here is the skein out of the pot.

New knitting project bags from repurposed Interior Design samples

July Stocking by end of this week

One of my favorite things to do is to announce the estimated arrival of a new shipment; however, since my move in April, the shipping schedule has been sketchy at best. I have gone to war with the importer, and they have checked down the line with every person responsible for any delay along the way from the mountains of South America to the mountains of Virginia. People have been added in offices along the way to watch the progress of the shipment, and a couple of people have been called into someone's private office for a chat about professionalism, it is rumored.

So, now, it is with a little trepidation and a lot of anticipation that I announce the contents of the incoming shipment. If all goes well --and why should it not with so many additional eyes watching over things? -- the shipment is expected to arrive by the end of the week.

I will send copies of private reservations by eMail when we hear that the shipment has passed through Customs, and release the newsletter to registered customers at the same time. Please note that the entire quantity of Sheila's Sock has been exhausted from this shipment; however, a triple amount is coming in about 3 weeks' time. Sheila's Sparkle will be in that next shipment, too. Now, for the list, as promised (skeins, all) ...

Cash Sock MCN
Crazy Eight
Platinum Sock
Sheila's Glitter
Sheila's Gold
Silk DK 50/50
Silk Sock 50/50
Tweed Sock
Ultra Select Laceweight

Wool2Dye4's breast cancer awareness yarn: Honeysuckle

Wool2Dye4 is a Sock Summit sponsor!

Come and meet me in Portland OR at the end of July at Sock Summit 2011!

Canadian Post is back!

Even though our US Postal Service was more than a week late in instituting the freeze on shipping by any method other than Express, the notice that all services would be restored today, June 28th, was good information. And, somehow, we got many packages sent by International Priority during the Canadian strike. I am in the 'don't ask, don't tell' mode on this one. Today our local postman will be happy again. Seems his idea of a good time is staggering out the door, bumping into the gate, with a running patter the entire time about how we overwork him. He's a lot of fun when he's got a pile of orders to carry, and we like nothing better than to make him very happy.

Canadian Postal Strike causes Problems with US shippers

On Friday, we tried in vain to ship packages to our Canadian customers by US Postal Service (USPS), and were only able to access the Express International service. Today, in response, to my inquiry I have received this slightly intelligible reply:

Following 12 days of increasingly costly and damaging rotating strikes being carried out by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers (CUPW), Canada Post has suspended operations across the country. The accelerating decline in volumes and revenue combined with the inability to deliver mail on a timely and safe basis has left the company with no choice but to make this decision.

We have a mystery!

The status of the shipment has changed in the past few moments. The info now tells me that there was an 'airline error' and the shipment is not in Virginia, after all; however, the delivery date still shows it is scheduled to reach Wool2Dye4 by noon tomorrow, Thursday. We will have to wait and see... a mystery! and the Government is involved. Quick, grab a pen and write this down. We could write a book about it!

One Day's Delay ... Not so Bad

Now, the delivery date has been moved to Thursday, June 16th. The shipment has been released by Customs and has arrived in Virginia, so I am fairly confident that we will see it tomorrow by noon.

We have helping hands to get the counting and incoming process done with and will begin to ship a few orders in the afternoon, and lots more all day Friday. I thank my customers for their patience!
Sheila / Wool2Dye4

June Re-Stocking Update

I have a tracking link to the incoming shipments and see that our June shipment is still in Customs in Miami. Lately, Customs has been taking much more time than it used to, and we notice that in each shipment more boxes are opened and the contents sifted through. While I appreciate the fact that so much yarn going to one address might be suspicious in the mind of a non-knitting, non-dyeing agent, I do not appreciate it when the bags are broken open and luxurious fibers are pawed through and left looking like a rat's nest. What recourse is there, though? Those skeins are unusable and it is money lost.

But, back to the idea of giving my customers more info on this shipment: The delivery schedule is still showing that we are to receive the shipment here in Virginia on Wednesday. Tomorrow. I am going to guess that this will not happen, and that we will see the shipment on Thursday, or even Friday.

I will post more info as it becomes available.

Planning for June Stocking

We are not ready to announce an arrival for the June stocking, but I thought I would publish the preliminary list. This will allow customers to make plans, especially if restocking for summer festivals is a priority. Sheila's Sock, one of our favorites, is returning with this shipment. When we hear that the shipment is in Customs, I will make a guess of the arrival date. I am totally aware that I may appear a little shy about predicting arrival dates and for good reason. Since the move in early April, our shipments have stumbled a bit on their final leg of the journey to Wool2Dye4. There is nothing worse than fielding irate eMails from customers who need yarn! So, a little caution on my part, especially since I have not received the packing lists, but this is what I believe to be in the stocking. Shhh.... don't tell anyone, but here is the list ...........

Angel Delight Fingering, Angel Select Lace & Angel Sport Sock
Cash Aran MCN and Cash DK MCN
Platinum Sock
Sheila's Aran, Sheila's Gold, Sheila's Sock, Sheila's Sparkle
Silk DK 50/50, Silk Sock 50/50
Tencel/Merino 50/50
Tweed Aran

Retail Packing Event, May 21-27, 2011

Starting today, Retail customers will be able to purchase our yarns in half-kilo packs. The normal presentation is one kilo packs, and there are ten skeins weighing 100 grams each in a kilo pack. So, yes, that's ten times one hundred equals one thousand grams, aka one kilo. Expressed in pounds, one kilo equals 2.2 pounds, so half a kilo is 1.1 pounds. For most knitters, a pound of yarn will take care of just about any project. It's those pesky wholesale handdyers who deal in the mind boggling numbers of kilos. I often wonder how on earth some of my customers are able to put out the sheer volume of work involved in dyeing those large orders! I've tried it and found out very quickly that these artists are also strong and determined folk, and are to be admired!

But, back to the Retail Packing Event... This is a time for hobby buyers to pick up more yarns because they don't have to commit to a full kilo, and can spread the pennies around. Yarns with silk and cashmere, for instance, in the blends are more accessible. It's a great time to stock up for future projects or to tuck away a couple of fancy skeins for an upcoming dye workshop. For Christmas knitters who love to give gifts which are just about as hand made as you can get without owning and shearing your own sheep, the Packaging Event is timed just right for getting ahead of the plan. And, we all know that many of us are knitting right up to Christmas eve.

At our end, we've altered the wholesale inventory to reflect the yarn moved into these new listings on the website, and will be opening and repacking the kilo packages as the retail orders come in. It will be a week of counting, recounting, and then trying to undo all the double inventory figures at the end of the week.

It's worth it, though, especially when a month or so later there is a post on our group on Ravelry.com from a retailer who discovered a new favorite yarn, and they post a picture of their work. Many of our retail customers grow into wholesale customers. Their hobby becomes a home-based business, and this opportunity to try out new yarns could be background research for someone's business plan. We never know.

Wholesale Requirements apply to every order

Just a reminder to wholesalers: Every order must weigh a minimum of five kilos. If you have a private order and it is under the weight minimum, you will need to add in other yarns to meet the wholesale requirement. In the past, we have been nice and gentle about a little forgetfulness here and there, but some folks are making a habit of being forgetful. So, please note that every time you use your wholesale discount, you must order five kilos, and the five may be mixed between yarns, of course.

If you do not need five kilos, please create a new retail account. Do not enter your company name or tax id number in the fields as this will prompt the computer to recognize an application for a wholesale account. Use your retail account for orders less than five kilos please.

Thank you,
Sheila/Wool2Dye4

Holding Stock: BFL and new Falkland yarns

Every business needs to make changes when it is proven beyond the shadow of a doubt that the current system is not working, and that is just what we are about to do with the stock levels of our BlueFaced Leicester and new Falkland British Merino yarns. The demand for these two lines has taken off in the past couple of months, and our old habit of ordering in every week is not enough to keep the stock levels at a healthy point. What has happened is that we have a pile of backorders! I just hate backorders, so we are going to have more of both lines sent in, and have ordered new shelving too.

The thing is that we are fairly proud of how quickly we send out orders. Almost always, unless there is a published reason, we turn orders around within 24 hours, and most of the time they go out sooner depending on the hour they were placed. My customers know this and have come to expect it, in fact so much so that they think nothing of writing an eMail of complaint when an order is delayed two days in shipping! Pretty amazing, really.

So, we've asked Mr. Wool to ship enough of both lines to catch up our backorder list, and to send more in a couple of days of every one of the BFL and Falkland yarns. This includes all of the following yarns:
BFL Aran-SW
BFL DK-SW
BFL High Twist
BFL Platinum
BFL Silk Sock
BFL Silky Lace
BFL-4 Socking
and
Falkland Merino 4 Socking
Falkland Merino DK-SW
Falkland Merino/Bamboo Select lace wt
Falkland Merino/Bamboo Sock
Falkland Merino/Silk 50/50 Sock
Falkland Merino/Silk 50 50 DK
Falkland Merino/Tencel 50/50 Select Lace wt
Falkland Merino/Tencel 50/50 sock
Falkland Merino Platinum Sock

Please allow a week or so for this to work out. It will take that long to catch up and then to get ahead on the packing and shipping.

I think this will solve the minor backorder list we have right now. Even though we have published the warning that there will be a short wait for these yarns, the creation of a backorders means more places to double check an order, and basically, more work. We try to keep things efficiently organized so that we have a handle on stock and orders. It is 'demand' which is the unknown factor, of course. And that's the way of business, isn't it?

We will do what we do best and that is explain what is happening and then move to make the wait go away for our customers. I will reference this post in the next newsletter so that all of this will not be repeated there.

Do I thank you enough? I certainly do not mean to skip over that part of doing business, so here is a heartfelt thanks for making problems like this for me to figure out! Supply and demand, supply and demand....

Making Plans and Adding Names

The last time we had any yarn from the top bales of a special offering at auction, it was the superfine British Merino. That was such lovely stuff, and I still have a cone of the superwash Aran and a pound of the spinning fiber in my Secret Stash. One of those things that cannot be used for just any project, but saved until the right one comes along.

I believe that is how folks will feel about the Falkland British Merino we are about to handle. It, too, is limited in that there was only so much available, and once it is gone, it will be over and done. In my annual face-to-face meetings with Mr. Wool last week, I learned more about our share of Falkland British Merino. There are 100 kilos of each of the nine yarns made available to Wool2Dye4. The yarns will be posted on the website over the weekend. We will receive weekly shipments to fulfill customers orders, so this means that there may be a backorder of up to a week after you place your order with Wool2Dye4. It is convenient for us to work this way because we have a nice arrangement with UPS and weekly orders come in four or five days, so there is not a very long delay. I know that we usually ship within 24 hours, but since this is a special yarn of a special circumstance, a few days will only sharpen the anticipation.

Here are the nine yarns:

100% FBM
Falkland British Merino 4 Socking
Falkland British Merino DK-SW
Blend with nylon
Falkland British Merino Platinum Sock
Blend with silk
Falkland British Merino/Silk 50/50 Sock
Falkland British Merino/Silk 50/50 DK
Blend with bamboo
Falkland British Merino/Bamboo Sock
Falkland British Merino/Bamboo Select Lace weight
Blend with Tencel
Falkland British Merino/Tencel 50/50 sock
Falkland British Merino/Tencel 50/50 Select Lace weight

We will sell each of the yarns until the one hundred kilos is depleted, and delete them from the inventory as each one exhausts our supply. We will create a new category for this collection called, of course, Falkland British Merino.

This posting of the new line will be in time to be ordered with the next incoming restocking, which is expected around mid-week. Here is a list of what is coming on that shipment.

Cash Aran
Platinum Sock
Sheila's Gold
Silk Sock 50/50
Sheila's Sparkle
and ...
Honeysuckle

Honeysuckle is our only dyed yarn and it makes it's entrance next week! We are so excited to have the chance to have created a yarn to support our efforts to raise consciousness for breast cancer. Lots more on The Honeysuckle Project as we move forward ... (new website included!).