Online shopping

Since my credit card is now a shower of plastic shards at the bottom of my bag, I have been allowing myself to indulge myself in excesses of window-shopping, knowing that I am powerless to purchase – phew!

And I am happy to share my discoveries with you all – as long as you show me what you buy!

Have you seen the relatively new website “Wool Girl”?

If I had a credit card I would be in serious debt by now! This is a one-stop shopping site where you can browse and buy from the very best independent dyers in the States. I am talking about the “little” people from Etsy like Pigeon Roof Studios – go see her gorgeous, intense yet delicate hand-painting in colours like “Violets Blue” – even the name! Or the slightly bigger independents like Spunky Eclectic – at last I will be able to buy some of her fabulous funky zingy colourways without upsetting the content filter on my work pc! “Attack of the Killer Tomatoes”?! WOW! There are dyers I had never heard of before: Stone Barn Fibers (the same as Gypsy Girl Creations?) with a fabulous array of riches – “Watermelon Tourmaline” for me, please! And I found a sportweight yarn (Laine Ruban) in “Vintage Pink” which is exactly that elusive 1920’s knicker-pink colour that makes my heart flutter…wow!

I don’t know how their shipping costs work out – but with so much beauty in one place, I reckon I could afford an annual binge.

Speaking of shipping costs, there has been a lot of rumbling recently about the increases in US shipping costs, but I have a good news story to report. Just as my bank confiscated my credit card (for conducting suspicious activity without my permission) I placed an order with Loopy Ewe for a skein of laceweight merino / silk by “Perchance to Knit” in a colourway called “Midnight’s Rainbow / Harlot’s Peacock” (that one rolls off the tongue doesn’t it?!). This was the attempted transaction which tipped the bank’s credibility balance – ironically, since this really WAS me! But anyway, Sheri was very understanding and accepted my order and let me pay as soon as I got my card situation sorted… but that’s not the best bit! She took my package to the post office and had it assessed for postage – and it is only $4.50! That is less than the postage for a standard package from any of the usual UK-based sites – WOW!

So… I think we should all ask US-based sellers to do the same – just take it to the post office and have it weighed, rather than slapping on a flat-rate international fee of $20-odd dollars. OK, so it might mean they have to treat us as individuals, and it might take them a little more time for the admin... but if they want our custom, is it not worth it in terms of reputation / customer loyalty-building? I will definitely be going back to Loopy! And recommending it to my friends!

P.S. Sorry - there is no knitting to show you. I have been nursing First Love (who is definitely improving) and then it was my daughter's birthday, so there was a flurry of cake-baking and present wrapping - but no time to knit! Hopefully I can settle down tonight with sock 2...