Dyed in the Wool Handmade

I was recently left this comment:

I really like the look of your stuff but find the 9 dollars in shipping to be a hurdle I just can’t get past. most Canadian sellers charge shipping at 6 dollars. so how does the extra 3 dollars prevent me from buying from you?

good question.

I guess charging actual shipping costs (shame on Canada post) seems acceptable but the 50% surcharge on top of this amount, puts me off.

Thought you ought to have this feedback.

I responded to the commenter in email, but I wanted to address this publicly. First of all, let me assure you that I DO NOT make any money on shipping. I don’t charge a 50% surcharge. The amount I charge reflects the cost of the postage and mailer, and when it comes to orders larger than a single skein, I take a hit on the additional cost.

I wanted to make it clear that most small Canadian sellers take a huge hit on shipping, and in some cases, so do I. Shipping in Canada is a lot more expensive to US alternatives, and I have a very small business and can’t afford to pay for it out of my own pocket. If I made more sales, or even raised my product prices further, I may be able to cover shipping costs that way and “lower” my shipping charges. I shop online a lot and my shipping charges are comparable to those I pay from other online sellers, Canadian and American.

I offer air shipping. Ground shipping is available for as little as $6 for a single skein of yarn; it can take 3-4 weeks and I really don’t recommend it. But if this is something you’re interested in, simply email me before you place your order. Likewise if you’re interested in ordering something very small, like an ounce of icicle! Please just email me and I’ll happily get a quote for you.

This test caught my eye over at Three Sheeps to the Wind, so I thought it would be fun to take it with Jeremy. According to custom in the 1930s, Jeremy is quite the catch!

88 As a 1930s husband, Jeremy is Very Superior Take the test!

I, on the other hand, am NOT. I blame the drinking and the eating of garlic before bedtime. Also, the vulgar profanity.

5 As a 1930s wife, I am Very Poor (Failure) Take the test!

My favourites? BYOB [bring your own bag], and two pairs of socks – Muscari and Spring Forward. I think I’ll be casting on for Spring Forward first, and I know I’ll use the Bamboo, just not sure which colour!

Here’s another video of Jonah. I’m going to try to not totally make this about the cats, so I also uploaded a video of the view from the car while we were driving on the highway. This Flip thing is a really fun toy. I’m quite impressed with the quality of short movie it takes in all kinds of light and we’re getting a real kick out of it. It’s got a 2 GB hard drive and can record up to 60 minutes of video, perfect for when your cat does something cute and you just have to show the internet!

As it turns out, YouTube compresses videos horribly! The quality of the one I uploaded to Flickr is much better. Here’s a comparison: