Saturday, December 5, 2009

Of Socks and Rants and the Kindness of Strangers

For my birthday, Helen, who knew that I've got second sock syndrome, gave me a pattern book and some wool. Yay!

Here's the photo from the Patons pattern book:



This marks one of the few times I've actually used the wool specified in a pattern, but I'm especially excited by the fact that I get to make both socks at once.

Last weekend, however, when I was planning to finish the socks, I ran into two lines of the pattern that seemed to make no sense. No problem, I thought, I'm having brunch with a friend and there's a local yarn store in that neighbourhood that I've bought wool from before (the blue wool from Mexico) - I'll just ask them. Well.

I walked in and there was the store owner, seated in an armchair by the counter with the cash register, pontificating to another client about how much stock he had and how much money the store pulled in, and how other yarn stores were copying them... He didn't say hello to me. I waited by the cash and a woman came around from the back. I pulled out my project and the pattern book and asked her for help. Her reply? "I can't help you if you didn't buy the wool at our store." I told her the wool had been a gift. And she did have the same Patons book, on the rack directly behind me. But no, she repeated, "sorry, there's nothing I can do."

Why did they open a wool store in the first place, I wonder?

Later that week, I emailed Patons, as well as Lisa, the owner of Yarn and Thread by Lisa, whose name came up in a Google search for the Patons book. She wrote back within the hour! And wrote me back again when I replied to say that I was still feeling dense and hadn't understood the first time. Isn't that sweet? I've almost completed the socks, and I'll try to post the photo soon, dedicating them to her!

Thanks Lisa!

Meanwhile, here are two music videos featuring knitters: Runrig's Tillidh Mi, from Scotland, and the Dolapdere Big Gang from Turkey, covering The Animals' Don't Let Me Be Misunderstood.

1 comment:

  1. Those people in the store who would not help are IDIOTS who have no business sense whatsoever. In this time of shops closing everywhere, people need to provide excellent customer service. Let me guess: I'll bet you feel like NEVER shopping in their stinkin' shop again.

    I have many stores around here to choose from. One of them has a bunch of older women who really know their stuff. I bought a $5 pattern from them, but bought the wool elsewhere. Had trouble with the pattern, and they helped me for free because I had purchased the pattern there. They hop to it when a customer comes in, are very friendly, but don't sit around gabbing when another customer comes in.

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