INFORMATION PAGES

Question 1 - What are the Email Updates and Newsletters? 

Every month our Webmaster sends out an Email with information on New Items, Discontinued Lines and other information about the site. Every Quarter we send a Newsletter giving you an insight into how Dianne's Knitting Yarns is doing and any important changes you need to know. 

Question 2 - I have some wool but it is in ounces - how to I convert to grams?

One ounce is 28.35 grams - we have a handy converter on the General Tips page

Question 3 - Do you do buttons and ribbon? 

Not at the moment, there is such a large variety of shapes, colours and sizes of buttons we would not know what to stock. We would also find it difficult to match buttons with the yarn, some people like a bit of a contrast, some people like an exact match - extremely difficult unless you have all the possible colours. 

Question 4 - I like to order my yarn by shade number but you only have the colour name? 

If you hover your cursor over the yarn picture a pop-up text will tell you the shade number of that colour 

Question 5 - Can I use any pattern with any yarn? 

Yarn of the same ply can be used with any pattern. For instance, any 4ply yarn can be used for any 4ply pattern. You may not get the same effect and should always do a tension square. Some yarns also go further and you would therefore need less. 

Question 6 - Do you have any shade cards or a mail order catalogue? 

No, Shade cards are almost impossible to get out of the Manufacturers. We have looked into providing them ourselves but the cost, in both time and money, was very high. Catalogues are very expensive to keep up-to-date - they would also be very large - we prefer to keep the prices on the Web Site down.

Question 7 - Why don't you do more character knits? 

The copywrite for TV characters is hard to get so manufactures can't make the patterns. They usually come out eventually, often in magazines. 

Question 8 - I like the colour on the pattern but don't know what it is? 

Some patterns don't tell you the shade - where they do you can hover your cursor over the picture and a pop-up text will tell you the shade numbers used in that pattern. 

Question 9 - Why do my favourite colours get discontinued? 

The manufactures like to keep up-to-date with all the latest fashions. But they have a limit on the number of colours they can produce so colours are regularly changed. 

Question 10 - How can you sell the Sirdar Bargain packs so cheap? 

These packs are yarns or shades discontinued by Sirdar. We buy in bulk to get the best prices which we pass on to you, our customers. We are only able to buy them occasionally so they are sometimes not available.

Question 11 - Why do the Sirdar Bargain packs sell out so quickly? 

Unfortunately we have no control over the lines and shades we are sent by Sirdar. Sometimes we don’t get as many packs of some lines as we do the others. If these are popular they sell out quickly, on occasion within hours of going online. If you want to be informed by email whenever Sirdar Packs go online please email or check our forum. 

Question 12 - Why don't you have prices in my currency? 

We have customers all over the world and it would be impossible to quote in all these currencies. Therefore, for your convenience, we have a currency converter you can use. This is for information only - the exact price you pay will depend upon the exchange rate your credit card company charges at the time of the transaction. 

Question 13 - How much is postage? 

In the UK the postage is £2.50 whatever the size of the order. If you only order Pattern Leaflets the postage is £0.50 (UK only). For addresses outside the UK the shipping costs will depend upon how much you order. We will send you a Shipping Quote within 4 working days of ordering. Your parcel will NOT be sent until you reply to that email. 

Question 14 - How quickly will I get my order? 

We do our best to send all orders (subject to stock) within 4 working days (usually quicker). All parcels (subject to size) are sent by First Class Royal Mail - they strive to deliver most UK orders next working day. Overseas orders take about 5 working days Airmail. Items marked Pre-orders could take up to 3 weeks.

Question 15 - Have you always got everything on your site in stock? 

Any supply problems we have will usually be noted on site. If we have had an unusual demand for an item we may be temporarily out of stock and will let you know as soon as possible. Special Offers can sell out very quickly and our webmaster makes every effort to keep the site up-to-date. Occasionally you may find what you ordered has sold out. We will let you know as soon as possible and give you a choice of what to do with the order. Some of the items are on a Pre-order basis - this is noted on the yarn page and has a delay on sending.

Question 16 - Can you send me a specific die lot? 

If the original yarn was from us and not too long ago we may be able to - add a note to the Message Box in the shopping basket when you order. 

Question 17 - What happens if something is out of stock? 

On the order form you can ask us to email or telephone you if something is out of stock. We will then give you various choices including - waiting for the whole order or cancelling & re-ordering.

Question 18 - I have put something in the cart by mistake, how do I delete it? 

In the shopping cart change the amount next to the item to zero and hit the RECALCULATE button. 

Question 19 - I have only put one of an item in the cart and I really wanted ten, do I have to put it in again? 

In the shopping cart change the amount next to the item to the number you want and hit the RECALCULATE button. 

Question 20 - Are my Credit Card Details really secure? 

Yes, if you use our Shopping Cart your details are secure. All CPU Enterprises Web Sites use a 128 Encryption Secure Socket Layer Server provided by mal's e-commerce. This means your card details can only be accessed by authorised staff at the CPU Enterprises Head Office. Please do not send your details by email - this is not secure. 

Question 21 - Can I pay by Cheque? 

Due to the way our system is set up we do not take cheques. They also cause an unacceptable delay to completing your order.

Question 22 - Can I phone my Credit Card details? 

Yes you can (UK only) but only between 9am and 1pm  - Monday to Friday. There may be an Answer Phone Service in place. Please leave your Name and Phone Number and we will call you back. Please do not phone outside these times. Full details will be on the Shopping Cart Exit Page if you choose this option 

Question 23 - Can I fax my Credit Card details? 

Sorry we can no longer accept Credit Card Details by Fax - this is because there is often something missed off which we need to process the order - you can still phone your Card Details.

Question 24 - Why is the colour of yarn I received not exactly what was on the page? 

Every monitor is different so exact representation of the colours is very difficult. What looks right on our webmasters screen may look different on yours. Also manufacturers sometimes change colours slightly between die lots, if we know they have changed we will redo the colours on the site. 

Question 25 - You are sending my order in two parts - do I pay postage twice? 

UK orders - No, we charge £2.50 whatever the size of the order. Pattern Leaflet orders will not be split. However, if they are split the £0.50 is charged on BOTH parcels. Non UK orders - Postage is only charged on the actual weight of the order sent. 

Question 26 - Why didn't you put my order in my greenhouse / with my neighbour / in my porch as I requested? 

Most orders are sent by Royal Mail and we cannot give the postman that sort of instruction for security reasons. There is room in the Shopping Basket for a different delivery address if you know you will be out. This could be a neighbour, friend or your place of work. But the first address must be the card holders address.

Question 27 - Do you print a visa receipt and send with the parcel? 

Yes - The receipt from our Credit Card Machine is clipped to a Compliments Slip and put in with the parcel. If the parcel is being sent to a different delivery address the receipt will still be put in the parcel unless requested otherwise.

Question 28 - If my parcel is lost will my credit card details be safe? 

Yes - The receipt from our Credit Card Machine only prints the last 4 digits of your number.

Question 29 - I can't add pattern leaflets to the shopping basket - why?

The Pattern Leaflets Pages (and quite a few others) use a small piece of code called JavaScript. This is harmless but some browsers have them switched off. We have a page all about JavaScripts which is on the Info Pages.

Question 30 - I have just ordered but have not had a shipping quote yet.

It usually takes a couple of days to send you the shipping quote email. The order has to go through our normal order process in the office before it is sent to the Warehouse to be 'got up' and weighted. The order is then sent back to the office to have the shipping costs calculated. All this does take a bit of time especially if we are busy but you should get the email within 4 working days.

Question 31 - It's been 4 days and I haven't received my shipping quote.

Please note we do not work Saturdays, Sundays or Bank Holidays. The quote should be with you within 4 working days.

Question 32 - I haven't had an email receipt from you - did you get my order.

If you got to the exit page with an order number then we probably have got the order. If you didn't get that far then we probably haven't. Email us and we can check.

Question 33 - I got through to the exit page and have an order number but have not got an email receipt.

There are 3 possible explanations. Firstly the email might be in your spam box. Secondly you may have put your email address down wrong and the email has bounced. Thirdly your inbox may be full and your isp has bounced it (mainly hotmail).

Question 34 - I ordered last week and have not heard from you yet.

We normally either send the parcel and a 'parcel sent' email or we email you if there is a problem - usually within 4 working days. Please check your spam box or email us.

Question 35 - Do you have a shop.

No - we are now an Internet Only Company with a nice little Warehouse.

Question 36 - We are coming to Peterborough can we come and visit.

We are sorry but we are not allowed personal callers at our Warehouse.

Question 37 - I have forgotten something so can I add it to my order.

Sorry we are unable to add items to orders as our stock control system is computerised. All we can suggest is that you cancel this order and place another one containing all the items you want. Please email us.

Question 38 - I ordered the wrong yarn can I change my order.

Sorry we are unable to change the type of yarn ordered as our stock control system is computerised and this would be like adding a new item. All we can suggest is that you cancel this order and place another one containing all the items you want. Please email us.

Question 39 - I ordered the wrong colour can I change my order.

Yes we can change the colour assuming the order has not been sent - although our stock control system is computerised this is one of the few things it will allow us to do. Please email us with both the wrong colour and the right colour including the shade numbers.

Question 40 - I didn't order enough yarn can I change my order.

Yes we can change the number of balls assuming the order has not been sent - although our stock control system is computerised this is one of the few things it will allow us to do. Please email us with the exact number of balls you now require.

Question 41 - Now I have my parcel I realise I didn't order enough yarn - can you send me some more.

All orders do need to go through the Secure Internet Shopping Basket for stock control and automatic receipts etc. We also do not keep your Card Details in an easily retrievable fashion. You can put a note in the Message Box about the dye lot you require.

Question 42 - I don't like the colour of the yarn now I have it - can I send it back for a refund or credit.

Yes - if it is 7 working days or less since you received it. The Internet Selling Rules state that we are obliged to give you a cooling off period in which you can cancel and return your whole order. Full details in our Terms and Conditions

Question 43 - I ordered the wrong yarn can I send it back for an exchange.

Sorry we do not offer an exchange service. You do have the right to cancel and return your whole order if it is 7 working days or less since you received it. Full details in our Terms and Conditions.

Question 44 - Why don't you exchange yarn.

In the past we had some dreadful stuff returned for exchange - yarn smelling of smoke; covered in animal hair; obviously not a full balls; used and pulled down; knitting needles covered in scratches where they had been used and sent back; pattern books which had been bent back (probably from photocopying); pattern leaflets with pen marks on them etc. This is a case of the few have spoiled it for the many.

Question 45 - You sent me the wrong yarn what do I do now.

The first thing to do is check your email receipt to check if what you got is actually what you ordered. If it was then refer to our Returns Policy in the Terms and Conditions. If we did make a mistake please email us and we will try and resolve it as soon as possible.

Question 46 - I have a couple of odd balls left over from my last couple of orders - can I send them back for a refund.

Sorry we do not accept items back after 7 working days.

Question 47 - Isn't it the law that you have to take back my odd balls - shops do.

There is no statutory right which says we have to take back something you no longer want. Some shops do but they do not have to by law. Shops can see the goods before they accept them back - we cannot. Also the balls are likely to be old dye lots which we probably will not be able to sell.

Question 48 - I have just got my order but don't like one of the yarns - can I return part of my order.

We do not normally accept part orders back however you do have the right to cancel and return your whole order within 7 days. We occasionally accept part orders back, at our discretion, within the 7 days but we do charge a handling fee. Full details in our Terms and Conditions

Question 49 - Where has the Hayfield Bonus yarns gone.

Hayfield yarns were produced by Sirdar, they have now decided to change the name to Sirdar Bonus to avoid confusion :-)

Question 50 - I can't get past the payments options in the Shopping Basket.

Some customers have recently had this problem after updating their browser or computer. We have added a page called Shopping Basket Payment Problem on the Info page with details of some solutions.

Question 51 - How many knots are too many in a ball of yarn?

According to one of the manufacturer we asked it is 4 in a 50g ball and 8 in a 100g ball.

Question 52 - I have stuck to the tension in the pattern but don't have enough wool - why?

Even a small difference in the tension square can be multiplied quite dramatically over the size of a garment. It is always worth buying an extra ball if you knit even slightly looser than tension. The extra ball could always be used to make a hat or part of a striped scarf.

Question 53 - I have just brought some more wool from you like I brought a couple of months ago but it is a different colour - is it faulty?

It’s very unlikely that it is faulty. The colour of the yarn in different dye lots cannot be guaranteed. Manufacturers often change the colour without letting us know. You have the right to cancel and return your whole order within 7 working days of receiving it - see our Terms and Conditions for more information.

Question 54 - Why are there some colours in some of the yarns which are lower prices?

When the manufacturers put up the price of yarns we leave discontinued colours at the old price - we brought them at the old price so we sell them at the old price - that's only fair.

Question 55 - Why are some packs of yarns a different price to single balls of the same yarn?

Where we do not stock all the colours in a yarn the other colours are put on the Special Order (Pre-order) Packs page. A difference in price would normally occur when manufacturers have just put up their prices. As we order the packs direct when ordered by a customer we would be paying the new, higher price. But any we have in stock by the ball were brought at the old price. We usually put up the price of 'by the ball' yarns when we have brought a few packs at the higher price - we think this is the fairest way for our customers.

Question 56 - The DK yarn I brought from you is faulty as I can't get it to knit to my DK pattern - why?

The first question we would ask is - did you do a tension square? Even a small inaccuracy with the tension can be multiplied to a big one across a garment. Also double check you are using the correct needles. If you feel that your tension square was correct we would normally contact the manufacturer to see if they have had any similar problems with that yarn. Worst case scenario would be that we ask you to return the yarn to the manufacturer for them to check. If the yarn is faulty then it could be a manufacturing problem, if the yarn is not faulty then, unfortunately, it must be something you are doing wrong :-(