INFORMATION PAGES

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Updates and Newsletters

This years - Newsletters & Updates
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2011 - Updates Sent 7th December 2011
OCTOBER 2011 - Updates Sent 11th October 2011
SEPTEMBER 2011 - Updates Sent 4th September 2011
AUGUST 2011 - Updates Sent 9th August 2011
SUMMER 2011 - Newsletter Sent 9th August 2011
JULY 2011 - Updates Sent 10th July 2011
JUNE 2011 - Updates Sent 5th June 2011
SPRING 2011 - Newsletter Sent 5th June 2011
MAY 2011 - Updates Sent 8th May 2011
APRIL 2011 - Updates Sent 10th April 2011
MARCH 2011 - Updates Sent 6th March 2011
WINTER 2010/2011 - Newsletter Sent 6th March 2011
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2011 - Updates Sent 7th February 2011
2010 - Newsletters & Updates
2009 - Newsletters & Updates
2008 - Newsletters & Updates
2007 - Newsletters & Updates
2006 - Newsletters & Updates
2005 - Newsletters & Updates
2004 - Newsletters & Updates
2003 - Newsletters & Updates
2002 - Newsletters & Updates

November / December 2011 Updates

Our sales normally do go up and down with the temperature, the warm Autumn should have been quiet, so being really busy was a nice surprise. That's one of the reasons we have combined the November and December update :-)

New Items

At this time of year our thoughts turn to scarves, not just for warmth but for Xmas presents too. There are many yarns suitable for making scarves (see our Site Map Scarves Section) but one of the most popular (and quickest) is a super chunky type yarn. Sirdar have brought out a great new super chunky Scarf Yarn called Bohemia in 6 lovely colours which are in stock 'by the ball'. There is a scarf pattern on the ball band which uses a wrap stitch on 20mm needles for an extra fast project or last minute gift.

Apparently Fur yarns are making a come back - they are very popular in the USA at the moment and the UK usually follows a couple of months later. Sirdar are hoping to get in at the beginning by bringing out 6 new colours in their Funky Fur yarn. There are 4 new pattern leaflets to complement these new colours plus a free pattern leaflet when you buy 5 or more balls in any of the current Funky Fur colours.

Hayfield yarns are always popular as they are great low price quality Acrylic yarns. There are 4 new colours in Bonus DK and Bonus Chunky in stock 'by the ball'. There is also a new book in Bonus Aran Tweed - a new yarn that will be online in Pre-order Packs shortly.

We are always being asked for Mohair but there are not many yarns available at the moment. Stylecraft have brought out a new Double Knit yarn called Highlights with 20% Mohair and 20% Wool in 6 multi-colours with 6 pattern leaflets showing the colours off really well.

If there are any yarns or patterns we only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know - . Also if there are any current Sirdar or Stylecraft patterns you want us to order for you please email us.

Additions

Craft Kits Website

Our Craft Kits website has lots of kits suitable for that last minute stocking filler, and there are also lots of kits for adults. The following new kits have been put online recently.

Holiday Opening Hours

We have already put details of our opening hours for Xmas and New Year on the DKY Forum plus a link to details on our Main Page and in the Shopping Basket. We will close on Thursday 22nd December 2011 and will fully re-open on Tuesday 3rd January 2012. We may open on Thursday 29th December 2011 if it looks like there are a lot of orders to do. Opening hours will also be noted in the Shopping Basket during those weeks.

This year I will be away over Xmas and New Year as usual, but will be back much earlier than normal. The website may not be updated while I am away although I will try to keep an eye on it and answer some emails - depends how much fun I am having :-). If something you order sells out, or is delayed, the DKY Office will let you know, and don't forget that Pre-order items will take longer than normal, we are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

Don't forget - you can keep up to date and have a chat on the DKY Forum, check out the CPU Blog for background into DKY and become a DKY Fan on Facebook. If you want to comment about anything on our website please e-mail us at .

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing. 

Finally, everyone at Dianne's Knitting Yarns, Craft Kits, Craft Bits and CPU would like to wish you all good health and prosperity over this holiday time and in the new year.

Carole
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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7.12.11

October 2011 Updates

The last few weeks have been a bit up and down - going broadly in line with the weather :-( It has given us a bit of time to move things around in the warehouse to make some room for all the new colours we had ordered.

New & Coming Soon Items

Quite a few customers have said they are already knitting for Xmas. Well JCB have just added 3 great new colours (including Silver) to their great Twinkle DK yarn - just perfect for that sparkly Xmas top.

Also from JCB are lots of new colours in some of their most popular yarns - Marble Chunky, Tints DK (Pre-order at moment), Woodlander DK, and 10 colours in Rustic Aran. They also have a new yarn called Passion Chunky - similar to Monsoon Aran but in a Chunky - only in Pre-order Packs at the moment. There are also lots of new Pattern Leaflets to compliment many of those new colours - which is handy for showing the colour effect.

Stylecraft have a couple of new colours in their Extra Special DK yarn and Life Super Chunky plus quite a few new pattern leaflets on the Pre-order Pattern Leaflets Page.

As many of you know, Sirdar make a great 'value' range of yarns under the Hayfield label. New in last week - Hayfield Baby Changes DK - 6 variegated colours plus 4 pattern leaflets. You really do need to see the Patterns for this yarn to see the range of colours, so we have put a link next to each yarn swatch. We have also been asked by customers to show a picture of the overall ball as well as the swatch - we will do this where we can, especially on this type of yarn.

When the Sirdar Rep showed us the 4 new toy Pattern Leaflets in Snowflake Chunky we all went "aaahhhhh" - the frog is just gorgeous. The other patterns are lovely too :-) A couple of the patterns use the two new colours which we now have in stock 'by the ball'.

If you want to comment about this or anything else on our website please e-mail us at or leave a message on the DKY Forum. You can also become a fan on Facebook or just read the latest news.

Additions

BTW - If there are any yarns or patterns we still only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know - . Also if there are any current Sirdar or Stylecraft patterns you want us to order for you please email us.

Craft Kits Website

All Mouseloft Kits are now back in stock - Perfect Stocking Fillers :-)

Don't forget that www.craft-kits.co.uk also has lots of other Pocket Money Kits for kids of all ages plus some great beginner kits.

You can keep up to date and have a chat on the DKY Forum, check out the CPU Blog for background into DKY and become a DKY Fan on Facebook.

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing. 

Carole
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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11.10.11

September 2011 Updates

We have had a few people emailed us about the last CPU Newsletter and final part of the CPU Enterprises story. Some have asked why it was the last ever newsletter (if you missed it check out the Updates and Newsletters Page online). Originally the Newsletter was sent out to inform customers of any changes that were happening to all the CPU Enterprises websites, but Peter was struggling to find things to say so started telling the CPU Story. As that has now finished, and I was finding it difficult to pin Peter down to write it, we have decided to stop sending out the Quarterly Newsletter.

We will add any general CPU info we need to tell you about to the Monthly DKY Updates. You can find out more about all the CPU websites, including the full story as told in the Newsletters, on the CPU Blog. We hope to update that more often with articles from all the staff from DKY, Craft Bits and Craft Kits plus more background information.

New & Coming Soon

Crafty Knits DK is a great yarn for Toy Knitting and they have now brought out 8 new colours including Navy, Bottle, Emerald and 2 Greys.

The final 3 books of the Summer from Sirdar are now in stock and fully online - Babouska Knits, Big Bamboo Knits and Chic Winter Knits. All the patterns in these books are also available in Pattern Leaflets which are on our Pre-order Pattern Leaflets Page.

There are a few new yarns, colours and patterns from Stylecraft which are either online or soon will be. Two new yarns are online in Pre-order Packs - Stylecraft Inspiration Brushed Chunky, which has 10% mohair and Stylecraft Life Prints Chunky, a new addition to the great 'Life' range of yarns. There are also 2 new Pre-order colours in the lovely Stylecraft Phases Chunky - as with all these variegated yarns, the swatches just don't tell the story, so please check out the pattern leaflet pictures too.

There are 4 new colours coming soon in Stylecraft Life Super Chunky and 2 new colours in Stylecraft Extra Special DK - all will be in stock 'by the ball'. You can already view the colours online but they will not go live until actually in stock.

The last two colours in Stylecraft Ruffles Scarf Yarn are now finally in stock. They have been a long time coming but we think they are worth the wait :-)

We have heard a rumour that Jean Greenhowe is working on another new book - more info as soon as we have any.

If there are any yarns, colours or patterns we only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know - .

Additions

If you want to comment about any of this, or anything else on our website, please or leave a message on the DKY Forum.

Remember you can find us on Facebook by clicking the link on our main page. If you are a Facebook member you can click the link to 'like' us. Then you will get posts, which includes up to date info on important new items, directly on your 'wall'. But you do not need to be a Facebook member to see our posts :-)

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing. 

Carole
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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04.09.11

August 2011 Updates

The Summer CPU Newsletter is included at the bottom of this Update. I was hoping to keep this update fairly short, but there is so much to tell you it didn't work out that way

New Items

Books, books and more books - 11 in total - and there are still 3 more from Sirdar to come.

The brilliant new Jean Greenhowe Donut Delights book is now in stock - we are glad we upped the number we brought as they have been flying off the shelves. They are perfect little items to use up lots of your oddments and work just as well with or without the donuts.

Sublime have 4 new books out which are in stock and fully online - including pictures of all the patterns and the number of balls. Full list below.

Finally the last 6 books are all from Sirdar. 4 of the books are for babies/toddlers from Birth to 7 in four of their most popular DK yarns - although any DK yarn would do. One book is for 2 to 13 year olds in Supersoft Aran and the last book is in the bright and cheerful Sirdar Indie Super Chunky yarn with patterns for men, women and girls. All the patterns in these books are also available in separate Pattern Leaflets which are on the Pre-order Pattern Leaflet page.

Also new in stock this month are the last two Ruffle yarns we saw at the Trade Show in May - James C.Brett Cha Cha Cha and Stylecraft Ruffles. Although they are both mesh type ruffle yarns, they give very different results. JCB Cha Cha Cha is a fairly close mesh (similar to Sirdar Salsa but not quite so tight) and Stylecraft Ruffles is a very open mesh which gives a very loose open scarf. We are hoping to shortly put a special page on the website which compares the 4 ruffle yarns we have in stock - if you would be interested in us doing this please vote in the Poll on the Forum. You need to be a member to vote but registration is free.

The final new items this month are all the new colours in various Sirdar baby yarns (full list below) and larger size DPN's, which we had been asked for a couple of times.

If there are any of the yarns, colours or patterns we only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know - .

Additions

Summer Opening Hours

As you may know, we are a family run business and families are very important to us, so during the School Holidays we do like to spend more time with the kids. Luckily this time of year is fairly quiet for knitting yarns so we can have a few extra days off here and there until the beginning of September. Therefore the days our Card Payment Phone Line is open will change over the next few weeks. Full details in the Forum and via the "Basket" link on the website. All the websites will still be fully updated as usual during the summer.

Don't forget - you can keep up to date and have a chat on the DKY Forum, check out the CPU Blog for background into DKY and become a DKY Fan on Facebook.

Craft Kits Website

Our Craft Kits Website has lots and lots of easy fun kits for all the family. So if the holidays are long and wet, why not get the kids (and your) creative juices flowing with kits from KSG, Craft Factory, Mouseloft, Daisy Designs plus lots more. There are lots of other kits which use materials like Foam, Pompoms, Wool, Window Stickers, Beads and much more. Or why not create a fun Garden Ornament if the weather is hot

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing.

Carole
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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09.08.11

Summer 2011 Newsletter

Welcome to our Summer Newsletter.

Following that long cold winter and very dry spring, here we are in a summer which I am not going to comment on, except to say that I hope it gets better. Dawn and her family are on holiday in North Wales at present, so it would be good for them to get some decent weather.

With Dawn on holiday it means that Dianne and myself are having to fill in for her, it takes both of us to do this as we are not as fast as we used to be. This also means that we are not boating at present, but I am sure that we will make up for this when the grandchildren go back to school in early September. Dianne and I celebrated our Golden Wedding on the first of July with a very nice meal for family and friends at a local pub - here's to the next fifty!

As usual, trade has now slowed to summer levels. The economic situation does not seem to have affected us too much yet, although the year on year growth has slowed somewhat. One good point is that we are we are still maintaining the same percentage of new customers on our orders.

Carole, our Webmaster and Office Manager, is always looking for ways of improving our website without losing the original aim of being fast to access and easy to navigate. It is not an easy task due to the fact that it is now becoming a very large site with a lot of detail, so if you find anything you think is not working please do let us know.

Dawn is having a similar problem in the warehouse, as we put more and more stuff online, the need for more storage space grows. This is a major task for her as it often means moving stock around to make room for new lines, but without losing the ergonomics of order selection.

It's now time for the final part of the CPU story.

In the previous part of our story you may remember that we were under a lot of pressure to finish the build of our new warehouse in time for our move from the stalls on Peterborough Market.

Well, yes, we did finish on time - just - but it was a major effort by all of our family, especially our sons-in-law, Martin and Simon, who transported most of the stock for us. I seem to remember that I was plaster boarding the inside of the walls, again with the help of the boys, at the same time as the builders were finishing putting on the roof.

To save a bit of cash I had purchased a large amount of secondhand metal shelving, so the next step was to fit all this into position. I remember that the girls were filling the shelves as fast as the boys and I could build them.

I will not pretend that we did not have problems during this major move, because we did have a few, but on the whole it was the best thing we have ever done.

Dawn took charge of the warehouse right from the start and it took her several weeks to arrange the stock to her liking, all at the same time as she was processing the internet orders (pick, pack and post). She quickly started to mention that the warehouse was really just not big enough and eventually Dianne had to sacrifice her 'best front room' for storage of spare stock.

Carole took charge of creating the office; we converted an unused bedroom in the Granny Annex for this purpose. The kitchen of the Annex became the Post Room. Even though the office was often in chaos, she still managed to extract the orders from our secure server, book them and get them ready for Dawn to process. She did then, and still does, the majority of the website updating at home, often working until the early hours.

This was a time of complete change for Dianne and myself, and I have to say that we were a little apprehensive about the future. At that time internet buying was still fairly new, would it catch on? We need not have worried, it did not just catch on, it took off! In the first full year of internet only orders we turned over more than a quarter of a million pounds and have not looked back since.

As you know, Carole and Dawn are partners in CPU and it is due to them that we have done as well as we have. They have both slotted into their roles without any pre-planning at all, and are continuing our principles of giving good value and honest service.

They now run the business, involving us only when needed, leaving Dianne and myself to enjoy our old age together. We are very, very lucky to have them and the rest of our family.

This is the end of the CPU history; I hope that it has not been too boring for you and that maybe I have given some of you an idea as to what is involved in small business survival.

Finally, you may remember that some of you asked as to what the C stands for in CPU. Many of you worked it out before I told you a few Newsletters ago, but for any new readers - CPU are my initials. Therefore I sign off this final Newsletter with CHARLES PETER UNDERWOOD.

Peter Underwood
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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09.08.11

July 2011 Updates

This month most of our time has been taken up with getting the website up to date with all the discontinued colours and yarns. We have also put online most of the new yarns and colours from Sirdar, Hayfield and Sublime - they are all in Pre-order Packs at the moment until we see how much room we have. There is a full list below - if there are any that you would like us to consider getting in stock 'by the ball' then please let us know - .

Coming Soon

The biggest news this month is the new Jean Greenhowe book Donut Delights. We have been told our delivery should be Mid July (about the 13th or 14th) and hope to be one of the first to get the book out to customers. Donut Delights is already online for you to pre-order, but please remember that anything else you put in that order will be delayed until the book comes in stock. Orders will be sent out by First Class Post (or Airmail) as soon as we can and your card is not charged until we send your parcel.

We hope that JCB Cha Cha Cha and Stylecraft Ruffles will finally be in stock later this month. There are also quite a few new colours from Sirdar and Hayfield which we are getting in stock by the ball shortly. Full list next month and in the Forum when they go online.

We have also been asked to get larger sizes in Double Pointed Needles. They have now been ordered and should be online shortly.

If you want to comment about this or anything else on our website please e-mail us at or leave a message on the DKY Forum.

Additions

Craft Kits Website

A couple of Counted Cross Stitch Kits went online last month - 2 more Popcorn Kits and a Charlie's Ark Kit - all at the excellent price of £6.99 each plus p+p.

Card Security and Charges

There have been quite a few stories in the news lately about Credit/Debit Card Security and Charges. /p>

We take Customer Card Security very seriously and would like to reiterate the following, most of which is stated in our Terms & Conditions or FAQ's.

Our Website uses very secure encryption - the padlock on the Card Details page shows you that. We are a family run firm and trust everyone involved in the business completely. Your card details are not stored electronically by us in anyway so cannot be 'hacked'. We do not charge your card until we are ready to send your parcel.

There are no hidden charges on our websites - everything is up front - if you are in the UK the price you see in the basket is the price you pay. VAT is included in all prices and the P+P costs are clearly shown in the shopping basket. If you are a Non-UK customers you get an email stating the S+P costs after you order and your card is not charged until you agree to those costs by email. We do not charge extra for using different types of cards even though charges to us made by the Card Companies have risen several times in the past and can vary a lot between the card types.

We will always endeavour to put Card Security, transparency of cost and good value for money at the heart of our business.

Don't forget - you can keep up to date and have a chat on the DKY Forum, check out the CPU Blog for background into DKY and become a DKY Fan on Facebook.

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing.

Carole
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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10.07.11

June 2011 Updates

Last month we attended The Knit Show which, as the name would imply, was a trade show just for knitting yarn suppliers. We visited all our current suppliers and took a look at some others too. There were some interesting yarns from all the suppliers - some of which we will go into below. We are still discussing the other yarns - keep an eye on the DKY Forum for more information shortly.

New Items and Coming Soon

The Knit Show confirmed that Ruffle Yarns are going to be big this year and all 3 of our suppliers have brought at least one new yarn out which create that effect. These yarns are basically for scarves but we are sure you will find lots of other uses - we have already seen them used on bags and to glam up a plain jumper.

JCB have two new Ruffle type yarns out this summer. Cha Cha Cha is one of the mesh type ruffle yarns, but that is all the info we have at the moment. Star Lites is in stock already and is very different to the mesh ruffle yarns. It has 6 lovely sparkly colours in 150g balls, which is enough for a scarf.

Now fully in stock 'by the ball', Sirdar Salsa is a small close mesh ruffle yarn in 10 colours. Again you can make a scarf from one 150g ball which is detailed on the ball band. If you buy 2 balls or more you get a free pattern leaflet which includes another scarf and flower.

Stylecraft Ruffles was due in stock last week but they have run out - it is now not due until July :-(. This is a much more open mesh than both the Sirdar Salsa and JCB Cha Cha Cha, so gives a different effect. There is a preview on the DKY Forum in the Available Soon section.

The most exciting yarn we saw at The Knit Show was Stylecraft Safari Chunky which takes Self Patterning yarns to a whole new level with 4 animal print inspired patterns which are right on trend. But check out the Pattern leaflets as the ball swatches just don't do the yarn justice.

The final new yarn this month is Stylecraft Mini Marshmallows. This is a pompom yarn in 4 baby colours but with much smaller poms than other similar yarns we already have online. There are 2 pattern leaflets to give you an idea of what you can use it for, but we are sure there are lots of other uses .

We have just heard that Jean Greenhowe will be bringing a new book out shortly. There is already a preview on her website - we hope to be one of the first to get the book in stock and online. There is also a poll on our Forum about two discontinued books which they may bring back out again - be sure to vote if you would like them to be reprinted.

If you want to comment about this or anything else on our website please e-mail us at or leave a message on the DKY Forum. You can also become a fan on Facebook or just read the latest news.

Additions

BTW - If there are any yarns or patterns we still only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know - . Also if there are any current Sirdar or Stylecraft patterns you want us to order for you please email us.

Craft Kits Website

A couple of new kits went online in the last month, plus we are fully restocked with Daisy Designs too. We really like the DIY Fashion Jewellery Kits and have put some extra pictures online so you can see exactly what you get - but pictures still do not do the quality of the beads and findings justice.

Details went on the DKY Forum and Craft Bits Forum when these kits went online.

Don't forget that www.craft-kits.co.uk already has lots of Pocket Money Kits for kids of all ages plus some great beginner kits.

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing.

Carole
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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05.06.11

Spring 2011 Newsletter

Welcome to our Spring Newsletter.

What a long cold winter we have had this year. It reminds me of the winters we used to have back on the farm where I was born many years ago. We always had fun playing in the snow and skating on the ice, you could almost be certain that you would get a good share of both at some time during the winter months, unlike 'modern' times when you never know what to expect from one day to the next. Even the weather forecasters struggle to give us an accurate forecast - it seems to me that they are wrong as often as they are right.

These uncertain weather conditions make it very difficult for yarn manufacturers to forecast the needs of the industry, which they have to do many months in advance. The time it takes from the concept of a new yarn, ordering the raw material, through to supplying the finished yarn can be a very long time.

We also know from your emails that it causes problems for you too, that you find it hard to decide what to knit season by season. We do our best to give you the choice you need by stocking a wide range of yarns from three of the main manufacturers based in the UK - Sirdar (including Hayfield and Sublime), James C.Brett and Stylecraft. We don't have room to keep all the yarns in stock which is why some are only available in packs. If we didn't do this we would not be able to supply the whole range of all their yarns for you.

Dianne and myself are reaching a few personal milestones this year. Dianne was 70 years young on the 2nd June and I hope to reach 28 in December [make that 70 !! - Carole]. On 1st July this year we celebrate our Golden Wedding - no corny remarks about life sentences please (its far worst than that :-)). The survival secret is never to argue and to just reply with two little words - "YES DEAR".

Now to continue with the CPU / DKY Story we started telling in 2008 - you can view the story so far in the CPU Blog, along with some more background info.

You may remember in the last instalment that, for various reasons, we decided to leave Peterborough Market and concentrate on the Internet.

The next big step was to get planning permission for a small warehouse in our back garden, which, after a tense wait, we got. Our contract on the market was due for renewal, and we did not really want to commit to another years rent, so the building needed to be built at the speed of a really good couple of brickies. We found a young Italian builder who was trying to make a name for himself and, guess what, he had two brickies who he said were "the best in the area". I believed him and for once I was right, they were all geared up ready for when that planning permission came through.

They were up to shoulder level when a visit from the Building Inspector threw a spanner in the works when he asked "where are the window openings?"

The builders had been working from our original drawings but we had been advised to use an architect for the planning application. We had assumed they would be the same but 'prettier' and had been asking the architect for a copy of the final plans for quite a while. It was only when the Inspector showed us those final plans that we found out they were very different from what we were building. Not only had he put windows in a warehouse which was going to be lined with shelving, but he had put only a single door entrance (impossible for lugging big sacks of parcels through) and used different bricks.

"Stop Building" was the instruction from the inspector.

So I now needed to go begging (which is something I'm good at - ask Dianne) to the planners to try to come up with a compromise. It worked - they allowed us to lose the windows, double the door width and carry on with the same bricks, but we did have to agree to render the outside and paint it with a colour and brand of their choice. This turned out to be the most expensive paint available in a 'lovely' terracotta.

From then onwards things progressed at the speed of light. The builders were all and more than they had promised, they even rendered the outside at no extra cost (beat that).

But did we get it done in time?

Find out in the Summer Newsletter.

Peter Underwood
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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05.06.11

May 2011 Updates

Well that is most of the UK Bank Holidays over and done with - we hope you all enjoyed the extra days off. It did rather mess up our opening hours and some customers have noticed Royal Mail deliveries have been a bit slower than normal. Hopefully all should get back to normal quickly. Our Opening Hours are always noted on the website via the Basket Link - you don't have to put anything in the basket to click the link and see the hours.

Later this month we will be visiting The Knit Show which is a trade show aimed at yarn retailers rather than the very general nature of most other trade shows. If you have any questions or requests you would like us to pass on please email them to us on by Sunday 15th May 2011.

New Items and Coming Soon

Not much new this month yet - hopefully we will have more after The Knit Show.

The main new yarn is Sirdar Firefly in both plain and metallic colours. The plain colours are a re-launch of this classic ladder yarn, but the metallic colours are new - they have a metallic thread running along one side of the 'ladder'. The size of the ball has been doubled to 50g so if you use any of the previous pattern leaflets don't forget to halve the number of balls needed :-)

Due to popular demand, we have put Stylecraft Marshmallow online, although it is on a pre-order basis, it is available by the ball. This is a pompom yarn but has an eyelash effect between each pompom and comes in 7 plain colours.

If there are any of the yarns, colours or patterns we only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know -

Additions

If you want to comment about this or anything else on our website please e-mail us at or leave a message on the DKY Forum.

Remember you can find us on Facebook by clicking the link on our main page. If you are a Facebook member you can click the link to 'like' us. Then you will get posts, which includes up to date info on important new items, directly on your 'wall'. But you do not need to be a Facebook member to see our posts :-)

Craft Kits Website

We will shortly be restocking all our Daisy Design Kits - when they are in stock we will put a note on the DKY Forum in the Craft Kits section. We also hope to have a load of new kids kits coming soon.

Some great Fashion Jewellery Kits have just gone online. There are 2 bracelet kits and 4 necklace kits. We were pleasantly surprised by the quality of the beads and findings in these kits for the price they are - £3.99 +pp.

We have been asked by a couple of customers if they can combine orders from the three CPU Enterprise sites. Unfortunately this is not possible for a few reasons which are detailed in a section of the CPU Blog called P+P Pricing. However quite a few of the Kids Kits will be put on the Craft Bits website shortly. Keep an eye on the Craft Bits Forum for more information.

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing.

Carole
Webmaster
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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08.05.11

April 2011 Updates

As we move into the warmer months, we traditionally get a bit quieter. Peter and Dianne usually take this as a sign that they can take off on their Narrowboat for the summer. However they are not too far away, so if we get busy we can always drag them back :-)

We would like to thank the customers who ordered the JCB Monsoon Aran after our Email Update last month, for their patience. We had so many orders we ran out very quickly - and so did JCB. We are pleased to say we now have plenty in stock and it is selling well. We have been told that the pictures online do not do it justice (I try my best :-)) with one customer saying "It's full of glowing jewel tones". Please feel free to give us some more feedback via email or on our DKY Forum under "Customer Reviews".

New Items and Coming Soon

Most manufacturers have already brought out all their new yarns for the Spring / Summer by now, but we have heard about another new one from Sirdar, or rather a re-launch of an old one - Firefly. This was a ladder yarn which was very popular a couple of years ago. Sirdar have given it a new lease of life including some new colours with a "sensational metallic thread" and new patterns. We are still debating whether to get it fully in stock or not - check out the thread on the DKY Forum under "Available Soon" about this and give us your views.

We have been asked for the new Sirdar Salsa yarn which makes "fabulous, frilly scarves" and comes in "stunning multi-colours". We have decided to supply it on a pre-order basis but 'by the ball' so you don't have to buy a full pack. There will sometimes be 'up to' a 3 week delay (usually much quicker) in sending - if another customer has ordered that colour we should have a few balls in stock, so you may get it straight away.

Three more new books were put online this month - Sirdar Cosy Haylofter Knits, The third Sublime merino dk book and The fourth Sublime cashmere merino silk dk book. All are fully online, including our popular 'slide show' and the number of balls needed.

Last month we added some Sublime colours which had been out a while but had not been put online. They are in pre-order packs at the moment but we found some room in the Sublime Aisle in the warehouse and decided to get some of them in stock 'by the ball' - full list below.

If there are any of the yarns, colours or patterns we only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know -

Additions

Bank Holiday Opening Hours

Well what a lot of Bank Holidays we have coming up - two 4 day weekends on the trot certainly mess up our opening hours. We have already put details of our opening hours for over Easter and the other Bank Holidays on the DKY Forum. A list will be shown in the Shopping Basket Link on the website for each week coming up. Basically we will be opening on Tuesdays and Thursdays for a couple of weeks instead of Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

All the websites will be fully updated as usual while the CPU Office & DKY Warehouse is closed.

Don't forget - you can keep up to date and have a chat on the DKY Forum, check out the CPU Blog for background into DKY and become a DKY Fan on Facebook.

Craft Kits Website

We ordered quite a few new kits at the Stitches Show which are now online. Full details of new stock is noted in the DKY Forum and Craft Bits Forum under the Craft Kits Sections.

Don't forget that www.craft-kits.co.uk has lots of other Pocket Money Kits for kids of all ages plus some great beginner kits.

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing.

Carole
Webmaster
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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10.04.11

March 2011 Updates

At the end of last month we attended the Stitches Trade Show in Birmingham to visit some of our current suppliers and see what was new. There were not many yarn manufacturers there this year but we did have a good look around for the other CPU websites too. Long day, sore feet, but interesting.

New Items

JCB had sent us yarn swatch photos of their new yarns last month but we were not that excited by them. Then we saw them at the Stitches Show and were blown away by Monsoon. Not only are the colours vibrant and varied - it is an Aran. It makes a refreshing change from the many colour phase DK yarns around at the moment. The 6 Pattern Leaflets show the colours off really well. They also persuaded us to buy the 4 new Supreme Soft and Gentle DK colours, but they did buy us a cup of coffee :-)

Two new yarns from Stylecraft went online by the ball in the last month. The first was their new Baby Chunky yarn in 5 baby colours with 4 Pattern Leaflets. The other was a brilliant 100% cotton yarn - Classique Cotton DK - in 10 colours in 100g balls with 8 Pattern Leaflets.

There are also a few new colours in various yarns, some new yarns in Pre-order Packs, new Pattern Leaflets and books - full list below.

If you want to comment about this or anything else on our website please e-mail us at or leave a message on the DKY Forum.

Additions

BTW - If there are any yarns or patterns we still only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know - . Also if there are any current Sirdar or Stylecraft patterns you want us to order for you please email us.

Craft Kits Website

We ordered quite a few new kits at the Stitches Show which will be going online shortly. Keep an eye on the DKY Forum or Craft Bits Forum under the Craft Kits Sections for more details.

Don't forget that www.craft-kits.co.uk already has lots of Pocket Money Kits for kids of all ages plus some great beginner kits.

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing.

Carole
Webmaster
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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06.03.11

Winter 2010/2011 Newsletter

Hello everyone

Here we are again, well into another year. Although this is titled the Winter Newsletter, I can see through my window spring bulb shoots beginning to emerge from their beds. Also some of the bushes and trees are beginning to show life - I think this is a wonderful time of year, when we see nature waking from its winter sleep. It tends to encourage us to look forward to the warmer weather and then, perhaps, to discard all of those layers of warm winter "woolies". Thoughts then turn to replacing them with thinner, and possibly more fashionable, spring knitted garments. See Carole's updates and our website for the latest Cotton yarns - Sirdar Simply Recycled DK and Stylecraft Classique Cotton DK.

I have to say that as Dianne and I get "less young" we are ever more thankful that we do not have to stand on a cold market stall any longer. This is mainly thanks to our girls who have taken over promoting and running our website and warehouse. It is several years now since we finally gave up our stalls on Peterborough market but I have to say that we still miss it a little (but only in the nice weather). We still regularly shop there for our fruit and veg, meat and eggs.

All this brings me nicely to the next part of the CPU history - why and how we left the Market.

It was a big step for us to give up the market as this had been our only source of income for many years, and we felt that we were letting down our many loyal customers. But there were a couple of major reasons for leaving, both personal and practical.

It was becoming increasingly difficult and un-ergonomic to process the website orders from the Market. All the computer equipment was in an office at our house, which was about 300 yards from the Market on foot. But, because of a one way system, that same journey was almost a mile by car, and there was limited parking during the day at the Market anyway. So I was making that trip on foot many times a day, ferrying customer's paper orders from the house to be 'got up' and packed at the Market, and then back to the house ready to be taken to the Post Office. Now for someone without dodgy leg joints and 2 quadruple heart bypasses, that would probably have been good exercise...

Then came one of the main reasons for calling the first of many family business meetings - a cold and bitter Winter. Both myself and Dianne were in our Sixties by now and a fairly open Market Stall in the middle of Winter was not a good place to be. While I kept warm by walking back and forth, Dianne had just a one bar electric fire and thermals to keep her warm. There is a lot of standing around on a Market, with wind whipping around the corners and snow blowing in, it was not always pleasant.

The family quickly convinced us to give up the Market and concentrate on the website. They felt this would be where the future expansion of retail trade was, and how right this is turning out to be.

But first we had to find somewhere to put all of the stock that we had - the market stalls, all 48 by 10 feet of them, was chocked full, as was some of our house. Dianne then had one of her brainwaves - I think that she has had about three of these since we have been married (I have taken credit for all of the others). "Why don't we have a warehouse built in the back garden?" We had a long garden with Greenhouses and Bird Sheds at the bottom, but no time to do any gardening. "What a good idea", we all said. "But wouldn't that require planning permission?" And that, as they say, is another story....

Please feel free to comment on this story on the CPU Blog where all past editions, and some other background articles, are posted.

Peter Underwood
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

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06.03.11

January & February 2011 Updates

We would like to thank all our customers for their patience over any delays due to the bad weather in December and the Xmas / New Year holiday closures.

Last month was a little quiet for new items so we decided not to send out an update. Plus it is one of our busiest times so really needed to focus our efforts on getting customer orders out as quickly as possible.

New Items

There have been lots of new items from Sirdar in the last 2 weeks. 9 new books, many new colours and one new yarn - full list below. There are also some lovely new pattern leaflets, many are on the pre-order page already. Some are fully in stock and online, including some lovely cuddly toys. There are a couple more new yarns in pre-order packs to come which will go online shortly, along with some more new colours and another new book.

From Hayfield there was one new book and a couple of colours in Hayfield Bonus DK.

Sublime has 2 new yarns in Pre-order Packs and 3 new books, including the eagerly awaited Eighth Little Sublime hand knit Pattern Book (if our emails are anything to go by). We believe there is still another book to come from Sublime too.

There are some new items to come from both James C.Brett and Stylecraft next month, plus lots of new pattern leaflets which will go on the Pre-order Pattern Leaflets Page to start with.

If there are any of the new yarns, colours or patterns we only do on Pre-order which you would like us to get in stock, or want more details on, please let us know -

Additions

If you want to comment about any of these items or anything else on our website please e-mail us at or leave a message on the DKY Forum.

Remember you can also find us on Facebook by clicking the link on our main page. If you are a Facebook member you can click the link to 'like' us. Then you will get posts, which includes up to date info on important new items, directly on your 'wall'. But you do not need to be a Facebook member to see our posts :-)

We really value your comments as it helps us to give you the site that you deserve. Our aim will always be your satisfaction so please keep browsing.

Carole
Webmaster
Dianne's Knitting Yarns
CPU Enterprises

TOP

07.02.11

2010 - Newsletters & Updates
2009 - Newsletters & Updates
2008 - Newsletters & Updates
2007 - Newsletters & Updates
2006 - Newsletters & Updates
2005 - Newsletters & Updates
2004 - Newsletters & Updates
2003 - Newsletters & Updates
2002 - Newsletters & Updates

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