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I try hard to shop locally first. I search Orange and then Orange County before searching outside the borders for whatever it is I think I just cannot live without.

My family teases me constantly that I have enough yarn to open my own store. I disagree, but then it is a matter of perception.

I was, and a stress the word WAS, working on a shawl. I was crocheting away and became concerned the one ‘cake’ of yarn I had might not be enough despite the pattern being a ‘one skein shawl’.

I began my search for the yarn in local stores, and none had it available. I searched the forbidden Amazon. Not there.

I searched other yarn outlets on the rest of the internet and finally found a company that had the precious commodity. A company I have used before when I found myself in need of yarn not locally available.

I debate for four days on if I should order it because I am not buying locally. Finally, the shawl won out and I place the order. I took the suggested delivery date and timed my crocheting to match the day the package would arrive, or at least the day after in case there was a delay.

Then the unspeakable happened… tracking on the package stopped a day before the anticipated delivery. Originally, I thought it was not big deal and would arrive anyway.

It was expected to arrive on a Saturday.

The day, the weekend, a whole week passed and no package. Two weeks later and still no package.

I tell my family I am out of yarn and they look at me as if I have lost my mind. But, remember that matter of perception? I am out of the yarn needed to finish the project I started.

None of this aggravation would have been experienced if I had just gone to the store and bought what I originally thought the project would need despite what the pattern said. If ONLY I had shopped locally from the beginning.

Now, I am arguing with the company I placed the order with because apparently it went from 10 days to ship to 10 business days to ship, once it has left their hands. The discussion with the delivery company which says it is not their fault and to contact the company I placed the order. Mind you, it was in the shipping company’s possession when it was ‘lost’. I call it lost but it has been referred to as misdirected. I still call that lost.

Meanwhile, no yarn and the shawl sits unfinished. The joy it was bringing me as I watched it grow with each stitch is quickly waning.

If only I had just shopped locally from the beginning. I would have a finished shawl by now and ready to move on to the next project.

Instead, I have a half-finished project and frustrated.

 

Dawn Burleigh is general manager and editor of The Orange Leader. She can be reached at dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com