Ran out of Yarn!

[yarnjeannie]

I purchased a Cancer Awareness afghan kit from Mary Maxim. I started working on it a few weeks ago, with intentions of donating it to my employer's online auction to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I have about 6 rows left to do, and enough yarn to finish 1 row! I have to send the afghan to New York by September 15.

 

I called Mary Maxim's customer service department today and they were very nice. They said a lot of people have had the same problems with the kit. The representative said that if I mail them a sample of the yarn, they will send me what I need to complete the afghan.

 

I think I'm going to have to mail the sample priority mail in order to have a chance of receiving the additional yarn in time to finish. She said they can send out the new yarn within a day or two of receiving the sample. I hope that's true.

 

Has anyone had this happen? Is there a chance that I'll receive the yarn in time? If you have had any dealings with Mary Maxim, please let me know. Thanks!

[birdlady1]

Maybe if you offer to pay the priority mail postage BACK to you, they'll jump on your request a little faster.

[auntel]

Is there any way you can complete the afghan the way it is- or would it look awkward? I'm just thinking ahead, in case the yarn doesn't make it in time.

[yarnjeannie]

It's a filet crochet pattern and I'm a little over halfway through the last panel. It's a beautiful afghan - here's a link to the kit:

 

http://www.marymaxim.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_10001_10054_13831_-1_15033_15034

 

I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I'll prepare the sample yarn to mail out first thing on Tuesday via priority mail. I will include a note explaining that I need the yarn to fulfill a deadline and maybe it will help.

[auntel]

That is a beautiful afghan - didn't realize it was in panels - I hope they come thru for you.

[yarnjeannie]

Update - I sent my yarn sample to Mary Maxim - I received a call from their customer service department telling me that they needed the yarn wrapper to match my sample. I explained that the yarn came in a kit, not in wrappers. It was totally unmarked as to shade or dye lot. They called me back saying that they re-read my letter (not sure they read it to begin with, since I did explain which kit it was I purchased) and that they will send me more yarn, but I need to pay for it. Whaaaat? I asked why I should pay for it when it was a kit and should have had enough yarn in it to finish. Again, they called me back and said they would send me 150 yards of yarn to finish the afghan. Me: "Will that be enough to finish the afghan?" MM: "Well, that's a lot of yarn - we haven't had any complaints yet."

 

Well, they have one now. I am on the last row and have 40 double-crochet stitches to finish and once again, I'm out of yarn! GGGRRRRRRRRR!

 

The deadline for completing the afghan has come and gone, and was extended to allow me to finish. I just got back from Walmart with several samples of pink yarn, to see if something comes close enough to finish this. I feel awful about doing this, as I think a donation should be my best work, not a piece-meal affair. Maybe I should just call the auction people and apologize and tell them I'll have to back out.

 

At this point, I don't feel like I would be inclined to buy another kit from MM. They're definitely getting a call on Monday from me.

[frogsrock]

just curious, is your gauge correct?

 

this whole situation is insane

if a bunch of people needed more yarn why didnt they start putting more in the kit?? even if they did need to up the price to do so

 

and its their fault that the kit didnt have enough yarn, you shouldnt have to pay a cent towards it

 

 

id try to find a place to complain

[yarnjeannie]

I noticed that they do sell this same afghan kit and the price has gone up. I'm thinking they had to put more yarn in it.

 

My gauge is good - I checked it. I'm just bummed!

[birdlady1]

Wow, I can certainly understand your frustration! How rude of them to not try to satisfy their customer! I certainly won't be buying any of their kits based on your experience.

[mythunderbird]

hey i have some of that yarn i also bought the kit and havn;'t even made it yet so your welcome to the yarn i can always get other yarn and make it pm me youraddy hon and tomorrow will get it off to you:manyheart :manyheart

[sweetcaroline]

I've been working on the same afghan. I'm on the third panel and I'm about a third into the second skein of yarn. I also wonder if your gauge is off.

[oldbonboys]

It is such a pretty kit - such a shame that you all are having such problems with it - especially since you are doing for a charity auction.

 

Hope all goes well.

 

Would love to see a picture when you have finished.

 

Dianne

[yarnjeannie]

I've been working on the same afghan. I'm on the third panel and I'm about a third into the second skein of yarn. I also wonder if your gauge is off.

I'm thinking that there were kits produced with insufficient amounts of yarn run off for it. The first time I called the company, the customer service rep did acknowledge that they had problems with that kit and a lot of complaints.

[yarnjeannie]

hey i have some of that yarn i also bought the kit and havn;'t even made it yet so your welcome to the yarn i can always get other yarn and make it pm me youraddy hon and tomorrow will get it off to you:manyheart :manyheart

 

Hi, Vicki

I've sent you a PM! You are too kind - please let me know about paying for any costs and the yarn itself. You will certainly have to replace it with something else.

 

I've resigned myself that it won't be completed in time for the main Corporate online auction. I had plans to make a second (with purchased yarn) for another auction that we hold in late October for the same cause. It's a "traveling" auction, meaning that we pack it up and move it from building to building. We have over 1400 employees in 5 facilities and we raffle a multitude of wonderful donated items to raise additional funds for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. The afghan will be finished and donated to our Pink Ribbon fundraiser.

[shuttlebuggy]

Grrrrrr.....that would make me so frustrated tooooo!

I have shied away from kits as I worry about this very thing! The least the company could do is have the yarns for these kits available for single skein purchase by those who need it!!!!

It sure wouldn't hurt!

[mythunderbird]

jeanne, got your pm and will ship it out as soon as possible:hug

[sweetcaroline]

You would think that a company that sells soooo many kits would do more research and suppy sufficient yarn. Every crocheter is different and they should try and accommodate that especially at the prices they charge. Or at least give you a chance to buy just the pattern and get local yarn that isn't so hard to replace.

[mythunderbird]

jeanne i shipped it today:D

[yarnjeannie]

I've finished the afghan with the yarn supplied by Vicki (thanks, again!) and it will be in the Pink Ribbon auction at work next week, to raise money for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. I was able to finish with yarn that was an exact match in weight and texture, but it's slightly off in color. I am hoping that the winner of the afghan won't be upset that it doesn't quite match perfectly. I feel awful that it's not perfect, but I had promised the afghan and didn't want to renege on that promise. It didn't take that long to make, so if the winner has a problem with it, I'll make another one to substitute.

 

[pretty_bug01]

How long did it take for you to make?

[jura2908]

it is beautiful! i am sorry to hear you had such a hard time with the company.

 

i have only ever ordered a kit from maggies crochet. i had a wonderful experience with them. even though the kit had the wrong number of skeins needed ( short 1 skein). i called and they mailed me a skein and i got it in 2 days. the next day after that i recieved another with a note from the company saying that they were mailing the skein to make up for the error to all that ordered the kit. i called to see if they wanted me to mail it back since i already recieved the skein to make up for it and they said no, to keep it.

 

Nadine

[Ellie 13]

I bought a kit at a yard sale once (an unused gift?)for $2. I liked the pattern, but not the yarn. I bought the same type/amount of yarn, and was short 1/2 a skein. I checked my gage and it was a tiny bit smaller so I should've had enough. I don't think there would've been enough in the kit. BTW: I made scarves with the other yarn.

Ellie 13

[yarnjeannie]

it is beautiful! i am sorry to hear you had such a hard time with the company.

 

i have only ever ordered a kit from maggies crochet. i had a wonderful experience with them. even though the kit had the wrong number of skeins needed ( short 1 skein). i called and they mailed me a skein and i got it in 2 days. the next day after that i recieved another with a note from the company saying that they were mailing the skein to make up for the error to all that ordered the kit. i called to see if they wanted me to mail it back since i already recieved the skein to make up for it and they said no, to keep it.

 

Nadine

 

I only wish I'd had that experience with Mary Maxim. Instead, after a week, they mailed me 150 yards to try to complete the afghan the first time I ran out, and when I ran short again, they were going to send me enough to complete the 42 stitches I had left to complete! What's with that? Thanks to the kindness of a Crochetville angel, I received enough yarn to finish it without having a lot of tie-ins and weaving.