behind the scenes
Monday, August 30, 2010 at 7:28PM 
I'm just going to come right out and say it: our yarn clubs are the best.
I don't say that to be prideful, I don't say it to put anyone else down. I'm just stating a fact. They're the best.
I could give you a litany of reasons why they're so awesome: great colorways, great yarns, great format, great customer service. But the truth of the matter is that they're the best because of the people in them.
Nice, nice, fun, awesome people. They make the marathon days at the end of the month leading up to club shipping worth it.
It takes a long time to dye close to 1,000 skeins of yarn. It takes an entire day to do all the prep work to ship multiple truck loads of packages.
Because people can order as many skeins as they want, very few packages are the same, which means there is no assembly line of packages where we put one skein in an envelope, slap a label on it, and call it cool.
You can see an example of my color coded shipping list. It takes 5-8 hours just to make the color coded shipping lists.
It then takes about six hours just to run all of the shipping labels. Because people order different quantities and are located all over the world, I can't just do a mail merge and set the weight and walk away.
And it takes three people two days just to label everything. By the end of the prep day, the studio looks like a maze -- we've got individual orders set aside, ready to be packed, we've got all of the sock club extras assembled and ready, we've got snacks and music and iced tea.
Tomorrow's the big day! Fly away, little babies!
Reader Comments (20)
All that yarn had me almost drooling. I like your crocs.
Yay! Can't wait to receive my first sock yarnista shipment!
Oh sweet Heavens. Now I need one of those green skeins!!!
Don't you just want to dive into it all? Yum, yum.
I totally agree....your clubs are the bestest.
My birthday is coming up, and I have asked my H to be a part of this joy! Soon!
it's the jackpot at the end of the rainbow. I just want to nap in all that green/blue yarn.
Forest Primeval is the green stuff. It was one of my favorite colorways ever!!!
Yay!!! This is my very first TIG club shipment and I can't wait! So exciting!!!
do we pay you enough for this? im serious.
Oh, they look FANTASTIC!! Look at that amazing Wexford! And Forest Primeval caused me to finally join SY - I had to have it.
I agree with Tola - are you sure we are paying you enough?
You're right though - your yarn clubs are the best!
Commence postal stalking!! :P
I just had heart palpitations. I can't wait for this month's shipment! Thanks for all the hard work that you put into our club shipments!
I can make the prep easier for you--just send it all to me! ;-)
Wow! Such intense, amazing color! My husband and I were both blown away by the sheer magnitude of all that gorgeous yarn. It's just too cool to get a glimpse behind the scenes.
Yummy yummy yummy!!!!!! :D
Thanks Sharon!!!
Those photos just make me drool...all that luscious 3IG in one place...waiting for us! We are sooooo lucky!
What gorgeous pictures Sharon!! Thank you for sharing,it's so cool to see the 'inner workings' of 3IG and get a sneak peek of the yarn before it ships!
I need a love button. You (and your team) are the bestest! I see my yarns!
Love the look into how you operate. And I see my Wexford!
Wow! I don't know if I'd be able to stand it being in a room full of beautiful yarn all day. I'd be squeezing it all the time. :)
Oh, my!!!!!!!!!! Such amazing colors.1 I will spend all of next quarter's yarn money on a 3IG yarn club!!