Posts filed under 'General'
Shipping to the whole wide world
Yes, we are getting bigger and are busy hiring people. This time we are looking for something new – a Shipping Customer Service Representative. Our online operations are getting bigger each day and we are looking for someone to focus on shipping, shipping, shipping to our customers, customers, customers. Here is the job description:
Shipping Customer Service Representative
Nine Rubies Knitting, a San Mateo knitting and crochet store, is looking for a person for their shipping department. Nine Rubies Knitting has been open since January 2006 and we specialize in providing our customers with a comprehensive array of yarns and supplies online and in our brick-and-mortar store. We have an e-commerce website and we are committed to providing our products to customers all over the world. We have a wide range of classes and workshops for Weavers, Knitters and Crocheters. We help customers finish their projects and resolve their problems in the store and online. We are committed to strategically growing the business, staying on the cutting-edge of knitting and crochet and focusing on our customers.
Major responsibilities for the Shipping Customer Service Representative include:
- Responding to orders from the e-commerce system in a timely manner: confirming orders and shipments by email, packaging shipments and getting them out in a timely manner
- Following up with customers when there is a delay with the shipment or an issue with payments.
- Conduct the financial transaction to complete a purchase; using the POS terminal, the online systems and provide the customer with the appropriate confirmation and tracking information.
- Suggest improvements to online processes and initiate ideas that will increase online sales.
- Trouble-shooting customer knitting and crochet problems; helping coach customers when they have an issue that can be tackled over the phone or email.
- Help stock shelves or racks, arrange for mailing or delivery of purchases, mark price tags, take inventory, and other tasks required in the store.
Minimum requirements include for Shipping Customer Service Representative:
- Knowledge of knitting and crochet.Knowledge of yarns and patterns available in the US; must know how to use Ravelry effectively.
- Superior customer service is our number one priority: Great customer service and communication skills is a must.
- Scheduling flexibility; must be available to work a minimum of 20 hours per week.
- Must have used computers on a regular basis. Familiarity with Ravelry, email, Facebook, and researching issues using major search engines is required.
- We use email, Yahoo Store for our e-commerce system, Paypal and Stamps.com. Prior experience with any of these systems is considered a plus.
- Prior fulfillment experience with an online retailer a huge plus.
We encourage applicants of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds.
Please send email to saloni AT ninerubies DOT com or drop your resume off at the store. We are located at:
28 E. 3rd Avenue
San Mateo CA
Hours required: we would like to hire someone who can work a minimum of 20 hours a week – five days a week. Ideally, we would like this person to work 9 am – 1 pm Monday - Friday. We are willing to work with your hours – we have a lot of flexibility.
March 7th, 2013
Crochet Flowers
Can you read the following crochet pattern fragment?
Ch 6 and join with a slip stitch to first chain to form a ring
Round 1: Ch 3, work 11 dc into ring, sl st to top of t-ch to join
Round 2: Ch 3, work 2 dc into each stitch to the end of round, work 1 dc into the base of the t-ch to increase, sl st to top of t-ch to join
Round 3: Ch 3, *2 dc into next st, 1 dc*, repeat between * * until one st is left, work 2 dc into last st, sl to to top of t-ch to join
Can you figure out how many stitches you have after Rounds 2 and 3? If yes, then we’d love to see your resume and talk with you! If you would like to spend your days surrounded by yarn, send us an email with your resume to jobs AT ninerubies DOT com.
The official job description:
Retail Salesperson
Nine Rubies Knitting, a San Mateo knitting and crochet store, is looking for people with superior customer service skills to work as a Salesperson. Retail Salespeople at Nine Rubies Knitting are not just selling “stuff” to people, they are members of a community of crafters – part-therapists, part-teachers, and part-students.
Nine Rubies Knitting has been open since January 2006 and we specialize in providing our customers with a comprehensive array of yarns and supplies in a beautiful environment. We have an e-commerce website and we are committed to providing our products to customers all over the world. We have a wide range of classes and workshops for Weavers, Knitters and Crocheters. We help customers finish their projects and resolve their problems in the store. We are committed to strategically growing the business, staying on the cutting-edge of knitting and crochet and focusing on our customers.
Major responsibilities for a Crochet & Knitting Retail salesperson include:
- Superior customer service is our number one priority. Helping customers find what they are looking for; whether it is a project or the supplies
- Help increase sales by being able to describe the products that we carry and their main features
- Conduct the financial transaction to complete a purchase; using the POS terminal, opening and closing register
- Trouble-shooting customer knitting and crochet problems; helping coach customers when they need to learn an additional skill
- Help stock shelves or racks, arrange for mailing or delivery of purchases, mark price tags, take inventory, and prepare displays
Minimum requirements include for a retail sales person:
- Deep knowledge of crochet and knitting and the confidence to figure out solutions.
- Superior customer service skills and great communication skills.
- Scheduling flexibility; must be available to work a minimum of 20 hours per week. We especially need people to work weekends and until 7pm during the week.
- Ability to teach a customer a new skill in knitting or crochet with patience and tact is required.
- Must have used computers on a regular basis. Familiarity with Ravelry, email, Facebook, and researching issues using major search engines is required.
- Ability to speak Spanish or a second language a plus.
- Knowledge of yarns and patterns available in the US; must know how to use Ravelry effectively.
- Prior retail experience preferred, especially in the knitting/crochet area.
We encourage applicants of all ages, races, and ethnic backgrounds.
Please send email to saloni AT ninerubies DOT com or drop your resume off at the store. We are located at:
28 E. 3rd Avenue
San Mateo CA
Hours required: we would like to hire someone who can work a minimum of 20 hours a week. We are willing to work with your hours – we have a lot of flexibility. Here are some of the hours that we especially need in the store.
Mondays 10-5
Tuesdays – 10-5 or 12-7
Thursdays 10-5 or 12-7
Fridays 10- 5 or 12-7
Saturdays – 10 -5
We’d like the person to be available for at least two weekend days during the month and for one Knit Night on Wednesdays which goes from 5:30 to 8:30.
January 23rd, 2013
I am loving Spring and enjoying Nora’s lovely blogs on her new book: Noni Flowers. Yes, those flowers in the picture above are knitted!. Aren’t they lovely? We have been enjoying looking at the book – it’s one of those books that one wants to buy for the coffee table first. It’s beautiful and I spent an indulgent afternoon reading it cover to cover and dreaming about making all those flowers.
We are thrilled to announce that Nora is coming back to Nine Rubies in August 2012 to teach a workshop based on her book. We are one of only two locations on the West Coast that Nora will be coming to this year.
This is an intensive two-day workshop on learning how to make flowers and once you have the hang of this, to go on to pick/design the flowers that you would like to grace the accessory of your choice – Nora calls these canvases. A cowl needs a decorative element to make it special for the person who is getting it as a gift – the canvas is the cowl and you get to pick(make) the flowers. The canvas can be a felted bag, a sweater, a cap… The possibilites are endless. I think I am going to take Nora literally and use a real canvas. In her book, she has examples of projects that you could do: the first is putting flowers at the end of a shawl to make it a little more special.
Or for a more dramatic look, try this awesome cowl with dramatic sumflowers. I feel like I am drinking coffee in Provence when I look at this.
On the first day of the workshop, you will learn to make flowers using knitted elements, wire, beads and all the other little things that you might need. On the second day, you will learn to design and make the specific flowers you will use for your canvas. Come join us for this wonderful workshop on Saturday, August 25th and Sunday, August 26th.
For more details on the workshop, see the classes page on our website.
May 3rd, 2012
We just finished our Noni Knitalong for the Ella jacket! Check out the new Ella Coat (picture above and also available in children sizes) by Nora J. Bellows. Knitters dropped by and knit this jacket with Sudha, who knit this jacket for Saloni. There were many, many different versions of this jacket and you really should check out Nora’s blog for more ideas on this jacket.
We at the store love this structured sweater. We think it’s perfect for the end of winter and beginning of spring. The ruffles add a sense of whimsy and the pattern is basic enough it almost invites experimentation with colors. For the icing on the cake, the A-line cut and slightly lifted waist on the jacket means it’s flattering for most body types.
The pattern is ranked at intermediate to advanced, but we reckon any daring knitter could manage it.
The children’s pattern is just as charming with the bobbles and striping. Nora herself says it was inspired by the story of the Princess and the Pea. We think it’s the perfect amount of girly without being garish.
This coat, unlike the women’s size, is felted. This adds durability and warmth.
And here is the result of the one Sudha made:
The jacket was knit in Stonehedge Fiber Mills Shepherd’s Wool. Come welcome spring with this great jacket!
March 30th, 2012
Sudha, Melissa and I have been on the lookout for local dyer ever since the wonderful Baywood Yarns got busier with her day job and stopped dyeing those beautiful yarns for us. Meanwhile, we found many dyers: Baah! yarns, Anzula, Dream in Color, Madelinetosh but none of them was local to us. We kept looking…
About a month ago we started looking seriously at Schafenfreude Fibers and met up with Diane Palme. We petted the yarn and looked at colors and drove up to her dyeing studio. And finally settled on her Luster Sock base as our first line from her. This is a 100% Superwash Blue Faced Leicester(BFL) wool in a 438 yards (100 g) skein. If you’re just discovering that there are other wool fibers beside merino and cashmere, Blue Faced Leicester is a longer stapled wool (the individual fibers are longer) which is fine enough for next-to-skin wear. It is extremely popular for fine to medium yarns for anything from lace to socks to light sweaters, and insulates and wears well enough for outerwear too.
We placed our order and she gave us a sample skein which I knit up quickly. I couldn’t bear for anyone else to knit up the beautiful orange color. I had seen a sample of Swallowtail at Diane’s studio and wanted to do something lacy. Since the store already had a sample of Swallowtail, I decided to go for something that had been in my queue for a while – Holden by Mindy Wilkes. The pattern is super-simple and addictive. It took me less than a week to make this. Diane’s gorgeous yarn was wonderful to knit with and when I blocked this shawl the results were incredible. The yarn holds form extremely well and the color is simply stunning on anyone who wears it.
Come see Schafenfreude’s colors at the store or online and watch this collection as we grow with this wonderful local dyer!
- Saloni
March 26th, 2012
Here are a few of my favorite things from the new Interweave Knits Spring 2012.
We’re seeing quite a few patterns for short sweaters that are either sleeveless or with short sleeves.
The first one in this issue is the Reticulated Pullover.
We love the fact that it is in Cascade Eco Wool which is an extremely affordable yarn. The smaller sizes just need 2 skeins because of the huge yardage in skein of this yarn.
The look is fresh and we love the diagonal lines on the side that make it very flattering to wear. A similar sweater in this range the Peony sweater from Cecily Glowik MacDonald.
This can be done in any fingering weight yarn – originally it has been done in Baah! Yarns La Jolla. The color range is gorgeous and highly saturated. Some of the colors are limited editions and cannot be found easily again. So take advantage while they are still here.
So what are you waiting for? Let’s get started on spring projects right away.
February 29th, 2012
I promise it happens to all of us. Halfway through a difficult project, or when you’ve hit a point of boredom with a scarf, it’s easy to fall into the knitter’s trap – doubt. Think of it like the runner’s wall, it’s just that moment when it seems impossible and interminable.
Sometimes it’s hard to trust the pattern, especially when it doesn’t look like your shawl is shaping quite right. To help with all this, Nine Rubies has an Easy Lace Knitting class coming up in May taught by Paula Dennis. So sign up and get rid of that doubt – think of it as Knitting Team in Training.
February 28th, 2012
A scene from last year's double knitting workshop
Come on over to Nine Rubies for our free staff-led workshops! A great addition to this year’s line-up is a reprise workshop on Thursdays during the afternoon – great for those customers of ours who can’t get out of the house on evenings.
The following is our schedule as we have it now, although it is subject to change (this will be the place where we will change it, so bookmark this post if you like). All Wednesday workshops occur from 7pm-8pm, and Thursday workshops will be held from 2pm-3pm. Stop on by and learn a new skill and catch up with fellow knitters!
October 12, 2011: Lace Squares
You’ll be learning a simple lace pattern suitable to beginners and creating a square for the Palo Alto Veteran’s Hospital Charity Blanket. Bring US 7 needles and about 100 yards of Worsted Weight yarn.
October 19th & 20th: Splicing Yarn
Need to join a new ball of yarn to a project in process? Learn various methods of splicing yarn with Christina. Bring scrap wool yarn, sharp tapestry needle, and scissors.
October 26th & 27th: Multiple Cast On Methods
Learn a variety of casting on methods for every occasion with Christina. Bring 2 contrasting colors of smooth worsted weight yarn and size US 7, 8 or 9 needles.
November 2nd & 3rd: Hexapuffs
Everyone is crazy about the Beekeeper’s Quilt by Tiny Owl! It’s a great way to use up leftover bits of sock yarn and you end up with a warm and cozy quilt for the winter. You’ll be addicted in no time! Get started with Saloni. Participants should buy the pattern beforehand, or we’ll help you buy it via Ravelry at the shop. Bring fingering weight yarn and US 4 double-pointed needles.
November 9th & 10th: 3-Needle Bindoff Once you learn this technique, you’ll be using it for everything. It’s a great way to join two pieces of knitting invisibly! Learn with Saloni. Bring two stitch swatches still on the needles and a third needle of the same size or slightly larger.
November 16th & 17th: Introduction to Toy Knitting
We will be knitting a ball and stuffing it to learn the basics of toy knitting.
October 11th, 2011
Scott Hamilton’s breathtaking mohair pagoda’s are up in the Nine Rubies storefront! They will be on display until October 15th. You must see these in person!
October 6th, 2011
We’re pleased to announce a great addition to the Yarnbombing talk and booksigning coming up Saturday, October 8th: Scott Hamilton’s beautiful fiber creations will be on display.
Scott creates large pillars made of mohair that are meant to be hung from ceilings and walls. These pillars look light-as-air, and allow sunlight and shadows to pass through them, creating a piece that is constantly changing. Ten to Fifteen of these pillars will be on display in the Nine Rubies window. We hope you stop by to support a local artist and see these gorgeous creations in person! The artist’s reception will be from 6-8pm on Saturday night, but if you are really dying to get the first glimpse, the installation will be up on October 5th, and will stick around until October 19th. The artworks will also be available for sale. We will have the artist’s contact information at the store if you are interested.
October 1st, 2011
Previous Posts
