Five days...maybe?

Yes, it has been several days since I posted to begin a countdown to an event unseen for a few years.

I had hoped to spark interest in the event, and continue to post with comments to build up to the final day, but due to lack of interest, the event may not happen at all, or may happen, but on a smaller scale....or, *I* may be surprised too, and there could be several 'last minute' participants.
Either way, event or not, I will post later this week.

Many of our members offer wonderful gift ideas for everyone on your list, not to mention yarn, hooks and patterns to keep any crocheter busy on cold, snowy days.  Over the next few weeks, I'll post some ideas here for different recipients, so check back every few days for new ideas.

Shopping this time of year can be especially tense, even online.  To help keep frustration levels low, when shopping be sure to check where the item ships from and decide before ordering whether there is time for the item to get to you.  Yes, overseas shipping *can* be quick, but often depending on the country, it can easily take 4 weeks, and sometimes 6.  Surface mail can take even longer:  I once had a postal employee tell me that a package sent surface could take 3 months to get to Australia from Canada.
Also, this is important, know before purchasing your country's duties for importing goods from outside your own country.  This is a tax/fee imposed by the country's government, so this is something buyers are liable for, not the sellers.  Sellers have no idea of knowing every country's rates, and cannot collect the money from you to pay on your behalf.  A seller cannot lie on the customs form and fill in a lower $ value to save the buyer money, this is highly illegal and could result in huge fines for the seller.