Homegrown Linen Kickstarter Support Thread!

I had hoped to start shipping today, but the universe has overwhelmingly decided that this is not to be.  

It looks like Monday will be the first day I can ship.  Although it may not be as straightforward as I expected.  


Shipping supplies were supposed to be delivered two weeks ago are still lost in the backlog from the snow.  I've been promised they will arrive on Monday.  On top of that, the boxes for the Educator's Kit are lost in shipping (thank you snow).  I'll be scrambling to find a replacement box this weekend so this reward level might be the last to go out.  That makes me sad because I was hoping it would be among the first.

I'm also having challenges with Canada Post and setting up a small business account.  They seem to have ideas that no one would ever ship more than 100 parcels a month.  I had hoped if I pre-package the books now, I could process 100 a day and get everything sent out next week.  It looks like the post office might have other ideas and possibly daily limits.  This is going to be interesting.  

Kickstarter also wants me to wait another 48 hours to lock the addresses - which means if you've moved, you have another two days to make sure your new address is in the system.  It's a very complicated system they have there with minimal instructions.  It certainly has caused some stress, but without them (and our wonderful backers), I couldn't have made this book!  I am grateful.

adding bookmarks to the books and getting ready to package them for shipping

In other news: There's a big spinning event near my home this weekend.  I'm going to try to quietly pack up the rewards of anyone living near me and see if I can hand deliver some of them on Saturday (weather dependent).  If you know the event I'm talking about and are planning to be there, please let me know in this thread.  

Please note, I'm not selling books until I have fulfilled the Kickstarter rewards.  I think it's really important to reward the people who believed in this project first because you've been so wonderful and waited so patiently.  

Shipping has begun.  I'm mostly shipping the bulky rewards first.  We are getting about 20 to 50 rewards out a day.  

Only one hundred left to ship.  If I work like crazy today, we should have all but the stragglers ready for the mail on Monday.  

I'm excited to see that  people are starting to receive their books already!


I want to share with you two things that make me happy.

1.  The people who work at my local post office.

These people have been so helpful and lovely.  Each day I arrive with a box or three of books all packed up with their labels ready to go.  They cheerfully scan the books into the system and send them gently on their way.  

I've had so many questions and these people are always happy to help.  And talk about knowledgeable.  Learning how to use Canada Post for Small Business has been a... a word I'm not going to say in polite company.  However, these wonderful people at the post office helped me navigate through it all.

2. Reusable bubble mailers.

I spent a lot of time seeking plastic-free packaging but in the end, I felt that my desire to protect the book was stronger than my urge to reduce plastic.  So I compromised.

Yes, most of you are getting a plastic bubble mailer, but that's not all you're getting!  You are getting a REUSEABLE bubble mailer.    Once you open the mailer, it has another sticky strip so it's easy to pack stuff in it and send it again.  I would love to hear if anyone is reusing theirs.  I don't know if it's worth it to get these, but I feel better knowing that it's easy for you to reuse them.

The plastic used to make the mailers is partly recycled, but wait!  There's More!  Because it's not made of mixed materials like most bubble mailers, you can recycle these when you're finished with them.  These clever little envelopes are fully recyclable; accepted at store drop off or curbside services that take grocery bags.

Wow! I hold on pretty tight to my money. But 12 weeks is a really loooong time. In my opinion those two dollars would be well spent.

For 2 dollars difference I wouldn't want to wait for 12 weeks, and yes it now shows as 14. which is  a much more manageable amount!

Nicole, are you in the US?  I'm in Washington State and just got my package, too.  BUT USDA confiscated the seeds at the Blaine, WA crossing!  Said it violated  7 CFR 319.37 (no phytosanitary certificate for entry!)  But Linum is not even on that list!  Now frustrating.

I DID get a sweet little inflatable neck cushion which wasn't one of the premiums!  I wonder if the custom agents took that out of someone else's package they were processing at the same time and put it into mine by mistake.  I feel so protected!  Sheeeesh!  I hope I'm the exception to the rule and everyone else's seeds get delivered just fine.

I just this afternoon picked up my package of three beautiful books complete with book marks and my seeds are there also.  

My eyes are dilated from an eye doctor appointment so I'm waiting to savor the book in the morning.

Patricia, I'm wondering how they knew to check for seeds?

I don't know about in Canada, but when I mail things internationally from the US, I have to fill out a customs form listing everything in the package (I mailed Raven a felted chicken, and had to figure out what to call it so the customs agents wouldn't be too curious. I went with "chicken figurine"). So, I'm thinking Raven had to list that there were sees in the package.

I'm in a different county north of Patricia. My seeds came fine...I'm wondering if it's a county-ban on seed imports? I know when I cross certain county lines, there's big signs saying "Apple Maggot Quarantine Area"--it's probably not the only quarantine in action, right? Maybe Pierce County has a ban on international seeds?

I just got my package of books+towel today, and it also had been opened and the seeds removed/stolen/destroyed!
Towel is lovely, but I am sad about the seeds..

A form was left describing an "Emergency Action Notification"
It listed the offending item ("Linum usitatissimum, PM"). Further down, #16., "Action Required" states, "7 CFR 319.37 Plants for Planting: Propagative material requires a phytosanitary certificate for entry. This shipment lacks such certification. Seeds will be destroyed."

As Nicole says, they are led to open the package because seeds are listed right there on the customs declaration.
However, the statute they cited says **Plants** for planting. Seeds are not plants. I'm not sure whether seeds fall under other regs. They are, in a sense, "propagative material"..  Boh?

Raven, if you find that seeds are supposed to be ok, and if you haven't sent out all the seed packages yet, maybe it would help to print out a page with the regs and include w/shipment.

Maybe some people got a really cranky customs agent inspecting their mail, while other's got a nicer one?

Oh man.

I talked with customs before the Kickstarter and they said that it should be fine as small packets of seeds are covered under the free trade stuff and it's not a controlled species.  They also mentioned it's okay as a food product.  I've always been able to buy seeds from the US and other countries.

But since then, there was a minor trade war between Canada and the US.  I wonder if that had something to do with it?  Or maybe the customs person I talked to was mistaken?  This is very odd that some people are getting seeds okay and others not.  


I'll look into it some more.

This is tricky!  If you lost your seeds to customs, it won't help if I send more.  So I have to think of something else to make this right.  

My first thought is I could give anyone who lost the seeds in customs a gift code for the How to Spin Yarn PDF that could be given to a friend or used yourself. https://permies.com/t/spinyarn It's the same value as the seeds.  Then I thought maybe two gift codes would be better.  

I need some sort of proof that they took away your seeds to get your gift codes.  Any chance of a picture?

That's kind of you, Raven, but I don't need you to send anything to make it up to me.  I just wanted to give you a heads up in case there are other problems at border crossings.  But I think I did just get a zealous one.

I appreciate the gift-code links, Raven. Since I already have the material in the book, I'll be able to give them to people who might then want to get the book, who knows?

I feel desolated to learn that not everyone is getting their seeds.  I was so excited about this reward.

I asked several places, including customs officials and I was given to understand that this small of a quantity of seeds would be fine.  This is apparently not the case.

The weirdest thing is that some people are getting the seeds just fine.  Other's are not.  

Since I cannot send more seeds to make up for the loss, anyone who lost their seeds to customs, I will send two gift codes to Learning to Spin.  

To claim your compensation: post in this thread saying "MY SEEDS WERE LOST IN CUSTOMS".  

I'll compare your email to the reward list and if you match, then I can send you the gift codes.

I'm guessing that the problem was that on this side of the border, this country has a paranoia about small packages.  I think it's likely the seeds were just the excuse to search a random number of them.  Maybe if a lot of similar packages arrived at customs at the same time it raised a red flag of some sort?

My original reward did not include seeds so as happy as I am to receive them I would also be happy to send them to someone in the states who did not receive theirs and who was hoping to raise it for fiber.  I would plant them but I don't see myself harvesting for fiber any time soon (back a couple decades, yes).

Is there someone who didn't get them that had counted on them in their reward and planned to plant for fiber?  Let me know and I'll send them.  The well traveled flax seed

I got my book today!! Can't wait to start reading it.  Thanks!!!

How many people actually lost their seeds in customs?  So far I've heard of four.  Considering we sent a lot of packets, this isn't too bad.

anyone else?

"I SOLEMNLY SWARE THAT MY SEEDS WERE LOST IN CUSTOMS"

But I am super happy with everything else! Thank you so much!

Is there any possibility of getting a retry shipment of the seeds with the understanding that if it fails again, that's that? I was pretty set on planting the flax this year.

Received the book today (Turkey). So, I believe it took roughly 2-3 weeks to send it over here.
First impression, wow! This is an amazing book! There is almost no empty space in this book, full with info. Thank you (:

Taylor K Thompson wrote:"I SOLEMNLY SWARE THAT MY SEEDS WERE LOST IN CUSTOMS"

But I am super happy with everything else! Thank you so much!

I sent the gift coupons.  Sorry for the delay, still catching up from my injury.  

Faison Zutavern wrote:Is there any possibility of getting a retry shipment of the seeds with the understanding that if it fails again, that's that? I was pretty set on planting the flax this year.

I don't have enough seeds left to send any more out.  I also need to look into why some of the seeds didn't make it across the border.

But http://flaxforsale.com/ has really great fibre flax seed and the book has instructions on how to create your own locally adapted variety.

s. ayalp wrote:Received the book today (Turkey). So, I believe it took roughly 2-3 weeks to send it over here.
First impression, wow! This is an amazing book! There is almost no empty space in this book, full with info. Thank you (:

I'm so glad you got it safe and sound.

The post office quoted 10 days (plus customs) but I was suspicious about their estimate.  

A quick update on shipping.

I have 20 backers that haven't given me their shipping address yet.  If you haven't got your parcel yet, it may be I don't know where to send it.  Or it may be you live in Europe.

I'm getting reports that the parcels are starting to arrive in New Zealand and Australia.  I don't know if the one to Mongolia arrived yet, but I hear that at least one of the ones to the Middle East is there safe and sound.  Europe seems to be the slowest for some reason.

This is disappointing because I paid extra for everything to arrive in less than two weeks.  That was in March.  So I checked with the post office yesterday and they tell me that I can expect these to take 13 weeks to arrive (plus possible customs delays) - even though I paid to have them shipped by air which is 5 to 12 days.  It's just the way that the post office works in Canada and I don't have any other option but to wait.  Very sad about this.  I spent nearly two hours of yesterday on the phone with the post office.  It ended in tears and I had to go hug a sheep to make me feel better.

If you haven't got yours by the end of May (and you've given me the address), please let me know.  We'll do some sleuthing to find out where it is and what to do from here.  But it looks like some of them may take until early June to arrive.  

Hi,
I have not yet received the Learn to Spin kit. Living here in Chile I have become accustomed to mail taking a ridiculously long time to arrive, but as we're approaching 2 months from the ship date, I'm getting concerned and would like to know if there is any package tracking info. Thank you!

Daniel Coho wrote:Hi,
I have not yet received the Learn to Spin kit. Living here in Chile I have become accustomed to mail taking a ridiculously long time to arrive, but as we're approaching 2 months from the ship date, I'm getting concerned and would like to know if there is any package tracking info. Thank you!

Hi Daniel,

Thanks for letting me know.  Sorry to hear it's taking so long.

It was sent on the 23rd of February.  I would expect it to be there by now.

I'll do some research and see if the post office has any ideas where it could be.  If they cannot find it in their system, I will file a claim with Canada Post.  If they accept the claim, I can send you another one.  

The post office is closed today, so I'll go in on Monday and get things started.

They may ask you to check with your local post office to see if they attempted to deliver it but weren't able to for some reason.  But they may not.  Being a large, government organization, they have these long series of steps that have to happen before anything can get done.

I did some research and it looks like it could take up to 13 weeks (not including customs delays) which means I can't file a claim until the 27th of May.  

International shipping from Canada is crazy-slow.  I didn't want to send it by air because that would quadruple the shipping cost.

If you don't get it by the end of day on the 27th, let me know and I'll file the claim with Canada Post so I can ship you a replacement.  

Thanks again for letting me know about the delay.  Very sorry to hear it's taking so long.  

Thank you, Raven, that would be great! I've already checked with my local branch where I have my P.O. box, and they have no way of checking with Customs to see if there's been a delay there. If it does need to be re-sent, I can provide an alternate shipping address in the U.S. if you think it would be more secure / reliable.

I'm sad i missed the kickstarter :(

I'm at work at wheaton labs and Jocelyn is letting me look at her copy.
I look forward to getting the book for my house!!! Raven you did a great job!

I managed to buy a big wooden loom at an auction for $25, so I decided to finally read the book and it's great! I'm excited to start growing and developing my own landrace of flax soon

Hi Raven,
Just following up with you that, unfortunately, I have not received anything yet, so I guess the next step would be to file a claim with Canada Post as you mentioned. Sorry to have to ask you to do so, since I know it's not any fault of yours, but it is what it is. Thank you!

Daniel Coho wrote:Hi Raven,
Just following up with you that, unfortunately, I have not received anything yet, so I guess the next step would be to file a claim with Canada Post as you mentioned. Sorry to have to ask you to do so, since I know it's not any fault of yours, but it is what it is. Thank you!

Thanks for letting me know.  I'll do some investigation, but I suspect the result will be that I send you a new one. Opening the ticket with Canada Post takes time and I'll have to get a new drop spindle from my supplier so it will probably be late next week that I can get the new one sent out.  

Did you mention a US address?  I'll send you a PM with my email address so we can organize things.
Thanks again for letting me know about this and for supporting the Kickstarter.