Store FAQ

• Do you accept orders placed outside of the US?

  We sure do! I recommend emailing me with the item listing that you are interested in and your address so that I may research whether the specific item is available in your location and whether there are any special shipping restrictions or requirements. Knotty Gal Creations is not responsible for items being held in customs or refused by your country's postal service or governing body. No refunds or payment chargebacks will be available for items that are refused by your country's postal service. When placing orders in the Storenvy shopping cart, the prices and total will be in US$ but when you process the payment through Paypal your transaction is automatically converted to the currency indicated in your personal settings. You can check the price in the currency converter on the Knotty Gal Creations website and if there is any discrepancy between the converter and Paypal let me know and I will see what is going on. The currency converter is on the sidebar of the homepage. http://www.knottygalcreations.webs.com International Shipping: I will be using United States Postal Service (USPS) Priority Mail for all shipping. Rates are available below. NOTE: PLEASE CHECK THE USPS International Mail Menu - Index of Countries and Localities BEFORE PLACING AN ORDER. Index of Countries and Localities http://pe.usps.gov/text/Imm/immctry.htm Some countries and areas have restrictions on what kinds of items can be allowed into the country. Some countries do not allow items that are used or are made of recycled elements or may prohibit items that they deem inappropriate or offensive. Your package will be opened and searched in these areas and your items confiscated if they do not meet the specific country's requirements. There may be additional charges for items that must be paid before customs will release them and requirements for labeling, declaring items and invoices or packing lists may be required. Always email me your complete address written in your country's standard format, your phone number and your email address. Weight Limits: The Priority Mail Service boxes I use have 4 lbs. and 20 lbs. limits to International destinations. I can break up orders into multiple packages to fit these requirements and will always use the smallest package possible to avoid overcharging for shipping. Most jewelry items and hats will fit in either a padded envelope or small box. Country Price Groups and Weight Limits Page on the USPS Website http://pe.usps.gov/text/imm/immpg.htm Ascension, Bolivia, Falkland Islands, Cuba - Only small items in padded envelopes or Small Boxes are allowed (up to 4 lbs. for each). Certain other restrictions apply. Korea and North Korea - Sorry, USPS Priority Mail Service is not allowed to send merchandise. INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING RATES Canada and Mexico [ CA, MX ] Padded Envelope - Non-breakable Jewelry, Some Hats (up to 4 lbs.) $11.35 Small Box - Small to Medium Items (Up to 4 lbs.) $11.35 Medium Box - Multiple & Large Items (Up to 20 lbs.) $26.55 Large Box - Large Items & Wholesale Orders (up to 20 lbs.) $33.72 Everywhere Else - "Global" Padded Envelope - Non-breakable Jewelry, Some Hats (up to 4 lbs.) $13.25 Small Box - Small to Medium Items (Up to 4 lbs.) $13.25 Medium Box - Multiple & Large Items (Up to 20 lbs.) $43.23 Large Box - Large Items & Wholesale Orders (up to 20 lbs.) $55.58

• How long will it take to receive my order?

  Once payment is received most domestic orders take anywhere from 4 to 10 business days to arrive depending on the efficiency of your local postal service. International shipping delivery times may vary between 2 and 12 weeks.

• Is there sales tax?

  Sales tax is 7.72% for Denver Residents --- 4.82% for the City and County of Denver + CO State tax of 2.9%. Sales tax is 2.9% for all other Colorado residents. Tax and shipping are totaled at checkout by Paypal.

• How do I place a custom order?

  Call or email me for information on custom orders. Please formulate an idea of what kind of item you would like. You can use any current or past items as inspiration and they can be recreated in other colors, sizes or other options. One Of A Kind Items may be harder to recreate because of limited supply of elements but similar elements and materials will be sought out if you wish. Clothing items can be reproduced or designed from scratch. I can make a sketch of an item especially designed for you if you give me a good idea of what kinds of design elements and style your would like to include. Prices will be quoted on an individual piece basis and will depend on the complexity and materials.

• Do you combine shipping?

  I definitely combine shipping. I do not charge by the amount of items but by the actual box size used. If there is a discrepancy between the shipping amount and the actual cost I will let you know and adjust the price accordingly. Non-breakable items and baby, childrens and small adult hats will usually fit in a padded envelope. Multiple orders of hats and jewelry will usually fit a small box which is the same price as the padded envelope. For multiple large items and wholesale orders, contact me by email for a shipping quote to see what is the cheapest option. +++The shipping calculator is set for multiple item orders for padded envelopes and small boxes only. If your order contains large items I will double-check it before I process it to make sure you pay the lowest shipping price possible.+++

• Do you take wholesale orders or sell to stores?

  I do a limited amount of wholesale orders with minimum quantities of in stock merchandise (wholesale price is 50% of retail, minimum total of $150. Example: Total order of a variety of items = $276 - wholesale discount of 50% = $138). Wholesale orders of specific styles in multiple colors are also available. There is a non-refundable materials deposit for custom orders (30% of total), balance is due upon completion before the order will be shipped. Contact me for more details.

• I really like an item that is listed as 'retired'. Are you going to make any more?

  I can recreate almost any item that has been retired as long as I am able to obtain the materials. Some items use up-cycled or vintage materials. In that case I will attempt to locate something similar if you like. Recreated items are considered custom order items. If it is a hat I can usually recreate it within a few days. Jewelry is a little more difficult since I usually use one of a kind elements and a lot of recycled items. Clothing is usually one of a kind also but I have many other types and patterns of fabric so I should be able to make something similar.

• How do I know which hats will fit me?

  How a hat fits depends on a variety of things. First, think of what kind of look you are trying to achieve. Some people like snug fitting hats or may have long hair or very long dreadlocks. Do you want to wear your hair up inside the hat or should it fit over your hair when it is down? How low do you like your hat to sit? Do you want it to cover the tops of your ears or to sit higher? The most important measurement is band size. A band size that is too small will be uncomfortable. A band that is too large may need a drawstring or elastic to fit properly, especially if you would like to wear your hair inside the hat or have very long or heavy hair or dreadlocks. Once you know your band size, consider what type of fit you are aiming for. Approximate band sizes are listed in each item description. Elastic or a drawstring can be added to any item that is fitted. All edges are finished with single stitching to retain their approximate band measurements. Some items can shrink if washed in water that is too hot or if they are put in the dryer. It is always recommended to hand wash and dry flat to avoid shrinkage. You must also measure to determine the fullness of the hat's body. This measurement will depend on how tight you plan on wearing the hat, whether or not you plan on wearing your hair inside of it and how much hair you have. People with short or thin hair can also wear the larger hats in a variety of ways. Different styles of wearing each item are shown in each listing. TO MEASURE YOUR BAND SIZE: Hold a tape measure around your head at the point where you would like the lower edge of your hat to sit. Place the tape over your ears if you like to wear your hats lower. If you have very thick or curly hair or dreadlocks and want to wear your hair down make sure you measure your band size with your hair down. If you plan on wearing your hair inside the hat pull it up and tie it back to obtain an accurate measurement. Add 1/2 inch to this measurement and that is your approximate band size. If you have a lot of hair or dreadlocks and plan on wearing your hair inside the hat any band size that is larger than yours will fit with a drawstring or elastic. For thick hair or dreadlocks it is easiest to put on hats with a larger band size and a drawstring than a fitted edge. If you find a hat with a fitted edge that you like and have extra long or heavy hair please send me a note and I can add either elastic or a drawstring to make sure the weight of your hair doesn't pull the hat off. TO MEASURE THE BODY OF THE HAT: Hat body size is the average of two measurements. If you like to wear your hats fairly snug, your first measurement is from the front to the back of your head at the same level that you took the measurement for the band size. The second measurement is over the top of your head from ear to ear at the level that you measured the band size. Average these two measurements and that is the approximate body size. If you have dreadlocks and plan on wearing your hair inside the hat you can measure in the same manner with your hair up. Put your hair up first with a net or by wrapping it and measure the hat body size in the same manner detailed above and average the two measurements. If you want your hat to accommodate your hair but to fit snugly take away 1/2 to 1 inch from the body measurement. The stitches will stretch a little with time so if you like a tighter fit it is best to order the body size a little small. If you would like to wear your hat over sized add an inch or two to the hat body size depending on how loosely you want it to fit.

• Where do you get the materials for your items?

  Hats are made primarily with Lily Sugar N Cream cotton (grown in the US and made in Canada) and Red Heart acrylic (made in the US). Other fibers are incorporated including recycled yarn (donated or purchased from other people's project leftovers) and upcycled fiber that is cleaned and harvested from damaged clothing items (ex. irrepairable sweaters with holes, bleach stains, etc.) Jewelry findings are sourced from upcycled materials, hobby stores and items that are donated to me by friends. I try to locate the manufacturing data for most materials and to use materials that are produced in the least toxic and ethical manner.

• How do you recommend cleaning my handmade hat?

  COTTON/ACRYLIC/SYNTHETICS I recommend hand washing all items that contain cotton, acrylic and synthetic fibers and blends with mild soap. Cold water is recommended to avoid any possible color transference. If the fiber retains any oils from your skin or hair and it causes discoloration I recommend washing with non-toxic dish soap. Most chains have an environmentally friendly version. Dish soap is designed to remove oil and food dyes and works well on skin and hair oil residue. DRYING: Wringing wet items can damage the fibers. Shrinkage or felting can occur if they are dried in a dryer. To speed air drying fold a towel lengthwise and place the end inside the hat. Wrap the rest of the towel around the hat and press the water out of the fiber into the towel with gentle pressure on a hard surface. NOTE: Commercially produced fibers are treated with sizing (starch) as part of the manufacturing process. After washing, some fibers may feel softer and with continued wear and washing you may also notice that some of the stitches are pulled tighter which results in a looser weave (larger spaces between each stitch). This is natural and is a result of the medium size (J) crochet hook I usually use. WOOL and WOOL BLENDS: Hand wash. Wool wash or castile soap is recommended. You can also lanolize wool items to make them water resistant and to avoid shrinking during wet weather. These days lanolizing is most often done with wool diaper covers but it can also be used on hats to make them water resistant. Moisture will bead up instead of soaking in and causing any odor. Lanolin is also the closest natural substance to our own hair and skin oils so it will not damage your own hair. Lanolizing Instructions: http://lifemoresimply.blogspot.com/2009/07/how-to-lanolize-wool.html Drying tips: Wringing wet wool can damage the fibers. Shrinkage or felting can occur if wool items are dried in a dryer. To speed air drying fold a towel lengthwise and place the end inside the hat. Wrap the rest of the towel around the hat and press the water out of the wool into the towel with gentle pressure on a hard surface. Reshape and dry with the hat body open, not flat.