No Cascade or Jean Dunbabin for me.

Please read the e-mail exchanges and learn why I will never again

purchase a Cascade yarn:

My Request:
-----Original Message-----
From: Dana Soltani [mailto:danaknits@aol.com?]
Sent: Monday, January 24, 2011 6:57 AM
To: sales@cascadeyarns.com
Subject: WW Contact from web siteName: Dana SoltaniEmail: danaknits@aol.com
Comments:
Hello, My name is Dana Soltani and I am a co-founder of the Olde Liberty FibreFaire (OLFF). My partner-in-fibre, Dianne Nichols, and I established theOLFF to benefit our community and to share our passion for the fibre arts. From 2008 through 2010, Dianne and I organized the Sedalia Spring FiberFestival of Big Island, Virginia. For this, the OLFF's inaugural year, Dianne and I chose to donate the proceeds of the festival to the Bedford Hospice House, Inc. In addition to the festival, we have established a "donate-a-square" contest. For every six inch square donated to the festival (those squares will become blankets that will be given to local charities), the knitter or crocheter is entered to win a prize. I am writing to you to request your assistance with prizes. If at all possible, would you and/or your company be willing to donate a prize to our contest and/or raffle? In gratitude for your generosity, we would, in turn, list you and a photograph of your donation on our web site's raffle and contest pages. Furthermore, we would also list and link to your organization on our sponsors page. I invite you to visit the web site and encourage you to take a look at the"Gallery." There, you will find photographs of the previous festivals Dianne and I have held. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. Thank you for time and consideration of this matter. With warmest regards, Dana

The Cascade Reply:
-----Original Message-----
From: Jean Dunbabin jean@cascadeyarns.com
To: 'Dana Soltani' danaknits@aol.com
Sent: Mon, Jan 24, 2011 2:30 pm
Subject: RE: WW Contact from web site

I think no.

Having received this reply, I cut and pasted the e-mail the exchange on Facebook at the Cascade Yarns page. The posting has since been deleted by Cascade, but to paraphrase it, it

read something like this. "Someone at Cascade is having a very, very bad day. I cannot believe that this is company policy. Shame on you, Jean!"

A couple of days later, I received this via e-mail:

-----Original Message-----

From: Cascade Yarns - Shannon shannon@cascadeyarns.com

To: 'Dana Soltani' danaknits@aol.com

Sent: Wed, Jan 26, 2011 7:36 pmSubject: RE: WW Contact from web site
Thank you for contacting Cascade Yarns regarding your event. I would like
to start by apologizing regarding the prior contact you received as the
person that replied meant to forward it internally rather than reply.
It has been our practice coordinate donations through our retail accounts
with very few exceptions. Should you organize an event such as this again,
I would encourage you to work with at least one retail yarn store and have
them contact us.
Thank you,
Shannon [Dunbabin, Jean's daughter-in-law]
Cascade Yarns
shannon@cascadeyarns.com

And I replied:

Hello Shannon,
Thank you very much for your kind reply; I am grateful. I have been a Cascade purchaser
for years and Cascade 220 is my "bread & butter." When I received that reply, I was
genuinely stunned. I searched your web site and blog high and low for another way to contact
management and forward the e-mail exchange. There was no other address to be had and Facebook was the only way in which to say "heads up" to the people who run your organization.
Continuing to search for another means of contact, I learned from Google that Jean is the owner of the company. This may sound stupid and melodramatic, but the truth is that Jean's e-mail hurt my heart. My one year old niece sleeps with a handknit sock monkey made with 220. I have given out dozens of baby blankets made with Cascade. I've got a child-sized summer sweater on the needles using your Sierra.
Shannon, the festival is scheduled for April 16, 2011 and I do need prizes for the square donations. My local Cascade retailers are Gwen of Backstitches and Karen Kennedy of Motif Needle Arts. Both are located in Lynchburg, VA. If Cascade, as a company, cares about this consumer, and more importantly, the people I am trying to help, a small, overstock/non-fancy/lightweight donation would be greatly appreciated. In return, I'll list the company as a sponsor and raffle prize donator as mentioned in my earlier e-mail.
Thank you again for writing to me and best wishes,
Dana Soltani

And finally, this arrived tonight:

Dana,

As Shannon mentioned to you, we only accept donation requests through our customer accounts. Currently, we do not have a working relationship with any of the stores near Lynchburg. If you are interested in pursuing this, you could contact one of the local stores and work through them.

Rob Dunbabin [Jean's son]

Cascade Yarns

I think I'd rather let this one go and forget

that Cascade even exists. It's made me

sick to my stomach, time and again.

- - - - -

Rob & Shannon - Thanks for trying.