Selling yarn online is lovely right up until someone buys six skeins, a project bag, two sets of stitch markers, and perhaps every last thing in your shop except the kitchen sink.
Then comes the question: how on earth do you ship it all without accidentally charging $40 USD worth of postage on a very respectable pile of yarn?
That is where our shipping system comes in.
As a seller, you do not need access to Easyship yourself. Easyship is managed behind the scenes by the site admin, who sets up the shipping rules and carrier options for the entire marketplace.
Easyship helps calculate shipping automatically, combines multiple items into one parcel, and finds the best shipping options for your customer. In other words, it does the maths so you do not have to sit there with a tape measure, kitchen scale, and growing sense of doom.
Behind the scenes, Fiber Market Exchange uses Easyship to connect to carriers like USPS, UPS, FedEx, and DHL.
When a customer places an order, the system looks at:
Then it automatically calculates the available shipping options and shipping cost.
The good news is that as a seller, you do not need to do anything complicated. You simply need to enter an accurate weight and package size when creating your yarn listing. The rest is handled automatically.
One of the nicest things about Easyship is that it does not treat every listing as a completely separate shipment.
If a customer buys several items, Easyship adds together:
Then it calculates the cost for one parcel.
For example:
Easyship adds them together:
8 oz + 8 oz + 4 oz = 20 oz total
Then it checks which package size will fit everything and calculates the proper shipping price.
That means your customer pays for one combined parcel instead of being charged separate shipping for every single skein or yarn lot, which is always a much happier surprise.
Shipping is based on more than just weight.
Carriers also look at the size of the parcel. A lightweight but enormous box can cost more than a smaller, heavier one. Slightly unfair perhaps, but sadly the post office remains unmoved by our feelings.
This matters especially when selling yarn lots.
A lot of 10 bulky skeins may only weigh 3 pounds, but it could still need a rather roomy box. Meanwhile, 10 skeins of cotton or linen may fit neatly into a much smaller parcel.
If your listing dimensions are too small, Easyship may underestimate the shipping cost.
If they are too large, customers may see a shipping price that makes them quietly back away from their basket.
When listing a yarn lot, always enter:
A good rule is to include:
Suppose each skein weighs 100g, which is about 3.5 oz.
4 skeins x 3.5 oz = 14 oz
Then add 2 oz for packaging.
Your listed shipping weight should be about 16 oz, or 1 lb.
Suggested parcel size:
| Yarn Lot | Suggested Weight to Enter | Suggested Package Size |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 skeins | Actual yarn weight + 1 oz | 10 x 13 poly mailer |
| 3-4 skeins | Actual yarn weight + 2 oz | 9 x 6 x 4 box |
| 5-8 skeins | Actual yarn weight + 2-3 oz | 12 x 10 x 6 box |
| 9-12 skeins | Actual yarn weight + 3-4 oz | 14 x 12 x 8 box |
| Sweater quantity or large lot | Actual yarn weight + 4 oz | 14 x 12 x 8 or larger |
Not all yarn takes up the same amount of space.
These fibres are dense and heavy. You can usually fit more skeins into a smaller parcel than you might expect.
Bulky yarn, roving yarn, and airy chainette yarn take up much more space. Even if the weight is fairly low, it is best to choose a larger box.
Mini skein sets are small and lightweight. A padded mailer is often all they need, which is rather nice.
Before creating lots of listings, pack a few sample orders and weigh them.
For example:
Write down:
Then use those numbers every time you create a similar listing.
It saves time, keeps your shipping consistent, and means fewer unpleasant surprises later.
Fiber Market Exchange uses a few standard parcel presets behind the scenes, such as:
When you enter accurate weights and dimensions for your yarn listing, the system can automatically choose the correct parcel for the order.
Rather clever, really.
The more accurate your listing weight and parcel size are, the more accurate your shipping costs will be.
A little bit of setup now can save you a great deal of time later and helps your customers feel confident that they are paying a fair shipping price.
When in doubt, round up slightly. It is much better to overestimate by an ounce than to find yourself at the post office discovering your parcel costs more than expected while trying very hard to remain calm and dignified.
