The website http://www.washingtonwool.net has died.  I was VP for the non-profit that started this site.  It was an attempt to have a site where Washington State based fiber related businesses could promote their businesses and wares.

Franna had the idea to start this site and presented it to a group on us in 2007.  In December of that year there was a devastating flood in SW Washington which severely damaged the Gregorys’ Black Sheep Creamery.  Our first act was to have an online auction to help them  The first auction raised more than $4000, and we had a second auction that raised even more money.

On January 13, 2008 6 original members (Franna, Donna, Tina, Chris, Eliz and Joyce) met online and established the rules of the business.  Tina, our treasurer, established us as a non-profit business, and in February we were up and running.  Franna made a logo (above) which we used to make products.  We had brochures, bookmarks, bags and T-shirts.  In the summer of 2008 we promoted our site at fairs and by November we had 4517 views.

We created a 2010 calendar which was popular.  That year we had a booth at the Shepherds’ Extravaganza in Puyallup where we had $420 in sales of members products.  In August we started our Facebook page and also a Ravelry site.  We had 31 difference products for sale and toward the end of that year we had 54 sponsors.

But we had problems with lack of online customers.  There were also problems with passwords and then renewals.  December 2013 was the last time I emailed sponsors for renewals   Since then Franna has been paying for the domain and web site fees from her pocket, and Tina has been renewing the state license.  This year Franna stopped paying the fees, and the site died December 22, 2018.

It was a good run but did not work out.  But we still have the Facebook page and the Ravelry site.  Franna, Tina and I have been discussing trying to use these sites for promotion of all of our businesses and wares so the Washington Wool dream is not dead.  But the web site is.