One would think that craft supplies superstore Jo-Ann Fabric would be used to having customers bring their own knitting or sewing patterns in with them to buy supplies, then wandering off and leaving them behind. Perhaps this gets annoying. Elizabeth writes that when she brought a precious knitting pattern in with her and left it behind, employees promised that the pattern was in the lost and found…but it mysteriously disappeared before she could pick it up.

I’ve never liked shopping at Jo-Ann because their employees are always sullen and they are clearly watching out for every penny. They have set a new low and I will no longer shop there again.

On October 26th I bought enough wool to make two sweaters. I evidently put my sweater pattern on the counter while I was paying. It got covered up and left behind. I didn’t realize it until later that night after the store closed, and I was leaving at 5 AM the next morning for a flight. I called the store at 1:56 PM on the 27th. The clerk who answered, and whose name I didn’t get, told me they had my pattern in “lost and found”. I told her my name and that I would be back to pick it up in a week. So told me no problem, it would be there. This is a pattern I bought in Scotland 30 years ago, so it can’t be replaced and the store shouldn’t have mixed it up with their own inventory.

I went into Jo-Ann at 2:56 PM on November 3rd and asked for my pattern. This clerk said it wasn’t there. The Manager said it wasn’t there. No apologies, no explanation. After my urging, the clerk finally agreed to ask around and took my name and number. Two days later I went back. Different clerk, same Manager. Still no pattern. They couldn’t have cared less. The Manager tried to put the fault on me and said, “There’s nothing I can do about it.” I told him he could find out who was manning the phone on the 27th and ask all his employees to please return the pattern if they had it. He grudgingly agreed to look into it. I had to ask him to write down my name and number. Of course I haven’t heard a thing.

Sure, I left the pattern there by mistake. However, once they identified the pattern and acknowledged that they had it, the responsibility for it became all theirs. Apparently they disagree.

I returned all the wool and will never shop there again for anything. I just wish I could get my pattern back. It was a beautiful Aran Isle knit (cardigan and pullover).

I hate Jo-Ann Fabric. Thanks for listening.

Protip: scan your precious old patterns and keep them in a secure location.

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