knitting patterns to buy
Troubleshooting for the girl from auntie patterns
The following information applies only to the patterns offered for sale on this website. It does not apply to free patterns.
- I can't download the pattern.
- I can't view/open the pattern.
- I can't print the pattern.
- I want the pattern delivered to me some other way.
I'm getting a server error when I try to download the pattern.
This typically happens if you are using Microsoft Internet Explorer (the error typically says something about the server "returning extended information"). The easiest solution is to use another browser program, such as Firefox, Netscape, or Safari (Mac OS X). Sometimes, the problem will resolve itself if you wait a while and try again. Alternatively, you can request a fresh download link and try to download the pattern with the new link.
If the error is a timeout (in other words, your browser thinks it has waited to long to download the pattern), then wait a while and try again.
When I download the pattern, my computer freezes or I get a blank window.
This typically happens because you are attempting to view the pattern in your browser window, rather than saving the pattern to your hard drive first.
Please read the download instructions carefully. First, you need to get to the webpage that contains the download link. You'll either be directed there automatically by PayPal, or you'll get there by left-clicking on the coded link you'll see in your download instruction e-mail.
From that page, you need to follow the instructions to save the pattern to your hard drive. On a Windows operating system, that's usually a right-click on the link to the pattern and the selection of the "Save Target As" option. You should then, depending on your browser and operating system, be able to see some kind of dialog box or progress bar telling you how the download is going. (On a Windows operating system, you'll probably be asked where you want to save the file first).
If you don't do this, and instead left-click on the link to the pattern, you might be able to see the pattern, and maybe even print it, but you won't save a copy to your hard drive, which will cause problems down the road when you want to print out another working copy for yourself.
If your computer freezes or you get a blank window or an error, it could be because you left-clicked on the pattern link to view the pattern instead of downloading it and saving it as instructed. Some computers don't react very well to pulling a large, graphics-intense file over the Internet and rendering it for display at the same time.
It's also possible that Adobe Acrobat Reader has another dialog box open, asking you to update your Reader. While it may not be necessary for you to upgrade your Reader program to view the pattern, the program may appear to freeze while it waits for you to confirm or decline the upgrade. Check your operating system desktop for any extra open windows or dialog boxes.
A more remote possibility is that your Adobe Acrobat Reader program is very out of date. It's best if you use version 6.x or higher.
I paid, but I didn't get the download instructions.
Normally, one of two things happens: either you get the download instructions by e-mail, or PayPal will automatically forward you to a webpage containing the download instructions, so you won't require the e-mailed instructions at all (but you should receive them anyway).
If neither of these things happened, then there are a few possibilities:
You may have paid by PayPal eCheck.
Check your PayPal records. If you paid by eCheck rather than by direct balance transfer or credit card, your payment will take about four days to clear. After your payment clears, you'll get the download instructions. Your own bank records will indicate that the payment cleared earlier than the four days set by PayPal. This is because the funds have to leave your own bank account and be received and acknowledged by PayPal before the eCheck will be deemed to be cleared.
You may have received the download instructions, but the message containing them wound up in your junk mail folder.
The download instructions are delivered in a separate message from your PayPal receipt. Because the e-mail contains multiple hyperlinks and doesn't come from a recognizable e-mail address (as far as your mail server or program is concerned), your system may assume that the message was spam, and treat it accordingly.
If you have access to your junk mail folder, check for the message there. The subject line begins with "Order Info".
If you don't have access to your junk mail folder, turn off your spam filtering before e-mailing to request a new download link.
If you e-mail to request a fresh download link, please provide sufficient information so that I can verify your purchase. Forwarding the expired download e-mail is usually sufficient. Otherwise, I'll need to know the e-mail address used for the PayPal purchase, the approximate date of purchase, and what you purchased.
You're not checking the right e-mail address.
Some PayPal users use a separate e-mail address for their PayPal account, or they may use a family member's PayPal account. The download instructions are sent to the e-mail address associated with the PayPal account.
You didn't get the instructions at all.
This rarely happens, but when it does, it appears to be PayPal's fault because of intermittent failure of the instant payment notification feature. Please double-check your junk mail folder first before e-mailing to request a download link.
If you e-mail to request a download link, please provide sufficient information so that I can verify your purchase. I'll need to know the e-mail address used for the PayPal purchase, the approximate date of purchase, and what you purchased.
I paid, but I didn't get the pattern e-mailed to me.
You will receive an e-mail containing the download instructions for the pattern. The pattern is not e-mailed directly to you, unless special circumstances apply (in other words, you requested it). Why? Because the pattern files are very big, and in fact may be too large to fit in some e-mail inboxes.
If you want the pattern to be e-mailed to you directly, please read this answer.
When I try to view the pattern, my computer freezes, I get a blank window, or I get an error.
Please read the download instructions carefully. First, you need to get to the webpage that contains the download link. You'll either be directed there automatically by PayPal, or you'll get there by left-clicking on the coded link you'll see in your download instruction e-mail.
From that page, you need to follow the instructions to save the pattern to your hard drive. On a Windows operating system, that's usually a right-click on the link to the pattern and the selection of the "Save Target As" option. You should then, depending on your browser and operating system, be able to see some kind of dialog box or progress bar telling you how the download is going. (On a Windows operating system, you'll probably be asked where you want to save the file first).
If you don't do this, and instead left-click on the link to the pattern, you might be able to see the pattern, and maybe even print it, but you won't save a copy to your hard drive, which will cause problems down the road when you want to print out another working copy for yourself.
If your computer freezes or you get a blank window or an error, it could be because you left-clicked on the pattern link to view the pattern instead of downloading it and saving it as instructed. Some computers don't react very well to pulling a large, graphics-intense file over the Internet and rendering it for display at the same time.
It's also possible that Adobe Acrobat Reader has another dialog box open, asking you to update your Reader. While it may not be necessary for you to upgrade your Reader program to view the pattern, the program may appear to freeze while it waits for you to confirm or decline the upgrade. Check your operating system desktop for any extra open windows or dialog boxes.
A more remote possibility is that your Adobe Acrobat Reader program is very out of date. It's best if you use version 6.x or higher.
If you are getting an error when you try to view the file after downloading and saving it, it's possible that the download may have been corrupted. Please try downloading it again. If you need a fresh download link, e-mail to request one.
If you are getting an error, it's also possible that you didn't save the right file! You should have saved a PDF file to your computer, and it should be relatively big--at least 1 MB (the size of the file for each pattern is given on the pattern details page). If what you've downloaded doesn't end in ".pdf", or if it's a small file size, then you've downloaded and saved the wrong thing (for example, you might have saved the webpage containing the download instructions, not the pattern). Try downloading again.
When I view the pattern, all I see are strange symbols.
Please make sure you're using a PDF viewer, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, to view the file. Microsoft Word will not work.
When I view the pattern, some charts or pages are missing or blank.
If the pattern file opens in Acrobat Reader without any other errors, then you've downloaded it correctly; your computer is just slow. (Sorry, but that's the way it is.) Because of the heavy use of graphics in the patterns, the pictures on the first page and the charts in the later pages can take a long time to render to the screen; even on a fairly up-to-date, powerful computer, the rendering won't be instantaneous, but may take a few seconds. Rest assured, the graphics will show up eventually, and you can see that they'll be drawn line by line in your PDF viewer window.
This will definitely seem to happen if you're trying to view the pattern without downloading and saving it correctly first.
When I send the pattern to the printer, nothing happens.
Again, if the pattern file otherwise opens in Acrobat Reader without any other errors, then you've downloaded it correctly; your computer is just slow. If your computer is slow to display the file using Acrobat Reader, then there's a good chance your printer will be slow to print it out, too. The reason for this is likely that there is an insufficient amount of spooling memory available to your printer. The spooling memory setting may be configurable in your operating system.
If your computer operating system allows you to view the printer status as jobs are spooled to the printer, you can check to see if the pattern really is being sent to the printer. Printer status windows usually indicate how many pages have been sent, or how much spooling memory has been consumed. If you see these numbers changing, then the pattern file is fine; it's your computer setup that's lagging. Usually, when files are spooled to the printer, the memory consumed by the file is much larger than the actual size of the file sitting on your hard drive.
Speed problems are more likely to occur in a home environment than an office environment, since office computers and printers are usually kept more up-to-date than home systems. A printer performance improvement was noted in upgrading from Acrobat Reader 5.x to 6.x; if you haven't upgraded your version of Acrobat Reader, it's recommended that you do so.
If you really, really can't get it to print, but you can still see it on the screen, you can request a lower-resolution version of the pattern. It looks a little grainier, but the information's all there, and you can print the lower-resolution version of the charts. E-mail to request the lower-resolution version.
When I send the pattern to the printer, some of the pages won't print.
This likely has the same cause as the above problem. Please read the above answer.
Can I have the pattern e-mailed to me?
Yes, but not automatically. Once you've received your confirmation e-mail with the download instructions, you can e-mail the contact e-mail address provided in it (@girlfromauntie.com) to request e-mail delivery. The e-mail is dispatched manually. Caution, it's a big file: Rogue, for example, is about 2.3 MB, so if you want to have the pattern e-mailed to you, make sure that your mail server will accept something that big.
Can I have a copy of the pattern mailed or faxed to me?
Sorry, no. Delivery of patterns from the girl from auntie is only made over the Internet. If you want a printed version, see below.
Why don't you sell printed patterns?
I do, but not directly. I wholesale the authorized printed version of patterns to retailers. The content is the same, but the format and layout is different.
If you want to purchase one of the girl from auntie's patterns in print format, they are available from select retailers.