With no prior warning, in the autumn of 2014 the EU announced that VAT would be charged on digital downloads from 1st January the following year. This was news to us, but also left too little time for US based Ravelry to change it’s systems. LoveKnitting, a UK based platform that could take on the new VAT rules right away stepped in to help. So Christmas 2014 was spent uploading over 200 patterns to LoveKnitting ready for January 1st. Buttercup Miniatures digital patterns had avoided extinction! Ravelry was also able to comply with the new rules later in 2015 and that is why our patterns are now available via both Ravelry and LoveKnitting.
It was natural that the printed pattern side of the business would dwindle and coupled with the rising costs of yarns and steel for needles we announced on 20th October 2016 that we had closed our web shop. This brought to an end Buttercup Miniatures offering needles, yarns and accessories. But this also freed up more designing time and in 2016 we launched our 1:6th range of knitting patterns designed to fit Barbie, Ken, GI Joe and Action Man dolls. A few days ago our new range of 1:6th scale crochet patterns was launched, so we can now offer a choice of knitting or crochet in all sizes.
And that brings us up to today. A chance purchase of a dolls house 20 years ago led to the ups and downs of running Buttercup Miniatures. We don’t know what the future will bring, but to all our customers, staff at Ravelry and LoveKnitting and friends we’ve made over the last 20 years, we say a huge thank you.
In case you missed it: Buttercup Miniatures 20th birthday – part 1