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Random numbers

1 in 3,000: Odds of being struck by lightning

63: Percentage of American households with pets

39: Percentage of women who say a good hair day boosts their confidence

800 million: Approximate number of cars currently being driven worldwide

3.25 billion: Estimated number of cars expected worldwide in 2050

– DallasNews.com; sources: Self, Palm Beach Post, Allure, Wired

Shop site: Jimmy Beans Wool

Whether a longtime knitter or new to the craft, sometimes you just can’t make it to your local yarn store. Turning to the Web is an excellent option for fiber fiends. Despite competition, Jimmy Beans Wool ( www.jimmybeanswool.com) has made a good impression.

Not to be confused with Jimmy Dean (that’d be sausage), Jimmy Beans is a knitting store in Reno, Nev., and Truckee, Calif., that was formerly a knitter’s coffee haven. The owner says the yarn has taken over. But that lack of caffeine certainly has had no effect on the store’s staff.

Because the thing that made this store stand out among online yarn shops is their customer service. After placing an order, a real human being actually responded – and with concern because one of the products we ordered wasn’t going to be in their store for a week. The yarn in question was in our hands in less time than that.

The site is easy to navigate, with multiple ways to find what you’re looking for (search by manufacturer, most popular items, new items, sale items, etc.). The lack of ability to feel a yarn is one of the drawbacks of buying fibers online. But this site solves that by allowing users to read and write reviews. Overwhelmed by all the options? Check out the hundreds of patterns, each going for just a few bucks, then pick out a yarn to match.

– Kim Ossi, Knight Ridder