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| Decision field | Open accessEU VIES VAT Number ValidationEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessYarn Database EU Dyers and MakersEuropean UnionRemove | Open accessPattern Grading & Size-Run Validation RecordGlobalRemove |
|---|---|---|---|
| Decision fit | |||
| Primary job | Check standards | Choose materials | Find patterns & fit |
| Also useful for | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded | No additional job recorded |
| Area | Standards | Yarn | Patterns & fit |
| Best for | Checking an EU supplier's stated VAT number and saving the dated validation response as one identity and invoicing control | Finding independent EU yarn or fibre dyers with off-Ravelry purchase routes | Auditing inherited grade rules or controlling a new multi-size pattern release from approved targets through sample evidence |
| Know before using | A valid VAT number is not proof of manufacturing capability, facility ownership, authorized bank instructions, product origin, tax advice, quality, capacity, certification, labor conditions, or delivery; names and addresses may not be returned for every country, and temporary database outages occur. | It is one curator's intentionally selective, off-Ravelry-oriented database, inventories change, and paid supporters can receive rotating priority placement; verify availability, fibre claims, shipping, and terms directly. | The record does not create a production grade, supply universal increments or breakpoints, validate a CAD file or fit population, reproduce licensed standards, or replace qualified anthropometric, pattern, technical-design, fit, quality, accessibility, safety, statistical, and user-research review. |
| Practical access | |||
| For | Apparel brands | Makers | Apparel brands |
| Location or jurisdiction | European Union | European Union | Global |
| Access | Open access | Open access | Open access |
| Format | Reference | Directory | Stitch Authority |
| Source type | Official registry | Community database | Stitch Authority |
| Source and review | |||
| What the source establishes | VIES is the European Commission's online VAT Information Exchange System interface for querying national VAT databases to determine whether a submitted number is valid for intra-EU cross-border trade at the time of the request. | The individually researched database offers free listings and sortable yarn, fibre, designer, editor, accessory, and location views; the EU page spans multiple countries and direct seller profiles. | The guide cites current ISO body-table, size-designation, and garment-measurement boundaries plus two peer-reviewed studies that tested the relationship between conventional grade rules, anthropometric evidence, and garment fit; it requires product-specific target deltas and validation instead of publishing universal increments. |
| Linked page reviewed | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 15, 2026 | Jul 27, 2026 |
| Next review due | Oct 13, 2026 | Jan 11, 2027 | Jul 27, 2027 |
| Inspect | |||
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