Currently Living Dead in Dallas: A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (True Blood TV Tie-In Edition) By Charlaine Harris see related

I've been busy

I've been updating on Facebook and Twitter for my shop lately.

The shop opened as planned on July 1, with the Grand Opening on July 3rd. The last two weeks were ok for a beginning, with no advertising. Interest is building as word of mouth spreads the news.

We had a rocking good time at the shop on Friday, with 20+ folks coming in. Several dulcimer players came and played. Todd and I brought along the upright bass, a guitar, and a bodhran (irish drum), so we joined in for an old-fashioned hoe-down. There were 4 spinning wheels and a drop-spindle going, knitting, and lots of visiting going on. We opened the champagne and toasted the shop. Folks brought their fav beer and wine or ice cream. We had banana splits with whipped cream or just plain vanilla in a bowl. Oh, and some people actually bought yarn and needles. It was fun.

Fiber Therapy nights on Fridays is just a good time to relax at the end of the week with friends and their family. The shop had plenty of room for everyone, with the addition of extra chairs.

Monica and Don have been my right hands in this endeavor. Monica is my lead teacher and expert advisor. Don and Todd are the fix-it guys. Lisa and Donnel have both been my supporters, helping when and where they could.

I'm still working on getting more stock into the shop. After school starts, I won't have as much time to order and set up deliveries. I'll only be open Thursday and Friday evenings, Saturdays during the day, then Sunday afternoons.  I'm also contemplating closing over Labor Day, just so I have a weekend off. I have been thinking that I will need to schedule one weekend every 3 months or so, just to get away. I won't be able to pay someone else to work for me for a long time, unless I get really busy.

My health has been good. I have had wonderful levels of energy and the only problem this summer was with my stomach. Since I started eating Activia yogurt, that has gone away.

Todd has been home, studying for the bar at the end of this month. That has been wonderful. He's still my best friend. I'm praying that he passes the bar the first time.

Anthony is growing up and working as a waiter and bartender. We had a rough time with him last month, but that is improving. Sam is working and getting ready for college. Life goes on........

KIP your WIP

 KIP day is Saturday, June 13th at the Kimball Museum. I wish I could be there. BTW, for the non-yarnies out there, WIP stands for Work in Progress and KIP is Knit In Public!

Monica is already in her all-day class with Lily Chin, a goddess in the knit and crochet world. Lily has beatuiful patterns published and is an awesome instructor. She is also one of the world's fastest crocheters! I have a class with her on Monday - I'm so excited!

Today, Monica and I will go to the Retailer's Luncheon and speech, then she'll head back to class. I'm taking my knitting with me, too. Then we will meet up and go to Sample IT! That's where we get to purchase samples from the exhibitors. We don't actually get to shop at the exhibits when they open. They aren't cash and carry, but I get to put in purchase orders with the companies. I don't mind that, but I just don't like exorbitant minimum purchases. After all, we're starting on a shoestring.  A little, bitty shoestring.....

In case you were wondering, Monica is not my partner. She's my consultant and one of the shop's contract teachers. We will be working up a schedule of classes to be held in the shop after we open, so I'm also looking for other teachers - not just of knitting, either. Crochet, spinning, weaving, and dying classes are on the list, but I'm also looking for specific projects that can be taught and whose supplies I'll be carrying.

It is odd - shifting from the SCA mentality where knowledge can be obtained free of charge from experts in their respective fields, to a for-profit business where the same knowledge is both valued *and* valuable. I'm so glad I decided to attend TNNA.

TNNA

It's official!

I made the first sale this weekend at Warlord.

We set up a booth at Steppes Warlord (that's an SCA event in Canton, TX) and I was able to make the first sales. Thank you to all who shopped at the booth! I had a good selection of Brown Sheep, Knit One Crochet Too, and O-Wool. I also had some of my personal stash that I put out for test marketing. The Madelinetosh Tosh socks and The Unique Sheep Eros and Tinsel Toes were a definite hit, so I need to make up my shopping list for those two.

Today is a work day at the shop, with the whole family lending their time and energy. I couldn't do this without them and my friends.

Speaking of friends, my childhood friend Becky and her husband are on their way to the shop right now, so I have to go! Remember the fallen and those who have sacrificed so much for our freedom today.

Update on the shop

So, we have pretty much finished the painting. I just have a little touch-up to do around the outlet covers.

I purchased insurance from Nationwide. Interesting thing - the underwriter checked out this blog. It's okay. I don't have anything to hide and have shared all the pertinent information with the agent before that anyway. I have a very strong belief in personal integrity and honesty and have always believed that it must also apply to your business standards and operations. When it comes to dealing with insurance companies, I believe in total honesty. I worked in insurance for 14 years, my father sold life insurance with Prudential, and my mother was an insurance secretary for several independent agents, so I totally believe in quality insurance coverage.

I was able to buy some ceiling tiles from Craigslist, so the DH and DS put up about half of them before calling it quits. Hopefully, the rest will be up before long. We've had the sinus/coughing/aching crud going through the family. It actually hit the hubby first and he's normally the healthiest. No swine flu, no type A or type B. Then, the son came down with it. No strep. That night, I came down with it. Ickkk.

Anyway, when I haven't been sleeping or coughing, I knitted a toque. It's red. I'm going to felt it up, but first, I have to make a hat form out of cardboard and duct tape. I madea toque last year for my BIL, Kevin / Maelgwyn in dark green. It was for his birthday and I made it in one night of non-stop knitting. Crazy, I know. Then together the next day, we felted it. He said it was really nice to have at Gulf War and that it really makes the whole outfit look Romano/Byzantine.

I might make up some more to sell at my booth. I have a space inside the Civic Center reserved already, so I'm looking forward to setting up and getting going. I wish I could go to Coronation, but I just don't think I should push my health reserves after missing work for 2 days. Have fun to all attending. Hug your friends and be tolerant of others.

Oh, and Maria / Christine - check out www.whirledfibers.com That's the business website and has the address on it. Planned Grand Opening Day - 1st of July.