Finals week officially begins in four days. I have a new love interest. Ergo, I have not been posting on my blog as regularly as I should. I know that excuses are not to be accepted. I know that this is how this blogging thing always happens - a person starts off with a lot of steam, posting several times a week, and then slowly they taper off into a blog or two every now and then, with the main topic usually being an apology for the lack of posting. Well, that may be what this blog turns into, but not yet. Just let me get through finals, and then I will be back on track. Soon I will start posting pics of the Christmas presents I'm in the process of making. Won't that be nice?
Happy finals - er, holidays - everybody!
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
Saturday, November 28, 2009
Northampton Wools
Working at Northampton Wools is like being a kid in a candy store. I walk around in a daze of yarn-induced ecstasy, touching everything within my reach and losing myself in the swirl of color that surrounds me. I have been known to leave the shop at the end of a work day owing them money, and most days come home with only a portion of my earnings, but with gorgeous wools in my bag. Like today, for instance. I left with only $14, but also three skeins of divine Mulberry Merino in three stunning colors. This is a 52% Mulberry Silk, 48% Merino blend that is incredibly soft and has a lovely silky sheen.
Any ideas for what I should make with it? It's only three hundred yards, so I was thinking a complex scarf pattern incorporating all three colors would be interesting. Send me any ideas you have!
Any ideas for what I should make with it? It's only three hundred yards, so I was thinking a complex scarf pattern incorporating all three colors would be interesting. Send me any ideas you have!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Lesson Learned
Tip to all: When sort of making up a pattern as you go/pulling stuff from other patterns WRITE WHAT YOU'RE DOING DOWN AS YOU GO!!! I can't for the life of me remember what I did, and deciphering the one or two notes I made is proving to be impossible. Solution: Make them again and keep track as I go this time. It will actually be good, as there is one thing about this first pair that I really dislike. The thumb hole is too close to the open pattern, and so when they are on your hands the pattern pulls towards the thumb. I think I will add a few stitches to the thumb hole side, which should rectify the problem. I may have to keep this pair instead of selling them/giving them away, because the pulling actually is pretty bad (oh darn!). However, making another pair will have to wait until after Christmas, because I have oodles of Christmas knitting to do! There are (hopefully) four lucky people who will be getting handknit gifts this year, and more if I can manage it. My dilemma at the moment is physically getting to the yarn store - hopefully I'll get there before going home for Thanksgiving this Friday! I am so excited to see my family, home friends, and pets, it's ridiculous. But anyway, until I get a chance to get to the yarn store, I'm working on my second large lace shawl project. I can't remember if I posted a picture of it yet or not, but just in case, here it is:
I am roughly halfway through with it (partway through the wavy part between the petals), although it is hard to tell because each row gets longer and longer. At the moment it is taking me a half hour to knit one row, and I have about 540 stitches on the needle. It is a lot of fun to knit, but is one of those patterns where focus is necessary, so working on it while watching a movie or talking to people is out of the question. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's off the needles!
Knit on,
Hannah
I am roughly halfway through with it (partway through the wavy part between the petals), although it is hard to tell because each row gets longer and longer. At the moment it is taking me a half hour to knit one row, and I have about 540 stitches on the needle. It is a lot of fun to knit, but is one of those patterns where focus is necessary, so working on it while watching a movie or talking to people is out of the question. I can't wait to see what it looks like when it's off the needles!Knit on,
Hannah
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Finally!
I have FINALLY finished the fingertipless mitts that I have been working on for what feels like forever! The pattern is an adaptation of two other patterns that I have used before, and I will try to figure out how to write it up and post it at some point. There are some things I am not too pleased with about it, and I will be tweaking the pattern the next time around. Hope you like them!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Knit for Those in Need Update
So I went to the Center for Service and Civic Engagement at the school and pitched my idea for Knit for Those in Need, and the woman I was talking to seemed very enthusiastic. She assured me that money was not an issue, that I just needed to work out a budget and we could go from there. Things were going along swimmingly, I was on top of the world, I was soaring. And then she mentioned a woman I may want to get in contact with, a professor from our school who is doing the exact same thing. WTF? It couldn't have been mentioned earlier that another person was already doing almost my exact idea, and already had things up and moving and whatnot? Gah! Needless to say, I was crushed, especially when I emailed this person offering to help out and telling her I had some ideas that might be useful to her cause, and never got a reply back. Lovely.
On the positive side, her program is only running until next week (or maybe this week?) and then it's over. Her plan was to get a certain number of knitted garments by a certain date, whether they were handmade, store-bought, or purchased later with donated money. This is slightly different from what I had in mind. This is because when people use their own yarn/buy their own knitted products to donate, they often inadvertently get materials/products of inferior quality. It's very exciting when you learn to knit and discover that they have gigantic balls of yarn at Walmart for only $3 each! I know, I went through the same thing. Unfortunately, over time you learn that the reason this stuff is only $3 is because it's crap. It's acrylic, it's cheap, and it won't keep someone warm. When knitting for charity, and homeless shelters in particular, it's important to keep in mind that what you are making is going to be someone's source of warmth over the next four or five months, and that they may be exposed to the severe elements for some or all of that time. Once cheap acrylic yarns get wet they become 100% useless on the warm front. Just like when writing a paper it's important to know your audience, so too when knitting is it important to keep your receiving party in mind.
Also, I checked the website of our local homeless shelter, COTS, and they are desperately in need of blankets more than hats, mittens, and scarves. So I thought it would be a cool idea to hold a workshop or two where beginning knitters can learn by making 12"x12" squares, which can then be sewn together into blankets! I found this great yarn at our local yarn shop (Kaleidoscope Yarns) called Cascade Eco Wool, which I mentioned in a previous post. It is warm, durable, eco-friendly, and reasonably priced. Each skein can make 2 scarves, or a scarf and a hat, etc., which means that buying one ball would be enough for at least two people.
Right now I am feeling very stuck with this project, as I am feeling in the rest of my knitting life as well. I know what I want to have happen, but I don't know how to make the next step, or if I should, or anything. Plus finals are coming up all too soon!
I will keep everyone posted as this progresses, but in the meantime please feel free to send me knitted items to donate!
On the positive side, her program is only running until next week (or maybe this week?) and then it's over. Her plan was to get a certain number of knitted garments by a certain date, whether they were handmade, store-bought, or purchased later with donated money. This is slightly different from what I had in mind. This is because when people use their own yarn/buy their own knitted products to donate, they often inadvertently get materials/products of inferior quality. It's very exciting when you learn to knit and discover that they have gigantic balls of yarn at Walmart for only $3 each! I know, I went through the same thing. Unfortunately, over time you learn that the reason this stuff is only $3 is because it's crap. It's acrylic, it's cheap, and it won't keep someone warm. When knitting for charity, and homeless shelters in particular, it's important to keep in mind that what you are making is going to be someone's source of warmth over the next four or five months, and that they may be exposed to the severe elements for some or all of that time. Once cheap acrylic yarns get wet they become 100% useless on the warm front. Just like when writing a paper it's important to know your audience, so too when knitting is it important to keep your receiving party in mind.
Also, I checked the website of our local homeless shelter, COTS, and they are desperately in need of blankets more than hats, mittens, and scarves. So I thought it would be a cool idea to hold a workshop or two where beginning knitters can learn by making 12"x12" squares, which can then be sewn together into blankets! I found this great yarn at our local yarn shop (Kaleidoscope Yarns) called Cascade Eco Wool, which I mentioned in a previous post. It is warm, durable, eco-friendly, and reasonably priced. Each skein can make 2 scarves, or a scarf and a hat, etc., which means that buying one ball would be enough for at least two people.
Right now I am feeling very stuck with this project, as I am feeling in the rest of my knitting life as well. I know what I want to have happen, but I don't know how to make the next step, or if I should, or anything. Plus finals are coming up all too soon!
I will keep everyone posted as this progresses, but in the meantime please feel free to send me knitted items to donate!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Knitting Rut
For the last few months I have been in what I like to call a knitting rut. This is where I may be knitting what feels like constantly, but I never have the satisfaction of seeing a finished product. This generally happens when:
1. I take on very large projects, and
2. When I start many different projects, and then feel the need to bounce around among them.
I am currently working on a large, complex lace shawl that feels as though it will never be done, and am now beginning not only my Christmas knitting (of which there is a lot), but also working on Knit for Those in Need (updates on this later) and those fingertipless mitts which for some reason still are not finished. I am also working on spinning some dog fur, which was taking precedence as it is being done for money, until tonight when my spinning wheel metaphorically shit the bed. Sigh. This is the second time this has happened; I think a very important nut/bolt may be stripped, and I am very worried that it may cost me large amounts of money (that I don't have) to repair. Looks like I know what I'll be asking for for Christmas this year.
So, this slump is getting very frustrating, and I am hoping to remedy the situation soon. I think the trick is to pick one project and stick with it until it is done - fingertipless mitts, here I come! :)
1. I take on very large projects, and
2. When I start many different projects, and then feel the need to bounce around among them.
I am currently working on a large, complex lace shawl that feels as though it will never be done, and am now beginning not only my Christmas knitting (of which there is a lot), but also working on Knit for Those in Need (updates on this later) and those fingertipless mitts which for some reason still are not finished. I am also working on spinning some dog fur, which was taking precedence as it is being done for money, until tonight when my spinning wheel metaphorically shit the bed. Sigh. This is the second time this has happened; I think a very important nut/bolt may be stripped, and I am very worried that it may cost me large amounts of money (that I don't have) to repair. Looks like I know what I'll be asking for for Christmas this year.
So, this slump is getting very frustrating, and I am hoping to remedy the situation soon. I think the trick is to pick one project and stick with it until it is done - fingertipless mitts, here I come! :)
Sunday, November 1, 2009
LIFO, FIFO, and the World of Financial Accounting
I am about to attempt the impossible here, people. We are about to make history here together, so get ready. Strap on your safety belts, get yourselves in crash position, and prepare to be amazed. Right here, right now, I am going to attempt to explain Financial Accounting principles to you. I know it's frightening. I know it's intimidating. But we are going to get through this together, I promise.
There are three main types of accounting systems that retail businesses use when calculating their income: LIFO, FIFO, and Weighted Average. I wasn't paying super close attention when my professor was talking about weighted average because I was having a computer malfunction at the time, so we're just going to stick with LIFO and FIFO for now.
FIFO: First In, First Out
Now, as I go through this explanation, there are two basic business ideas that we have to keep in mind:
1. prices tend to go up as time goes on. As a business buying things wholesale, you can expect that over time the price of buying your inventory will increase.
2. In order to calculate your income as a merchandising business, you must record how much you made in sales, and then subtract your Cost of Goods Sold (how much it cost to buy your inventory), and your operating expenses.
So, the First in, First out system means that the first inventory you buy is the first inventory you try and sell. This means that you are selling your cheapest inventory first, and keeping your most expensive inventory, which keeps your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) relatively low. With a low COGS, you don't have very much to subtract from your Sales, which makes your income appear high.
LIFO: Last In, First Out
In this system, the most recent inventory you purchase (in other words, the inventory that cost you the most to buy) is the first inventory you choose to sell. By doing this, you make it appear that it is costing a lot to buy your inventory, which you then subtract from your sales, and this makes your income appear very low.
So which system do you think is better? I'll give you a hint: the LIFO system is illegal in most countries outside the US. Why? Because the LIFO system makes your income appear to be low, which means there is less for the business to pay income taxes on, when in reality the business didn't pay any more for its inventory in one system than the other. Here's an example:
Let's say my company made $5,ooo in sales this year. For my inventory I bought 100 skeins of yarn at $10 each = $1000. The next time I purchased that same yarn, the price had gone up and I bought 200 skeins for $11 each = $2200. And the third time I bought the yarn I got 100 skeins at $12 a skein. If I then sell 200 skeins, I have to decide which skeins to record as a sale. Using the FIFO system, I would first record the $10 skeins, then the $11 ones, and so on and so forth. Using the LIFO system I would first record the $12 skeins, then the $11, etc. So, let's see what this does to the income statement:
FIFO LIFO
Sales $5000 $5000
COGS -$2650 -$2850
Operating Expenses -$1000 -$1000
Income $1350 $1150
As you can see, although we made the same amount in sales, and incurred the same amount in operating expenses, by choosing to express the most expensive inventory as sold first, we made our income seem smaller than it really is, thereby lowering the amount we have to spend in taxes.
Needless to say, many people regard the LIFO system as a cheap trick to cheat the system, and as we speak Obama is working on a way to make the LIFO system illegal in the US. This is very clever on his part, as the government will gain more money in tax revenue, but they won't actually be "raising taxes." Cool, huh?
Ok, I'm sorry if this was super confusing, I tried to make it simple, though I don't know if I succeeded. I just think it's really interesting! So, this is the reason I haven't posted in so long, because I have been trying to figure out a way to explain this and it took me forever. I'll try to start posting more regularly.
(P.S. Thank you to Professor Mona, the most amazing accounting professor ever, for supplying the example. I actually simplified it a little, but that's the general idea.)
There are three main types of accounting systems that retail businesses use when calculating their income: LIFO, FIFO, and Weighted Average. I wasn't paying super close attention when my professor was talking about weighted average because I was having a computer malfunction at the time, so we're just going to stick with LIFO and FIFO for now.
FIFO: First In, First Out
Now, as I go through this explanation, there are two basic business ideas that we have to keep in mind:
1. prices tend to go up as time goes on. As a business buying things wholesale, you can expect that over time the price of buying your inventory will increase.
2. In order to calculate your income as a merchandising business, you must record how much you made in sales, and then subtract your Cost of Goods Sold (how much it cost to buy your inventory), and your operating expenses.
So, the First in, First out system means that the first inventory you buy is the first inventory you try and sell. This means that you are selling your cheapest inventory first, and keeping your most expensive inventory, which keeps your Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) relatively low. With a low COGS, you don't have very much to subtract from your Sales, which makes your income appear high.
LIFO: Last In, First Out
In this system, the most recent inventory you purchase (in other words, the inventory that cost you the most to buy) is the first inventory you choose to sell. By doing this, you make it appear that it is costing a lot to buy your inventory, which you then subtract from your sales, and this makes your income appear very low.
So which system do you think is better? I'll give you a hint: the LIFO system is illegal in most countries outside the US. Why? Because the LIFO system makes your income appear to be low, which means there is less for the business to pay income taxes on, when in reality the business didn't pay any more for its inventory in one system than the other. Here's an example:
Let's say my company made $5,ooo in sales this year. For my inventory I bought 100 skeins of yarn at $10 each = $1000. The next time I purchased that same yarn, the price had gone up and I bought 200 skeins for $11 each = $2200. And the third time I bought the yarn I got 100 skeins at $12 a skein. If I then sell 200 skeins, I have to decide which skeins to record as a sale. Using the FIFO system, I would first record the $10 skeins, then the $11 ones, and so on and so forth. Using the LIFO system I would first record the $12 skeins, then the $11, etc. So, let's see what this does to the income statement:
FIFO LIFO
Sales $5000 $5000
COGS -$2650 -$2850
Operating Expenses -$1000 -$1000
Income $1350 $1150
As you can see, although we made the same amount in sales, and incurred the same amount in operating expenses, by choosing to express the most expensive inventory as sold first, we made our income seem smaller than it really is, thereby lowering the amount we have to spend in taxes.
Needless to say, many people regard the LIFO system as a cheap trick to cheat the system, and as we speak Obama is working on a way to make the LIFO system illegal in the US. This is very clever on his part, as the government will gain more money in tax revenue, but they won't actually be "raising taxes." Cool, huh?
Ok, I'm sorry if this was super confusing, I tried to make it simple, though I don't know if I succeeded. I just think it's really interesting! So, this is the reason I haven't posted in so long, because I have been trying to figure out a way to explain this and it took me forever. I'll try to start posting more regularly.
(P.S. Thank you to Professor Mona, the most amazing accounting professor ever, for supplying the example. I actually simplified it a little, but that's the general idea.)
Friday, October 23, 2009
Confession
It's time to come clean with you guys: there's a lot of stuff about knitting that I don't know. Like, a lot. I know, I know, it's hard to believe because I'm so awesome. But it's true. And I want to learn it all. Here is a list (that I will probably be adding to later as i think of things) that I do not know how to do/have never attempted that I need to do before being allowed to open my own shop:
1. Mittens or gloves. How have I never knit mittens? I'm sure I can do this, but I probably should just to make sure.
2. Fair Isle. Always wanted to, never have
3. A sweater with a hood and/or button holes.
4. Complex shaping.
5. Designed my own pattern. I REALLY want to do this. I even know what yarn I'm going to use.
There are a ton more things, but it's time for bed now. Lots of work to do tomorrow! :)
1. Mittens or gloves. How have I never knit mittens? I'm sure I can do this, but I probably should just to make sure.
2. Fair Isle. Always wanted to, never have
3. A sweater with a hood and/or button holes.
4. Complex shaping.
5. Designed my own pattern. I REALLY want to do this. I even know what yarn I'm going to use.
There are a ton more things, but it's time for bed now. Lots of work to do tomorrow! :)
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Random Ideas
This blog has many purposes, most of them selfish:
- To keep my friends informed about my dreams and goals.
- To inflate my ego by making me think people other than my six followers give a crap about
what I'm saying.
- To inflate my ego by making me think that my six followers (amazing people that you are)
give a crap about what I'm saying.
But it's also a place for me to keep all of my ideas organized in one place. It's my public diary where all of my dreams and crazy, stupid thoughts are kept for all the world (who wants to) to see. So I thank you for not laughing.
When I get an idea in my head (like opening a yarn shop, for instance), it consumes most of my time and energy until either 1. it becomes a reality, 2. I get tired of it. Therefore, over the last week and a half or so, my brain has been working overtime with plans, ideas, and dreams, a lot of which I neglected to write down and have subsequently forgotten. So, every now and again I am going to put up a Random Ideas post that will have some idea(s) I've had about the shop. These ideas could be a sentence or six paragraphs, brilliant or completely crazy. But they will all be in one place where Karen and I can sift through them later.
*Side note to Karen: Feel free to add in, disagree, comment, argue, tell me to shut up, or engage in any way you see fit! *
So here are some of the ideas I wrote down tonight, most of which were inspired by a seminar I went to on success in entrepreneurial enterprises featuring the man who started Lake Champlain Chocolates:
1. Creating a sense of community is huge, and one thing LCC does is use local people for as much as possible. This includes the photography for their catalog, the marketing, etc. To this end, I think it would be great to have a section of our store dedicated solely to local and/or small, independently-owned people and shops. For instance, our own spinning could be there, roving and yarn from the alpaca farm my friend Jordan works at could be there, the divine blue-faced leicester top roving from that farm we went to in Stratton, Karen, and my friend Patience's sheep's wool could both be there. In other words, something other than Misti Alpaca, or Cascade Yarns, or Rowan, and all the well-known brands. Let's discover the next big thing, and help out other small businesses like ourselves!
2. Connect emotionally with the customers. One thing the guy tonight said that I thought was very interesting was that he spent a very long time picking out the colors, fabric, texture, wording, and style of the sign with his company's name on it. He said that all of this things have an unconscious affect on the emotional reaction the customer has, and it's important to make sure it's the one that you want. In my opinion this should be applied to EVERYTHING. The colors in the store, where things are arranged, the type of wood used on the floors - every last detail should be consciously decided upon to have make the correct impression.
3. Sustainability. Figure out a way to help ourselves out by: going green, buying local, fair trade. Make sure our sources are reliable/have the same standards as we do.
4. Location. This is something Karen and I have talked about, briefly, but I sometimes worry about. One (really awesome) idea Karen had was to use the space that will be opening up for retail purposes in the old nursing home in Montgomery. That space could become available before I leave school, which would put A LOT of stress on Karen, as I would have to be helping from afar.
Some pros to this location would be that
1. we could both live at home and have a very easy commute.
2. It would be a great place to start out - small, surrounded by other retail stores that would help us draw in customers.
3. It's right on a main road - through Montgomery, it's true, but still...
4. We have our knitting group right in Montgomery that I'm sure would be willing to give us their business if our prices were right, and I'm sure there are people in the hilltowns who would love to support locals.
Some cons would be that
1. Who goes through Montgomery? (no offense Karen).
2. What if we never grow from that location and I live with my parents forever? (as much as I absolutely love them. But, really, who wants to be that person?).
3. it may be difficult to get financial backing when we're located in such an unpopulated area.
My dream would be to stay in Burlington, or somewhere in Vermont, and to live someplace new that I can make my own instead of going back to the hilltowns. I just never saw myself living there forever, as much as I love it. But I know it would kill Karen to leave her family, who are all in the Westfield-Montgomery area, and I don't think I could do that to her. So, that is definitely a conversation we are going to have to have.
Ok, so this post has become much longer than I ever intended for it to be, and I apologize for that. I'll put up a nice picture of my old angora rabbit, Tara, to make it up to you. How about that? And, as always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about any and all of the goings-on around the blog - especially you, Karen!
P.S. My friend from home, Amy, requested that I put up a knitting tutorial on the blog, so look for that to be coming soon!
P.P.S. Another random idea - music is important. One thing I can't stand in some yarn stores is when there's just one or two customers walking around and the person at the register sitting and watching, and it's super quiet and awkward, and the customers almost feel like they are taking too long to look and should be wrapping things up because it's so quiet and weird. Music fixes this nicely.
- To keep my friends informed about my dreams and goals.
- To inflate my ego by making me think people other than my six followers give a crap about
what I'm saying.
- To inflate my ego by making me think that my six followers (amazing people that you are)
give a crap about what I'm saying.
But it's also a place for me to keep all of my ideas organized in one place. It's my public diary where all of my dreams and crazy, stupid thoughts are kept for all the world (who wants to) to see. So I thank you for not laughing.
When I get an idea in my head (like opening a yarn shop, for instance), it consumes most of my time and energy until either 1. it becomes a reality, 2. I get tired of it. Therefore, over the last week and a half or so, my brain has been working overtime with plans, ideas, and dreams, a lot of which I neglected to write down and have subsequently forgotten. So, every now and again I am going to put up a Random Ideas post that will have some idea(s) I've had about the shop. These ideas could be a sentence or six paragraphs, brilliant or completely crazy. But they will all be in one place where Karen and I can sift through them later.
*Side note to Karen: Feel free to add in, disagree, comment, argue, tell me to shut up, or engage in any way you see fit! *
So here are some of the ideas I wrote down tonight, most of which were inspired by a seminar I went to on success in entrepreneurial enterprises featuring the man who started Lake Champlain Chocolates:
1. Creating a sense of community is huge, and one thing LCC does is use local people for as much as possible. This includes the photography for their catalog, the marketing, etc. To this end, I think it would be great to have a section of our store dedicated solely to local and/or small, independently-owned people and shops. For instance, our own spinning could be there, roving and yarn from the alpaca farm my friend Jordan works at could be there, the divine blue-faced leicester top roving from that farm we went to in Stratton, Karen, and my friend Patience's sheep's wool could both be there. In other words, something other than Misti Alpaca, or Cascade Yarns, or Rowan, and all the well-known brands. Let's discover the next big thing, and help out other small businesses like ourselves!
2. Connect emotionally with the customers. One thing the guy tonight said that I thought was very interesting was that he spent a very long time picking out the colors, fabric, texture, wording, and style of the sign with his company's name on it. He said that all of this things have an unconscious affect on the emotional reaction the customer has, and it's important to make sure it's the one that you want. In my opinion this should be applied to EVERYTHING. The colors in the store, where things are arranged, the type of wood used on the floors - every last detail should be consciously decided upon to have make the correct impression.
3. Sustainability. Figure out a way to help ourselves out by: going green, buying local, fair trade. Make sure our sources are reliable/have the same standards as we do.
4. Location. This is something Karen and I have talked about, briefly, but I sometimes worry about. One (really awesome) idea Karen had was to use the space that will be opening up for retail purposes in the old nursing home in Montgomery. That space could become available before I leave school, which would put A LOT of stress on Karen, as I would have to be helping from afar.
Some pros to this location would be that
1. we could both live at home and have a very easy commute.
2. It would be a great place to start out - small, surrounded by other retail stores that would help us draw in customers.
3. It's right on a main road - through Montgomery, it's true, but still...
4. We have our knitting group right in Montgomery that I'm sure would be willing to give us their business if our prices were right, and I'm sure there are people in the hilltowns who would love to support locals.
Some cons would be that
1. Who goes through Montgomery? (no offense Karen).
2. What if we never grow from that location and I live with my parents forever? (as much as I absolutely love them. But, really, who wants to be that person?).
3. it may be difficult to get financial backing when we're located in such an unpopulated area.
My dream would be to stay in Burlington, or somewhere in Vermont, and to live someplace new that I can make my own instead of going back to the hilltowns. I just never saw myself living there forever, as much as I love it. But I know it would kill Karen to leave her family, who are all in the Westfield-Montgomery area, and I don't think I could do that to her. So, that is definitely a conversation we are going to have to have.
Ok, so this post has become much longer than I ever intended for it to be, and I apologize for that. I'll put up a nice picture of my old angora rabbit, Tara, to make it up to you. How about that? And, as always, I would love to hear your thoughts and comments about any and all of the goings-on around the blog - especially you, Karen!
P.S. My friend from home, Amy, requested that I put up a knitting tutorial on the blog, so look for that to be coming soon!
P.P.S. Another random idea - music is important. One thing I can't stand in some yarn stores is when there's just one or two customers walking around and the person at the register sitting and watching, and it's super quiet and awkward, and the customers almost feel like they are taking too long to look and should be wrapping things up because it's so quiet and weird. Music fixes this nicely.
Random Fact
Here is a random business tip I learned today in my Business Law class:
When engaging in a commercial transaction (such as buying a building in which to put your yarn store, let's say), the seller is under no legal obligation to tell you if anything is wrong or unsafe with the building. Therefore, you must ask a lot of questions, and one in particular. "Is there anything that you know about this place that I should know?" Now they will have lied if they say nothing is wrong with the place, which is different then just choosing not to disclose. Now, if something goes wrong, you may be able to sue them for fraud.
I love law class. :)
When engaging in a commercial transaction (such as buying a building in which to put your yarn store, let's say), the seller is under no legal obligation to tell you if anything is wrong or unsafe with the building. Therefore, you must ask a lot of questions, and one in particular. "Is there anything that you know about this place that I should know?" Now they will have lied if they say nothing is wrong with the place, which is different then just choosing not to disclose. Now, if something goes wrong, you may be able to sue them for fraud.
I love law class. :)
Monday, October 19, 2009
Knit for Those in Need Update
Today was a very exciting day for the Knit for Those in Need program! I spoke with a director from the college's Center for Service and Civic Engagement, and she was very enthusiastic about helping us! She said they love it when students come forward with ideas, and she thought they would be able to help us buy supplies and give us support within the school. I will probably be teaching a knitting class or two to give people who don't yet know how to knit the chance to participate, or to show people with basic skills how to move forward from scarves to hats and mittens. I probably shouldn't mention this for the first time on the blog, but I was also thinking maybe Karen could take a little vacation up to see me and help teach a Saturday afternoon class (you know, if she wants to... :)).
So I have a meeting with them next week, and hopefully we can go from there.
And if anyone wants to get involved or has any ideas please let me know!
So I have a meeting with them next week, and hopefully we can go from there.
And if anyone wants to get involved or has any ideas please let me know!
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Knit for Those in Need
The event I put up in the sidebar did not leave a lot of space to explain the project my roommate Liz and I are working on right now, so I thought I would post about it as well!
Living in Burlington, winters become frighteningly cold, frighteningly fast, and anyone walking around downtown can see that we have our fair share of people in need of warm clothing as the temperature starts to drop. To address this problem, Liz and I thought it would be a great idea to combine two things we love - helping people and knitting! To this end, yesterday we went to our local yarn shop, Kaleidoscope Yarns (an AMAZING store, by the way), and picked up a skein each of Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool to get our project going. This is a bulky-weight yarn made of 100% undyed Peruvian Highland Wool; It is soft and warm, and very reasonably priced at $15 for roughly 437 yards. We are both working on simple garter stitch scarves right now, and we welcome anyone who would like to join us!
Our long-term goal is to get a group of people working on this project with us, and, depending on the response we get, try and team up with COTS, our local homeless shelter, Kaleidoscope Yarns, and our school. According to the COTS website, they are urgently in need of blankets for twin- or double- beds, for anyone who is feeling ambitious :). For now Liz and I will simply be walking around Burlington handing out our wearables, and we will take it from there. Our vision for the future involves the yarn and needles being paid for by the school (we're poor! lol), and an organized group meeting to teach classes on knitting techniques, enjoy each others' company, and knit for charity together. For now, though, we are just starting small and seeing where it takes us!
If you are interested in helping out:
We are looking for warmth over fashion - no acrylic yarns please! :)
Feel free to make anything you would like, in any size you would like - all donations are appreciated!
If you do not want to spend the money on postage to send your knitting to us, feel free to do the same thing in your own area! (Please make sure you are being safe if you choose the walk-around-and-distribute route over the donate-to-local-shelter route).
Level of knitting skill does not matter. Garments need to be functional, not perfect. :)
If you do decide to mail your knitting to us, please just put a note in your package specifying that what you are sending is for Knit for Those in Need.
Thanks for your help, and keep knitting! :)
Living in Burlington, winters become frighteningly cold, frighteningly fast, and anyone walking around downtown can see that we have our fair share of people in need of warm clothing as the temperature starts to drop. To address this problem, Liz and I thought it would be a great idea to combine two things we love - helping people and knitting! To this end, yesterday we went to our local yarn shop, Kaleidoscope Yarns (an AMAZING store, by the way), and picked up a skein each of Cascade Yarns Ecological Wool to get our project going. This is a bulky-weight yarn made of 100% undyed Peruvian Highland Wool; It is soft and warm, and very reasonably priced at $15 for roughly 437 yards. We are both working on simple garter stitch scarves right now, and we welcome anyone who would like to join us!
Our long-term goal is to get a group of people working on this project with us, and, depending on the response we get, try and team up with COTS, our local homeless shelter, Kaleidoscope Yarns, and our school. According to the COTS website, they are urgently in need of blankets for twin- or double- beds, for anyone who is feeling ambitious :). For now Liz and I will simply be walking around Burlington handing out our wearables, and we will take it from there. Our vision for the future involves the yarn and needles being paid for by the school (we're poor! lol), and an organized group meeting to teach classes on knitting techniques, enjoy each others' company, and knit for charity together. For now, though, we are just starting small and seeing where it takes us!
If you are interested in helping out:
We are looking for warmth over fashion - no acrylic yarns please! :)
Feel free to make anything you would like, in any size you would like - all donations are appreciated!
If you do not want to spend the money on postage to send your knitting to us, feel free to do the same thing in your own area! (Please make sure you are being safe if you choose the walk-around-and-distribute route over the donate-to-local-shelter route).
Level of knitting skill does not matter. Garments need to be functional, not perfect. :)
If you do decide to mail your knitting to us, please just put a note in your package specifying that what you are sending is for Knit for Those in Need.
Thanks for your help, and keep knitting! :)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
The Stuff
These are some pictures of some of my work - both completed and in-process.
This is a hat that I made for one of my best friends, Ian. He picked out the red Peruvian wool, and the black is some stuff I had lying around that I decided to add some stripes with. It's always fun getting two different yarns of different weights to work in the same pattern! :) I actually ended up making this hat twice, because the first time I vastly miscalculated the size of Ian's head. No offense Ian.
This is my WONDERFUL roommate/best friend Liz wearing the "Weasley" sweater I made for her over the summer. This was so much fun to make, from beginning to end. Karen and I spent ages at a Webs tent sale finding just the right yarn in just the right color, and after that it knit up in about three weeks! The hardest parts were finding the yarn and adjusting the pattern for the bulky yarn we settled on, but other than that it was a breeze. This pattern came from the book Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter, by Alison Hansel. That book is a godsend!
I had been dying to make a scarf with a leaf pattern for some time, but I was waiting until I found yarn that was the perfect shade of green. I finally found it for three dollars a ball with only two balls left in the backroom at Webs! The pattern comes from knittingpatterncentral.com, a great source for free knitting patterns.
This was my first serious foray into lace knitting, and I turned into a bit of a fanatic. For the month and a half it took me to knit this shawl, my day almost literally went: go to work, knit during lunch break, come home, knit until bed. I think there was some food thrown in there too, every now and again. This was bliss to create. The pattern came from a book that has become a staple of my knitting library: Victorian Lace Knitting Today, by Jane Sowerby. This incredible book is worth every penny, with beautiful pictures, helpful instructions, and tons of historical information about knitting in a time when patterns were only just becoming mass produced. I HIGHLY recommend this book, and am in fact working on another shawl from it at the moment. (I estimate I have roughly 40-50 hours of work left on it, which becomes difficult during the school year :(). And thanks to my friend Brooke for being the beautiful model on both this shawl and the leafy scarf above! :)
This is some yarn that I have spun. The silver is unknown fiber (I suspect merino top, but it was so long ago now that I don't remember), the green is merino and wool, and the white is Great Pyrenees dog fur. My friend (and Karen's sister-in-law) Judy works at a Pyrenees rescue shelter and owns several of them herself. A few years ago Judy helped organize a fair about Pyrenees and rescuing them in particular, and Karen and I went to support her and do a spinning demonstration to show how the fur of this amazing dog is a wonderful, warm, beautiful fiber to work with. And they shed like crazy, so it works out perfectly!
This yarn was so much fun to spin! (Although I had a spinning wheel malfunction when I was 2/3 of the way done which reduced me to a hysterical mess for about an hour. Ahh, nothing like fiber to put you in your place).
These fingertip-less mitts are a work in progress right now, and are partially of my own design. The design down the center is a modified version of a lace bookmark pattern that came in a knitting Day-to-Day calendar that I bought a few years ago. I changed a few things around and combined it with a basic pattern for fingertip-less mitts that I got from an unknown source (Karen, probably), and viola! The white is paper that I put in them to show what they will look like when they are done. They are knit in Noro silk, but I am going to line them with some white and fluffy angora that Karen spun up for me - she's the best!
This is a hat that I made for one of my best friends, Ian. He picked out the red Peruvian wool, and the black is some stuff I had lying around that I decided to add some stripes with. It's always fun getting two different yarns of different weights to work in the same pattern! :) I actually ended up making this hat twice, because the first time I vastly miscalculated the size of Ian's head. No offense Ian.
This is my WONDERFUL roommate/best friend Liz wearing the "Weasley" sweater I made for her over the summer. This was so much fun to make, from beginning to end. Karen and I spent ages at a Webs tent sale finding just the right yarn in just the right color, and after that it knit up in about three weeks! The hardest parts were finding the yarn and adjusting the pattern for the bulky yarn we settled on, but other than that it was a breeze. This pattern came from the book Charmed Knits: Projects for Fans of Harry Potter, by Alison Hansel. That book is a godsend!
I had been dying to make a scarf with a leaf pattern for some time, but I was waiting until I found yarn that was the perfect shade of green. I finally found it for three dollars a ball with only two balls left in the backroom at Webs! The pattern comes from knittingpatterncentral.com, a great source for free knitting patterns.
This was my first serious foray into lace knitting, and I turned into a bit of a fanatic. For the month and a half it took me to knit this shawl, my day almost literally went: go to work, knit during lunch break, come home, knit until bed. I think there was some food thrown in there too, every now and again. This was bliss to create. The pattern came from a book that has become a staple of my knitting library: Victorian Lace Knitting Today, by Jane Sowerby. This incredible book is worth every penny, with beautiful pictures, helpful instructions, and tons of historical information about knitting in a time when patterns were only just becoming mass produced. I HIGHLY recommend this book, and am in fact working on another shawl from it at the moment. (I estimate I have roughly 40-50 hours of work left on it, which becomes difficult during the school year :(). And thanks to my friend Brooke for being the beautiful model on both this shawl and the leafy scarf above! :)
This is some yarn that I have spun. The silver is unknown fiber (I suspect merino top, but it was so long ago now that I don't remember), the green is merino and wool, and the white is Great Pyrenees dog fur. My friend (and Karen's sister-in-law) Judy works at a Pyrenees rescue shelter and owns several of them herself. A few years ago Judy helped organize a fair about Pyrenees and rescuing them in particular, and Karen and I went to support her and do a spinning demonstration to show how the fur of this amazing dog is a wonderful, warm, beautiful fiber to work with. And they shed like crazy, so it works out perfectly!
This yarn was so much fun to spin! (Although I had a spinning wheel malfunction when I was 2/3 of the way done which reduced me to a hysterical mess for about an hour. Ahh, nothing like fiber to put you in your place).
These fingertip-less mitts are a work in progress right now, and are partially of my own design. The design down the center is a modified version of a lace bookmark pattern that came in a knitting Day-to-Day calendar that I bought a few years ago. I changed a few things around and combined it with a basic pattern for fingertip-less mitts that I got from an unknown source (Karen, probably), and viola! The white is paper that I put in them to show what they will look like when they are done. They are knit in Noro silk, but I am going to line them with some white and fluffy angora that Karen spun up for me - she's the best!
Thursday, October 15, 2009
The Dream
Most people probably don't know that I became a business major so that I can start my own yarn shop when I graduate, but that is indeed my plan. With all of the classes I am taking and all that I am learning, my dreams are becoming closer and closer to reality, and I like to think that I am only 3 years away from realizing this goal. My amazing friend Karen and I have been talking about starting our own store for years now, and tonight my noggin is working full force on ideas for this amazing place that we will own and make awesome. Hopefully this blog will be a place to expand my thoughts and ideas, get feedback, and talk about all things fiber! :)
When I close my eyes, I see a picture of the store in my mind. I know where the doors are placed, and what they look like. I know what kind of wood it has. I see squashy armchairs surrounding a coffee table that has knitting magazines and a bowl full of needles and spare yarn for customers to fool around on and figure things out. This table and chairs ensemble is in front of a stone fireplace (whether or not it will be a working fireplace remains to be seen). When you walk in the door, the cash register is to the left, the yarn is up and to the right, and the whole place has an open, sunny, light feel. In the back there is a door leading to an office, another to a bathroom, and stairs leading up to the small apartment that I will occupy. Out front there is a porch with a rocking chair or two on it, and baskets full of our sale yarn, while in the back there are french-style doors leading to a small grassy, out-door area with a bench where customers can relax and knit outside. This is where we could grow our dye plants. We could also have some of Karen's bunnies out there in outdoor hutches (or inside on rainy days), and customers could feed and pet them. We could sell the babies from the shop as well.
Karen and I would both teach classes, of course, probably with me teaching the basics and Karen teaching advanced techniques (she's a way more advanced knitter and spinner than I am). We have also been kicking around an idea for a Breast Cancer Knitting Retreat, where women who are battling/have battled breast cancer can come for a relaxed weekend of knitting, spinning, group/individual therapy, and general wellness with other women who know what you've been through. There are many reasons why this is a great idea, but two of my favorites are: 1. knitting is a great past time for anyone who will be spending a lot of their time either waiting in doctor's offices/hospital rooms, or resting at home incapable of much activity, because it gives you something repetitive to do to take your mind off things and keep your hands busy, and you have wonderful, beautiful things to show for it at the end. 2. the motions necessary for using a drop spindle require you to stretch out your arm and chest, which could be good exercise for someone who has had reconstructive surgery in that area (note: we should probably do more research on this to make sure it is helpful instead of harmful before we advertise it as such). This program is something that really excites me and I think would be very rewarding and wonderful to set up.
Other ideas:
Knit for the homeless - this is something my roommate and I are planning on starting this winter. The two of us are simply going to knit plain scarves, hats, mittens, etc. and then walk around in downtown Burlington and distribute to those in need. Depending on how it goes, I may want to look into starting something on campus where we get involved with COTS or something, but we'll start small.
Selling local yarn - in addition to selling commercial yarn and our own yarn, I think we should have as large a supply of local input as possible. Everything from dye plants/dyes to handmade shawl pins to yarn to roving from local animals. Make our shop a place where the community can support us and we can support them!
Customer Input - Allow customers to fill out a survey telling us what products they would like us to sell. If they have a favorite yarn, needle, or notion that they would like us to provide for them, they can let us know and we'll do our best. I have also been thinking about how cool it would be to give our phone numbers to our regular customers (such as the knitting group if we end up starting out in Montgomery), and if the inspiration hits them or they really need something at a time when we're not open they could call us and we could open the shop for an emergency session.
So many ideas are swirling around in my head, but that's enough for the first post. Please feel free to comment with any ideas or thoughts you have!
When I close my eyes, I see a picture of the store in my mind. I know where the doors are placed, and what they look like. I know what kind of wood it has. I see squashy armchairs surrounding a coffee table that has knitting magazines and a bowl full of needles and spare yarn for customers to fool around on and figure things out. This table and chairs ensemble is in front of a stone fireplace (whether or not it will be a working fireplace remains to be seen). When you walk in the door, the cash register is to the left, the yarn is up and to the right, and the whole place has an open, sunny, light feel. In the back there is a door leading to an office, another to a bathroom, and stairs leading up to the small apartment that I will occupy. Out front there is a porch with a rocking chair or two on it, and baskets full of our sale yarn, while in the back there are french-style doors leading to a small grassy, out-door area with a bench where customers can relax and knit outside. This is where we could grow our dye plants. We could also have some of Karen's bunnies out there in outdoor hutches (or inside on rainy days), and customers could feed and pet them. We could sell the babies from the shop as well.
Karen and I would both teach classes, of course, probably with me teaching the basics and Karen teaching advanced techniques (she's a way more advanced knitter and spinner than I am). We have also been kicking around an idea for a Breast Cancer Knitting Retreat, where women who are battling/have battled breast cancer can come for a relaxed weekend of knitting, spinning, group/individual therapy, and general wellness with other women who know what you've been through. There are many reasons why this is a great idea, but two of my favorites are: 1. knitting is a great past time for anyone who will be spending a lot of their time either waiting in doctor's offices/hospital rooms, or resting at home incapable of much activity, because it gives you something repetitive to do to take your mind off things and keep your hands busy, and you have wonderful, beautiful things to show for it at the end. 2. the motions necessary for using a drop spindle require you to stretch out your arm and chest, which could be good exercise for someone who has had reconstructive surgery in that area (note: we should probably do more research on this to make sure it is helpful instead of harmful before we advertise it as such). This program is something that really excites me and I think would be very rewarding and wonderful to set up.
Other ideas:
Knit for the homeless - this is something my roommate and I are planning on starting this winter. The two of us are simply going to knit plain scarves, hats, mittens, etc. and then walk around in downtown Burlington and distribute to those in need. Depending on how it goes, I may want to look into starting something on campus where we get involved with COTS or something, but we'll start small.
Selling local yarn - in addition to selling commercial yarn and our own yarn, I think we should have as large a supply of local input as possible. Everything from dye plants/dyes to handmade shawl pins to yarn to roving from local animals. Make our shop a place where the community can support us and we can support them!
Customer Input - Allow customers to fill out a survey telling us what products they would like us to sell. If they have a favorite yarn, needle, or notion that they would like us to provide for them, they can let us know and we'll do our best. I have also been thinking about how cool it would be to give our phone numbers to our regular customers (such as the knitting group if we end up starting out in Montgomery), and if the inspiration hits them or they really need something at a time when we're not open they could call us and we could open the shop for an emergency session.
So many ideas are swirling around in my head, but that's enough for the first post. Please feel free to comment with any ideas or thoughts you have!
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