A Sexy Yarn Day

So much to do at the studio today...meet a client first thing to pick up a custom order. Mission accomplished. Then finish my custom yarn order. Also accomplished, but instead of moving on, the wheel called to me. (Perhaps the combination of Lou Rawls, Barry White and incense with the yarn) is what did me in.

I was alone, no distractions and groovin' to my own tune.

Yes, it was a good yarn day.

Secret Garden
130g
60 yards

Hand dyed BFL, recycled lambswool and cashmere, alpaca, silk and merino.

Cashmere Garden
130g
65 yards
Hand dyed BFL, recycled cashmere, alpaca,silk and merino.

There's more, but I've put it aside for my own guilty pleasure. And there were several hats finished (and sold)....so much for starting to build inventory for my show on the 12th.

John had to tear me away from the wheel, leaving half spun, core spun on the bobbin. I can hardly wait to get back there tomorrow.

Shiver Me Timbers

This is what 45 pirates look like, packaged up and on their way to the post office. Thanks to John, Pearl and Nancy. It was a long night and I appreciated your help. Only if every order went out that smoothly.

Just before I hit the studio today, Asia gave me a picture perfect shot. Sorry for the gratuitous cat photo, but this is the first time I caught her in the tree.

Holli popped by for a visit. I'm hoping she'll stop in now and again for some quality knit time now that she's in the neighbourhood. Mike and I also got busy later in the day putting the final touches on the studio. We laid carpet, rearranged furniture, put up new shelving. Finally, ready for class.

Spinning went well tonight. There was spinning, carding, tea and I was able to get some spinning in myself(for the first time in more than 10 days). I have finished the first custom order from the show and I'm in deep to complete the rest. If you have ordered something from Circle Craft, it should be ready by the end of next week.

I feel like I'm on track. I don't think I've ever felt like that at the end of November before. Sweet.

One More Show

Thank you for your emails asking what shows I have left for the season. There is only one left as I need to devote all of my remaining time to my custom orders.

Please visit me at the Holiday Market at the Croatian Cultural Centre on December 12. I will have new hats, new handspun and an entirely new collection of scarves....It's gonna be a fibre party.

Pirates

and more pirates...day and night, night and day. I'm starting to see them in my sleep. Today, yes, today they will be finished and packaged and I will return to my life.

Pirates.....arrrh...

This Week

Since the studio is almost presentable, here are my hours this week.

Tuesday 10-6
Thursday 12 - 9
Friday 10 - 6

If you would like to pop by, please give me a call at 604-719-6665.

The studio is not retail frontage and by appointment, so please give me a call to let me know that you are coming. (I could be down the street at one of many coffee shops surrounded by knitting and an americano).

In advance, I will beg you to excuse the mess.

Thursday intermediate spinning is on from 6:30 - 9:00pm for those already registered. There will be a special treat this week which involve something fluffy. You'll find out.

Stu, Stu, Studio.......

So, I am at 60% studio functionality. That's good, right? At least folks can come by and visit again. Had some customers in today and Mariegold for the afternoon for a serious knit on.

All of the hand dyed I have left fits into this basket. Condensed and easy to access. I think that it will end up being kids hats but that depends on how much time I have before the next show.

The last of the felt hats. I have a few folks coming by the studio this week for try ons, so they may have homes as well. In the meantime, if you have ordered a felt hat, I am blocking them all this week so you will have yours in no time.

Thanks everyone for your orders and your support. Thanks so much.

Changes

I feel a change in the wind. Something big is about to happen. Not sure what it is yet.....but change is a comin'. In order to push things along, I finally decided to cut off my hair and no longer be a blonde. Yep, short red hair with two giant blonde triangles. It's artsy, it's sassy, it's .....well it's my new hair and it will take some getting used to.

I tried to take a picture of it, but I look so dead since Circle Craft, it will have to wait until these dark circles under my eyes disappear.

I spent last night helping Joan man her booth at the Culture Crawl. By man her booth, I mean sat on the floor and knit. I realized that we have many customers in common.

The pirate hats are coming along. I hope they are done soon. I would really like to start and finish my custom orders this week.

Barefoot Contessa

MelonHead's baby pirate hats are now available at Barefoot Contessa in Vancouver.

Barefoot Contessa

3715 Main Street, Vancouver, BC, V5V 3N8

604-879-1137

The adult pirate hats will be available next week. Shop local for the holidays.

A Clean Slate

and here it is.


This was immensely therapeutic. To be able to wipe the entire chalkboard of the count and the obligations placed on myself before the show. I am going to be more thoughtful and realistic about the current wall list. As well as things "I have do do". I will block in some time for new designs and "things I ache to do".

The task of cleaning the studio is daunting. I've walked away from it on three separate days.

At least the shelving is back up and I can see the floor in several places. Currently, there is nowhere to work. I left for the nearest Blenz and a three shot Americano. Suddenly there was calm. And beautiful hand dyed merino twisting in my hands. Lace weight yarn and my heart equally as light.

Back to the pirate hat stack. The order should be ready for shipping in the next day or two.

Ten Things I Learned from the Show

1. No matter how many times you wash your hands, you WILL get a cold.
   
2. I don't deserve my friends.
3. I will never get a 20ft booth again. It was just too much pressure.
4. I will never buy another piece of carpeting for the booth.
   
5. I will wear Pearl's felted clogs at the show instead of my fancy lady shoes.
6. I will never, ever, part with my Frances Felt Yarn skirt.
7. Borrowed furniture means I get a new display every year.
8. The hat "tree" and my attempt to improve on nature was a flop.
9. John is an excellent sales person but prefers the job of inventory control.
   
10. My hand spun yarn makes people happy.
    

This will be followed up by my list of 10 things I need to fix in the studio or I will never get all of my custom work finished this season.

It is almost 9am and the sun just came out. It's a sign. This chick is on her way to the studio.

Show's Over

This is all that's left of that extreme effort to get a great booth together.


Gratitude and love (in no particular order)

• Pearl
• John
• Toni
• Kim
• Joan
• Jean
• Mike
• Kate
• Brett
• Circle Craft Volunteers
• The carpet guy

Now the real work begins. I have one enormous wholesale order for Colorado and then my custom orders from the show. As well, I have one day of experiencing the Culture Crawl with Joan and a vendor advisory meeting on Wednesday. It's a full schedule without including putting the studio back together. But these are all things I am really looking forward to.

The evening ended beautifully at Tropika... You have to try the pineapple rice.

Show Stopper

It's the last day of the show!!!I am looking forward to getting back into the studio to start all of this amazing custom work. Yes, I know what I said about doing custom work, but this is all things I loved making and just sold out of.

There was a lot of playful dress up in the booth. Sometimes you just have to try it all on.


And here's some late night studio work.


I guess it's time to throw myself in the shower. It will wake me. Then I can have my coffee, complete my resign application for next year and get myself to the show. There will be a lot of helpers today so I may even get a chance to shop from some other vendors.

Show me the Money

You go to shows to make money and pay the rent. It's intense and a bizarre way to earn a living. In production most of the year and then rolling the dice for the big payoff.

The show has been incredible this year and I can't deny it. But something bigger than having a good show has happened for me this year.

It makes sense. All of it. The hours, the stress, the late nights......are because I love this.

For every hat that is tried on, for every knitter that has the perfect project for my yarn, my heart grows just a little bit bigger. I have an incredible sense of pride in how much happiness my small items can bring to people and this year it all came together like a giant fuzzy hug.

So, I did not knit anything last night when I came home. I did not spin. We had a nice late dinner and talked about the show. I read some beautiful emails. Even went to bed early.

Sweet.

It's Show Time!

Exhausted, elated....I feel like I have been beaten with a bag of oranges. I can't even think today as I did not leave the booth once yesterday in 11 hours.

Not sure if the four hours sleep I got last night will do the trick. Here's hoping.

A Real Show Stopper

Molly's furniture has made me love designing the booth this year. The spinning has made me love filling in all those shelves.

And now a few peaks at what is on those shelves....

This shelving is so amazing, I feel like I may need to keep it....Here's hoping the show goes well enough to justify the expense...And the dresser, oh my the dresser..

What does one do after such a long day of merchandising? Behold banana fritters and coconut ice cream on Main Street's Chili Garden.....

Show starts tomorrow at 10:00am. Come visit me at my booth #140. It looks like a great show this year.

Hail Caesar!

The drinks are on me. The booth is set up. Not set up, but everything is there. Today will be a long day of merchandising. I will appreciate it as I haven't seen some of this inventory in months. I will tag it, price it, fondle it and remember where I was when I spun or knit it. What I was doing, and who I was with. Each piece has a sensory recollection for me.

The start of something good. No, the fuschia curtains do not stay in the booth....Just covers for overnight. I do remember once upon a time when the pink was my booth backdrop for a show.

What was I thinking? This is more like it. Vintage and antique furniture soon to be contrasted with modern design. The gridwall ( a necessary evil) is nicely tucked away behind the drape.

This is THE best part of any show. Putting it together and seeing all your work displayed in one place. Thank you, thank you to everyone who helped with the set up last night John, Kim, Mariegold and Mike. It definitely would not have come together without you.

No More Visitors!

You all know I love guests at the studio, but I am officially up to my arse in boxes packed for the show.

Last minute details are still ongoing, but now checked off the listed..

• wire mannequin painted
• tree branches glued
• pussy willow scarves done
• commissioned sheep (long story)

Not completed.

• new wireless
• finishing felts
• receipt books
• ball bands printed
• tomato yarn

On a separate note...must clean the house before it reaches toxic levels of blek.

Oh, and the dress up at the studio was fun. Lisa (already a convicted melonhead, now brings her sister into the group)


My apologies for the quality of the IPhone pics and my wobbly hand.

Getting Ready for a Show never FELT so Good

So, it's Friday night and I traditionally would be in freak out mode. I'm setting up for Circle Craft on Monday. Really.

And I'm on the couch, with my laptop, enjoying a sweet cup of tea, waiting for Kim to pop in for an evening of knitting. I've also moved on to Buffy - Season Seven---yes, it sucked, but it's Buffy, therefore still watchable.

Rented Caprica as well and watched with great delight. The prequel to BSG is going to provide untold hours of knitting. I can see it already. Caprica rocked it.

When you knit something you love, you can't be sure until you knit another one, or 10 or more.

My only sadness is that it's Toni's last day at the studio....no more labels to sew and she has obligations (other than helping me out) ---Really, how rude of her! But her last act in the studio is her most wonderful....

The KnitPicks elf.....he's fabulous and will be the only ornament in my booth sitting on top of the painted tree. Excuse his current appearance (just a bit undone). The next time I see him he will be in his altogether finest.


So fiddly , so tiny, so amazing...

Wednesday's Great Show Race

Toni and I went on what I would basically consider a show scavenger hunt. Some things found, some not, some decided against. At least several things were drawn to a conclusion.

The order of the day...Starting at 9:30am

1. Display supplier
2. Fibre supplier
3. End of the Roll (new 5X20 carpet) in chocolate brown
4. Commercial laundry for linens and fabric booth walls. There was knitting while waiting.
5. Lunch at Naam......Sesame fries and miso gravy...so good.
6. Furniture Salad (checking out my furniture pieces for the show) Molly rocks!
7. Pearl at Birkeland for a visit and some moral support
8. Back to the studio - At this point Toni was returned to her family.
9. Home 9:30 pm

There was still festive and frantic knitting until about midnight.

Today, all I wanted to do was finish things...Something, anything..yesterday's errands made me feel even more under the gun even though so much was completed.

Neige

Inspired by my favourite Whistler model, my love of felt and my longing for snowy Ontario days.

If a Tree is Built in My Studio....

does anyone hear my first attempt with power tools?

It's nature, only better...

I wanted a winter hat tree for the booth. I am so over the commercial hat tree holder that I've been carting around since Toronto. Birch tree harvested from the side of the train tracks where the city left them after cutting them down near Granville Island earlier this year. Tomorrow the painting and I am good to go. It will make a nice addition to the display.

It felt good to work on something other than inventory. Marigold gave me my first instruction in power tool usage. I used a drill and a saw. This is huge.

Next step...flooring.....I can hardly wait. Will show you the tree again once it is fully loaded with hats.