Grey Cup

Doing a show in Edmonton during the Grey Cup----what was I thinking?  I was thinking a lot of women would be sports widows and need to shop.  I was wrong.  Everyone likes the game here.  No widows, but everyone did make the time to shop....Thanks you freezing cold city with the warm, wonderful people.

I love it here! I love being on the road.   A great night in Banff, followed by 5 days in Edmonton.  Heading out to Canmore today and can hardly wait to get on the road.  I seem to have gotten over my inabiility to knit in the car through sheer desperation and force of will.  (it worked).

I ran out of a few things but for the most part I was properly stocked.  The vibe was great and I got some feedback on a few new designs. 

 

My absolute favourite thing about Edmonton is the amount of Second Cup coffee shops.  Something I really missed about Ontario.  I also enjoyed the combination of cold and sunshine.  I also discovered I like eating Greek take out food in hotels.  Oh, and that I resent sleep.  I really could have stayed awake knitting on the bed, cross legged and hogging pillows all night long, but John needed some sleep.  Got to be kind to the driver.

Have a great cup of coffee today, whatever your blend and knit a bit.  It feels good.

Show Down

It's Monday morning.  I'm enjoying a fabulous instant espresso that my friend Kim brought me back from her recent trip to Germany.  Delish.  It's helping me keep my eyes open and the T3 I took for the sore back is kicking in as well.  Thankfully.

Show recap.  Five days of 12 hr days absolutely flew by.  Were it not for the continuous visits of friends, I don't know if that would have been the case.  Every year I talk about how lucky I am for the endless list of compadres that help us set up --tear down---suppport us....blah, blah, blah.   They know who they are and I hope that they know how indebted we are for their kindness.

Physically, I was more exerted than any show in the past.  Older?  That has to be it?  I hate to think that my ever widening butt is dragging us down, but balanced low cal meals hasn't been my priority for several months getting ready for the show.

I'll be grateful when the craft schedule is done and I can return to some semblance of a routine.  Believe it or not this girl needs some structure.

Booth at it's Best

This Circle Craft was the best one of the three I have done so far.  Finally, the last two years of assessing the demographic has paid off.  It's the first time I had the right amount of inventory in the sizes I needed to sell and in very few cases had to say "sorry sold out".  This seriously impairs my inventory for Edmonton, but I'm heading out to the studio to see what I can do to make this right.

Booth Coming Down

Remains of the Day

I know I'll have a chance to sleep in January and when I finally do get a full night's sleep, I'm sure I'll be dreaming of hand spun and new designs and I'm even considering taking a vacation this year.

To everyone who attended the show ----thank you for supporting local and handmade.

Circle Craft At Last

So it's finally here.  A year of prep (the last months a few more frantic, for sure)and all those late nights at the studio have brought me to this.

 Now for me this inventory has looked pretty much like this most of the year.

It is really decadent to sit back after assembling all of it to take the time to drink it all in.  For all the times I felt I was slacking, this display silences that inner snarky voice that said I wasn't working hard enough.

And we all know this didn't happen by just little old me.  Thanks again to everyone who make this jumbled mess of yarns and hats a booth that's a sweet little bit of eye candy if I say so myself.  (Bragging rights limited to 3 days a year)

Come by the show....G137....Nice and close to the bathroom, almost in it as a matter of fact.  On the positive side, I guess that means I'll see everyone at least once.

Name that Pain

So here is the symptom and then underneath the ridiculous cause.

Vomiting.
A dream about not having enough inventory.

Headache.
Assuming a burst blood vessel from the force of vomiting.

Lower Back Pain.

Sitting for 17 hours on the couch knitting.

Shoulder dislocation.

Trying to reposition a cat for a flea treatment.

Numbness in the fingers of my right hand (ongoing)

Stroke?

I think my hair hurt this morning, but I'm not sure how that could happen.

Thanks to the crew that is holding me together.  Believe me, without them it would be a lot worse.  Pearl, Nancy, John, Joan, Belinda, Mariegold, Jean, Toni and Kim...(currently on vacation but who will be jumping right back in when she gets home)

I am suspecting that an excess of coffee and tootsie rolls should keep me propped up until the end of the day.

A MILESTONE ----my webpage no longer says "spring is here".  I'm so proud of myself.