Ride the Onde'
Wow, what a strange feeling..........we don't have to be open at 10 a.m. today, as we're officially closed to walk-in retail traffic until we are in our new location. All that is thanks to the
wonderful Columbus/Bartholomew County Planning and Zoning folks (with a little help, up front, from our misguided soon-to-be-former landlord, who misled us about the zoning status of this property).
While that may sound a little bitter, it isn't completely venomous.
Matt and I actually stepped back and looked at things, and we're glad for the opportunity to regroup, refocus, and put the vast majority of our efforts toward the part of our business that is exceedingly important to us and where we got our start--MAIL ORDER! (I say *vast majority* because part of our time will still be spent working with various parties to get the new retail location renovated and open by sometime in early July.) So you readers out there can look forward to a renovated and exciting look at
ThreadBear's online presence, as Matt has already started preparing new pages and updating others (including sale pages focusing on the yarns we've got on clearance, so you can shop specific lines of yarn and color cards of shades available instead of guessing what stock we have on hand). And we'll be focusing on specific projects in both blogs, bringing you new temptations (keep reading, below), and sharing our own knitterly progress as I work on a bunch of new shop models for the new space. I'm
completely excited about the new models I've planned over the past couple days (I've gathered an entire storage tub of patterns and the yarn to go with to start knitting in earnest again, including some fantastic cooler-weather projects that excite me a good bit!).
Mail orders---now that we're working just the mail order stuff, we have a chance to get caught up. I apologize to those that have written since the announcement of Friday's clearance with the
KFI/Euro products, but between the volume of incoming e-mail and the volume of foot traffic of locals spurred by the same price reductions, combined with the fact folks can't shop us in person after yesterday, many stocked up for the month ahead. We've been very busy in person and that limits the time to get back with you, and that's over for now. I'm getting caught up on e-mails today and from here forward, and if you've ordered, I've gone around and picked the goods, placed them in a safe spot (out of the hands of the marauding herds that were here this weekend), and I'll be back shortly. Hold tight, and your request is most likely safe and you'll hear from me in a "first in-first out" manner---meaning I'll start with Friday and work forward).
How's about a little show and tell? Monday evening was a sort of perfect close to the retail space, as our last customers were some of our very first customers ever (back to our modest beginnings with a little bit of yarn in a single bedroom in Bloomington). Barb and her daughter Judy arrived shortly before "typical" closing hours to hit the sale, stock up for the month without us, and to pay a much-needed visit. I've mentioned previously that we nearly lost Barb over the winter, but we're thrilled that she's back on the horse, so to speak, and gets around well, is knitting like a fiend, and has much of her spunk back (she told me off, in a fun way, last night...and it made me LAUGH). So after an evening of retail therapy we hit a local restaurant for a late dinner before sending them on their way home. And we enjoyed every minute of their visit. While they were here, I did some felting for Barb (an
IndiKnits design called
Grand Flappy bag done in
Cascade 220 9414, a marl of two different blues that felts to a deep indigo denim fabric). Her other finshed project is a wonderful
Sophie from
Julie at
Black Sheep Bags, done in a beautiful multi in Manos del Uruguay (one of my favorite fibers for making a
Sophie, by the way). Check it out!
Wow, now
that's a fab bag (and VERY Barbara). Check out a little closer look at the felted fabric and the colors that pop out
It takes just under a skein and a half to make the bag, so I recommend getting three hanks and keeping one bag for yourself and using the other for a gift. Very much a good thing!
So, what's new, you say? What goes into all of this new-found space? How's about our first new addition, which arrived about an hour ago.
Yup, the
Jordana Paige Knitter's Bag.....in black. The lovely red version
should arrive in California at the end of June, so we'll have them early in July (perfect timing for the new retail space!). Take a quick peek inside
Kinda cool.........looks like the storage parts inside are rather useful
When I sent out my note a couple weeks ago asking if these were something we should stock, I found that responses fell in two camps--either strongly FOR or strongly AGAINST. As there was interest, they are now here. Retail is $78, so our price is $70.20 (plus shipping and we have to add tax if you're in Indiana). Wanna be stylin'?
Slip me a note.
So, what to do with all of that new shelf space we have with the Noro and other yarns flying out the door thanks to such dedicated readers and bargain shoppers? Well, I have just the ticket......
Catch A Wave
Color card #1 for the Phildar Phil-Onde', that fantastic yarn that
Theresa used for her
gorgeous pullover. She used the Clorophylle color, seen below
We're
taking pre-orders for these yarns, scheduled to arrive sometime late next week (the new shipment arrives from France on Monday and will be shipped the next day, I'm told), along with two English-language pattern books, some pattern flyers, and some very cool new sock yarn (at a reasonable price). Yahoo! Fresh new yarn!
Speaking of fresh new yarns, just arrived in the warehouses in Seattle are the
new yarns in the
Cascade Yarns family of awesome fibers. They'll be shipped to us today/tomorrow and arriving in eight days (midweek next week, plus a day for the holiday). I'm really looking forward to these fun things, especially the
Malizia, which we ordered heavy in the 10 and 11 and 14 shades on the far right. It all looks like fun yarn, so I anxiously await these boxes.
See, fresh outlook, fresh emphasis, and fresh inventory! It's a GOOD THING!
That's about it for now....off to go pack boxes and make yarn dreams come true. And possibly to get some photos ready of new Charlotte's Web combinations (almost all will be one-of-a-kind combos based on our current stock levels). Ah, the joys of being able to work all day long in sweats and a big comfy shirt. There's joy and positive energy packed in these boxes and envelopes---soak it up!