We witnessed the end of an era in my family this past weekend. My 82-year-old dad passed away with many of us at his side cheering him on. Click below for just a small snippet of life with Charlie.
I’m a swinger.
When was the last time you had time to even think about swinging? Time, in my world, is a thing of the past. “Time” is the answer to the Jeopardy question, “What is there never enough of?” or “Where did it go?” or “What is the thing you miss most about your youth?”
Okay. Perhaps “time” isn’t the answer to that last one, but it gets an honorable mention.
My last post here was in January of this year. It’s October now. We just had our final great ‘blast-o’-summer” last week with our screwy Michigan weather making me more convinced than ever that I was NOT meant to live in warmer climes. Especially now.
Why especially now? Because now I’m going through that wonderful time in my life called “change.” I don’t mean “change” in terms of my kids no longer needing me. (Don’t they always need something?) And when I think of “change” it’s not in terms of retiring from my sedentary job as a court reporter to open my own yarn shop where I live six out of seven days a week; I see that as more of a metamorphosis of lifestyle for me. No; for me right now “change” means my 50+ year-old body has betrayed me, pure and simple. It’s not the one I grew up with. It now has a built-in furnace with a broken thermometer. It has sweat glands where I never knew sweat glands were. It stopped making brown hair and eyebrows. It places red spider veins on my chin and little patches of itchy exzema on places like my fingers or my calves. What’s with that?
Daily I’ve been trying to think of positive things to get me up and going, such as I only have to shave the very front of my legs now, and not all that often, either. I’m learning fashion by having to dress in layers — summer layers under winter layers. I spend much less time looking at my reflection. I no longer care if it looks cool to wear sandals in the winter. I’m collecting lots of cute little hand fans that say things like, “Is it just me or is it hot in here?” Red and purple are part of my wardrobe. I’ve gotten past the irritable stage and have arrived at apathy; no one listens anyway.
“Grateful” doesn’t even begin to describe what I feel to my parents for my sense of humor, one of the single things that gets me through my busier-than-ever days. Honestly, how do people manage this period of life if they take themselves too seriously? This is funny stuff! This particular misery loves company. We’re reassured we’re not losing our minds when we learn other ‘mid-lifers’ are having the same issues. When we hear from those who are on the other side of it, their own stories either encouraging or downright dreadful, we realize they are here to tell us that there is life after 40…and 50…and menopause. I think I’m adjusting, though quite slowly. Now, more than ever, I believe that men will never know how good they have it because they are simply different creatures, as different as cats are from dogs, birds are from fish. That’s fine. They couldn’t handle this stuff anyway.
For now, I’m making every attempt to enjoy the ride. If I discover myself finally on the other side of this “change,” I’ll let you know. In the meantime, there’s a knot tied tightly at the end of my rope, and I’m swinging!
PROGRESS?
I’m making something, but I’m not sure it’s progress. I did finish the blue socks and have since worn them enough that I’d show you a picture of them, but they’re in the wash. If I had more time, I’d do that hand-washing thing, but there ya go.
So this little hat went to my son’s friend Dan’s new baby niece. It’s made with angora and wool, and if it wouldn’t look too queer on me, I’d make one for me.
Isn’t this cute? It’s called a Loop d’ Loop by Chris Bylsma. I made it with Interlacements Oregon Worsted Stripe.
So now I’ve started another pair of socks, a Scrawl , and another hat like the one above only in an adult size. Yeah; I have odd friends.
STARTERITIS.
I’m gonna do it. I’m gonna post all my UFO’s here along with pics. I know ya’ll think owning a yarn shop has to be the best place in the world to knit. That’s what I thought, too. And in a way that’s true. I mean, I have access to all the yarn I want and patterns galore. But I’m finding, instead, that it’s absolutely the best place in the world to start knitting.
Behold:
Here. Enjoy them one at a time…
YA NEVER KNOW.
EwwKay. Let’s see if I can remember how this goes. In May I considered eCommerce (not happening!) because May apparently is not a huge yarn-shop kinda month. Go figure. People seemed more concerned with getting used to the fact that their kids would be home 24/7 and bored within days, their yards might need mowing, and pretty flowers often don’t happen by themselves. I’ll admit things were getting a little panicky here in my head since I’d just been open a couple months and bills were due and stuff like that. So while it was all great fun to practically live at my new little shop, things were slow enough that I wondered if I’d soon be amongst the home shopless. June arrived in all its glory heat, and all the beautiful wool I’d ordered wasn’t really foremost in the minds of many knitters. (Though felted-bag knitters are wooly diehards, and a little 90+ heat never stops them.)
Now it’s July. Who knew July would be a great knitting month? Who knew that $3.39 a gallon was an acceptable price to pay for people to come up north and visit? Who knew that A/C can draw knitters to the shop like YO’s to lace?
I’ve discovered, and hope to remember, that July is a really good month for Gaylord. We have 4th of July; we have festsivals; we have great golfing and swiming and camping. But I also hope to remember that we now have yarn reps coming to show me the new fall lines. (Yes; there are seasonal ‘lines’ to yarn.) I’m still catching my breath and excited about the summer stuff when suddenly I’m inundated with color choices for wools and patterns for this fall and winter. What the world?
So I’ve ordered the fall stuff. I look forward again to all my little Santas who deliver to my shop, even though I know I’ve held deliveries out through September. I can’t wait for this stuff to come in. I can’t knit fast enough or often enough. But during this first year open, I’m clueless as to what sells when and why. I don’t know one day to the next how it’s going to go. This year will at least give me projections for next year. (Next year!) I’ll have fewer excuses next year, although I retain my right to the short-term-memory-loss thing. I’m having a blast. I’m meeting the best, most generous, thoughtful and interesting people I’ve ever known. I go home with pounding feet to knit a bit. And I look forward each day to whatever it’ll bring, because ya just never know.
TO E- OR NOT TO E-…THAT IS THE QUESTION.
I’ve had a couple out-of-state folks ask me about selling online. I’ve only been open for close to three months, but April and May are not exactly high knitting season. Seems like a big STEP, one that will take some prep work getting all my inventory online. Plus figuring out the whole shipping thing. But e-Commerce seems to be taking off, doesn’t it? I, myself, do a lot of shopping online. Big fan of it. But what about being on this end of it? Wish I could just stick my toe in the water and test it on a smaller scale…
Ideas, anyone?
BY THE WAY…
Here’s what I’ve been working on the last week or so. I’m doing two at once so I actually have a real pair to wair. Aren’t they preddy? I’m using Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn. Love that stuff. I started them together, two socks on two circs. After two inches and four tinks, I decided to separate them at birth, so to speak, before I gave up on them completely. This is working better. I really think that by the time the cold weather comes round again, they’ll be done.
Yeah; mm..hmm.
SHE TOLD ME SO.
I know. I know. Where have I been. That is a very legitimate question; one that I should know the answer to. To be short and to the point, I’ve been at the shop. If I’m not actually at the shop, I’m either going to the shop, leaving the shop, or thinking about the shop.
Now ask me what I’ve knit lately. That is a very legitimate question, too. I remember when I first thought about opening a yarn shop. A friend (who also owns a shop) warned me that if I was getting into owning a shop with the idea that I would be able to knit to my heart’s content, I should reconsider. I laughingly agreed that I would most likely be too busy, but inside I knew it would be different for me. Why? I love knitting. I love yarn. I love the gadgets and the needles and the textures and the patterns. I knew I could never let a day go by without picking up my needles and at least getting a few stitches on. Never!
At what age do we finally stop believing that “It’ll be different for me”? I had a recent conversation with a girlfriend regarding the tough lessons kids have to go through instead of learning from someone else’s mistakes. “Why do they think they’re different?” I asked.
So here I am, taking a break at 10:00 p.m., to tell you why I haven’t been here. I am ashamedly admitting to anyone who happens by that she was right. And while she would never come right out and say, “I told you so,” I’m doing it for her. She told me so.
LiviKnit 