"how many customers does it take..."

to pay the rent? Four. How many patrons does it take to rescue a brand new shop keeper from the brink of despair? Yup. Four again. And they were lovely. Elizabeth, Kellie, Erin, and Barb, you guys totally made my day. That and the fact that I found a way to extort slave labor out of my mother. It seems boring her to tears in a knitting/patchwork shop one day, then providing her with both a sewing machine and pre-cut strips of Amy Butler's "Belle" fabrics the next was the winning combination. Gentle Reader, in the span of an afternoon I have an almost completed set of "coin" strips, which are to be set with solid strips of another of the "Belle" fabrics... it is going to be gorgeous I tell you, just oooh, so pretty. And fun. Definitely not stodgy. Not that I'm judging or anything.



Speaking of, has anyone carefully analyzed the tag results on Emily's blog? Hmmmm? Not to point any fingers, but can I just take a wee moment here to shout "GO TEAM!!!!"? and "Rapid Rag Relayers ROCK" and whomever is up next, keep those fingers warm and nimble, and don't poop out on us... we're doing great. I'd also like to cheer on Gaylen's team... she's a 'Happy Yarn Hag'... I'd like for them to come in second, so, "GO HAGS!" to those gals as well.



GMarie called me on opening day and I nearly fainted... how weird is it to hear someblogger's voice out of the blue, or rather, out of the phone... it was an unexpected treat and I was so flattered and grateful for the attention. You should know this about Gaylen Marie also... she has volunteered... of her own free will... to sew clothing samples for the shop. I'm getting together Amy Butler's patterns practically as I type this. Enjoy the vaycay, my lovely, crafty friend... you'll likely find yourself very busy sewing "future skirts" in the near future.



Is my policy a good one, or am I 'taking advantage' of the pool of stitchers by offering the make it and (in six months) take it approach? So far, (in my vast two days experience) having samples for the general public to fondle and snort has helped make the sale. The 'Frog Tree' scarf in particular. This again is why I'm keeping mum tied to the sewing machine. Tomorrow I'm putting the pieced top in the shop window, then mailing it off for machine quilting on Monday. She leaves on Saturday, so I'm feeling like I need to push,er,'utilize' her for all she's worth. She really likes sewing, or at least she did 'till today *snort* and I hope seeing the fabrics actually made up into a blanket will move the stuff along. I don't want to seem too pushy, but seriously, if you want to make a sample, send me an e-mail and volunteer your 'special skillz' and perhaps I'll be able to take you up on it. 'Cuz having the shop has so far meant far less time for fun and creating, and more time for anxiety and ulcer-growing.



Tomorrow is Bill's birthday. I'd had him take the day off, so we could go see a movie... yes, I had *totally* forgotten about having a *store*. There. That's my stupid confession for the week. I forgot about opening the shop. Could I be any more "duh"? It really is fun, I love meeting new knitters (no quilters yet... but I've been told they are coming... soon, and in packs), and once the freak-out newness of the daily operations wears off, I promise I'll be much more pleasant to be around. And Mel, your yarn should should go into the que for shipping tomorrow. I'll call with details, but it's coming straight to you... whew. Gotta go sneak up on my mother... she's being too quiet. Cami

All in a day's work

The brain-in-a-box never left the building, so not only did I send a cop on a goose-chase, I may possibly be senile, at the ripe old age of thirty... something. Old. Something old. Thank you to all who left condolences for my sanity. I'll miss it, too.

Today was the trial-run of sock 'camp', which is less like camp and more like me popping up and down and circling like a shark (or a hummingbird... I like me some sugar) to all the 'campers' attempting their first socks. Everybody left with a little something on needles. I didn't have a good chance to get any inventory logged in due to the last 'camper', the phone, and, finally, when I got home around sevenish, THIS was waiting for me... Poof.

There went the rest of my evening. It is now 2:39 a.m. (I don't care what time blogger says it is, I can see the time on my own damn clock, thank you...) It's late, or rather, early now, and this is the second day in a row I will have gone to bed closer to three a.m. Which wouldn't suck if I could sleep till eight... wow. That *never* happens. Man, I sure miss sleep... but I'm fully committed to the dish rag tag, so I'm still awake, 'cuz I just finished this little number (and Debra, blogless Debra in KY... you're "it")

Yes, in a fit of sleep-deprivation, I succumbed to running a little organdy ribbon (can't find my secret stash of grosgrain, which means the girls *did*) through the eyelets. OMG. I spent an evening knitting a dish rag... with lacy bits. Lord love a duck, I *am* nuttier than squirrel turds. Mailing this off in a few hours. Total time spent at my house... are you sitting down? If I leave for the P.O. at ten in the morning, this box will have been in my house less than twenty hours. It took me four to knit this thing, because I kept losing my place. Had husband put in a favorite flick of mine as he stumbled up to bed, so I knitted to Reese Witherspoon and Mark Ruffalo. Before that, husband watched 'Waterboy', which always gives me giggle-fits, hence the losing my place on the dishrag... and I haven't even posted photos of the pretties Stephanie sent me for our swap. The yarn is gorgeous, the chocolate mints nearly gone, and as soon as I get Bigrrrl washed, she'll have a cute sticker to sport. I have never stuck a sticker on a vehicle before... but Bigrrrl likes it, so she agreed to putting it on her rump... or, possibly, her rear... window. Saw a cool sticker on a car on the way home tonight. "Humankind. Be Both" Interesting, no? Oh, I forgot to mention the soap. Yummy soap, in the spicy kind of scent I prefer. And *so* shimmery. She is a 'potions' expert... I'm hoping she'll make some for the shop someday, too.

I have to go sleep now, or all my effort to knit quick will be for naught. I'll catch y'all later. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz