Moving Day Preps

Preparing to move a shop requires a lot of planning and a fair amount of time.
We don't have any of that.
The landlord wants us in the new unit by May 3.
 A process that I thought we could ease into over two or three months just got compressed into two weeks and change.

I began with a scaled drawing of the new space and put everything in it's place in the new space.  That will help all of our helpers to quickly move things into place.  Thank goodness we have a lot of helpers.  Today the new racks arrived for the consignment part of the shop and there is no room in the old shop for them to sit.  A neighboring business offered to keep them sheltered for a week until we get going in the new space.  A crew of about 8 women will be loading up the yarn and moving it all 2 doors down to it's new spot.

Tonight I make the list of all the vendors who need our new contact information, the utilities that need to be notified and the government agencies that will also need to know.  I hope to send out a form letter with everything essential on it.

I surely hope we get some consignors interested in the new venture quickly so that this new space fills up.  Otherwise we will have lots of pretty yarn in a big echo chamber filled with happy knitters.  We need more stuff to fill this space.

Favorite Colors

When you think about color, what is the first one to come to mind? 

What is your very favorite color?

Has your favorite color changed over time?

Color is a personal thing.  Favorite colors and least favorite colors say a lot about a person.  Choosing a yarn color to work with over a long period of time to make a sweater or a pair of socks becomes a joyful activity or a trudging one depending on the color and the texture of the yarn.  

Color controls your driving, influences your buying habits and changes your mood.   

Red, is action oriented and sensory.  Always on the go.

Orange is social, likes to be part of a group and loves physical and mental challenges.

Yellow is logical and orderly, full of new ideas.

Green is acceptance, acknowledgement and belonging.

Blue is for a deep need to find inner peace and truth, to live their life according to their ideals and beliefs

Indigo lovers have a need to feel in harmony and at one with the Universe and to be accepted by others.

Purple or violet is for a deep need for emotional security and to create order and perfection in all areas of your life, including your spiritual life.

Pink is for a deep need to be accepted and loved unconditionally.

Turquoise is for emotional balance in your life, hopes and dreams and living by your own terms.

Magenta, is a non-conformist who sees life from a different point of view.

Brown is for a deep need for a safe, secure, simple and comfortable existence.

Black is a need for power and control

White is for  simplicity in your own life, independence and self-reliance.

Gray is a middle of the road type, cool, conserved, composed and reliable.

Silver is for intuitive and insightful and have a strong connection with a higher spiritual guidance.

  

Gold is charisma, personality and individuality.

Shopping online or your local small business?

I own a small business and I shop online.  I support the 3/50 project with my business and in practice with several small local businesses and I shop online.  I am an Amazon quick fix junkie for some things.  I can have a quick shopping fix right from my desk or my favorite chair if I choose.  I know.  It’s a problem.  Sometimes it’s a budgetary problem.  Sometimes it’s an “I live in rural America and this thing isn’t available here” problem.  I’d rather this item of the moment was available at my local department store, but it’s a specialty item.

When I work on a project, I love the touch and feel the craft materials I use.  I have not had success choosing materials from a catalog or an online site because I am so tactile and sensory about the process.  If I order something crafty, when the desired item arrives it’s the wrong color, the wrong size, and the wrong shape.  It goes to a dusty shelf and I reorder or try something else. 

When I travel with the family, we specifically search out yarn and fiber shops.  I gather their addresses in advance on Google, KnitMap or SweaterBabe.  I plan out the time to visit.  My family usually goes for ice cream after they drop me off at the LYS.  It’s a long adventure and they know it.  And I get something there that I cannot get at home in my favorite chair.  I pick out a random skein of beautiful yarn or a shop pattern.  I have a nice chat with someone who lives in another part of the country.  They usually don’t know that I own a yarn shop because I don’t share that.  I am seeing what other yarn shops feel like and that is best done incognito.  I want to know the atmosphere and character of the shops I visit.  I soak it in because each shop has a different feel.  And I write down something interesting about each one.  I look for ideas that I can take home and that are worth using another time.  You can’t get that on Amazon.