Our New Website is Coming

With our shop finally settled in from rearranging the shop and getting ready for fall, we're finally ready to get the new website launched.

Why the big deal?
We're changing who's hosting the website to make it more aesthetically pleasing and user-friend for all.  No run-around to try and find the color or yarn or even the shopping cart.  When we finally "push the button" to make the switch, the internet will need to catch up.  That means the site will be down for about 24 hours and so will email communications (hence, trying to push this out as far as possible).

What will change?

• The look and feel of the site - It's been set up to have a more boutique atmosphere online!
• Promotions and rewards are much easier to administer - That means, no more manual gift certificates, you will have the choice to have it emailed to your recipient or even a physical mailed to them!  There's also a feature that will allow us to carry over the customer rewards that we offer in store to be offered online (again, no manual calculations).
• Some items will be available for purchase via Facebook - If we do a deal of the day or a limited time promotion, it's available to purchase right from the Facebook social store.  We can select those items and change them as frequently as possible.
• Consignment items can be sold via Facebook or the website - Believe it or not, the previous website solution didn't allow us to list products on an "ad-hoc" basis.  So consignment items or products exclusive to Midwest Yarn couldn't be added.  That's all gonna change and it's awesome!

What will NOT change?

• No worries, we wanted to make this transition seamless, so domain/URL (www.midwestyarn.com) will stay the same.
• Email addresses will stay the same.
• Our dedication to customer service will continue to exceed expectations. 
• Paypal will continue to be our main payment portal.  You don't need a Paypal account and you would be able to pay by any method of payment that Paypal accepts with the same information and transaction protection that you'd get with any other secure payment system.  (We use Paypal, because they offer both customer and business protection and they also have wonderful customer service)

Other things you may notice

• New items will "go live" much faster (because it's easier to post them)!
• A few sections may not have any products listed yet, because we're still working on getting them functional, inventoried, or working on a good way to make them available (free patterns, books, and needles/hooks/accessories fall into that category, but we'll let you know when they're available).   

If you have any questions, make sure to send a message on Facebook (so the email doesn't get lost in cyberspace when the switch gets made) or give us a call at the shop during shop hours.

Enjoy!

Fall Preview

Look What's Coming Soon (and other news)

Fall 2013 Preview

As you know, I attended The National Needlearts Association convention in Columbus, Ohio back in mid-June.  With it being my first time attending and I attended alone, I was overwhelmed by all the exciting new things.  Of course, I couldn't help but keep in mind new things, especially things that you may not find in the other yarn stores in the Milwaukee area, but I also gravitated towards things that caught my eye (including designers I admire).

Nevertheless, I did walk away from the convention with some exciting orders placed for brand new yarn and kits for the upcoming fall season.  All things that would provide for excellent class projects and inspirational fall/winter knitting.  So here's a few things you can expect to see on your fall class roster:

If you'd like to sign up in advance for any of the classes below, contact me at info@midwestyarn.com for more details (and selecting kit colors).

- The Color Wave Shawl, featuring Kauni Effektgarn (100% wool, sport weight). Class price $40, plus cost of kit, coming later this fall (class dates to be determined).

Copyright RYN

- The Block Party Eternity Scarf, featuring fingering weight yarns from Knit One/Crochet Too.  A great pattern to learn a good provisional cast-on and mosaic knitting (beginner level color work which allows you to work one color at a time per row...it's almost magical).  

Class price $55 (4 classes), plus cost of kit.  

Sundays, 12pm - 2 pm

September 22, 29, October 6, 13

 Contact me ASAP as the kits are set to arrive September, so I will need to know if more will need to be ordered prior to that.

Copyright Knit One, Crochet Too

- Sea Lettuce Shawl.  The sample for this is already on display in the shop, mainly because I couldn't put this gorgeous yarn down.  Featuring Crock 'o Dye fingering weight yarn from Knit One, Crochet Too.  

Learn striping color work, drop stitches (on purpose), and how to read lace charts.  More of an intermediate/advanced class, so must have basic knitting skills like casting on, working in garter stitch (knit all rows) and binding off.

Class price $55 (4 classes), plus cost of kit.  

Saturdays, 12pm - 2 pm

September 28, October 5, 12, 19

More classes are to be listed soon...

Midwest Yarn's Makeover

We've also updated our shop to make room for more yarn and give it more of a boutique atmosphere.  With that change, we are also upgrading the website to be more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing.  Do bear with me as those changes are being made, I want to make sure that it is easier in the future to run sales online and even make the online customer rewards program an automatic process, rather than run manually on my end.

Other news

Unfortunately, due to the lack of interest and no pre-orders made, we will not be adding spinning wheels and accessories to our inventory until further notice. I do urge our customers to continue to support Midwest Yarn's growth by participating in yarn and supply pre-orders.  Remember, we are a smaller shop and big risks like bringing in new yarn lines and other products must be worthwhile in order for us to make it and continue serving the Milwaukee area. 

 A big thank you to those who take advantage of special ordering yarn from the companies we have accounts with.  We may not have room for everything, but we still make sure you can get what you need as quickly as possible.  If you don't see what you're looking for, ask to take a look at our catalogs.  Most custom orders arrive within a week, because our suppliers are awesome!  Don't worry, you customers are awesome too and I live to make you happy by providing yarny goodness.

Lastly, we'll be closed Friday and Saturday the third week in August to go mobile.  That's right I'll be running a booth at the Mid-Ohio Fiber Fair in Newark, Ohio (just outside of Columbus), selling not only the wonderful yarns we have in the shop, but also OMG's hand dyed yarn, hand dyed fiber, and hand spun yarn.  My patterns will also be available for purchase as well.  

Until next time!

Landon's Sweet Baby Blanket - FREE PATTERN

Landon's Sweet Baby Blanket

Well, it's a good thing that I actually kept notes and wrote myself a basic pattern for the blanket I made for our family friend's baby named Landon, it seems he's gone viral overnight!  I posted his picture last night on the Midwest Yarn Facebook page upon receiving the appreciation photo - actually, my husband got it texted to him with a follow up saying that the picture was too cute and he might want to hide it from me (because I love baby pictures!).

So Landon's Sweet Baby Blanket is quite simple to do and it's a perfect weekend project to whip up if you have a short deadline like I did.

Gauge:
5 sts per in on US 6 or size to obtain gauge

What you'll need:

• 40" US 6 Circular Needle or size to obtain gauge (I used a US 5 because I wanted my stitches to be tighter together - big or loose sts mean little fingers can get tangled up in there)
• Five 50g balls of Main Color - Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo Color 157
• Two 50g balls of Complimentary Color - Sirdar Snuggly Baby Bamboo Color 169

Glossary:
MC: Main Color
CC: Complementary Color
slm: slip marker
pm: place marker

Instructions:

Cast on 140 sts in CC.  Work in garter st until blanket measures 2" from cast on edge.

Switch to MC.

Row 1: Work first row of letter chart, pm, k to end of row.
Row 2: Purl to marker, slm, work next row of chart.
Row 3: Work next row of chart, slm, k to end of row.

Repeat Rows 2 & 3 until letter chart is complete.

Continue in st st in MC until blanket measures 28" from cast on edge, ending on a WS row.

Switch to CC.

Work in garter st for 2". Bind off loosely.

To complete borders, pick up about 3 sts for every 4 rows along side of blanket. Work in garter st for 1/2". Bind off loosely. Repeat on other side.

Weave in ends. Lightly steam to block.

L - Chart

Feel free to request a copy of a chart for a different letter by emailing me at info@midwestyarn.com, I'll happily send it to you in JPEG format and post a copy here for everyone else.  

Also, if you make this blanket and are on Ravelry.com, make sure to link a project to this free pattern.  I'm interested to see finished projects from this pattern and to know how you like yours.  :)

Update
Here are the charts for the letters that have been requested:

It's Worth It

When I was pregnant with Peanut, I managed a small women's clinic which was a 45 minute drive from my house.  It was the middle of my 3rd year at that location, so the scenic drive through southern Wisconsin was monotonous.  I loved to spice things up by singing or stopping off at local small shops or restaurants on my way to and from work.  So, it's no surprise to me now that Vincent loves to ride in the car, sing along to my favorite music, and even have the occasional mother/son dance party at the shop and at home.

Vincent saying "smile" instead of actually
smiling for the Boys Will Be Boys photo shoot

Lately, I've had to start calling him Mr. Sassypants, because, like his mommy, he can be quick to respond to comments with a roll of his eyes or a, "Don't even go there."  I can't decide if it's annoyingly entertaining or entertainingly annoying.  My answer will change depending on the day.  Like most moms, especially ones that stop into the shop, it really depends on what's going on that day, or how sassy he actually gets.  Three going on 13, Vincent may even lecture me on how I'm supposed to be organizing things in the shop.  Maybe he takes his title of VP of Sales and Marketing a little too seriously (then again, he did insist upon that title).

Am I giving a little too much credit to my son's intelligence?  Not in the least.  For almost 2 years, I've been his interpreter.  I picked up what his nonsensical babbling meant from an early age, and you cannot imagine the relief it was for him when he noticed that I was starting to understand.  It's almost as though he was learning English as a second language.

With all my projects going on, I've had to come up with my own way of communicating with myself in order to keep track of everything.  I've never been one for writing anything down, drawing diagrams, but I did like making lists.  I occasionally ask Siri to remind me to pick up my medication, but a lot of it just stays in my head.

On the Lido Deck of the Carnival Legend cruise ship
wearing the All the Stops Dress that took
about a year to knit

It's been a process: teaching myself how to sketch an idea so that I don't forget about a cool design; remembering to eat my breakfast, even though it's sitting right in front of me; and yes, responding to emails and writing a journal or blog entry.  As someone notorious for taking on too much at once, I'm learning how to say "no" to more projects, or putting some things on the back burner while I work out other, more pressing items.  I believe they call that prioritizing.  Meh.

I don't like things to be too structured, that's just not how I function, but I know that if one day I'm obsessed with knitting a certain project, I have to tell myself, you only have until midnight before you do something else or you can only work up until this row on the chart.  Then, I make myself take a break, go to bed, take a shower, etc.  

And so far, it's working.  I've got one pattern in testing, three that are in the sample stage (knitting a sample/taking notes in order to write the rough copy for testing), and quite a few sketches that are currently just ideas that are looking for the right yarn, colors or designer call.  Is this what professional designers end up doing?  If only I could talk to someone like Debbie Bliss or Jenny Watson, or anyone who churns out more design ideas than I'd know what to do with.  

Could those same designers also run their own yarn shop while caring for a toddler and keeping up with other fiber related hobbies?  Who knows?  I feel like I'm barely holding on to sanity at times, but all I know is that I'm enjoying it ten thousand times more than all my other jobs combined.  And part of owning a business is about taking the risk, not knowing if your gamble will inevitably fail or if it can continue to sustain itself indefinitely.

Me dressed up as Aretha Franklin after the
Carnival Legends show with the cruise ship dance
staff member assigned as my "escort" for the evening

I wish I could know that one day all these days of struggle would mean something.  Will I be able to make this a career or will this just be a couple of years where I tried something that didn't work?  It's worth the shot.  Though word on the cruise ship was that, if all else fails, I'd probably be able to make a good living as a singer.  :)

No One is Perfect

I often forget that things cannot be as "perfect" as you want them to be, something which causes a lot of stress if I let it.  Today, after finding my son building a fort with the blocking mat pieces I brought home from the shop, in a moment of weakness, I pulled myself into my bedroom and cried for 5 minutes.  

When my husband noticed I had disappeared, he asked, "What's going on?"  I explained that I didn't want cat hair all over blocking mats, which led to him saying that the cats had already had a field day rubbing their faces all over them.  As he talked, I realized, that wasn't the only thing that was bothering me.  So, of course, tears welled up in my eyes again.

"Ok, now what?" my husband asks.  

"That's not the only thing bothering me," I say.  

"What else is it?"  To which I respond with the next thing that happens across my brain - I am a bit overwhelmed with Vincent being so ornery lately.  And Mr. Fix-It responds with, "Well, I gave you a list of day cares and pre-schools, why don't you call and set something up for Vincent?"

I shook my head, knowing that tomorrow I'll feel differently, because I just cannot seem to give up my little peanut.  And then, another wave of tears hits me.  "Did you just save a pile of issues to deal with?" my husband asks.  I shook my head.

"Next thing?"  

"Nothing," I say.  "Same s**t, different day."

"You want another baby, don't you?"  and I sheepishly shook my head.  He smiled, rubbed my back, and made a promise to me - it won't happen right now, but, he'd agree that another one can come along.  Something we haven't been able to agree on for a LONG time.

The moral of the story is...no one is perfect.  

In spite of my fear of losing another battle with anxiety, the anxiety still gets the best of me from time to time.  Right now, I choose to think of it as: I've been working very hard for the past several months, all hoping to find that perfect, happy place.  

Perhaps it's not perfection that I seek, not happiness, but satisfaction.  Satisfaction that my time has been well-spent.  That my son is comfortable and content (he'd be happy living in a cardboard box, as long as it was warm and had mommy and daddy by his side...let's face it, kids are pretty easily amused at age 3).  That my shop continues to grow.

What have I done so far this year:

• Helped proof a pattern book
• Released a 2-pattern e-book
• Gone on vacation
• Knit 5 projects from beginning to end
• Finished another project in hibernation
• Worked on a few designs
• Hosted my best friend's bridal shower
• Was Maid of Honor in my best friend's wedding

And the usual day to day stuff...I'm exhausted just thinking about it.  Oh well, at least everyone had a good time and things turned out great!  

Yes, I'm more than happy to add a newborn into the mix if and when the time comes, but for now, I'm working on being content with my work and staying healthy for all the things I have in front of me.  I'll even continue to shower Peanut with hugs and kisses every day while we enjoy our daily dance party in the shop (it's a great way to start the day or break up the monotony of a slow day).  :)

For Little Ones in Need

Knit and Crochet For Little Ones in Need

Ever since her birth back in October 2011, I've been following little Maia Cavanaugh - the daughter of two people I grew up with - and her progress with her many medical complications: Down's Syndrome, heart surgery, gi tubes, etc.  This adorable little girl's story is not only inspirational, but also impressive because she and her family have survived so many things in the past 15 months.

When checking email while on vacation, I was shocked to find that she had been diagnosed with Acute Myeloid Lukemia (AML) requiring 6 to 9 months of inpatient care!  Many friends and family have stepped up to help with meals and care of Maia's older brother Noah, who is Vincent's age.

Since we fiber artists have a lot of causes that we like to contribute to (ie, The Linus Project, etc.), I wanted to ask if anyone would be interested in knitting or crocheting items for Maia and her brother, Noah.  They are likely to be going back and forth to the hospital during the next several months, most of which during the winter and spring.  Before starting any projects, please let me know if you are interested by responding in any of the following ways:

• here on the blog in the comments
• email: melina@midwestyarn.com
• Twitter
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/midwestyarn

A friend of their family is coordinating a lot of the physical help they will receive and I have been in touch with her.  Should we get a lot of interest, items that Noah and Maia can use will be sent to them directly and the remainder will be donated to Children's Hospital in Madison on Maia's behalf, because there are plenty of children in need of something to help brighten their day during a particularly difficult time in their lives.

Potential items include:

• Hats
• Mittens
• Blankets
• Cardigans (I will check on sizes for both of them) - please, no pullovers because Maia has tubes and wires for treatment
• Yarn - maybe - for example, if you don't have time, yarn can be donated to other members of the fiber community to knit/crochet donated items

More details to follow as we get an idea of who is interested and the potential for donated items.  I wish there was more I, personally, could do, but unfortunately, I am unable to donate blood or marrow due to my own autoimmune condition.

If you'd like to read more about Maia, please visit her Caring Bridge.org page at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/maiacavanaugh

Knit One, Meditate Too

Anticipation Anxiety

 If you've stopped by the shop or spoken with me over the phone this past week, you may have noticed that I've been a bit aloof.  I've just completely lost focus with all that's going on in the shop.  I may spend 30 minutes here and there spinning (like the baby alpaca yarn pictured on the left), answering the phone, talking with customers in the shop, packaging orders, knitting, entertaining my increasingly cranky 3 year old, and the list goes on...

Truth is, I may just have trouble prioritizing some days, or other days, I get so excited from the anticipation of what could become of the shop that I lose track of what I was doing.  And then, the internet service went awry.  So not only do I have to run the shop on my iPhone, I have to do a lot of work arounds on things I was already accustomed to doing on the computer.  Simple things like printing out a pattern have become 45 minute tasks, because my printer just does not want to cooperate with the wireless network.  But I'm good at troubleshooting, so IT fixes are no problem for me.  

The good thing is that I've learned to find some easy ways to meditate to calm down my brain.  Most days it works, other days, I just have to tell myself that tomorrow is another day.  What does it mean for me in the long run?  I'm more productive when stressed.  So, I did some refreshing of my crochet skills, which are a lot better than I remember (see crochet hat on the right).  I even taught myself a new spinning technique, the Navajo 3-ply, which has allowed me to finally spin a yarn thicker than lace or fingering weight on my vintage, handmade spinning wheel (see below).

It's weeks like these - the ones that leave me exhausted, crabby, and begging for one extra hour of sleep - that test my resolve, but in the end, I know that I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing.  Even if I have to remind myself of that every few minutes while on hold with a vendor or when pouring over the

books (accounting).

Increasing My Design Expertise

Now, I'm working on design, design, design.  As a business owner, I always have to find new sources of revenue that are low costs to the business.  Designing, which I LOVE to do, is one of them.  Yes, it takes a lot of time and effort to design, but in the long run, there's not much money that is put in to self-publishing, so profit in dollars is maximized.  At least when you look at it from a business perspective.

Because I love creating new things, I will sketch (something at which, let's just say, I'm not very skilled), doodle, or knit things that pop into my head. Just yesterday, I was wracking my brain on what to propose for the Knit Picks designer call that's posted on Ravelry, and I started doodling on graph paper to clear my mind.  What I ended up with was an 8 stitch repeating pattern in fair isle that I can turn into a sweater pattern for another project!  What's the most shocking about that, I've only knit one fair isle design, which was my own, and I absolutely HATED it.  Meaning, I hated knitting the fair isle.  I was asked to design and knit 5 beanie caps with my brother in law's band name on them.  He was impressed with how they turned out, how consistent all of them were ("like factory made!"), and he even kept one.  He actually just wore it the other day.

I finally got an idea for my design while driving home from the shop this afternoon.  It was one of those "a-ha!" moments, making me realize that I had just put too much thought into it.  So we'll see if I can get the sketch and proposal just right and I'm crossing my fingers and toes that it gets accepted, it would mean a lot for me and the shop.

And of course because this is a business...Shameless Plug  :)

Finally, I'm pleased to announce that a few things are in the planning stages for the rest of this year.  First, I'm working on a customer rewards program.  I'm not sure how to roll this out yet, but at the very least it will include volume discounts and loyalty rewards.  We will also be celebrating Small Business Saturday on November 24, the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

I'm still promoting the pre-orders of Addi Turbo and Addi Lace circular needles, including the interchangable sets that are now available in both Turbo and Lace tips.  These are wonderful needles to work with.  They have smooth coating that allows for faster knitting.  Lace tips feature a longer point that eases lace knitting, no matter what gauge yarn and needle size.  As mentioned in the previous blog entry, pre-orders are what allow us to bring new lines into the shop.  Being that we are a small business, it's a little bit more difficult to bring in new brands because of minimum orders required.  Support your local yarn shop by pre-ordering today.  Contact me for pricing and pre-order you Addi needles today.  

Why Pre-Order?

Why pre-order from Midwest Yarn?

I'm sure a lot of you have seen some of my Facebook posts stating that certain things are now available for pre-order.  But why do stores do this?  Simply put, since we are a small yarn shop and pre-orders help make it easier to grow our inventory.  With pre-orders made, we can bring in new products with much less of a burden on our cash flow, allowing us to keep you, the customer, happy.  Not to mention that we can bring a lot more new items in faster.  If we get in enough pre-order sales for a specific product, then it ships.  

Here are a few things I encourage you to pre-order with us so that we can complete our initial orders:

• Addi Turbo and Addi Lace needles, specifically longer circular lengths like 32", 40" and 60". I also recommend the Lace Click sets and Turbo Click sets, they're a great gift to yourself or your favorite knitter.  Click here for details on their website.
• Kraemer Tatamy Tweed DK or Worsted Yarns.  This yarn is a popular tweed that is machine washable and comes in a variety of colors.  Special orders can be made quickly with this company.
• And don't forget the OMG hand dyed yarns, done by yours truly.  I've been enjoying the feedback from my hard work on these and my handspun yarns.

Again, please consider pre-ordering with us to help continue our steady growth in the Bay View neighborhood.  Should you want to pre-order with us, contact me via Facebook or email and let me know what you're interested in ordering. I will email pricing for those items and will send an invoice once you've made a decision.  

Busy Busy Busy...

I've been quite busy with the shop lately: spinning, knitting, designing, and making connections with other knitters and crocheters.  I've even refreshed my crochet skills so that I can begin to offer crochet classes during the winter session (details to come soon).  Part of me wants to start making knit gifts for my family like I did last year, but I know that I definitely won't have the time. *sigh*

I did publish a women's sweater pattern on Ravelry and I'm also working on a series of boy's sweater patterns that my son will be modeling once they're complete.

I hope you all are having a great fall and don't forget to stop by the shop to see some of our new and exciting yarns.  :)

Customer Service

I've been toying around with the idea about a blog entry on customer service, and never really had much time.  There are just not enough hours in the day for everything that I want to do.  I do get time to put my thoughts down on Twitter or Facebook in between customers or projects.

After some recent issues with Time Warner Cable and reading complaints about local yarn shops on Ravelry, I felt that it's long overdue.

I always joke that I attended the "Everton Martin School of Business" before any other schooling I received.  That is due to the fact that I used to watch my father talk with people whenever he had a problem with that company's customer service.  In fact, our family was well known because my father always put up a big stink if things were not just as they should be.  

If people knew we were there, we always got perfect treatment, as though staff were scared of my father.  It even happened when I had to call the fire department out to the house when we had a gas leak after I graduated college.

But why do we have to yell, talk to management, or even put up any kind of stink to get good service?  Isn't the point to keep your customers happy so they keep coming back?!  When I sit on hold for 30 minutes and the muzak cuts to an automated voice that tells me my call is important, I ask myself every time, "Is it really?  Then why have I been on hold for 30 minutes?"  Because the last thing I need to do, especially when I have a 3 year-old and customers, is sit on the phone on hold for 30 minutes to wait for you to not help me at all!

This is usually why I apologize for Vincent people a little hyper in the shop, or for just about everything.  I value the people that come into the shop, appreciate their input, and most importantly when they come back. And that's my rant in a nutshell.

More yarn will be coming in soon, including items that I've hand dyed or hand spun.  Stay tuned for updates!  :)

Being a "Mom-trepreneur"

As if being a mom to an energetic 2 year-old wasn't hard enough, adding entrepreneur to the job description comes with its own challenges.  Sure, I had my doubts, some guilt, and was even discouraged at times, but deep down, I knew that being in charge of something and making my own rules would pay off in the long run.  It quite possibly has allowed me to keep my sanity.  :)

"Smile!"

Now that we've been open for over a month, I am constantly being asked, "How do you do it?"  I especially get asked that by the people who've had the privilege of meeting my sweet, yet sassy son, Vincent.  Well, there are a few things that any working or business-owning mom can do to keep themselves and the little ones happy.


1. Faith/Confidence - First and foremost, faith in yourself and what you're doing is paramount.  I often have to remind myself, "I've got this."  Yes, I do get stressed and I do have bad days, but ultimately, I know that I can do this.  And for the spiritual or religious, faith in a higher power to give you strength to make it through the tough times (ie, sick days, low sales days, etc.).  When we struggle, it's easy to forget that we need this kind of support to get over the hump.  I even say prayers showing how thankful I am for spending another day in my shop with my beautiful boy.


2. Time Management - I cannot reiterate enough how time well spent can lead to increased success...or at least the satisfaction that you've done the best you can do with what you have.  Some benefit from routines or schedules.  I, personally, LOVE checklists/to-do lists.  This is a skill I was taught to do in college, which helped me graduate a semester earlier than my peers.  Now, I create to-do lists that start with the most important things that need to be done that day and end with things that would be nice if it was done, but was not necessarily a priority.  I also remind myself that the entire list does not have to be done.  Then, I further prioritize by what will require the most concentration and do those things while Vincent naps or after he goes to bed at night.  The benefit to that is, I get to concentrate on that task, it takes less time because there are no interruptions, and Vincent gets the attention he needs while he's awake.


3.  "Me Time" - Even if you don't work, you always need to set up some sort of regular "me time" for yourself.  That means, do something you enjoy doing without the kid(s), spouse, significant other around.  Easier said than done, right?  Look at it this way, even a 15 minute soak in the bath tub with your favorite scents or candles can suffice.  Yea, I know I get to knit a lot, which I enjoy doing, but I still take some time to myself every day.  I don't allow anyone to interrupt my morning shower routine so that I can get a little relaxation before I start a busy day.  Of course, that doesn't always happen, since Vincent may occasionally wake up early, or one of the cats starts howling at the bathroom door because they decide that my attention is needed right that very minute.  In some cases, I may even go to a movie on my own, which is a wonderful thing to do on a Saturday afternoon if hubby isn't working.


4.  Support - Let's face it, no one is perfect.  We all have our bad days or even things that get us down from time to time.  And I know I cannot do everything on my own.  It will save your sanity (and your child's as well) if you have someone you can vent to, someone who can help you when you get too busy (even with great time management skills this can happen), or just plain someone who will drive the getaway car when you've finally lost your mind and need to escape.  This is why I talk to my mother on a daily basis: it's therapeutic for the both of us.  She runs a bed and breakfast in the middle of nowhere, Illinois.  So we have our chat every morning about husbands, kids, or business, crack a few jokes, have some laughs, and then go on about the day.  Somehow it brightens my day to know that Vincent is oddly similar to myself and my brother and how we drove my mom batty when we were kids.  


So with all that being said, am I still crazy for running my own business while taking care of a Peanut?  Oh, did I mention that I'd like to have another at some point in the future (not now, but maybe after the business has been open for a year or two)?  Hubby thinks I'm nuts.  :)

Smashing little boxes...

In the wake of the USOC cease and desist letter and subsequent apology, had a thought: I hate stereotypes. In a world where we must define everything, from the name of the particles that make up the air we breathe to the ethnic categories we claim on the census, it's preferred that everyone and everything fit nice and neatly into its own little box.  Speak a hybrid of Spanish or English two equally different boxes?  Then you now speak a new language called Spanglish.

Peanut and me at the shop
Photo by Jennifer Kresse

I am not too particular about stereotypes for obvious reasons, but the main one is the fact that, because I do not fit into one box on a number of levels, I can make people uneasy (or curious...it all depends on the person).  I mean, really, as a girl I was supposed to love the color pink, love cooking and cleaning, right?  Nope!  Give me a tricked out Honda Civic and I'll be the first girl in line to race Vin Diesel in the next Fast and Furious movie, because I'd be more interested in the sleek lines of the interior than the actor's chiseled muscles (though, as far as preferences go, the muscles would be at a very very close second).  :)


So why do knitters and crocheters get the stereotype that we're all grannies, spinsters, or just plain old women with a house full of cats and nothing else to do?  I mean, when I first presented the idea to my husband that I wanted to open a yarn shop, he asked me why I wanted to be in an industry full of old ladies.  And the fact that the USOC so quickly issued (and re-issued) an apology to our community of fiber fanatics means that we have more pull than the average person may think.

Green layette
I designed and hand knit this one

This is why I do what I do.  I want to pass on this craft to people who want to learn, join our powerful community, and have fun doing something that can make the world more beautiful, one stitch at a time.


So, with a successful grand opening of the brick and mortar shop, a growing number of wonderful customers, and my design mojo back, I will keep working hard and travelling on this path.  I'm designing a few patterns now, working on getting more new items in the shop, and keeping us in the Bay View area for as long as we can.

Peanut models The Wonderful Wallaby
I wanted him to have something fun for the fall
and practiced raglan yoke at the same time!

Thank you!

One display area which includes items for sale
crocheted by Grey Havens

I want to thank everyone who came in for our Grand Opening on Tuesday.  It was great meeting the knitters and crocheters from the area and getting their input on how we're doing.  Some of you even got to meet Peanut, my very social 2 year old, who'd greet a lot of customers with a hug.  While he won't be here all day or every day, he is one of the reasons why I do this.


We were featured in the Bay View Compass, the local newspaper, which brought in even more people.

Hat made from Noro Ayatori, on display with
Noro Yarns

So, what's next?  I'm working on getting more yarn, doing more designing, and increasing the number of patterns available for purchase in the shop.  I'm also continuing to contact people for consignment opportunities and looking at getting some indie dyed yarn soon in order to continue with the boutique feel of the shop.  My husband is working on the permanent sign so that the shop is easier to find as well.


All this isn't possible without you, so again I thank you all for your patronage.


In the next blog post, I will be featuring a little blurb on the artisans whose items are now available at the shop: Giant Anteater; Knit, Nicole, Knit!; and Grey Havens.

Knitting: Good for Your Health

Spiders.  Flying.  Toilets.  You name it.  No matter how bizarre, I was probably afraid of it.  It was a terrible way of going through life, and it hit a boiling point right around my sophomore year of college - on September 11, 2001.  When so many people were experiencing loss and the trauma of the images they'd seen on tv, I feared random acts to the point, I was afraid to leave my home (a tiny little private dormitory).  And in fact, I didn't...for an entire month.  Somehow, I had been scared from generalized anxiety to PTSD.  After years of doctors and many therapy sessions, being told to relax did not help.  


And then one day, I stumbled across my mother's stash of yarn.  I picked out this fuzzy black yarn.  I hadn't done any knitting in a couple of years, so I fumbled over a cast on and knit myself a scarf in one sitting.  The world had melted away and nothing else mattered.


Fast forward another few years and countless projects later.  I finally figured out why knitting commands so much from me.  It changed my life.  When I couldn't meditate on my own, repeating k2 p2 in my head as I finished each row of a ribbing, I was, in a sense, meditating.  If I focused enough, I could lose myself in the fiber.  So, no matter how many battles I had to fight with horrible bosses, unruly patients, or my husband, I could calm myself with knitting.


I'm proud to say that eleven years after that turning point, my panic attacks are few and far between, PTSD is a thing of the past, and I'm starting to claw my way in to the fiber arts industry.  Standing in the shadows is not an option for me anymore.  


I have been groomed for greatness my whole life, it's about time I finally got there.  Even if it's only in my own eyes.  Starting this business will hopefully only be the beginning.  What has knitting done for you?

A Call to Arms: Setting Up the Shop

The shop on the same day we got the keys...

Since I didn't want to complain about EVERYTHING, I haven't posted.  I could have posted about the 10 hours a day I spend in the shop with my curious 2 year-old (who insisted on giving me hugs and kisses while I was lifting heavy items).  I could have even posted about how tight the money is since we are spending our own money left and right to get things moved in and fixed up.  But why stay positive?  Because that's what gets me through the day!  In spite of all the bumps in the road, I know that this yarn shop is something I want to do and it will work out the way it should.

How one area of the shop looked as of yesterday.

We funded this business out of our own pockets.  That's admittedly the scariest thing about starting the yarn shop.  There's so much on the line.  If it fails, it will take a long time to recover.  I'm starting to feel the same strain that I did when I worked at my last job, I made good money, had great health care benefits, but hated the job.  I was torn because working their benefited my family, but I was losing my sanity.  Now, I'm doing what I love, but this has the potential to not be a good thing for the family.  Then I just pick up and start knitting an item for my Etsy shop or stare at pictures of the LYS and feel a sense of calm.  See?  Yarn is good for your health.

When we got the keys almost two weeks ago and I began moving in, the space looked empty.  Then, a week later, the furniture was moved in and I could barely move around without hitting a box or getting a bruise from the corner of a fixture.  My husband, his brother, and a friend moved all the large items in and I ended up moving everything where it needed to go.  That meant I had to tramp up and down the basement stairs with heavy boxes and bins of things from our storage unit and the basement of our home.  

The other half of the front area.
Today, all of the yarn was finally put out...

So now I'm stressing about all the other little incidentals that need to fall into place before we open the doors.  You know, the final touches to make this business launch.  The sign is the most difficult item to do, because I cannot do it myself (grrrr...).  You'll find out quickly that, while I am a team player, I love my independence.  

Peanut finds all the running around amusing.  He's got a stash of toys and plenty of things to get into while I have my attention on something else.  He's even noticed that UPS delivers "mommy's yarn" so now whenever he sees a UPS truck, he proudly exclaims, "That's mommy's yarn!  Mommy, we get yarn!  Mommy, we go yarn shop, get yarn!"  I see another yarnie joining us in the future...

Why is this a call to arms?  Well, it being a bit of a slower time for yarn shops in general with warmer months coming, internet sales have slowed to somewhat of a stand still, so we need your help.  I implore my followers to continue to patronize the online shop, tell your friends and family about us, and if you're in the area, come in for our Grand Opening so that we can keep up with the demand.  :)

What you'll see shortly after Midwest Yarn opens are classes, craft demos, knit alongs, open knit sessions, and some great promotions that will keep you coming back for more.  If you're a crafter or an artist interested in selling your items at our shop, contact me at melina@midwestyarn.com for more information.

Midwest Yarn's LYS is Opening Soon!

Could I possibly be any busier?  I'd been knitting and working like crazy to get a lot of things ready for the vendor fair that I participated on Saturday.  There were 135 vendors present (you can see the guy behind me who had tie dyed items and recycled glass items).


I brought a lot of yarn, met some great people, and made some connections.  Turn out was low, but I got a lot of time in working on the Sock Madness Round 3 socks.  In spite of how much time I'd spent on the fair, I made it on to Round 4!

The Round 3 socks were made in Ella Rae Lace Merino in the color Rose Pink.


After a long day at the vendor fair, my husband called to tell me that he'd spoken with the landlord of our retail space who'd agreed to let us get the keys a week and a half ahead of schedule!  It's now three days later, we've got a lot of items moved in, including the yarn.  Sunday, we move in the fixtures and furniture and from there I start setting up and decorating.


The official Grand Opening for our shop is June 5, 2012.  Should everything be set up sooner than that, I will announce it here, on Ravelry and Facebook.  The biggest challenge is changing the signage so that people don't think that we're the previous shop.


Tentative shop hours are as follows:


Tuesday: 10am - 6pm
Wednesday: 10am - 6pm
Thursday: 10am - 6pm
Friday: 10am - 6pm
Saturday: 10am - 4pm


Everything's happening so quickly, but I'm excited that we're on our way!  Check back soon!

Rollercoaster

They don't tell you in business school that starting your own business is overwhelming on many levels.  You worry about your own success, the success of the business, and definitely about the toll it will take if you don't immediately realize what you call success.

While I continue to do the basic parts of what I love - knitting, designing, and running a business - I'm also expanding other parts of my creativity as a way to keep my mind off of things while I wait for certain milestones to happen.  


First, I'm counting down the days to a HUGE vendor expo, featuring 135 vendors, including a number of craft retailers that will be taking place in a little over a week.  Midwest Yarn will have its own booth so that people can stop by, check out some of the stock, and meet me.


I've also made tons of stitch markers as something handmade to sell at the expo as well.  Whatever stitch markers I don't sell there, I'll be listing in my Cherished Moments shop on Etsy.  If I can find a few more vintage craft books, I'll be selling those as well (I've got a number of vintage and antique craft books that are pretty cool).


There's also only 10 days left on my Kickstarter campaign and we're only at 5% funding.  

Finally, Sock Madness is on an optional round due to the holidays, so I took this time to give Peanut all the attention he can get for Easter.  That meant seeing bunnies at The Elegant Farmer, a haircut, and Easter dinner with family (both Saturday and Sunday nights!).  He and I are also visiting my parents at their bed and breakfast this week so he can get spoiled by his Mimi for a few days as well!

There's officially no turning back now.  I get the keys to the retail space soon, which means our storage space will be emptied, our house will be rearranged (all of my personal yarn and craft stash will be heading to the shop), and I will be in full swing.  I cannot wait until this new chapter begins.  Not to mention that my 30th birthday will be happening during the first month that the shop will be opening, so I have all kinds of milestones happening.

De-stashing (ASAP)

Hi all!

I have to post this everywhere possible because I am getting a jump start on my spring cleaning and quickly realizing how big my yarn stash really is.  Here's a hint: it will not fit in my hubby's CR-V, even with all the seats down!  That means, as sad as I am to say this, I have to get rid of some of it.  I'm going to be selling it on Ravelry.com in order to get some additional capital for a few of the projects I have to do before we open (like decorate, paint, buy a few additional fixtures, etc.).  If you're a Ravelry member, click here. 

All that I have listed has to go.  In order to save costs after the store opens, I must get rid of our storage unit and my yarn stash is preventing additional items from getting back into our basement.  Yup, I'm bordering on being a yarn hoarder.  :)  I'm currently only shipping the stash to the US and Canada because it's more expensive to ship International.  Prices are about 50% of retail for each item and I have about two or three more boxes of yarn to take photos of (I'm hoping to cut my stash by at least 50% within the next week).

Still Here!

Sock Madness Round 2 - Submitted last night

After a week of knitting and planning to exhaustion, I'm happy to sit at my computer to take a break.  I found out this morning that I've made it on to Round 3 of Sock Madness!  After completing the first sock using US 0 sized dpns, I nearly kicked myself because I'd forgotten that gauges change with cables.  My right sock ended up way too small around my ankles, but fortunately was long enough for me to continue without frogging the sock.  I plunged forward using US 2 dpns and ended up with a sock that didn't cut off my circulation a day and half later.

My first "official" pattern - Garter Stripes Cardigan
for 0 to 24 months

This particular round was interesting, as it featured an afterthought heel which I'd heard of, but never tried before.  I used to be one of those who, after reading the specs of a pattern, would not attempt a pattern if it featured a technique I didn't know.  After this past year of picking up skills left and right, I've changed that behavior.  I guess I've found that it was much easier to learn something new than it was to find a pattern with techniques I'd already mastered.  Not to mention that it makes me feel better if I make a mistake because, hey, I'm learning.

My favorite design - Falling Leaves Jumper

I'm also in the midst of putting together crafts and yarn for a few craft/vendor fairs.  One has already passed and a HUGE one is coming up on April 24 at Potowatomi Casino in Milwaukee.  I'm very excited about this one, as I'll be setting up an area almost like a booth at a yarn trade show in hopes of raising some additional capital for the shop.  After the first show, I did figure out the yarn capacity of my car and got some very funny looks while travelling.  


And as if I didn't have enough to do, I've been convinced by my mother to write a book of patterns for baby clothes.  To raise money for that venture I started a Kickstarter campaign, so if you like my designs, please contribute to the cause (and there are some great rewards out there too).  I've got quite a few sketches ready and some other ideas that need to make it onto paper, but funding is mainly to get materials for testing patterns, making swatches, paying a photographer, etc.  I have also made plans to attend the publishing workshop at Stitches Midwest in August.  I will be booking the class soon, just have to price hotel stays etc.  Wish me luck!

My son, Peanut, modeling a few of my impromptu
child hat designs.  Above - Groundhog ; Below - Packers/Sport Beanie