Here I am....

wow! I'm so busy - I get possession of the building tomorrow and am very excited except for the fact that I have to wait there from noon until 5 pm for the phone hook up. I might just drag my sister along for company.......we're supposed to wash the walls with TSP to prepare for painting on the weekend....urrr! We should be ready to move stock in around August 10th which will be great because it will give us lots of time to arrange things the way we want them. There's a big festival in Bradford on August 18 and I think the street is closed so it would be good to be semi-open so people could check us out!

Many of you have emailed me about my wonky website - seems my webguys moved to bigger servers and their e-commerce sites didn't move as seemlessly as they promised - I guess not! I've been down since last Thursday! I just received an email which says everything should be fine in 1-2 hours.

And....our home phone has gone bananas too! We have a completely different phone number with no explanation - apparently a technician will be here today to sort it out. I only figured this out because I called my sister last night and she wondered where I was because of the number on call display.

Yesterday we were all over the place - registering for hydro, buying a new computer desk for the store, got the SnB couches - 2 leather loveseats!, found a excellent second hand cash register....yarn has been arriving - Noro, Rowan, Blue Sky Alpacas - more is on the way! There's Cherry Tree Hill which should be here by the end of the week - all 31 colors of their new sock yarn which is a collaboration with Louet! Somoko from Fleece Artist is on the way as well!

Patterns, needles have been ordered and I've been knitting.....

Blue Sky Alpacas Hand Dyed Worsted in Dungaree Blue.

Eyelet Baby Blanket - the blanket is finished and I just working on the trim. I love this yarn!

There's still Suri Merino, Hand Dyed Bulky and Natural Bulky still to arrive.

Here's three more blocks for Lizard Ridge! I'm working on the 8th - that means 1/3 done.

Ravelry....woooohoooo!

I decided to take it easy today and play around with Ravelry. I can see how this can become quite the project. I've uploaded some of my stash - only STR yarn so far and I'm not sure I actually want to see pictures of my stash all in one place. Seems I have alot more STR than I thought I had - hmmmm! Oh well, I just won't let Greg see what I'm up to......my user name is PickUpSticks - what else? Let's be friends! :)

I'm not quite....

as smart as I thought I was! I was feeling very proud of myself for blogging so quickly after the big announcement and now it's been a week or something like that. I go from being thrilled to sick with nerves, to happy to overwhelmed. Most often I ask myself - what did you think you were doing? I'm sure it will all be fine - I get possession of the building next Wednesday and once I can actually see stuff start to happen and not have to keep thinking about it, I'm sure it will be fine. Right? Right!

Now what could this be? The makings of Lizard Ridge - which I am really enjoying! These are yet to be knit....but I have been knitting.....

Here's my first four blocks - aren't they pretty?

My original plan was one block per day for 24 days but I'm not really sure what I was thinking because with everything that is going on, it difficult to get even one done every two days!

Here's the fifth block underway!

And as if I didn't have enough to do - guess what was in my inbox this morning? A Ravelry invitation! Yipee!

And a surprise for the lurkers..... I have 5 extra sock club kits this month! Care to give our sock club a one month try? Send an email to pickupsticks@zing-net.ca letting me know you want one and I will bill you through Paypal - the cost is $40 plus $5 shipping. I can't say much about it because the regular sock club members haven't received their kits but if you want to experience the genius of Meghan Jackson, pattern designer then you should really give it a try. She's totally, totally outdone herself this month!

So much to do.....

Look at this - just two days since the last post. For those who know me well, you probably thought I might not blog again until hmmm....December?

My mind is full, full, full - I'm feeling slightly (ok, alot!) overwhelmed - BUT I have managed to accomplish some 'store' stuff. I have a phone number, I have a 1-800 number that ends in KNIT, I know what I have to do to get the electricity in my name, I've arranged for debit cards to be accepted at the store, oh right, and internet...........got a list of new yarn to buy. We get the store on August 1 and plan to paint that first weekend and then we have to wait for the new carpet to be installed and then we move in ----my expected opening day will be September 4th with a grand opening a week or so later after we work out any kinks. Thank you all for your wonderful comments - they mean alot to me - my dad was reading my blog and said, you have alot of friends. I said that I hadn't met most of the people who commented but yes, I do feel as if I have lots of friends!

And I have been knitting - how about that? Here's the STR sock that I'm mad at. I am so ticked off by the toe I have no idea when it will come off the needles - I've even contemplated ripping it out but that seems a bit excessive - there's just a few more rows to finish it - I really should do that today.

When Sarah came with me to see the store and pay the first and last rent - she innocently mentioned samples for the store on our way home - yikes - that completely slipped my mind. I guess my 1000 single socks are not really going to do it. So....I dug through my stash and found this: Fleece Artist Goldilocks Shawl in Mineral, I think. A mindless knit which is probably really good for me at the moment!

And of course, I had to start a whole new project - even had to go buy the yarn for it - it's Lizard Ridge from Knitty and here's my first square. Only 23 more to go! Don't you think it will just look beautiful on display at the store? I do and yes, I'm going to carry Noro Kureyon.

I'm number 711 on Ravelry - no invite yet!

67 Holland Street West, Bradford

Here's those doors! And here's my shop! Yipee!

I'm discussing sign location with the landlord.

Here's the doors again - the sign says:

YARN SHOP

OPENING SOON!

www.pickupsticks.ca

There's will be three yarn rooms - this is the first one. It faces the street!

This is the front part - the desk is going, the panelling is going to be painted and new carpet will be laid.

I have a desk that belonged to my grandfather - it's going to be for check out.

This will be for an office - the computer etc. Online headquarters!

Here's another room - Emma was very excited.

This is the SnB room and the classroom! Also, will be used for packing up all those orders!

And last but not least - The Throne Room - imagine the toilet is up a few steps! A real, live throne!

No invite from Ravelry for me yet - I've been looking at it and wishing and wishing and wishing for one.

Almost finished this month's STR sock - I got really ticked at the toe. It's a short row toe with grafting on the sole of the foot! Pulllllllleaseeee! Lovely yarn - beautiful pattern except for the crazy toe!

I've been very quiet....

I know - but with good reason. I have lots and lots and lots on my mind. As some of you know, I have always wanted my own physical yarn shop - starting the online business was a way to sort of "test the waters" and it's been more than I could have ever dreamed of. I thought it would cure me of the itch for a shop but to no avail - I miss seeing people every day, I miss hanging out regularly with other knitters, I miss seeing new knitters catch the 'bug' that we all know so well.

Last weekend we attended a family wedding in my husband's hometown not far from here and we drove by this old house on the Main Street that had a sign in the window. It said 'office for rent' - could this be the same space that Angela had told me about - she even called and got the rental info and everything. What struck me about this spot were these beautiful wood doors at the entrance - I knew nothing about the inside but absolutely loved the doors. Anyway, after much thought I called the number and went to see it yesterday with Angela and then went back last night with my husband and my mother-in-law. In the afternoon, Angela tried to get me to contain my excitement - apparently, it's not good for negotiations if you are jumping up and down, giggling and squealing - go figure! My mother-in-law tried to get me to relax as well - she kept mentioning things I should consider - very valid, important things - like - ah -zoning? But I think they all could tell by the dazed look on my face that this was the stuff of my dreams.....

So turns out that someone else had looked at this place before me and the landlords were waiting to hear back - I tried to offer a deposit - I told them I was a much nicer person than anyone else they'd met but no luck. They gave the other person until Monday to make up her mind - seems she brought in a contractor to make some changes and wants to see how much it would cost. Me, I want to change nothing except for some paint and new carpet. See I really am the better choice, don't you think? I have to wait until Monday to find out for sure -but if everything is lined up the way it's supposed and this is the right spot for Pick Up Sticks then it will all work out -----it's going to be a really long weekend!

By the way, the online shop is absolutely continuing and hopefully, will include lots more selection of yarn.....good thoughts everyone, good thoughts!

Free Duets goes to....

Suzanne B! I received 96 skeins of Duets on June 28 and Suzanne's guess was 75 skeins on June 28. Congratulations - the yarn is on the way!

Apple Laine is coming out with a couple of limited edition colorways. Here's one of them - Playdate.



As always, Cindy's colorways are inspired. How fun will this be to knit?

Remember my deal from the last post - no new knitting until I finished the Dream in Color socks and the last installment of the STR sock club. Check! Check! I felt so good about finishing these up that I've now started the mates for two other single socks. Not sure if I can stop myself from casting on something new but I'm trying......