Ok…

So I have been agonizing over this decision (please… ask my friends… the listen to me whine about it ALL THE TIME)

I have seen my little business grow. And I love this business… with my heart and soul. I feel more like me… a better me… because of it (and because of the undying love of my family)…

My business has grown so much so as I am one person with a million things to do, with just enough handle on my technology to barely make it work (until it fiercley comes and bites me on the ass by crashing). I have had to think long and hard about where the business needs to be and where my head needs me to be… meaning the great debate between retail or wholesale.

I have decided that (after many trials and some big shipping nightmares) that I need to go wholesale only. I am not closing up shop, or quitting the industry, by any means… I just can not do it all alone anymore. It is a hard choice to make… and a slightly sad choice to make (I meet so many interesting people through purchases!) but, I think it is the right choice to make. I never in my life have been half-arsed about anything and I can’t start now.
There will still be an occasional club (anyone who is in a club right now will be getting an email from me tomorrow) And ALL EXISTING CLUBS will go on as scheduled…. but the warehouse will shut down until further notice. I will have an updated list of my wholesale clients listed on my sidebar in the coming week.
Please email me if you have any questions/concerns. I am (and I have never done this) closing comments to this post. I would love your feedback in the form of an email.

Thanks for all the support… this is not tragic at all by any means. It is a decision driven by being successful. That is never anything to shy away from.

Thanks friends.

All of your kind comments have really made my week. I get so wonky this time of year because we have many joyful things in my family and some very sad ones thrown in the mix. My birthday, my sister’s, my brand-spankin’-new baby cousin’s birthday, my step-dad’s, and Halloween are the joyful things… then there is my dad’s birthday and the anniversary of his death is November 10th. I feel slightly like Sybil this time of year.

I am overwhelmed with work and life… and have a simple shelf installation gone-complicated -long -studio -hogging process hanging over my head and making it virtually impossible to dye anything in my space. (1 day project turned 3 days thus far).

I am praying tomorrow is the last day…please all send your crazy fast install energy to southeast Baltimore, ok?

I digressed…

the actual point of this post is to thank each and every one of you who are so kind as to send me your *virtual* hugs and well wishes. My psyche always takes a hit this time of year… nothing some Thanksgiving turkey and some pumpkin pie can’t lure me out of.

I have actual knitting photos and content to show you soon… promise

-

I am always amazed at how this day knocks me on my ass every year. I try to fill the day with things that bring joy… seeing the 3 D “Nightmare Before Christmas” with the cowboy, the Great Halloween lantern Parade… construction in my studio.. and still my thoughts just wander to my dad and how much I miss him.Every day. I miss him everyday.

Before he died we talked once a day. Just about anything and nothing. Just to stay in touch because, at one point, we were not in touch (about 8 years worth of not in touch). But… after that time… it was like we were never out of touch.

There is this void where the “Happy Birthday” goes. And, quite honestly… it screws me up EVERY year.

So… because it is what India Opal and I do… here is a(nother) 10 things post about my dad:

1. He taught his artist daughter to LOVE baseball.
2. He taught his artist daughter to LOVE football.
3. He had a laugh that ignited firestorm of fun in any situation.
4. He made friends wherever he went.
5. He knew how to love you through just about anything.
6. He called me “punkin’” and “mops” for my formative years.
7. He knew how to forgive… and knew how to ask for forgiveness.
8. He was just about as regular of a guy as you could get… in the best possible way.
9. He commanded attention with his smile.
10. I am his daughter… I am like him in so many good ways..

So… here’s to my dad. I wish this morning the cowboy could have woke him up with a birthday song… that my mom and brothers and sister could have shown him how much we appreciate him.

This was our song at my wedding… and I will forever thank him for being the best dad he knew how…

La la la la…
You’ve been so kind and generous
I don’t know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I’m in debt to you
For your selflessness my admiration
For everything you’ve done you know I’m bound
I’m bound to thank you for it
La la la la…
You’ve been so kind and generous
I don’t know how you keep on giving
For your kindness I’m in debt to you
And I never could have come this far without you
For everything you’ve done, you know I’m bound
I’m bound to thank you for it
La-la-la-la…
Oh, I want to thank you for so many gifts you gave
The love, the tenderness, I wanna thank you
I want to thank you for your generosity, the love
And the honesty that you gave me
I want to thank you show my gratitude
My love, and my respect for you, I want to thank you
Oh, I want to thank you, thank you; thank you, thank you
I want to thank you, thank you; thank you, thank you

Lots of things brewing here… and lots of things floating around in my brain.

I thought I would post some of them to set them free…

1. It is totally adorable when the cowboy sings “Bad Day” by REM. And when he asks me if I know who the Ramones are. “You know mommy, the WAHMONES, Johnny…. Dee Dee… you know… Blitz CREEK BOP??”
2. It is not so adorable when he picks up my drawers (from the clean laundry pile) and say “Mommy… these are BIG!”
3. Pushing Daisies is THE BEST new show on TV. Especially when a big,burly private eye says “Big Daddy needs new yarn!” and “Birdhouse in Your Soul” is a sing-a-long. Priceless.
4. I love yarn.
5. I doubly love sheep and wool festivals.

Ok… random Thursday is finis’. off to knit with Gray’s.

New review is up!

I am dyeing EVERY WAKING HOUR!

More when I can formulate a sentence!

Yes… I am one of the many bloggers and fiberphiles headed north to Rhinebeck.

I am a square for Blogger Bingo on Saturday… I will have an identifier on my outerwear… don’t know what exactly that will be (a button most likely)

I will be wearing a sweater that looks like this:

a shirt with a logo like this:

and I look like this:

I probably will look like that after all the fiber intake!

PLEASE feel free to come up and say hi. I love meeting new people… I can not promise that I will still be able to formulate a sentence… but I will try!

On a side note… I am so, so grateful for the support that I get from the blogosphere! I am working day and night to get all of my work done (which is a surprisingly HUGE amount… more details to come)… I am making some changes to the structure of my company and need to firm up the details. Thanks for your patience… it will pay off I promise.

2 more sleeps until RHINEBECK!

Want to see some spectacular yarn?

Head over here!

Here is a Ravelry group for the Mobtown Junkies!
No worries…. Jess and Casey are working their butts off to get Ravelry open to the public. It’s coming soon friends!!

Can you stand the possibility that this brings? I can not.

I went to the art supply store today to buy some dyes (ran out and have no time to order). While I was there I saw my FAVORITE pencils.

I picked up the woodless stick of graphite and it felt so good in my hand. Cold and familiar… like a lost friend.

I flashed back to my freshman year of art school… when you get to buy the “Big Girl” supplies. The pantone color paper kit, the x-acto’s and the charcoal. The graphite sticks… the paper with the crazy tooth to it… the 500.00 splurge when you are 18 is crazy… it’s like a million bucks. You have no reference for that. The supplies get arranged and re-arranged in your ArtBin container (I have now opted for the B&D toolbox). All of them provide the possibility of new beginnings, new creations, and life in its purest and best form.

I ended up getting a few things to get me back on track. I happened to have my camera and iPod in my bag. This shot was taken from the cafe’ next to the art store where I spent a precious hour tuning out, drinking coffee, listening to my iPod (I am very partial to the I AM SAM soundtrack), and sketching a project that is in my head.

For a minute, or 60, I was 18 and lost with no where to go and no one to need me. Talk about pure bliss.

I **may** have bought some yarn yesterday… (at 2 different stores and at the Stitches Market)

How did my D know? He sent me this yesterday while I was running around….. and St Parasceva would be the patron saint of spinners and knitters!

Mobtown Review is up!