And despite the intention to write a blog every week, 2 months have passed! Did those months fly by for you too? On the one hand time seems to stand still because so many things could not or are not allowed to be done and therefor we were more at home much more than we used to. On the other hand this time flew by because there was so much to do. We had to switch to the new situation, but I can say that we have adapted well. The demand for our hand-dyed yarn has also been enormous in recent months, which makes me very proud. Proud because all those people who were forced to stay home now started to do more crafts and chose our yarn for it. A lot of skeins have been sent in past months and I am very curious about what is being made!
Slowly the borders are opening up again and you also notice that it is getting quieter in the webshop. Yarn Shops are starting to order again and so everything seems to be ‘normal’ again, as far as you can speak of normal during this time. Yarn festivals at home and abroad have all been postponed for the time being, and much remains unclear in that regard. As it seems now, we are not attending any fair this year and I think that is a real pity. The festivals are always the icing on the cake for us. Not only because we sell a lot during those days, but mainly because we see so many regular customers again, we can catch up with them and admire all the knittings. And now we will really miss it! What is nice, is to see that many of those people who prefer not to order online are slowly getting used to it. And for those people who really can't handle that, we always have a solution. For example, I have already made many pictures of possible combinations. A lot of work, of course, but I understand you like to see how those colors, which you like so much, fit together. So if I have time I help as much as possible. It is also too much work for me to make kits for every Stephen West shawl pattern that is released because that happens almost weekly now! But I can put something together on request. I love to do it and it is always so nice to hear from customers how happy they are with the colors I chose for them.
My dear friend Nancy in New York (@gettingpurlywithit on instagram) recently explained what makes her happy in her job and she told the difference between what makes her heart happy and what makes her heart sing. I understand exactly what she means. My work makes me very happy, making beautiful colors, selling beautiful materials and making people happy with the stuff I sell. But if someone writes to you how happy he / she is with what they bought or what I picked for them then I am more than happy, or if they tell you that it was a party to open your beautiful packages, then I am much more than happy. Those things give the most satisfaction, those things "make my heart sing" as Nancy describes it so beautifully. So thank you dear customers that I can help you make beautiful things and that you give so much back through all the compliments and sweet messages.
Enough sentiment for one day so back to what is ahead of us. The holiday is coming! Although many of you were already waiting at the border on June 15 to quickly cross it and travel to Germany, Austria, France or wherever. Of course we also take a vacation but that is only in August, still a long time from now! I already have my project (s) ready for my holiday, yes yes, projects in plural. We will only be go for 2 weeks and yet every year I carry mountains of yarn and as many needles, patterns and everything I could need with me. Because you never know….. you could be in the middle of France, sitting (sleeping) in the sun and you suddenly come up with a nice pattern for a sock. Or a new pattern will be released during the holidays and you just don't have the yarn you need for it! That should not happen of course and so I bring enough yarn for at least a year of knitting. Fortunately, yarn doesn't weigh too much so my husband doesn't complain too loudly here, at the most a little sigh when he wonders where to put it all. During the holidays my yarn is in the back seat of the car because I always want to be able to access it quickly if I think of something and I don't want to have to break down half the caravan first to get to my yarn. That is what vacation is for me. Knitting while we travel all over the country and so I finally have time to finish something and start something new and finish it during the same vacation!!! I also make time to look for new patterns on Ravelry and watching months of podcasts (no, I am not gonna talk about Ravelry's new look now, enough has been said about it by now)
I wish everyone your all a very nice vacation, whenever you go, wherever you go, enjoy, but be careful and stay healthy!
