Today I'm hoping to get some painting done. The walls are primed. I'm moving slow today though, so we'll see how that goes.

I took a spinning class yesterday. If you know me, I'm sure it would have made you chuckle. Despite my many hours pedaling each week, and the fact that I'm married to "BikeGuy", I couldn't keep the wheel spinning in the correct (clockwise) direction. I'm not surprised, my coordination level is not that high. But overall, it was fun, and something I'd like to try again and practice more often. Just like most anything, there is talent involved, but practice always helps! I may never be the best at it, but I can say I've tried it.

I'm hoping to get a phone this coming week. I'll post that information as soon as I can. I'm also hoping to start moving stuff in by Saturday. We'll see how that goes. It will be a relief to start moving the supplies out of my living room and into their proper place. It will also help me better visualize what else I need to order to keep my stock well-rounded for all, or at least many, different fiber artists.

I just got in some more recycled yarns, banana yarn and fair trade silk! I'm excited to try the banana yarn. I'm already thinking I might have to order more - I'd like to make something out of it so people can see how it works up. Hmm.... maybe a good summer hat?

I was able to get in and get some painting done on Saturday. It wasn't much, just the ceiling and some primer on a few of the walls - yes "few". Being in an old home, the rooms aren't square shaped. That makes it fun and difficult at the same time.

Lilly, the 3 year old who "works" downstairs in her mom's shop White Olive Boutique, has approved of the color I picked for the walls. Good, I was worried about the approval of the pre-k set. She found her way up to my room, which for her means sneaking out of Mom's sight, up a flight of stairs, around the corner, and through 3 doors.

I was working when I hear a little "Whatcha do-in?" I turn to see Lilly, dressed up in giant earrings, draped in necklaces, and carrying a purse almost as big as she is. All the accessories were from her mom's shop. When I told her I was painting the room, she wanted to know what color. Having the color chip on hand, I gave it to her, she walked to the wall, held it up against the wall, looked around and proclaimed "That'll look nice." Phew. For a minute there, I was worried.

All in all, the work day went well. I'm not sure when I'll get in again. I've got meetings all week and my Wednesday's quickly getting eaten up with phone calls and meetings too. But I am anxious to get the painting done. Because then the set-up and moving in can begin. I also don't have a lock on the door yet, so I don't want to start moving all the inventory in until my friend, and local handyman, Adam, can get in and work on the lock. Right, now, there's a garbage bag and a few cans of paint. I'm not too concerned about them.

I was going to take before and after photos. But I didn't really think it would be good business to let people see the sorry shape of the room when I started. The paint was peeling, the roof looked damaged, the marble's stained. But after being in there and poking and painting and checking things more closely, for the age of the building, we're in pretty good shape! So far I haven't hit any serious glitches in the decor department.

And yes, after standing most of the day, my bum feels better, but I'm exhausted!

Wednesday Update

I've just posted 2 photos of The Market on Main. The Market on Main is the location of Darn Yarn Needles and Thread. DYNT will be on the second floor. I've included some links from a few of the other tenants in the building, as well as a woman I met this past weekend who spins angora.

Yes, I took the photos in the middle of yet another snow shower. Oh well.

I'll be open Wednesdays, by appointment. So if you are in a knitting or fiber arts group and would like a place to meet on Wednesdays, let me know! If you teach some sort of class in the fiber arts and would like to hold a class on Wednesday, let me know. Eventually, as the weather warms (it WILL happen!) some of the others in the house may be open on Wednesdays, in which case, I will be too.

Right now I'll be open on Thursdays and Saturdays from 10 - 5. I will probably be adding Friday, that will be confirmed shortly, but for now, I'm sticking with Thursdays & Saturdays.

I visited Sherwin Williams today and picked up some paint. I'm hoping to get in there tomorrow and Saturday and get alot of that done! That will be a big relief to me. I'm anxious about moving in for good!

On a personal note, that fall I took last week... did you know you can sprain your butt?! It makes sense since all your spinal stuff is connected to the rest of you via muscles and tendons. But it sure does sound funny. No wonder it hurt to unicycle last Saturday (for those of you who don't know, my hubby is a competitive unicyclist. I picked up the sport a few years ago, not with near the amount of success he's had, and I don't compete. Check out his blogs, I think they are in the links on the right with the other blogs I follow.)

At any rate, I've been told to stand more than sit... makes painting look like a good idea! I was also told, that while it may not sound as damaging as breaking your tailbone, it will most likely take longer to heal, and hurt for a longer period of time, since we always use those tendons and muscles to move. So for now, I'll keep carrying a pillow to work with me and sitting on cushy sofas.

"So long and thanks for all the fish"

Ok, so I added a quote from a pop-culture sci-fi book to the bottom of my blog page. I figured I should take a moment, early on, to explain why it's there.

My hubby and I had an inside joke for a long time, "Someday, when I open my own store..." Recently, it became "Someday, when I open Darn Yarn Needles and Thread...". Well things started falling into place. A place opened up on Main Street in Butler, with rent I could afford. They started talking at work about watching our hours and I figured I could reduce mine to part-time. These two things led to us discussing the possibility that Darn Yarn Needles and Thread could become a reality.

I started planning on a shoe string budget, a baby shoe-string budget. I wasn't really sure how this was going to work.

My hubby's Aunt Sue became ill around Thanksgiving. It was discovered that she had Stage 4 Ovarian Cancer. She passed away just after Thanksgiving.

Aunt Sue was a kindred spirit. All Kracks are incredibly talented, most of them can fix anything, many have translated this talent into artistic endeavours. Like Aunt Sue. She owned and ran a Quilt shop for a few years, she was an official quilter for the state of West Virginia. She was also the type of person that was always there to help you. She loved all her nieces and nephews and took care of all of them and all of the niece and nephew-in-laws.

My husband, shocked and stunned himself, recently discovered that Aunt Sue, having no kids of her own, thought enough of all the nieces and nephews to name them as her beneficiaries. My hubby, having known Aunt Sue his entire life, decided that I should use this money for Darn Yarn Needles and Thread. He figures it's what she would want done with the money. It's not a lot, but it's more than a little too. My shoe string just increased to a sneaker length shoe string.

At her funeral, we learned that Aunt Sue and a few of her sibling would use the quote "So long and thanks for all the fish" as a way to say goodbye when they would part company. I thought it only fitting to use this quote as a way of thanking her for all her love and support in the past, and in the future. While I'd rather have her than her money, her memory will live on every time I purchase inventory for the shop.

So Aunt Sue, you are missed alot every day, I could use your help now as I start my own fiber arts business, but "So long and thanks for all the fish."

All things are going according to plans, despite the weather.

Snow. SNow. SNOw. SNOW.

I'm getting tired of digging out, as I'm sure much of the eastern part of the country is. But despite the slowing down of commerce and the world as we know it, things are still progressing towards an opening in March.

I did tumble down our front steps yesterday, so that has physically slowed me down. But that just means more time to sit and crochet and plan. I just have to sit on a pillow for a few days while I sit infront of the computer.

My father-in-law had some items I was looking for to display the yarns. No big surprise there, if you ever get to see his garage/workshop, you would understand. One could probably find many needed things in there! I just had to remember to ask.

I have yet to meet up, physically, with the landlord of the new space. Snow keeps getting in the way. But maybe tonight!

Continue to stay tuned.

Coming Soon!

Stay tuned for more information, but soon Darn Yarn Needles and Thread will be opening in Butler Pennsylvania.



It won't be today, or tommorow, based on the weather...and it might not be for another week or two... but soon.


Actually, we are looking to open for business the first week in March.