by admin | Dec 6, 2011 | Events, Markets
We have been busy replenishing stock to prepare for our last 2 events of the season. After Circle Craft, the booth display was packed up and sent to Edmonton in preparation for the Butterdome Craft Show. This is my first year doing Butterdome and I’m looking forward to it. We fly to Edmonton tomorrow and the show runs from Thursday, December 8 to Sunday, December 11.
When we get back to Vancouver, we’ll be participating in the 16th annual Holiday Market, presented by the Vancouver Farmer’s Market. It’s one day only (December 17) at the Croatian Cultural Centre. So make sure you pop down and say hello if you’re in the Lower Mainland!
by carmen | Aug 3, 2011 | Designs, Events
Back to my real life….John thought that the come home quick change and head out again was very much like being in one of those pit crews —at least if the tire change is restocking. Monica has made great work of getting the pattern ready and it has finally been uploaded to Ravelry. I can hardly wait to have them knit. The kits will be going up on the website and on Etsy once I get back from Edmonton.
Much more spinning at the studio today… yes, even though I’m taking the wheel with me. Kristen, Jennifer, Jean and I had an awesome knit/spin in so I could get caught up with everyone before I headed out of town again.
Yes, there will be photos and more notes from the road. I can hardly wait to get to the Folk Festival.
by carmen | Aug 1, 2011 | Events
At the end of each day we return to the cottage to have dinner, collect our thoughts, soak in the tub and enjoy the beauty of the garden. Idyllic and not something that we have at our place in Vancouver. Diane, from the Garden Cottage Retreat is the perfect kind of host — a welcome basket, a hello over morning coffee and then we are on our own.
As it’s a two bedroom, once was instantly transformed into a studio where all my unfinished inventory got sorted to be worked on. Here is our resting space.
Garden Cottage Retreat
I have to come back here when there is no show and I can just spend hours during the day in the garden. I pilfered many raspberries, enjoying them fresh while in the garden as well as in my oatmeal.
Today is the last day of the show. We’re going home, well for two days anyway. I’m looking forward to a full day in the studio with Kristen, some quick but quality time with Pearl and many snuggles with the kitties…
Then back on the road. I’ve put forth a personal challenge to myself to see how many pirates hats I can complete on the drive. I may even pull out my spinning wheel at our rest stops.
We’ll see. My only regret this trip. The spinning wheel not fitting into the car.
by carmen | Jul 25, 2011 | Designs, Events
Finding a description that fits what I do is a bit ridiculous. I don’t know how many people would take on a job description that read.
Looking for a person who enjoys limited sleep, extreme multitasking and constantly being subject to the opinion of complete strangers. Must enjoy this for a modest wage with no opportunity to be paid for overtime, no pension plan, and don’t even think about paid vacations.
Your bonuses will include a caffeine addiction of monumental proportion and falling into sleep with unfinished work in your lap. Oh, and you will always get to work with pretty yarns.
Okay, I still would have applied for the job (that is beside the point) Doing what you love is amazingly hard work and after the hottest market of the season yesterday, I was still amazed that people were willing to buy wool.
I have decided that I have to be proficient at the following to continue to do this job.
- inventory management
- marketing
- office manager
- social media expert
- bookkeeper
- comptroller
- warehouse manager
- colour technician
- fashion forecaster
- scheduler
- personal assistant (to myself)
- therapist
- life coach
- mentor
Hat Stack
I am so fortunate to have people in my life who realize which jobs I am not capable of fulfilling and jump in to pick up the slack. You all know who you are. Notice that none of the descriptions have anything to do with the actual crafting itself. That’s a lot harder to give up.
Hope to see you at Filberg!
by carmen | Jul 20, 2011 | Events
50 skeins to rewind, label
17 felt hats to finish
300 French Knots
22 hats waiting for labels
5 rovings drying at the studio
2 lost Kromski bobbins
SEVEN DAYS TO FILBERG.
No, I am not freaking out.
Some new yarns on the 355 Page.
by carmen | Jul 4, 2011 | Events
…but continues raining inside your tent, and other misadventures from market day.
We had an amazing day in Whistler yesterday. We managed to finish our entire set up before the skies opened up in a biblical way. A great flood with the intention of wiping bad crafters off the planet, perhaps? The rain was ridiculous and the customers were nowhere to be seen. Due to the water on the ground in my booth, I was unwilling to release the wheel. I found a corner where the tent didn’t drip and pulled out my knitting.
We just completed a waterproof coating on the tent top and were quite satisfied with it. Easy to be so confident considering none of our markets this year had any rain. I think I heard the thumping of a few frogs and some locus on the roof as well before the rain started to slow down.
Then around 11am people started trickling out of the Chateau Whistler with their beautiful golf umbrellas. I was hoping that a few of them would be left behind in my booth, but alas…….and then the sunshine and the heat came–steaming off the water that dripped on to everything and the tent became what I love it for the most.
Shade.
Out came the wheel, and the market was a whirlwind of activity. The kit yarns were being spun. Everything was drying. Dry things were being sold. Compliments were flying and friends came by for visiting and purchasing.
A lovely little doggie came into the booth, so adorable that I stopped spinning to pet him. Unfortunately this created the effect of “I’m so excited to meet you that I think I’ll pee in your booth syndrome”. Apparently this has happened before as the parents were armed with plenty of clean up tools.
As I was relaying the story to a friend, she indicated that she had to go home and clean her truck that her dog had just thrown up in twice (and I thought I had it bad). Hope everything is back to normal Jan!
The day ended with lamb korma in our favourite restaurant in Squamish —Essence of India. Even rain days at the market are great days.
