A Few Sheep Shy of a Farm

Finally, getting caught up!

I’ve had a few orders that have been outstanding for much longer than I like, but DH just took the last of those to the post office for shipping! I do have some more dyeing to do today. I need to do the rest of the Mystery Kit yarn and several yarns for orders that have come in over the past few days. And I do still have a few things that need wrapping up for shipping etc. but compared to a few days ago I’m much closer to caught up!

Baby Update

Tomorrow we will officially be 11 weeks! I’m starting to feel some of the benefits of moving toward the second trimester. Last night I got to sleep through the night for the 2nd day in a row, that hadn’t happened for several months. Amazing how much more rested you can feel after a real 8 hours of sleep. Next week we have our next DR apt so we’ll see what they have to say. I’m curious about the results of all the tests they did last time, they took nearly a pint of blood at the last apt! By the time they were done my hand was going numb! I suspect my iron level may be a bit low, hence the red meat cravings . . . .

Knitting

I haven’t been doing any knitting lately, other than Mystery Kit #3. I’d like to get back to finishing that Leaf Lace Shawl, its so close to finished! I still haven’t woven in the ends on DH’s sweater and its finally cold enough for him to start wearing it! Guess I should really prioritize that one, it should only take 30 minutes or so! I’ve also got some hats for my Aunt and Cousins, I let them pick from the pile at Thanksgiving, but the ends need weaving and one hat needs to be a little bigger . . . guess I ought to get those done, they probably need them.

I’m getting geared up to do some baby knitting. We have a couple of babies (other than ours) coming in the family early 2005 and several others around that I should be knitting gifts for. I’ve been reading some of the yahoo groups and had posted a question on KR re: baby gifts. I’m leaning in the direction of doing batches of baby socks. Seems actual socks tend to come in handy since they have a tendency to be harder to kick off than the kind from the store.

For our own child I’m planning to do a blanket, I’ve got the yarn all dyed up and just need to pick a pattern. I’m either going to create my own or use a Fiber Trends pattern so I can put a picture on the site. I’ve dyed up a bunch of Decaf in Over the Rainbow for the blanket and I love the way it looks on the skein, can’t wait to see how it knits up!

I’m also planning to do a series of “Wool soakers” since we are planning to do cloth diapers (yes, I know, crazy but its what we both feel is best for us and for the baby). So once I come up with a pattern for that, determined to make my own rather than using one already out there, I’ll have that to add to the pattern library on the site as well. May have to borrow a neice to test out the sizing . . . .

Okay, off to get things done. I’ll post pics of the sweater if I can get the ends woven in.

4 More days to get Mystery Kit #3!

Pixiedust and I are working on dyeing up the yarns for all the current outstanding orders plus one of the two colorways for the Mystery Kits. We’re dyeing a little extra, just in case and I’ll be doing the other colorway tomorrow to ensure we are ready to mail in time for Christmas deliveries.

Next step is going to be to start dyeing the yarns ahead and actually stocking some of each yarn in each colorway instead of doing them as the orders come in. It may take us a while to build up that much inventory but I think we are going to have to start doing that since its become harder for me to predict what days I’ll be able to really work.

Baby update:

Things are going well. We’re at 10 weeks now and my pants are getting tight. I’ve got a few things I can still wear, mostly sweats and PJ bottoms with lots of elastic. I looked at some Maternity clothes yesterday while in Target, the didn’t have much to choose from and what they did have was pretty yucky. All of it was for people much further along in this process than I am and wouldn’t have fit yet. So I got 2 more pairs of flannel PJ bottoms. And yes, I’ve been known to wear the Pjs into the Post Office

Okay, gotta run time to dye some yarn.

Surprise! Mystery Kit #3 is Available!!!

We were recently given a great idea for a winter knitting project which has turned into Mystery kit #3. We have a plan, to ensure that these kits can be mailed in time for holiday gifts, we are offering them in 2 of our existing colorways and only taking orders for them until December 15th. Tomorrow I’m going to start dyeing up the yarns so we can stockpile some and be ready this time Oh and this kit does you wool (several people have asked) and the cost is $10 + shipping & handling. Stop by and have a look!

SSK and Mystery Kit #2 Updates

All but the last couple of SSKs are out as of yesterday and about 1/3 of the Mystery Kit #2 orders are gone. I’m winding off and packaging the rest today.

Our Spinning kits are a hit!

We’re also working on putting together several dozen more spindles for the beginner spindle kits as they seem to be a big hit! Literally, they are selling as fast as I can get them put together!



Baby stuff

We are definately turning a corner on the phases of this process! I’m not feeling sick much at all now and I’m really starting to get an appetite. Lately, I’ve been craving red meats, mostly steak and cheese subs and cheeseburgers! Be interesting to see the results of that iron test the Dr did, bet I can tell you what it said: LOW!

Off to skein up some yarns!

SSK update!

Okay, we are finally getting ready to send out the Sock Surprise Kits. Way behind schedule and it will be good to have them out. I’ve hated getting so far behind in the work stuff but there just hasn’t been any way around it especially since I’m the sole employee! I’m just waiting now to get the pattern back from Kinkos, I should have it by mid-day tomorrow which means I should have them out tomorrow!

Mystery Kits!

These are running just a little behind schedule as well, I’ve been focusing on untangling the yarns for the sock kits first since they are so far behind schedule. I’m hoping to have the Mystery Kits out tomorrow or Tuesday as well.

Other dyeing

I’ve got a number of orders for other yarns which I’ll be dyeing up Monday or Tuesday depending on how things go with getting everything else mailed. I’m also getting geared up to start dyeing more of the yarns in advance. That has been one of my goals for a while now. I’ve been doing it as the orders come in for the most part because I was trying to not stock 900lbs of yarn while getting started and because I just haven’t had anywhere to put that much yarn. Now as we get closer to being able to use the barn and as things have picked up some I’m figuring since I can’t always predict what days I’m going to be able to work, perhaps stocking ahead will make things much easier.

Baby update

Things seem to be going well. I think we are starting to shift gears. I think. I don’t want to jinx it, but yesterday and today I haven’t felt as sick, as easily. While I still needed a major nap yesterday (2 hours) overall I’m starting to feel like I have a little more energy and can get things done around the house a bit more.

Yup, you guessed it!

We’re having a baby! In the photo below the kid is the thing that resembles a foam peanut surrounded by a dark space. The head end is to the left and there is a little bright spot in there which is the heart. We actually got to see the our baby’s heartbeat at the first visit which I think is pretty incredible!

We are very excited, we’d waited a while for this to happen and when it did it took us a bit by surprise. And this is the reason I’d been getting the migraines (including the one I’m fighting right now) and I haven’t been able to take the migraine meds. That and feeling like someone removed my batteries a few times a day for the last couple of months have been a real drain on getting much of anything done. I don’t know how people who already have small children or who work outside the home do it! I’m struggling just to get some yarn detangled and these way over due orders out. Not that I want to be whiney about this or to give you the impression that I’m going to let the business go down the tubes now because of the kid. I’m really hoping to keep it all going. I just had planned the sock kit and the mystery kit kinda close together before I had any idea this was happening and now I’m a bit behind. Once I can get caught up we are going to start structuring how I get things done a bit differently so that I won’t fall into this pattern again. But first, I have to get caught up and on that note I’m off to detangle the rest of the sock yarns.

If you are reading this and I owe you yarn please know that I’m doing my best to get it to you as soon as I can. I can’t tell you how much I hate being this far behind in order!

Thanks everyone for your kind emails, you guys are the best!