It's been another week - We got Frog Tree Alpaca in, and a whole mess load of hand painted yarn. The shelves are being built, and the Project Buckets are ready to go (check back in a few days for details on those, mom and Bran came up with a really neat idea!)
And the reality is hitting home now. We're looking at the yarn we have in, and we're all starting to worry. Will it be enough? Will it be the right type for the locals? What will the tourists think? Too much or this, not enough of that, too fancy, too plain... I am seriously getting a bit scared at the thought of not being able to have enough yarn to make the bulk of the people happy.
And then there's the Irish goods - it's so expensive, but we need it big time! Crystal and hand knits (mom did find a lady who knits baby outfits in Ireland, so that's one thing done) and music and books and the list just goes on. And I look at the calendar and realize that we open in 7 weeks. Not a whole load of time to get it all done in.
Still, I'm happy, and I know it will be fine and we will open with a decent stock that can improve as we go, but it doesn't stop the nagging thoughts quite yet.
More pictures coming in a few, but until then, how about some yarn to drool over!
Great paint job! Anyhoot, our storage closet - nice and roomy and mom already has snacks in there too!
The counter. We're putting on a new top and will be painting the base white. Then we'll have corkboard strips to hang up posters or patterns on the front.
The Poke Buttons (where you sit and "poke" through a tin of buttons until you find the ones you like) and some vintage patterns. Great old sheep paintings too!
One can never find decent glasses while knitting... so here's the Irish wiskey and crystal to sip it in style!
Ok, I took too many pictures. Here's the wall to the left as you come in. Exciting, no?
A better look at the front door. Geez these are all starting to blend together, guess I went a bit overboard with the pictures today...
The counter area, seen from the front door. The area beyound that doorway is our storage closet (with it's lovely paint job)
From the archway, this is the front room with the window and the counter visable. The spinning wheel will be moved when we open.
From the back room, to the side of the front door. There's our brass mail slot and basket to catch the mail, and the great little side window. Love that!
From the back door, the front door is to the right. The door to the left is to the bathroom, the one in the middle is the basement door.
The alcove in the back of the second room. This door leads to the common restroom shared with the cafe next door.
This is the second room as seen from just inside the front door. You can see the back door and the alcove in the rear.
A closer look at the storefront. I love the detailing on the building, it's so quaint. Like most Maine stores, the building is old, old, OLD - 100 years or so. We have a super-cute brass mail slot next to the door too.
Finally got my camera to the shop, with batteries! Of course it was 6am when I took these pictures, so some are a touch dark.
Our storefront! The shop takes the lower left hand side up, with the huge picture window and glass door. We have a very nice green striped awning, and a screen on the door. The right hand side of the building is home to a coffee shop/cafe. I don't care for her sign board out there all the time, but no matter (wait until you see what we have for a sign!) Upstairs are a few offices. To the left is a hardware store, to the right more offices and the bank.
I'm heading up to the shop tomorrow morning, so there will be pictures tomorrow! And I can take pictures of the yarn we got today - Green Mountain Spinnery arrived! As did the Fiber Trend patterns. And we met with a rep today for Reynolds and Jo Sharp and Artful Yarns... yummy stuff! So yummy we bought tons! Can't wait until that starts arriving, will be great fun to unpack it all!
No pictures today, I forgot my camera on the way to UPS (I work there early mornings, then go to the yarn shop during the day). But I did get some patterns priced, and the button display rack set up. Of course we have too many buttons for the rack!
Who knew that shopping at Staples could be fun? We hit the stores today for office supplies - more binders (did we really order ALL those patterns??), paperclips and a stapler, a calculator and address book, stuff like that. It was fun, but kind of sad to spend money on utilitarian items instead of yarn!
I'm heading up to the shop tomorrow to price some vintage patterns, set up the button display (wait until you see the pictures tomorrow!), and drop off the first lot of yarn. Seems we bought $2000 worth of patterns, buttons, and needles and kind of forgot to order any yarn yet. Whoops!
We do have an opening weekend - May 13th or 14th. I think Friday the 13th is a riot, a great day to open a store! I find great irony in the whole concept, but then again, I'm strange :)
Mom signed the lease - we're on our way! The shop needs work, a bit of paint, some jacking under the floor of the second room, some trim here and there, but in all is perfect for what we want.
We got the Dawn Brocco patterns, buttons, and worsted sock yarns, as well as part of the Susan Bates set-up. Ordered Fiber Trends, Green Mountain Spinnery, and some local yarns as well. The sign for outside is also on it's way.
This week we need to set up a inventory system for the yarns and needles, and install the shelves as they are made. Touch up painting needs to be done as well, and we're looking for a curtain to cover the door to the storage closet. We have to order Clover needles, and more patterns and yarns.
