Trick or Treat Doily

If I had to make a choice, I would choose knitting over crochet - just barely though! I love crocheting with cotton thread to make doilies, table runners, table cloths - little bits of lace. I could not resist this doily when I saw it on Ravelry. I have stashed away Senso as it has been discontinued! I did stash orange, black and a pale orange thinking of Halloween. It crochets up quickly and looks great for the season. Just a few photos of it in our Halloween display in the shop -

Trick or Treat Doily

 

A bit closer -

 

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Monday Monday

I am up early this morning to tend to shop business, paperwork and filing. It has become impossible to do this type of work at the shop so I try to get it all done on my day off. Joe is home sick with the current bug that is going around! I'm glad to have his company and help. We discuss every aspect of iPurl business.

Called a Supplier early to make sure a recent large order is ready to ship, supplied credit card information and checked to see if everything was in stock and nothing had gone onto back order. We should be receiving UPS shipping confirmations this afternoon. That is good news!

There is a small delivery arriving today - UPS usually leaves it next door with Chocolate Punch! That shop smells absolutely wonderful! The frozen hot chocolate is delicious!


Called another Supplier to check on two separate large orders from APRIL to see what has not shipped, when I might expect those orders to be shipped and any balances needing to be paid. Supplier is emailing lists to me so I can decide if there is anything I want to cancel at this point. I have found I do not like to order yarn and wait nearly 6 months for it to be delivered. As a new shop, trying to fill shelves, this really hit us hard, delaying our opening. Lesson learned.

Checking on business credit cards to make sure payments were posted, checking business banking account, transferring funds as needed to different places.

Checking shop email to see replies to two emails that went out regarding upcoming classes in the shop. Class registrations are processed in the order they come in. Email posts delivery arrival times making that process easy for us.

Time spent working on shop business - 3.5 hrs.

I have been working on a new e-commerce site that is linked to our current software system we use in the shop making inventory management easier. (the reason for the new computer - leaving the MacBook Pro for website use). I am hoping to be able to switch to the new site soon. If you see Cindy and I taking photos of yarn, that is what we are doing!

Our classes are finally getting underway starting with the basic Beginner Classes. Now, we are adding some fun Project Classes. Class info emails are going out one at a time. We hope to see you in a class or two soon!

The little red Wallaby I have been working on amid knitting shop displays, is coming along well. I have worked on it this weekend getting the sleeves knit late last night while watching a replay of the MTV music/video awards show.

As some of you may know, Joe and I have decided to sell our house and move into The Woodlands. It is where we are most of the time SO we decided to JUST DO IT NOW. This afternoon, I am going to clean out a couple of closets along with some housework.

The FUN stuff - We will be going into full Halloween decoration in the shop this week! Everyone seems to be enjoying our Fall/Halloween window display! The week of Halloween, we are planning hot apple cider and a few munches!

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ONline Sock Yarn and Socks

ONline sock yarns has always been one of my favorite yarns! It is a fav because not only is it bright and colorful; it stripes in the most wonderful ways. This is not "quiet" sock yarn! You want people to see these socks because they are beautiful! AND...... If you are a knitter, you know it's not just for socks!

Back around the first week of April, Joe and I met with Cody and saw the new ONline sock yarns! They are beautiful! This year, for the first time ever, ONline has socks KNITTED in each of the new colorways! They look handknit and they are beautiful! These socks will make fabulous gifts - Birthday, Christmas or Just Because!

iPurl has all 16 of the new ONline sock colorways AND the handknit socks in each of the colorways! We have 1 pair of small socks, 2 pair of medium socks, 2 pair of large socks and 1 pair of Xlarge socks in each colorway. Now, for the photos -

16 all new colorways

Rack of knitted socks

Knit socks

There is only ONE knitter I know that loves sock yarn as much as I do - Gina Lee in Lake Charles! Good Morning, Gina!

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Welcome September

It's hard to believe it is already September! There is no hint of Fall in our weather, of course. Hot is the only word needed for our forecast! Even though it is very hot, we know that cooler temps are coming and it's time to start our knitting if we want to have some nice cozy items ready.

We have been very busy as I am sure you have guessed! I don't know where the days have gone. I am knitting pumpkin hats this weekend, writing up the pattern while I am at it. It's a very simple little hat with a stem on top in 3 sizes. It will be on display at the shop soon with the pattern provided to those who want to knit one or several! It knits up very quickly! We are anxious to start decorating for Halloween at iPurl!

I am specifically knitting a pumpkin hat for grandson Jack. Jack loves pumpkins, always has, and Joe and I think of Jack a lot every year at this time. Every couple of years, Jack needs a new knitted pumpkin hat as he wears them out!

I am still knitting the Wallaby in between other items. We have decided to order another cotton yarn for the shop. I was not impressed with Sierra (5 sts = 1 inch) in the hank but I swatched with it and it is truly lovely having great stitch definition and a very nice "feel" to it! Fiber content is 80% Pima cotton and 20% wool, with the wool keeping it light. It is available in a great selection of colors so it's darn near perfect. A nice selection of colors will be available soon! Sierra will make fabulous Wallabies!!

Joe and I wish everyone a safe and wonderful holiday weekend. I look forward to seeing everyone next week!

P.S. there are some GREAT yarns arriving in the shop next mid-week. We will try and have them all on the shelves by Friday!

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Winner of our Basket of Knitting Goodness

This afternoon, Gayle Garland off Willis, Texas won the drawing for the Lantern Moon knitting basket filled with yarn, needles and other good stuff! Congratulations to you Gayle! We look forward to seeing you next week!

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Awake and the Wallaby

It is 1:30 AM and I am wide awake. Bella woke me up (see small Boston Terrier). So now, Bella and I are on the sofa together. She has gone back to sleep and I am wide awake! I have found a small glass of wine helps me sleep, so I am sipping a bit of Jam Jar hoping to get the "sleepies" soon.

In the meantime, I am working on the Wonderful Wallaby worksheet for the KAL/Class that I will be doing in September. I am knitting a small size in Cascade's Ultra Pima for shop display and to check gauge. Any worsted weight yarn will work fine for the pattern.

I had knit the Wallaby up to the underarms and was using a needle that was too large for the yarn, so it got frogged yesterday. (you are probably wondering how I knew the needle was too large - the stitches were not "firm" making the knitted fabric look sloppy) I have started again with one size smaller needle. Since Ultra Pima is a dk weight yarn, you will have to knit the next larger size for it to fit properly. I am making sure the sizing will work out.

The next time you are on Ravelry, check out the Wonderful Wallaby. It is a favorite of knitters and they have knit it out of every yarn imaginable. You will get great ideas about what yarns to use AND what yarns NOT to use.

Goodnight

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IPurl's Shop Philosophy

We are getting many requests from knitters to stock a certain yarn. I will probably ask you how often you knit with that particular yarn and what you knit with it; then make note of your request. A yarn shop must have a plan in place while working to stock what the majority of customers are asking for.

Quality Over Quantity - It is our belief that a yarn shop must stock the basics - a good 100% wool for knitting and felting - worsted, DK and chunky weights, a great cotton and cotton blend selections for our climate, a varied selection of the best sock yarns/sock weights, lace weights in various fibers, alpaca, cashmere, the requisite baby yarns and the current "popular" trends that come and go. Along the way, high- end specialty yarns will be added such as expensive beaded yarns with minimum yardage. Sales of all stocked yarns are being closely monitored to see what is selling and what is not. The yarns that are not selling will not be restocked but replaced with something else. This process doesn't happen overnight, it takes time.

Knitting needle selection - we stock Crystal Palace Yarn bamboo circular needles (a personal favorite). They are the only circular (that I am aware of) with a cord that rotates on the needle. Addi Turbo is the metal needle of choice for most knitters and we stock those in the Lace version. Kollage Square needles are super needles with great points. Their 5" dps are perfect for socks and handwarmers/mittens so we are stocking those. I believe the small (8" to 12") circular is invaluable for many knitting projects so we have a selection of those also. Most knitters are using circulars now. With that in mind, no single point knitting needles will be stocked.

I love knitting bags! There will always be a selection of small project bags, baskets and larger knitting bags of excellent quality.

We aren't going to stock knitting books. I am sure you have noticed, the printed book industry is in the midst of a major change. I have watched knitting friends go into a yarn shop, look through a particular knitting book to see if they like it and go home to order it from Amazon and/or Kindle for less than half the price yarn shops sell them for! I first noticed it with the Kindle and the industry has continued to race toward the ebook. I feel compelled to buy the books I want to have in print now before they are no longer available! I get VOGUEknitting by subscription on my iPad along with a couple of crochet magazines. Patterns are easily purchased and instantly downloaded from the Internet. Ravelry is a must for every knitter and crocheter for this reason. You can buy knitting books via Kindle - download them onto your iPad which can easily be put in your knitting bag! As you can see, it is not profitable for a yarn shop to stock knitting books. I think knitting and crochet magazines are not far behind. IPurl has fast wifi so everyone can access the Internet for all their books and pattern needs. We do have patterns for specific yarns that cannot be purchased on the Internet.

There are no plans to ever have weaving or spinning products or equipment. I don't have an interest in it and don't have the space to stock those items.

In time, we hope to have a great yarn shop, stocking the yarns and equipment our customers want.

Our website is currently undergoing a hosting change. This means we are creating a new website adding all the products we currently have in the brick and mortar shop. The new website is attached to our shop software for processing sales and maintaining inventory. When the new website has enough products, we will shut down the old one. We are still processing orders from the old website (just shipped NORO to The Netherlands) but not adding new merchandise. We hope to make a smooth transition very soon.

Classes - Several of us have our heads together working on a class schedule for September. We are hoping to email it out in a week or so. We are planning several project classes and KALs.

As you can see, there is a lot going on with iPurl. When I have time to knit, it is for a shop display or something for an upcoming KAL or class. Currently, I am working on a small Wallaby. The Wonderful Wallaby will be the subject of an upcoming post.

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A Quiet Day Away from iPurl

I am enjoying a nice, quiet day off on this beautiful Monday morning. Yes, I am still puttering around in my PJs, enjoying an iced coffee. The deer have been in the back yard showing off a new addition to their family. What a beautiful little thing! God made so much beauty for us to enjoy every day. Sometimes i have to remind myself to get quiet enough to see it.

 

 

I have done a couple of iPurl things this morning. iPurl has such energy already that she can't be totally ignored on my day off! It seems we are experiencing growing pains already.

People are always asking me what I am knitting. It is nice that they are interested. For the most part, I have been knitting shop displays that reflect yarns and patterns that are in the shop. At this moment, I am finishing up some baby bibs to update pictures for my pattern, The Perfect Baby Bib, on Ravelry. It will also be available in the shop (back by the Ultra Pima cotton) and it is a free pattern. Taking advantage of the timing, I have knit a few extra for a friend that has a new baby boy!

I am also trying to finish up the teapot cozy for the NORO display! When that is completed, I am starting a small Wonderful Wallaby in Cascade's Ultra Pima for display and a refresher for me for the upcoming Wonderful Wallaby KAL. The display will be a beautiful red (Christmas is around the corner) with a stripe of turquoise in the ribbing. The Wallaby I will be knitting for the KAL will be for Alexis since I haven't knit anything for her in quite awhile.

Joe finished his Chevron scarf in Iro. It is truly something to behold! I thought it was in NORO's accessories book but it is is not - YIKES - I need to order the book it is in! I blocked it for himBefore taking it to the shop. I forgot to take pictures of it before I left the shop Saturday. I will take pictures tomorrow and post them. A shopper bought two hanks of Huasco in colors that are in Joe's scarf because she thought they were so beautiful together. Inspiration comes from many different directions!

 

A quick snap of a trio of bibs

 

I am adding a cute garter stitch version to the pattern.

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Crocheted Motif Shawl from VOGUEknitting Crochet Magazine

I had asked Cindy if she would crochet the shawl on the cover of VOGUEknitting's Crochet magazine for the shop. Always gracious, she agreed to take on a special project. Cindy, an experienced crocheter and knitter, did a fabulous job! She brought it to the shop this afternoon and I couldn't wait to put it up for everyone to see. Lacy and delicate; it is truly gorgeous!

 

Cindy did block this VERY lightly not wanting to completely smooth out the frilly/ruffly effect. Great job, Cindy. Thank you!

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Pictures From Today - Sign Going Up

I was at home sitting on the sofa with Bella, still in my pajamas, thinking about how i wanted to spend my day off when I got an email saying - Guys are on the way! It took me a few minutes to realize what was going on. I emailed Angela at Signs by Tomorrow to tell her iPurl is closed on Mondays and I am at home. I remind Angela that I live 45 minutes from the shop, adding 15 minutes to dress, it will be an hour before I get there! BIG sigh! I really wanted to throw a Diva Hissy Fit and say NO! YOU SHOULD HAVE CALLED FIRST! But, we need our sign up, so....

As I drive into the parking lot, it is raining! The guys are standing under the covered area at the front door. The sun is shining and they say, with smiles, they will wait it out. After getting back to work, it didn't take them long at all. Besides the issue of the electric connection possibly not being where it should be, everything went well. (the sign won't be lighted until the electric issue is sorted)

 

As you can see, it has just stopped raining

 

Back up they go

 

 

The "l" is up

I realized that is our sign laying on the floor of the lift at his feet. Doesn't look like several thousand $$ worth does it?

 

 

A couple of nice fellas who agreed to be photographed while installing the sign

(even got a pose a little wave)

 

Going to the roof to check for electrical connection

 

 

Great Job, Guys! Thank You!

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