Wovember

Thicker than rain-drops on November thorn.
Fragment 8 By Samuel Taylor Coleridge

Handspun 3-ply Blue-Faced Leicester

November? Nope. Wovember. Click the link and you'll see what I'm talking about.

As Wovember settles in - or I settle into Wovember - I am surrounding myself with wool. As of today, when I sit down to knit I am literally covered in the stuff: I'm working on Jane's Ubiquitous Shawl as part of a knit-along for Craftlit's reading of Jane Eyre. The reader, Elizabeth Klett, is doing a marvelous job of portraying the mood, landscape, and persona of heroine. The project uses 10 skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light - almost 1500 yards of yarn. The KAL started in late October and ends in December, but for some reason I'm feeling driven (in a good way) to power through and finish before Thanksgiving...probably because of all the Christmas knitting I hope to accomplish. This shawl currently looks like a great lump of charcoal-gray fuzzy stuff. I anticipate the miracle of blocking, and hope that I will end up with a large square of lacy goodness when I am done.

The center section of Jane's Ubiquitous Shawl

Zig and I are making plans - BIG plans - an actual BUSINESS PLAN - for opening a yarn shop. We sat on the beach this past summer and brainstormed (well, MY brain was storming and Zig was recording the thunder and lightning) ideas for creating the be-all and end-all yarn and fiber paradise for knitters and spinners. It was fun to come up with a list of things, people, and events that would have to be in place.

Now we're (well, he) is slogging through the work of figuring out if this idea is even remotely feasible in a financial sense. What to call the enterprise? How much inventory to stock? Where to rent a storefront? When to open for business? Who to hire, if anyone? Why does our chosen location need a yarn shop?

Whether or not we actually see this through, and end up the proud owners of a fiber-related business, remains to be seen. But it's SO interesting to take the idea - the dream - and tease it apart into its separate elements (mission, location, financing, store layout, hours of operation, inventory, education, special events, licensing) to see how we could actually open for business.

Apologies for the long absence. In lieu of blogging, I have been knitting a LOT:

Jidai Raglan Pullover in Berroco Vintage DK

Wingspan shawlette knitted with Colinette Jitterbug Sock in "Mardi Gras"

Norah Gaughan's Ostrum Cowl in Berroco Boboli

Polka-Dot Ribbon Scarf

Penelope Shrug knit in Quince & Co Finch

Quick  broken rib scarf in Misti Alpaca Chunky

 and doing a bit of spinning, as well:

River's Edge Fiber Arts Mountain Mist 60/30/10  Merino Bamboo Nylon in "Riverstone" colorway