Art shows

I've participated in two art shows to date, but no luck with sales. I'm about to log on to Etsy and cut my prices dramatically. I need the cash, and inventory isn't moving.

Thankfully, the show tonight produced a lot of interest. One woman in particular was very interested in the scarf LPF commissioned for her sister. She's supposed to e-mail me tomorrow to inquire about other colors for a gift for her niece. I have to block LPF's scarf tomorrow night after dinner with my girlfriend LB.

Projects in the queue:
- Ribbed SWS scarf (need to block, list on Etsy)
- LPF's scarf (need to block, list on Etsy)
- MAS' socks
- ERH's socks
- GEH's socks
- Branching out (for me)
- Sonnet (for me)

I'm a little bent out of shape about some personal stuff, so I'm going to close this entry and hopefully have something more pleasant to say Friday or Saturday.

Art shows!

I've been invited to participate in my first-ever show! I received a convo (private message or e-mail) through Etsy inviting me to join a local artists' show presented by one of our local downtown art associations. I was very surprised but quite pleased and honored.

The invitation provides me with quite a dilemma. I've been to one art show in my entire life, and it was strictly paintings. I've never attended a craft show. I've never been a vendor! So I'm having to figure out very quickly if I want to do this, first of all, and second of all, what I need to DO. I have e-mailed the organizer back and hopefully I can get some questions answered promptly so I can get my ducks in a row. Thankfully, my husband is quite arty and is already scheming displays and set-ups.

Here are some random thoughts:
- Need to find out what kind of space I will have and what type of table I need to bring
- Must use a white or cream-colored table-cloth - no black or dark colors to show lint (or cat hair!)
- Need a small, attractive mirror so people can look at my wares on themselves
- Should I swatch some of my yarn stash so people can get an idea of future items? (probably)
- How many of my items should I bring?
- How do I handle sales - can I have a computer hooked up so people can go through my Etsy store? Would that be too tedious & time-consuming for this type of event? Probably - but how else am I going to accept credit cards? They would need to at least have a PayPal account for CCs. I will need to have some cash for change. What about invoices/sales slips? This brings me into a whole realm of marketing that I haven't had to address just yet because Etsy has been wonderful.
- Thank goodness I used that particular website for my business cards; I know I can customize postcards and other little dealios for marketing purposes.
- Where oh where can I get a mannequin head or wig stand? I know I can get one off of eBay or an online retailer but for whatever reason, I'm really stuck on being able to see & touch it before I buy it. I want to be sure it's worth my money AND displaying my goods!
- Not to mention, it would be very nice to have a dress form or mannequin torso for scarves - the torso and head would be super-useful for future (hopefully) shows AND for photographing items to show on Etsy.
- I think having a little guestbook might be a genius idea for people who are interested in my products but don't have time/money/interest in current items.

Have to get back to my day job for now :-) Any feedback would be much appreciated!

[2 weeks and counting]

And two days and counting.

I voted early on Friday, and the line was two hours long. I didn't mind at all - I had been sure to wear comfortable shoes and brought my knitting. The lady in front of me even asked about what I was working on, so I was able to chat a bit about what I was doing and my Etsy store.

I have learned how to knit socks! Knitting from a book while in line was quite interesting. I was concerned about dropping needles & stitches, but I didn't have any problems. My class sock turned out quite nicely. I'm not sure about the kitchener stitch to close the toe, but I'm sure that will improve as I knit more.

My Ravelry page is finally pretty well updated. I have some items that Bradley is going to photograph for me; once I have his pictures, I'll be able to post final pictures on Ravelry and then the items on Etsy.

The banana cozy commission is going well. I finished one with quite a few tweaks and have started the second one with even more variations. I will be stopping by the grocery tomorrow to pick up bananas to be sure they fit.

Tuesday night has me on the verge of hyperventilating. I am so ready to be done with the election season and move on to real work. At this point, I do still care who wins the presidential election, but I am hoping that after the dust has settled, we'll be able to turn purple and end all the divisiveness. I am so tired of hearing all the negative stuff on TV and the news sites. I don't want to hear the candidates tell me what the other candidate did - all of that stuff is in the past. I wish they would speak for themselves: What are they going to do for my future? For the future ahead of my nieces & nephews? For your kids & grandkids? How are they going to improve my situation? Tell me your OWN agenda and quit tattling on the other candidates. I had had enough when I saw an ad on TV the other night where the opposing party didn't even name the position the candidate was running for - it was obviously a local race, but seriously - what the heck. I hope I can stay at home and knit the night away without breaking any needles or throwing anything at the TV. I might have to pull out my Options needles or some of my old Boye needles so that I don't break any of my Takumi dpns or my new Harmony circulars!

Upcoming projects:
+ After I finish the cozies for LP, I am going to go back to Branching Out, I think. I love the alpaca I bought over the summer, and it feels like it would be a great weight for the pattern. I know I need to block the laceweight I'm using right now before I make the decision to frog it.
+ Now that I've knit a class sock, I'm planning on knitting a pair for myself. I bought 2 skeins each of three different colorways, all of which will be appropriate for work.
+ I have some ideas for using up some leftover bits; I have to flesh out the ideas, but I think they will be a lot of fun.
+ After I use up the yarn in my stash, I think I'm going to start working with lighter-weight yarns instead of bulky wools. For Floridians, wearing something cotton or bamboo would be much more feasible.

Au revoir - I'm off to bed! Busy workweek ahead.

[studying]

That's pretty much all I've been doing lately. Oh, and going to the doctor. I spent this past Friday night in the ER with severe abdominal pain; the diagnosis from the ER doc didn't make any sense to my own doctor when I went in for a follow-up on Tuesday, so we're still working on figuring out the cause.

BUT. I have been knitting while watching the study lectures, so I have several scarves and hats waiting for my B. to photograph, and then I'll be able to list them on my Etsy store.

I have had several commissions lately:
- a hat for a co-worker
- banana and apple cozies for one of my knitting group girls (she's actually a crocheter)
- a scarf for a co-worker's sister

The cozies & sister's scarf are still in progress. The hat got rave reviews when the co-worker went to Atlanta recently; he said it was exactly what he needed while he was there and made sure to promote my store to his friends there.

I've been working on the business side of this Etsy thing lately. Ordered new business cards with my store's actual name (prior versions had an incorrect French translation); downloaded QuickBooks Simple Start (I would love to have the full version like we have at work, but I am not forking out how ever many hundreds of dollars it would cost me); set up templates for product labels; and have been researching the best way to deal with making this little thing legal. I think for now, I'll just register a fictitious name entity and report it on my Schedule C; I need to register with Florida for sales tax purposes and start filing those reports. Since I'm a tax accountant, I don't really have the ignorance excuse - to say the least!! I'm thinking of getting some postcards from the site I used for the business cards (www.123print.com) to distribute at work, craft shows, restaurants, and other places where I can advertise.

In yarn news... the cozies I'm making for my group member are cotton yarn, which I have never really worked with in the past. It's interesting since I've been using so much wool. I have some delicious buttery-colored alpaca that I'm planning to use for a Branching Out scarf for myself or for a gift. My friend KD and I figured out that the Noro yarn she gave me would be perfect for a belt! I love interesting belts since I wear grey, black, or khaki pants all the time. I saw a picture of the Forest Path stole recently, and that inspired me to find a lace pattern that would work for the belt. I have to do some more digging in my stitchionary, but I'm confident I'll find something soon. KD suggested crocheting - but the hook scares me! I'll stick to my needles.

Life is interesting

Things have been a little crazy in my little corner of the world. Work is good. The husband is good. The cats are good. Knitting is good.

I have had a recent spate of interest in my Etsy shop! I knitted a baby blanket for a co-worker & his pregnant wife and was able to have it finished in time to give them at the firm-sponsored baby shower. When other co-workers realized I had made it myself, many of them asked about other things I could make. I was able to distribute business cards and show people other projects on my Etsy site. My officemate LF bought a scarf this week to give to a friend who lives in a colder climate, and another co-worker has commissioned a beanie. Yay!

I'm beginning to work towards incorporating my little store; as a tax accountant, I can't really claim ignorance about collecting & remitting sales tax or paying income tax (if I ever actually make a profit!). But being a tax accountant will make the process easier, since I'm familiar with the process and the consequences.

I have plenty of scarves in inventory; I've whipped out a few hats recently and am going to work on some mittens & arm-warmers soon, I think.

OK, that's all I have for now - I have to get back to the CPA exam studying. :-(

Two at once

My usual scheme with life is one thing at a time. One book at a time, one knitting WIP at a time, one TV show at a time, one hobby at a time, etc. I've been working on adding variety in the past few months. I don't like it when different parts of my meal touch when they're on my plate - juice from my spinach running into my mac & cheese grosses me out to no end. But lately, I've tried some new things to see how I like them. I still can't read a different book while I'm studying for the CPA exam, but I cast on a new knitting project before I finished my current one.

I've been producing some scarves for my Etsy shop and still haven't knit anything for myself since I picked up my needles last year. Yesterday, I cast on Branching Out. I started it a few months ago and frogged it; using size 8s with the yarn I'd picked (KnitPicks Shimmer) made the stitches far too airy to even recognize a pattern. Last night, I went down two sizes to a 6 needle, and it's easy to see the pattern now. I've done about 4 repeats of the pattern, and I love it. The project I haven't finished is another My So-Called Scarf for Etsy. It's in Classic Wool Merino by Patons in Palais, and I love the rich colors - brown, purple, maroon, and blue. Today, I was catching up on my TV shows on the DVR, and switching from size sixes and laceweight yarn to size elevens and much thicker yarn was definitely an adjustment for my fingers. I didn't find it difficult, though, which was good.

I could knit all day, but it's 3:30 and I really need to get some chores done around the house. We have the Litter Robot for the cats, and it's time to change the bag. I'm also going to switch from clumping clay litter to crystals this week; several fellow cat caretakers (cause we all know that cats simply refuse to be owned) have confirmed that the crystals virtually elimiate the dust that comes along with the clay litter. My kitties have successfully used the crystals in the past, so I don't have to worry about them refusing to transition. I've already taken care of the kitchen; now it's just the rest of the house!

Ugh, and let's not even discuss the studying I have to do today. [Insert whining, bitching, & complaining here!]

Hmph.

That's how I'm feeling today. Work is a little crazy today, and I've been ready for the day to be over since about, oh, 10 AM. I have an unbelievable amount of laundry to do tonight, and I would like to hurry up and leave already to go home and start on it.

Two scarves are at home waiting to be blocked and then listed on Etsy. I sewed in the ends last week at TNKC, and since it's almost that time of week again, I feel like a slacker for not getting at least one blocked. It's not that difficult; I've been busy and have been working on everything BUT knitting.

My friend Becky, the Amazing Survivor Girl, was visiting over the weekend and told me how she really enjoyed the hat I made her with stones on it. I think I'll have to investigate that a little more; I think that others would like the hat as well, but I remember having a hard time finding beads that would thread onto yarn thick enough to make a warm hat.

While she was here, Becky and I went to the beach yesterday. The water was really cold, and we were both very surprised since it's July in Florida. We had a lot of fun splashing around and letting the waves nearly knock us over (as if we really have any choice in the matter!) - it was just what I needed before this week. I have to begin studying again for the next section of the exam, and it was wonderful to go cut loose and have a good time before becoming a hermit and studying all the time again.

Summertime fun

Otherwise known as the CPA exam. Took it last Wednesday and have NO IDEA how I did on it. The scoring people guarantee that I'll have results in hand by the first week of the next testing window. Hm. Next testing window start date = October 1. Yey. I will likely have taken the next section by then. Hmph.

Obviously, with the last week of cramming, I didn't have any time to knit. I made up for that over the weekend! Finished a moss stitch scarf. B. said, "If poop had a color, that would be it!" Great, honey, that's definitely a line I can put in my Etsy listing! It's very brown and olive-y with some navy scattered throughout. I hope to block it tomorrow evening and then have the listing and pictures up over the weekend.

Tuesday Night Knitting Group was a lot of fun tonight. It's interesting to look around the table and see all the diverse people who come together. This evening, we had a relative newcomer, L., come with her adorable baby. There are a couple of other mothers in the group as well. Some of us are married, some are singletons, some are in serious relationships. As far as careers go, we have all sorts: KD is a lab scientist; I'm an accountant; L. is a SAHM; JLo is a horticulturist; LB is a pastor/minister at a local hospital; and ATS is a realtor. I don't know the other members' jobs, but hey, that gives me something to ask about next week!

In personal career news, this time of year is when my employer holds annual reviews. I received a promotion this year! I was very surprised but, of course, very pleased. As my mother put it, it is a promotion in title and in pay. (She worked for the government, so I think their pay grades and staff levels may have been much more structured than the levels at my firm.) My responsibilities won't dramatically increase overnight, which is a relief. My work mentor, MH, is a manager at the firm, and we discussed at our quarterly lunch today what I can expect and how I can live up to the new position. My actual evaluation is tomorrow afternoon. I'm not sure if I'll find out then what my bonus will be, or if that news will show up on the next pay day. Either way, that will be another boost to my savings account and another dent in my credit card debt.

studying

Hello all... not much going on in my knitting world. At 6/23, I'm less than 10 days away from the next section of the exam. My friend H. gave me a huge motivation boost this morning; she passed her latest section with an 83. So, I was pretty motivated to get home and study, but then fell asleep for about an hour and a half on the couch. Oh well. I can read two or three chapters tonight (depending on length, but I'm shooting for three), and then do the remainder tomorrow before & after Tuesday Night Knitting Club. Then the rest of my time will be spent doing questions and simulations.

I'm feeling all mixed up - motivated, scared, intimidated, determined, all of it.

All I know is that I am looking forward to having a few days of no studying and relaxation - and some KNITTING - after 7/2.

CPA Exam

Since I'm kicking into high gear these last ... (eek!) fourteen days before the next section of the exam, I'm not knitting as much. Last night, when I was doing laundry, I was studying, instead of knitting, as I usually would be. Tonight is TNKG, but I'm not sure I'm going to make it since I have to read through two chapters this evening.

I won't even get much of a break after this exam; I'll probably avoid the next study book over the holiday weekend, but by that Sunday afternoon, I have to find the book and make my plan of attack. I am nervous about the Auditing section; I don't do anything with auditing or attest services at work. Even with the Financial section, I use about half of the materials covered in that book and need to be somewhat familiar with the rest of it. Eek!

But... if I kick butt on these two sections this month and next... I'll be done. Finishing the exams and earning that license has been way out there sometime in the future, as some goal that maybe I'll get to one day... seems amazing that it could really be right around the corner. It's strange, too, to think about being done with my formal educational process. I remember feeling this way about graduate school and my master's degree. I couldn't believe it that last semester; I just knew something would go wrong and I wouldn't be allowed to graduate. But I did. And I can do this, and I will do this.

Maybe then I'll finally feel like a grown-up!!

Busy week

Man, there's been a lot going on this week. Friday was a work deadline, and I had to stay late (till 8ish) on Wednesday and on Thursday. Not much knitting going on as a result (or studying!), but this weekend has definitely been useful in catching up.

Right now, I'm cackling like a crazy woman over Monsters, Inc. I LOVE this movie!!! I'm going back to knitting... and giggling like mad.

Basketweave & Baskets

I'm over halfway done with my next basketweave scarf. This yarn is a little challenging to work with, but it's very soft. It is going to be really nice when it's finished. I really wanted to stop by the craft stores yesterday and get some new stuff, but I was a good girl and reminded myself of all the delicious yarns I have here at home.

I need to get out on the balcony this and water my plants. I forget how frequently I have to water when the plants are in smaller pots or baskets. There's another tomato growing on my plants; I am not sure how many I'll get this year, but even having three little tomatoes is a big improvement over my scorched plants from last year.

TNKC

I really enjoy the friendships I've made at my knitting groups. Last May (2007), I met KD at the Knit Wits in southwest 0rlando. She had just moved here a few days prior and didn't know anyone. Of course, I had to take her under my wing and do whatever I could to help her settle in to Happytown life. She is one of my best girls now, and I really enjoy knowing her. Thanks to her, I started attending a different knitting group after we moved to the northeast section of town; the Knit Wits are simply too far away to make the drive. The new group, the Tuesday Night Knitting Club, is so much fun. The other knitters have become good friends... from JLo and her bachelorette party to LR's daughter in the new big movie that just came out recently to JI looking up belly-dancing classes on her iPhone for us...

I laugh when people are surprised that I, a 20-something, knit - "Knitting's for grandmas! I bet you're the youngest one at your little knitting circle." HA! Not quite. Well, actually, I might be, but it would be by a matter of months, not decades.

I really enjoy spending the time with other crafty people and seeing their projects grow. LB is working on a market bag that I might have to steal, and V. (a crocheter) was working on a little tin-type thing. Watching her crank out the lid of the box in one evening was amazing, and then I realized that's what I do, too. I had put out several inches of my latest basketweave scarf by the time I left.

One of the other things that is very helpful is conferring with the more experienced girls about how to actually do a new stitch. Trying to translate words on a page to actual movements can be tricky, and having someone guide me has really benefited me. Thankfully, there's YouTube for the times that I can't get to TNKC.

Well - I'm out of here for tonight. Have to straighten up my desk and then get to bed. I'm so glad tomorrow is Friday!

Etsy listings

I listed another scarf on Etsy last night and have another one ready to list tonight. I spent some time last night updating my Ravelry page (I'm amour over there) with projects. There's one more scarf I need to photograph; it's the one I made for my brother's birthday. I spent a decent amount of time knitting yesterday in between chores. Caught up on a bunch of shows I'd DVR'd, got my apartment mostly cleaned up, spent some time with the kitties...

And then the A/C went out.

Yeah. I live in Florida. The high yesterday was 94F. The temperature inside jumped from 75 to 83 in about 30 minutes. The husband is out of town on a work trip, so I tried everything I could think of plus whatever I could find with Google with no luck. Even calling the emergency maintenance didn't help: "Oh, we can't make it out tonight, but we'll be there first thing tomorrow morning." Slept with the bedroom windows cracked and all the fans on high to circulate the air... when I called the apartment office this morning, the sweet older lady that works there (actually, she's a firecracker when necessary) got all bent out of shape that they didn't come out last night. I was just concerned about my cats; we humans can get down to shorts and bathing suit tops, but Pax & Skye can't exactly take off their fur coats. I was very relieved when I got home after work and the A/C was fixed. I'll call tomorrow and see what they did to fix it.

So, stay tuned for more adventures in Melody's knitting and HVAC world!

Branching Out, revised

Hm, so, now that I've done a few repeats of the pattern, and I think I'll have to frog it all and restart with a smaller needle. It's turning out to be far too open to even see the pattern. I haven't used needles smaller than a 7 or 8, so I'm interested to see how the size 6s will handle. I dug around on Ravelry for a while to see how other knitters' projects turned out, and seeing those made the decision easy.

But I have a kitty curled up in my lap, and she's had a rough day today, so I think I'm going to wait a few before I pick up my project again.

Branching Out

I cast on Branching Out this afternoon. I definitely have to pay attention to every stitch right now - the yarn I'm using splits very easily. Not to mention k3tog is tricky, regardless of what yarn it is. I am finished with the first repeat and am on row 2 (or 17, from the beginning).

I have some stuff to get done around my apartment, but I hope to pick it back up later this evening.

Laceweight yarn

Seriously tangles like mad. I was winding it from a nice hank when something went wrong and it turned into a nightmare bird's nest. I spent all night at knitting group last night untangling, stayed an extra thirty minutes after the other girls left (I was so close to getting it all straightened out!), and then spent another half-hour on it at home before I went to bed. The whole thing is in a nice, neat ball, waiting for me to break out the Branching Out pattern and begin.

It was really nice to see the other knitting girls last night. The other attendees were my dear friend KD, good friends JL and LB, and soon-to-be-good-friend LR. We didn't really get much knitting done; it was mostly just chatting and catching up. JL told us about her wedding veil crisis; the wedding is just a few days away and the only thing going wrong is the veil. I'm so happy for her!

Had dinner tonight with another group of friends; it was CJ's birthday, so we all went to a restaurant called Luma on Park in Winter Park. The food was seriously delicious. I had looked at the menu this afternoon and was horrified at the prices, but hey, it's the girl's birthday, so I'll find something I can afford. I stuck with water for my beverage and a salad for my meal. It was the perfect amount of food, and the flavors were amazing. First time in my life that I've ever cleaned my plate at a restaurant! The chicken dish was also really delicious; LB and CJ both ordered it, and LB let me have a bite of hers. It was served with oven-dried tomatoes on top and on a bed of polenta. I'm seriously craving some polenta now!

Well - after the serious sleep issues I've been having lately, I'm heading to bed. Buenas noches, mi amigos!

Lacework

I finished the seed-stitch scarf last night while I was watching tv with B. Now I have two needing to be blocked and listed on Etsy, but he has my camera right now. :-/ Oh well. I can work on the rest of the listings and, ya know, block them while I wait. Instead - I started winding a ball out of the hank of Knitpicks Shimmer I bought from a Digsfriend months ago. It's Happy Dance, a color that isn't listed on the site anymore. I am planning on casting on Branching Out tomorrow at TNKG. My first adventures in lacework! I can't wait. I'm a little nervous, but I don't know why. I think it will be lovely.

Well, gotta do a few chores and then get into bed. Have to make it to the PO tomorrow morning to ship out some DVDs I sold on half.com.

Things I'm especially enjoying

Blue Moon wheat ale with fresh orange slices
Grilled wings
Red velvet cake ice cream
Family Guy
Fresh haircuts

And giggling at my cat after I give her (vet-ordered) sedatives.

This morning, I spent some time on the Digs Boards re-reading the knitting thread. I have some delicious hand-dyed lace yarn from Australia that I've been trying to decide how to use, and I think I'm going to try Branching Out from Knitty. I dunno, the colorway is just amazing! It sounds like it would be a good start for lace adventures.

I'm still working on the seed-stitch scarf with the Patons Rumors; it's just going to take a little while to finish. I've added another several inches and am getting close to the end of the first skein of yarn. I need to get my kool-aid pink ribbed scarf blocked and listed on Etsy.

Last thing that's making me happy: my husband B curled up on the couch with my cats watching Family Guy with me.

two in a row

Two posts, two days in a row! Little steps to better habits.

I worked more on my seed-stitch scarf last night. It looks much better in the narrower width than before; I'm glad I took the time to frog it. I watched an episode of Nip/Tuck while knitting; I've been watching it from the beginning (thank goodness for Netflix!) on DVD. I'm still in season 1; this was the episode where Meghan dies. I just ached for Sean. And silly Christian, up to his usual sneakiness. It's been a little mentally difficult to watch these on DVD and then watch random episodes that are re-airing and getting recorded on my DVR.

I had to run a couple of errands after work yesterday; one took me into the plaza with my favorite JoAnn's. I resisted the temptation and white-knuckled it out of there. Go me! I have enough yarn to work with right now; I don't need any more at the moment.

A quote on my iGoogle page that is sticking with me today: "Happiness is nothing more than good health and a bad memory." (Albert Schweitzer) How true is that!

Little bits

Just a quick post to say - I haven't vanished!

Started working on a seed-stitch scarf last night. I really enjoy this yarn - it's Patons Rumors, which is acrylic and merino. It's very loose, so I'm glad I'm using my needles with sharp-sharp points. I can't imagine trying to knit this on my bamboo needles (which have much blunter points). I had started this scarf last week, but it was turning out to be much too wide. I frogged it all and restarted with a few less stitches per row, and it is a much more appropriate width right now.

I have so many yarns in my stash that I'm looking forward to getting into! I have some more Patons Classic Wool Merino, which is, of course, destined for more My So-Called Scarves. I might try to make some hats to match them, as the last pair of scarves I made were very, very long.

The next thing I'm trying to do for my Etsy shop is improving my photography skills. Bradley takes excellent pictures for me, but he isn't always available to shoot when I need pictures. Maybe I should have a real, actual contract with him ;-) Ha! That would be pretty entertaining. It's easy to find instructions online to make a light box, so I think that will be my first step. Then I'd like to get a mannequin head; finding a dress form or mannequin upper torso is also in my plan.

I missed my knitting group last night, and I missed connecting with my girlfriends. My friend E. needed help picking up an entertainment center, and since she has always been so helpful when I needed to borrow her truck, I wanted to return the favor. I definitely have to make it to knitting next week! The girls there are so helpful with advice and suggestions; I love the immediate feedback and the bonding. I don't feel like I'm 40 years older than I am (28) just because I'm knitting.

long time no post!

I survived tax season! Can't believe it. I haven't had time to post or update Ravelry or do ANYTHING. I'm trying to get back into the swing of things; cleaning up the apartment, picking up WIPs, getting my stash organized, and so on.

I finished another copy of the My So-Called Scarf in harvest colors. It's posted on Etsy right now as Harvest I. The MSCS I'm working on now is Harvest On Crack - it's the same colors, but the way the yarn colors are striping looks totally crackalicious. I'm looking forward to upping my production over the summer; I have a lot of delicious yarns in the stash that I can't wait to work with.