Purchases, Pledge Drives, and Profits--Showing Support

My favorite yarn shop is closing down and I am in a tizzy. There are other shops in the valley and they are lovely, but none are as close or as comfortable. I feel like I will suddenly be without a place to turn when I need bright red worsted weight merino or a new pair of 16" size two bamboo circular needles RIGHT NOW.

I also feel guilty. Vera is retiring. For the past 11+ years she spent almost every business hour in the store, so I can't begrudge her that. But I feel bad that I didn't send more business her way. I spin a lot of my own yarn and  buy a lot on-line and  can't walk into a yarn store without spending over a hundred dollars. So I never became a regular. I always intended to spend more time there and eventually become one of the ladies knitting and talking politics on the sofa.

I'm also not sure what to do about the going out of business sales. Discretionary money is tight. There is more than enough yarn here. But again, I want to be supportive.

Sadly, showing support often means spending money. Which is why I have a new pair of socks I don't know what to do with. I am a "sustainer" for my local public radio station, which means they receive a monthly amount from my bank account. A few weeks ago, a station volunteer called. She told me all the nice things I already know about public radio, then asked for $5 more a month. I agreed and chose socks over a mug.

 I have mugs, and tote bags, and magnets, and t-shirts that show financial support of various causes. There more causes, all of them good, that I would like to support, but I'm not rich and famous yet, so I mostly give to LDS Humanitarian Services (an organization that helps people in need world wide, but doesn't offer tote bags for donations.)

I also support several of my favorite bloggers. When Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Jenny Lawson, or  Lene Anderson  come out with new books, I buy them. I've bought books and a hand-knit teddy bear from Gregory Patrick.

The hope is that this blog will eventually become a business. But the transition will be an awkward one for me. I have no experience in sales. My poor but proud ancestry puts a taboo on asking for money. I hope to get enough readers to justify advertisers and a book deal.

There will be no "donate" button.

Your non-financial support is what I need and appreciate most right now.  Weekly readership has grown into the hundreds thanks to your sharing on Facebook and Twitter. Please keep it up. I especially appreciate your sharing my blog directly with people you know who might be interested.

I'd love to see more support by way of comments. Rick lets me know that my blog is actually read and offers great insights. I'd love to hear from more of you. When I taught writing I emphasized Audience and Purpose. Both are still a little hazy here and your comments will help.

Of course, if you want to help enable my yarn addiction, purchases from my shop are appreciated.

THE KNITTING

Sometimes I get on a tear and start mass-producing things. For the past two weeks, I've been knitting sheep.

The idea is that they will be "cabbage patch" sheep that will be "adopted." They have ear tags with their names and will come with a card that tells a little bit about their breed. So far I've made a bunch of Shetlands. In future months I will add Finn and Icelandic.

Once I figure out packaging and shipping, they will be available in my shop.

I've also been working on a fun shawl from my Loops Club subscription. It is supposed to look like the center of a papaya. I love the colors, but think it will be a birthday gift this fall.