13th August 2020
I bet Jacinda was in The Brownies!
Old Bear is prepared
48 years ago I joined The Brownies. My Mum was Tawny Owl, a figure of great importance. I wasn't the model Brownie, although I remember I was awarded a cloth badge for knitting, or it may have been sewing a button onto a square of cloth. I was a headstrong little girl, and along being totally disorganized and always ill prepared, mum decided I was an embarrassment. She instructed me to stay at home with dad on Wednesday evenings. That suited me fine, Dad was a pushover, and always had a secret stash of sweeties. I do remember he let me go into his shed and have a puff of one of his cigarettes...thank goodness mum doesn't read my newsletters! I also remember him confiding in me that, once, when he was working away from home, he had gone to the cinema to watch Saturday Night Fever...he thought it was a dirty movie. He was most indignant when he discovered it was just a lot of men dancing in rather tight trousers and singing in high voices. Well that's enough background information.
To this day I remember The Brownie Motto...'BE PREPARED'. Well, my family will certainly vouch for the fact that I am still erratic, normally late and definitely not prepared. However, I disagree? I have been at the shop today, obviously under Level 3, it was closed, but I had a whole heap of mail orders to package up. For the final couple of hours I carefully, thoughtfully and diligently selected a huge stash of yarn, patterns and needles. I was getting myself well prepared...after all what does it say about a wool shop owner if she finds herself subject to a possible Level 4 Lockdown, yet having absolutely no knitting wool in the house?
So, this leads me onto Jacinda. I get the feeling she was a model Brownie, the Brownie with the most badges and the Brownie always asked to demonstrate a task. Jacinda is also the epitome of The Brownie Motto...BE PREPARED. May I be a little bold, may I suggest that us in Auckland won't be having a cafe breakfast this Saturday morning , that we won't be partying on Saturday night and we certainly won't be getting the family round for Sunday lunch. May I suggest that Jacinda is gently preparing us all for spending a wee bit of time at home? She may, in true school teacher fashion, suggest that we catch up on house work, dust off the bread maker and agitate the gardening fork around the veggie bed. I may well do a little housework...after all I haven't picked up a duster since the last Lockdown, and Harry my Labrador is certainly willing to partake in at least 3 local walks a day!
I think we all agree, Jacinda didn't give us much time to prepare. From a retailers perspective I only had a couple of hours of trading on Wednesday before I had to close the shop doors. Golly, the shop looked like a bomb had hit! A couple or reporters from The Rangitoto Observer got wind of the frenzied activity at the wool shop and squeezed their way in, fully face masked with note pads at the ready. They had to wait patiently for at least an hour before I had chance to enlighten them that knitting was not a pastime solely for elderly ladies residing in care homes! They took a photograph of me stood against a backdrop of a ramshackle display of wool. I suspect I looked ridiculous, my handmade face mask was rather tight and the elastic was making my ears stick out.
So, today, I have tidied the shop, packaged up many lovely knitting care packages,(mail orders) and organised my own stash of knitting wool. I am prepared. Hopefully this Lockdown will not be too long, maybe just giving us enough free time to complete a few small knitting projects. If at the end of all this I have made Neil an intricate aran sweater then we know Jacinda definitely meant business! Neil absolutely hates hand knitted sweaters, so lets hope it doesn't come to that!
Now is the time for a little sales pitch...I will keep it short as I am not much good at promoting my wee shop, I'd far rather ramble ramble on about all sorts of stupidity and amusing happenings. Under Level 3 our online shop is open and I will be sending out your parcels immediately. Rather than present you with a long list of ideas, I'd far rather you settle down with a cup of tea or glass of wine and 'browse' our website.
https://www.wildandwoollyyarns.co.nz/
I must warn you, our stock levels for some products are pretty low. In a 'nut shell', the demand for 'all things knitting' has been huge and demand had definitely outstripped supply. I suppose in a perverse way, that's not a bad problem to have!
My all time top seller, and a particular favorite of mine, are our knitted dishcloths. A knitted dishcloth is definitely not daggy and old fashioned. They are super trendy, very sustainable and they do a damn good job in the kitchen! We have a complementary knitting pattern featuring three easy to knit designs, making this the perfect project for a new or novice knitter.
I think we all agree, Jacinda didn't give us much time to prepare. From a retailers perspective I only had a couple of hours of trading on Wednesday before I had to close the shop doors. Golly, the shop looked like a bomb had hit! A couple or reporters from The Rangitoto Observer got wind of the frenzied activity at the wool shop and squeezed their way in, fully face masked with note pads at the ready. They had to wait patiently for at least an hour before I had chance to enlighten them that knitting was not a pastime solely for elderly ladies residing in care homes! They took a photograph of me stood against a backdrop of a ramshackle display of wool. I suspect I looked ridiculous, my handmade face mask was rather tight and the elastic was making my ears stick out.
So, today, I have tidied the shop, packaged up many lovely knitting care packages,(mail orders) and organised my own stash of knitting wool. I am prepared. Hopefully this Lockdown will not be too long, maybe just giving us enough free time to complete a few small knitting projects. If at the end of all this I have made Neil an intricate aran sweater then we know Jacinda definitely meant business! Neil absolutely hates hand knitted sweaters, so lets hope it doesn't come to that!
Now is the time for a little sales pitch...I will keep it short as I am not much good at promoting my wee shop, I'd far rather ramble ramble on about all sorts of stupidity and amusing happenings. Under Level 3 our online shop is open and I will be sending out your parcels immediately. Rather than present you with a long list of ideas, I'd far rather you settle down with a cup of tea or glass of wine and 'browse' our website.
https://www.wildandwoollyyarns.co.nz/
I must warn you, our stock levels for some products are pretty low. In a 'nut shell', the demand for 'all things knitting' has been huge and demand had definitely outstripped supply. I suppose in a perverse way, that's not a bad problem to have!
My all time top seller, and a particular favorite of mine, are our knitted dishcloths. A knitted dishcloth is definitely not daggy and old fashioned. They are super trendy, very sustainable and they do a damn good job in the kitchen! We have a complementary knitting pattern featuring three easy to knit designs, making this the perfect project for a new or novice knitter.
I predict we may be spending more time in the kitchen!
https://www.wildandwoollyyarns.co.nz/collections/free-patterns/products/dishcloths
A few weeks ago I received a delivery of some glorious possum fur pom poms. I've artfully arranged them in a large wooden bowl on the counter and they are selling like hot cakes.
A damn good use of a possum!
and a new complementary beanie pattern
Well it's late now and I suspect I should wrap up this newsletter.. It's going to be an interesting day tomorrow, and I'm sure we'll all be nervously awaiting the Government update. I will be at the shop from about 10.30. If you need any telephone advice, or wish to collect wool at the shop door, just call ahead (09 488 7039) or e mail. fran@wildandwoollyyarns.co.nz I will be happy to oblige.
There's nothing more to say now, other than stay safe, stay home and keep knitting.
Warm regards,
Fran and Olivia