Orders

This is why there've been no posts in the past week. My courier bag has been stuffed to overflowing everyday with packages. 22 packages were crammed in this batch. Thanks to Stitch Diva who posted a sale on her website for most of our items, and all of you who've so generously supported the cause of getting Ed's teeth fixed! We're filled with gratitude for the numerous orders during the sale days. And to be truthful, a bit overwhelmed. We figure the last package will go out next Friday. Ed has been working almost nonstop turning, turning, turning and then carving and sanding. I've been busy downloading and filling orders, along with buffing the hooks and needles then handwriting the size on each. Twenty-four hours later, after the first finish is dry, I apply on the final coat of finish.


There has been little time for anything other than taking care of the orders, and trying to keep everything straight. I'm aware of one order I sent that I forgot to personalize the needles as requested by the buyer. Then there was the order that changed a couple times and I accidentally sent two sets of hairpin lace frames only to find my error later that evening when doing the paperwork. But this error has a silver lining: the next day the buyer wondered if it was too late to change the order (again) to two sets. :-) That was an order from Brazil so that mistake worked out splendid. It will be grand if that's the worst that happens.

Hank the cat keeps me company in the office/packing room. He loves curling up in the foam cushioning. The other place he likes to catnap when I'm working is on top of the corrugated paper roll. If you ever receive a package from us that has claw marks, you'll know who the culprit was.




I've been babysitting Faith on Fridays afternoons so DS can sleep - he works the graveyard shift and his wife works part time.

This week there was no way I could escape my work duties. But DS was thoughtful enough to bring her over for a short while so I could get in some grandma cuddles.



Before the rush of orders I spun one ounce of the Charollais wool. I want to spin another ounce to ply with this one. I have no idea how many yards it is. I'm quite pleased with it, when plyed it should be a good weight for a sweater. This is one project that will take many months. Ed wants the sweater in the natural color, no dyes for this one. (In the background are ebony spindles Ed made, racked while letting the coat of finish harden.)

I was gifted some lovely Shetland wool --along with other fibery goodies :-) to make a memory item in honor of my brother Jesse who died 3 weeks ago. Socks will be the proper memory project. We always gifted him with socks since that's what he always wanted and needed. There's also some history and humor concerning Jesse and socks. He was very fond of cherries. As a boy he'd sit in the cherry trees and eat to his heart's content. His favorites were called Black Republics. I dyed the skein with two packs of Black Cherry KoolAid. This is a new area that I haven't explored much. I was concerned that the wool would be too red so I added a package of grape. I'm pleased with how it turned out. I like that there are areas which are almost white. I'm anxious to start knitting a pair of socks.

But first, these are desperately wanting to be finished by Wednesday, Valentine's Day and birthday of my DIL. It's not going to happen with the work load facing us this week. I knitted on them during some long church related business meetings I had to attend this weekend.


A small glimpse at Jenkins Woodworking in progress.