The Fiber Fairy

« I know what I want to do when I retire. | Main | WIP update »

April 27, 2004

Quest for the gold

I am going to start mixing my yarn shop plans in with my knitting now (hey, that just gives me a ton to blog about hahahahaha). This will be my way of writing down my thoughts, dreams and goals. They say that you are much more likely to achieve your dream if you write your goals down.

I found a fiber arts guild in Southern Illinois, right where I plan to have my shop (Carbondale, IL). One of the members told me that they have to drive well over an hour away to get to any kind of yarn shop. That makes me want to a. dance around and b. retire from the Navy the earliest I can (18 months). I am so torn about when to retire. If I wait and take another duty station that will give me that much more time to save up money. One of the sources I am reading tells me that I should have two years salary in the bank to guard against the rocky new business road. With my retirement pay that actually comes out to less than one year in the bank. On the other hand, if I retire Nov 2005, I will get to start on my goal faster but will probably have to work as a nurse a couple days a week. The problem with that is that limits the hours I can spend at the shop AND will give me exactly zero time to spend with my family. Of course, I could always look for someone to partner with but that gets complicated. Oh, there are so many possibilities. I am the kind of person that hates, hates a long menu at the restaurant when I am hungry. Every decision I have to make is like a chess move, I need to be thinking eight moves ahead to visualize the consequences.

I have also decided to embark on the TKGA master knitter program (wow that sounds impressive doesn't it?). What does it ultimately mean? I don't know. Like someone else said, I don't need someone to tell me that I can knit well but I think that it will strengthen my credibility within my business plan (and ability to get a loan) and with my customers. It will strengthen my technical skills so that I can help my customers and possibly even allow me to teach classes. One thing I am doing now is really paying attention to what folks are saying about their local yarn shops (LYS), their likes, needs and dislikes. What do you want in an LYS? The responses are confusing and conflicting at times. Some folks want to be left alone to pet the yarn, others want technical advice and some want to be handheld. I hear (and think) loud and clear that a warm, comfortable shop is a must. That is from customers. Yarn shop owners on the other hand are saying things such as how they don't want people lingering, how they end up with tangled yarn and unruly kids, rude customers. Blah. It is so overwhelming. From the business sites, it is clear that just because I knit and love all things fiber that does not make me a business woman. The idea of becoming a master knitter is no insurance that my business will prosper (or even survive) if I do not put the customers first. So I plan to immerse myself in knitting blogs, boards and well, knitting, as well as business boards and courses. I am also working towards pulling together a knitting guild here in Sicily (the advertisement starts this weekend).

Here is the blog of a person that is realizing her dream right now: My Threaded Bliss.

So here is a description of MY dream shop. I want to rent (and eventually own) a two story older house near Southern Illinois University in Carbondale (walking distance would be ideal). Most of the downstairs would be the actual shop, with some of the walls between the rooms taken down to make a more open shop. I will put the yarn in fiber content categories along the walls with a sample skein and swatch hanging by each type. I will have mostly natural fibers (expensive I know) but also a fair selection of blends and probably something like Lion Brand or Patton as well so not everything is super expensive. I will also have a decent selection of needles and notions. Later down the road, I would love to add spinning wheels and weaving looms (or at least the ability to order them through me) and spinning/weaving supplies. I would also like to have a consignment section so people can trade in their stash for new stuff or just sell their unneeded stash/supplies. A children's corner is a must complete with toys and possibly a small tv/vcr so mom/dad can shop in peace. There will be comfy chairs/couch so you can sit a spell and knit or just chat. The kitchen will have a pot of coffee on and give me a place to dye yarn or hold other messy crafts. Upstairs will be rooms for classes or meeting places and the shop office/storage space. Of course, the Southern part of me says that there will be rockers on the front porch for when the weather is too pretty to knit inside. I hope to attract people who will hold their classes at my shop not to mention guild meetings. I have always been involved in my community so I will continue to do that with my shop as well. I will partner up with the nursing homes in the area to donate yarn and time to help with them with knitting. Oh and how about facilitating knitting clubs at the local schools? I know what you are thinking - she is going to need a 5,000 sq ft house and a way to clone herself at least five times (and by the way, didn't she say something about having three young boys?). If there is one thing that will help me pull this off, it is the fact that I am the most stubborn person I know. I have at minimum, eighteen months to get my financial/business act together.

So, what do you think?

Posted by DebC at April 27, 2004 08:39 AM

Comments

Posted by: Sheryl at April 28, 2004 06:21 PM