New blog!

Hi there,

Three Bags Full now has its very own blog at:

Threebagsfullwoolshop.blogspot.com

Bit of a mouthful, eh? Anyway, if you're a yarn-lover - or even if you're not - it would be great to see you there.

Getting going...

Well, I'll have a couple of hours unexpected leisure time this afternoon and, with a choice of ways to fill it, what I'm favouring at the moment is a first attempt at setting up a website for the shop. My friend is very kindly hosting a page for us over at partythings2go.co.uk (thanks, Lorraine!) but I'm trying to limit the items on there to those which tie in with partythings stock - so far I've managed pom pom maker kits, but there's more to come! (I put the pom pom maker kits together myself and felt pathetically proud when I sold a couple yesterday morning...)

Weaving kits anyone? French knitting? Hmmm, what else can we do...?

Am turning into a real yarn freak. Am now convinced there's more to colour therapy than meets the eye. Have just ordered some of this:How gorgeous is that? Doesn't it lighten your mood just looking at it?

Now you can find us!

This is our new Three Bags Full sign, up on colonnade level and clearly visible from the courtyard. Mike took the original photo of the lamb (thanks, Mike!). More on his great photos later, but in the meantime...

Next Saturday we're having the official Three Bags Full opening...yes, I know we've been open since the 5th, but it was all a bit of a low key rush. Low key's good for me, but rushed less so. So next Saturday (26th) we'll be having nibbles and soft drinks, great offers and we'll just be really pleased to see anyone who wants to buy, browse, or just pop in and say hi. And if you fill in the short survey you get the chance to enter the draw for £15 of TBF gift vouchers.

Really must get that other blog started; have been hi-jacking Honeysuckle's webspace long enough...

Three Bags Full

OPEN FOR BUSINESS!

Falling behind here - the new blog and the website are both on hold till I get my snazzy new laptop and dongle so I can work online in the shop...

Yes, I now have a shop!! We're open - yay!! Come visit us Tues to Saturday at the Piece Hall (Unit 3). We have some lovely yarns - Debbie Bliss, Mirasol, Artesano and many more. Or, if you don't knit, we have some little gifty type things - with lots more still to come - and gorgeous buttons, handmade cards and gift tags. I'm also selling my niece's canvas shoulder bags, which are sold purely in aid of her fundraising project aimed at supporting cancer charities.

But it's also lovely when people just to call in and say hello. So please do!

Nearly there, kind of

Signing for the premises this morning, so have slept about two hours tops, and each time I woke I had buttons, yarn and needles running through my dreams. If I get the keys today the pace will increase dramatically. Or as dramatically as possible with me at the helm. Still have no yarn, altho' I'm set up to order some once the banks sort themselves out. Why does it take four days for a telephone transfer of funds to clear? They could send a member of staff across town with the cash in his back pocket quicker than that.

To have a cash till or not to have a cash till? That is the question. If I don't have a cash till, am I telling the cosmos I'm not expecting to get many sales? If I do have one, does that introduce too much an aspect of financial motivation into my little woodentops world? So many decisions; so little brain power.

Lambs, chickens, eggs...

I have a lamb. Sadly, not real, but lifesize and very pretty nevertheless. She stands in front of the television at present exuding benign vibes - the sort of smiley lamb you can't pass without wanting to stroke. We've also amassed a once scruffy (and therefore very cheap) oak trolley that I've Nitromor'd, waxed and buffed back to beauty, and various disparate items that might or might not look good in a small shop aiming for the Scandinavia meets English country cottage look. I've bought my spotty bunting from dotcomgiftshop and my baskets. I'm on course.

Amongst various disasters of the not-knowing-what-I'm-doing variety last week, whilst on a jaunt seeking out said items, I managed to embarrass myself in the local joiner's shop. This isn't any old joiner's shop; this is two floors of old England, reclaimed pine at its finest, rustic cupboards, wardrobes, thick-topped tables, children's school desks complete with inkwells and childish carvings, old trunks. I love it. We bought a few baskets, a towel rail, a chair. Not unique things, but not mass-produced modern, either. So I think the owner was a bit surprised when he asked for payment and I tried to fit my Ikea Family card into his machine. I love Ikea, but his look was one of amused disgust. Ah well, room for all sorts. Next week I'm going back to ask him to make me some shelves and, just in case, I'm leaving the Ikea card at home.

What I don't have yet is yarn. A nice man's coming to see me on Tuesday morning about that and what he'll say is something about needing proof I'm a bona fide trader. I think. And I don't have any proof because the tax office moves very slowly. They actually say you shouldn't register as self employed until you're trading, but if you want to buy wholesale, you can't start trading till you're registered. Chickens. Eggs.

A change isn't as good as a rest, but can be more interesting

Well, I haven't been here for so long, maybe no one drops by anymore...

Lots has changed in the last few months: I was made redundant for a start! I don't quite understand why the first job I've really felt was worthwhile should also be the one which has its funding stopped and from which I'm made redundant. That's life, eh? And, of course, as it had been relatively short-term employment, there was no redundancy payment and I don't get Jobseekers' Allowance. Hmmm, good job I'm not one to complain.

But, I have a new scheme. I'm opening a wool shop. Well, all being well, I am. I'm not counting any chickens because counted chickens are so inclined to bite you on the bum. But, that's my plan. I've been to my silver entrepreneurs workshops, I've registered as self-employed, I've contacted people about property to rent, I'm opening a business bank account and when the final pieces slot into place, I'm away.

How exciting is that? Well, it's fairly exciting for me. Actually, it's terrifying.

Whoops...almost forgot to mention: new blog coming soon, I hope, with lots of lovely close ups of lambs and rainbow-coloured hanks of gorgeous yarns and...well, I'll try to make it nice...

Phew, wish me luck!