Diversifying my Portfolio

When the shop opened in 2008 we approached this as a business.  Business is math and money and percentages and accounting.  I had been working in retail for almost 30 years.  I understood about mark-ups and trends and paying bills.  There are lots of bills.  Last year we added 2 more monthly invoices to the mix, more rent, more hydro!  Keeping them paid through the summer is a challenge.   I could fill the shop with more yarn, but sometimes even the Yarn shop has too much yarn. So I added Baskets, Bags, notions, cards you know that stuff.

This year I travelled to the Gift Show and spotted a few interesting lines of product that if stretched could be knitting related, or they are just fun to be around.

New to the shop today are Arterro kits. These cleverly designed kits contain all the ingredients to help creative juices flow!  They are design for kids 8 and up!  Most contain renewable fibres and recycled materials.  A needle felting kit, a wool felt jewelry kit and my favourite a wool felt bug kit!

 

These Puppets by  Cate and Levi are were just too cute to pass up.  They are made from recycled sweaters and knit fabrics.  Each is totally unique and charming! 

 

 

 

Last week with our Briggs and Little order we received some of their knitted socks,  made with Durasport yarn from a manufacturer in Ontario.  Canadian fleece, made into Canadian yarn, knit into Canadian Socks!  Wooly and warm, but only in men's size right now?

 

 

 

Then there are the Freakers.  they were just too much fun to miss.  Designed by a quirky guy, with a great story.  'It all began at a Stitch and Bitch' he says!  How could I resist!

 

There are a couple of orders in the future one of them may be a yarn company the we have been watching for a few years now! 

 

Come and visit!