On shops and things

It's been a bit since I've posted. I feel like I have much to do and when I think of all the things I want to do, it seems overwhelming and that I don't have enough time or I should be doing other things (like cleaning) and then I end up getting nothing done. It's a crazy cycle.

In news of what I want to get done.
Add pictures/backgrounds and such to Blog.
Add more links of things I've found
Figure out a way to make it a "prettier" blog, etc.

In the real world, I need to work on my kitchen. It needs a good scrub down.
I have MULTIPLE projects I want to finish. I'm doing pretty well on them and I just need to keep plugging away.

I'm super excited about the trip to p-burgh in a few weeks. Can't wait to visit the LYS's and see what they have to offer. I'm also trying to save and think of what I might find and think ahead for projects it might work for and make sure I buy enough while there. So much to think about!

Speaking of shops and stores... I drove past a couple of spots in the Short North last week and I am thinking what PRIME retail space for a fiber shop. It's a pretty trendy area and would probably be on the expensive side to lease, but what a great area. A lot of foot traffic. One drawback being convenient parking. But... parking meters and a small walk aside... what a great area. It's one of my favorites actually and I just think it would make such a nice addition down there. That's just my opionion. It also made me a little sad because I wish I had the capital to get it started and go for it. Audra and I could finally have our place we've been wanting and hopefully it would be successful. Well I guess we better get our STUFF together and make it happen. First we need a plan.

Well better get some work done for now. More updates to come!

What's in a name anyway?

So when trying to devise a name for something, I often run up short. I try to think of clever things or something that will add interest. Something that makes people want to check it out. As I was sitting here, pondering the name of this blog, Fiber Funktastic... I was wondering if that is the right name. It's as good a name as any. I kept coming back to SOUL names, like Fiber is good for the soul type. And then I think SOUL isn't the right message, well it is because I think knitting is spiritual and soulful, but what I mean is that SOUL is misleading. It's commonly used in conjunction with music. And I'm not into SOUL music. But thinking along the musical lines I took soul into FUNK which is what inspired Funktastic.

Prince titled one of his albums, "Rave un2 the Joy Fantistic" and one of my earlier thoughts was Rave Unto the Fiber Fantastic. Cause that is how I feel.

But, back to Fiber Funk... I do like it and Audra does too, so we have group buy in. But I kind of laughed to myself because I feel like we should be called Fiber Junkies! I'm sure that is a name used elsewhere in the world, probably multiple times.

But here is where the junkie part comes in. I love yarn and fibers and material. I love textures and different feelings of different things. I love soft things (don't we all). I dislike scratchy things. Years ago I purchased this oh so soft soy yarn. I wanted to experiement. Well... half a sock later, I realized the softness was just in the skein, but not in the finished piece. I've since read, people with similar experiences, so I know it isn't just me.

Onward with the junkie vibe... I love to shop. I, like many yarn afficionados, love to buy it. I find stuff all the time! Every LYS I go to. I find a million things I like and it perpetuates a million new projects... and I want to start them ALL right now! I'm extremely impatient, too. So I get tired or frustrated easily.

Project time for me is mostly on the weekends when I sit around doing nothing but knitting. Audra on the other hand will pick up her projects basically anytime she is home during the week/weekend. My problem is when I go back to the "real" world and the work place on Monday morning... the only thing I can think about is knitting and my projects and how I just wish I was at home. We continually talk about different businesses we'd like to do. Book stores, yarn stores, craft stores, etc. And while I lay in bed at a ridiculously early hour this morning, I thought, "Why NOT?!" We could SO do this. I mean, we just need capital and to get capital you have to have a business plan. We are women and we are both of a "minority" race which could lead to our advantage to find funding. What's to stop up, but our own lack of committment?

I'm an idea person. I come up with great ideas all the time. My brain constantly runs, chugging along spilling stuff all over the place. What I do fail at though is OVER committing. I think I can do all these things and then I end up overwhelmed. I'm also forgetful and things get backburnered all the time. Hopefully, maybe we can commit to a business in the near future and make it work for us. And maybe it won't happen until we are well into our 40's. But I guess it is something we can work toward together.

So it's a perfect Sunday morning at home and what am I doing? Blogging, surfing yarn sites and project sites and pattern sites and revelry discussion boards. Good grief, I certainly know how to dig a hole.

I am putting off the inevitable and I KNOW I shouldn't go, buy I am REALLY craving a trip to Knitter's Mercantile today. I love that they are open on Sunday, most places aren't. And what will I do there? Probably buy MORE yarn that I don't need right now, or get more ideas of stuff I don't possibly have the time to work on right now.

I'm so bad!

Places to check out in PA

My sister Sarah, BFF Audra and I are going to see Bon Jovi, March 15th in Pittsburgh. Since Audra and I will be road-tripping to get there and staying with Sarah, we've decided to make a weekend of it! Of course I NEED to go to Ikea (yeah, like I need a hole in the head, but whatev), but I've done MUCH Ravelry searching and have found some shops to check out.

For anyone else interested in the PA area, I found a site for Pittsburgh Knitting that lists local events and shops and such. I'll have to see if there is such a site for Columbus... if not, note to self, get that in the works.

Anyway from reviews and other comments, I'm thinking these are the places I'd like to check out. OF course this is all time and MONEY permitting, how much we get to. But it will be fun anyway.

Sarah is slightly SW of PIttsb in McDonald. So one place is Bloomin' Yarns which looks to be about 12 mi SE of her. They don't have a website, but from everything I've read, seems like a nice place to stop and it's close, bonus points for that.

Then, Yarns Unlimited looks to be about 17 mi North. From the reviews the store sounds interesting, but I can't say that I like their website.. at ALL!

Knit one, which has great photos online and makes me really want to check it out is 22 mi E and has Sunday hours so that is good. Gives us more time if we can't make it on Sat.

Natural Stitches is E about 25 miles, but I think they have Sunday hours which will make it do-able as well and we might be able to hit both stores.

All these places sound fantastic, I hope we can do it all! And there are a few others as well, so maybe we'll hit more than these?!