From the purple dyeshed...

A while back someone said to me "you are so lucky - you spend all your time being creative.  I'd love to spend all day dyeing yarn".   And she was right - I am very lucky.  I do something that I love and something that is creative.   But I don't do it all day and every day.  I am sure many of you who are self employed will relate to the little insight I thought I'd give you as to what goes on behind the scenes of a business such as mine.  Please don't misunderstand - this is by no means a "moan" about how hard my job is!  I just thought you'd find it interesting to see a little of what goes on before you actually acquire your hank of hand dyed yarn.

This morning, for example, found Stevan varnishing a set of shelves which I'll be using on the display stands at various shows during the year.



He hates painting or varnishing - with a passion!  But he knows I'll never get the time to do it myself.  And there are another 3 bookcases to go.   Deciding on how to display your goods at shows takes much thought and planning.  When you turn up to a show there is little evidence that the few hours before opening time is a flurry of activity.   And months before a show comes around I am planning what I'll need to make the stand look attractive and enticing.  I could just turn up and dump a whole lot of hanks of yarn on a table, but that would make it difficult to find what you're looking for, so instead I try to find display items which will allow me to display yarn sorted into weights and colours so it is simpler for you (and me!) to find whatever it is you're looking for.   A stand at a big event such as Woolfest normally  takes around 4 to 5 hours to set up, and that is with three of us working on it.  At the Highland Wool Festival next week we will be under a lot of pressure to set up in 2 hours - which should be interesting!   I think Dorothy, Lizzi and I will all deserve a cup of tea once that is achieved.  And as they both know very well, I'm never entirely happy!  Every time I do a new show,  everything is new and strange, and although we have dimensions of the stand you never really know how to lay everything out until you get there and see the space, understand the lighting of the area, and look at access for visitors coming onto the stand. etc etc..  Most evenings are spent knitting samples for display in order to give you ideas about what you can make with my yarns.  I have had wonderful help on this side of things from  a number of people, but particularly from Lizzi and Dorothy who hardly ever turn up for an event without something new to display.

Of course before I even start to think about show displays there is the application process for events.  Show organisers, quite correctly, want to choose a range of different stalls to make the event interesting for visitors.  And they also want the best.  So many shows now require you to put in quite a detailed proposal for your stand, even if you've had a stall in the past, so that they can look through the applications and pick what they consider to be the cream of the crop for their event.  Each year when I apply for events I have to consider how to make my application stand out from others, and how to make it feel fresh and new but still reflect what I do accurately.

Stock ordering is another huge part of running my business - as with any business selling items.  It is the largest investment that I have to make in financial terms, and I also invest a lot of time in choosing stock.  I have to make decisions based on current trends in patterns and designs, seasons, and costs.   We live in a small house, and the dye shed is pretty wee as well, so finding corners to store stock is always a challenge.  Every single time I put in an order for undyed yarn stocks I worry - have I ordered too much of this?  Did I order enough of that?  What if nobody likes this new base I'm trying out?  And living where we live means delivery costs are higher than in other parts of the country (unless the supplier uses Royal Mail / Parcel Force) so I always try and order enough stock to make delivery charges more economical.   I can sometimes mull over orders for days before finally pressing the "send" button on new  and repeat orders.

Before I even get near the dye pots I have to think about trending colours, what I already have in stock, and what I need.  This is when I find myself making list after list after list.



Paperwork!  Keeping up to date with paperwork is an ongoing challenge for me.  I find this the most uncreative aspect of my business, and one which I least enjoy doing.  Every time my insurance renewal comes around I think the whole of Assynt can hear me groan.  I know I could just renew very quickly with my current insurance provider, but being me I have to make sure I'm getting a good deal, and so most years I scout around a bit to see if there is a better policy out there which suits my business more.  Then there is banking and paypal to keep on top of, along with oddities like having to do a little test every 12 months with the credit card processing company to show you are responsible in the way you process credit cards - something I take very seriously, but which I don't like paying £20.00 for the privilege of convincing the provider.  But still, it as to be done, and takes up some time.



Designing and ordering promotional material for shows is another aspect which needs careful consideration.  I've used the same promotional postcard for quite a few years now, and I feel I am due for a change, but finding time to sit down and think about what I'd like - well it sort of falls to the back of the queue as what I have works, and so is adequate for the time being.

There are quite a few things I've not mentioned which I do - drying yarn, tidying up hanks, labelling, thinking of names for colours, photographing colours in the landscape for inspiration, photographing yarn for the website, answering queries from the website, parcelling up orders, the post office run ...... I'm sure I've left out one or two things!

As I've said, I love what I do.  And I am very fortunate to be able to do what I do.  But I hope this gives you a little insight into all the goings on behind the scene which you never really see.   Much  of the above is not unique to what I do - as I said, if you're self employed then I'm sure you'll recognise a lot of what I'm talking about.  Occasionally (very occasionally) I think to myself - wouldn't it be nice to leave the office at 5.00 and shut the door and not think about work until 9.00 the next morning, but of course the restrictions of a 9.00 to 5.00 job would soon drive me batty and I'd be aching for the freedom of self employment again.  And when things start to get a bit much ...... well there is always the potential of sitting in the garden for half an hour enjoying a large mug of Rooibos without a boss looking over your shoulder.