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WOW!

Like…Wow!  That, my friends, was a whirlwind of a sale.  We’re still catching our collective breaths and packing up the last of the boxes that will ship out today. As of this morning we’ve processed and shipped around 400 orders.

Here is what we’ve learned.

First and foremost. Shit happens. You can go plot and plan to your hearts content.  You can go over every aspect and all the details and still? Shit happens. Like for instance, you can set all your inventory levels at what you have on hand to sell, then there can be either a human or technical glitch and KAboom, instead of selling the 60 bags of mini-skiens you have you have sold (are you ready cause really it will take your breath away) you have sold 283. Yeah.  It gives you a cramp doesn’t it. It sure gave all of us here one. Some of us might even have shed a tear or a thousand.

Around noon on Monday, after we’d launched all of this at 8:30, and as I was happily packing bags of colour happiness, my spidey sense started tingling. I asked Paula to have our techie Jess check the inventory levels and she came back with a big fat Uh Oh Houston I think we have a problem and we did.

After I recovered from my initial shock and slight (hehe) emotional reaction, it’s off to problem solve. It’s in the problem solving that I feel you learn a lot about people.  As I said earlier and we all know, things happen, life has a way of throwing us curve balls and I think the wonder in these moments is what you do. I’m lucky enough to have a team that rallies and works together to create the best fix for that circumstance and moment in time.

In my perfect world, we have a mini-skein winder (so working on this) and just cranked more out so we didn’t disappoint any knitters, but try as I might to make that work it wouldn’t. These mini-skeins we had were left over from a few projects and this whole sale was about stash reduction right? That is what the barn sales are stash inventory reduction.  So after much brain storming we finally made the decision we knew all along was the only one we could do, refund all the orders we could not fill for the mini-skeins. Sad. Especially so,because we were trying so hard to make our online customers feel part of something they aren’t able to attend in person. Sigh.

To all of you, our wonderful customers who we had to refund and disappoint, we’re very sorry for this error and that you did not get you mini-skeins. Next time we will do a triple double-check on the inventory system. Still what we know is… shit happens.

Secondly, we learned, you really want mini-skeins. Holy Moly. I almost passed out when I saw that. So…being the yarn enabler that I am, I’m looking into making that happen. If you can respond here in the comments with what exactly you are looking for it will helps us get as close to what everyone needs as possible. Our mini-skeins are cranked out by hand (Thank you Lissa) so really not cost effective to produce. Also I think if we went to her with this idea she would just laugh at us. I know, I would, which is why I don’t wind them. So what I want to know is how long a section. 5 yards? 10 yards? How may colours in a bag? Do they need to be in skeins?  Could they be bundled together?

That kind of thing.

Last and most certainly not least, this worked! We can do an online barn sale!  Yippy.  So do expect more. We’ve yet to see how you like the colour selections and that always makes me a little crampy. I don’t mind telling you it was a bit hard. It’s one thing to plan colour combinations and then dye them to order. It’s quite another to put them together with only what you have on hand. it was quite the challenge even for a colour possessed person like myself. What was the best kind of fun was seeing all them bundled up together. We had tubs of Mystery bags sitting everywhere we could find space to put them. In your face bright bundles, soft muted tints, all hues of gradations, warm fall tones, cool winter shades, hit summer colour…the list goes on and on. My Sophie came out to the barn one evening to help put the labels on. She stood for a bit perusing the scene in front of her and then a look of horror passed over her face. She turned to me and said, “ oh my gawd mom tell me you are not going to name all of these, please”. 

I lost it.  Laughed until I cried. I told her no, I wasn’t that crazy

We loved the Mystery Bags and we really hope you do to.

As I said in the mailing we sent out and in the last blog post, this month is a blue moon month. We are going to do something we feel is special and magical on August 31st (the second full moon) so please do look for it.

On a personal note, tomorrow I am leaving with my girls, for a week long vacation. I’m so excited I feel like a little kid. Although I have yet to pack. I better get on that.

Below is my favorite picture and person really from our dye day.

Meet the completely delightful and charming as hell Tyler and his lovely grandmother Linda.

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PS: Dear team of mine, You’re the best! Truly. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 

32 Comments
  1. mkg #

    Help—I’ve never even been able to figure out what to DO with my miniskeins. Make minisocks? I don’t know. Any suggestions?

    November 30, -0001
  2. I can’t rival the cuteness of Tyler and Linda, but I did a blog post on how much I enjoyed the barn sale and dye day with lots of pictures, http://sheilaokeefedesigns.blogspot.com/2012/08/blue-moon-fiber-arts-barn-sale-and-dye.html

    Thanks for a wonderful day! And I just love all my yarn.

    November 30, -0001
  3. Hi,

    I am making two blankets with mini skeins, the Beekeeper’s Quilt and thenShelly Kang blankie. I am making both of these with Socks That Rock Lightweight yarn. I have joined many, many swaps on Ravelry to collect as many STR mini skeins as I can. I have also hosted swaps and destashes for mini skeins of STR. We, mini skein swap moms, make each mini skein weigh 6 grams each.

    For my destashes, I make minis in 10 different colors and sell them for $21.00 per set. This price includes shipping. That is $2.10 per mini skein. I myself have purchased some STR Mini skeins from other for as much as $2.40 per mini skein. I have invested a small fortune in this.

    For my swaps, I get 19 people to participate. Each of will purchase a skein of Socks That Rock Lightweight, in different colors of course. Then all 19 participants will minify their skein of STR and mail them to me. I minify my own skein, then make up 20 sets of 20 different colors each and I mail a set back to each participant. This way for the price of one skein you get 20 different mini skeins.

    It would be great, and an dream come true for many Ravelteers, if you started offering mini skeins. They would need to weigh at least 6 grams, but I know for myself and probably several others who are making more than one blanket, bigger minis would be great also. I like 10 gram and even 20 gram minis. I am participating in a 10 gram STR swap right now and I have purchased a lot of 20 gram STR minis from other destashes.

    If you would like to see some of the activity going on at Ravelry with STR mini skeins, go check out the mini mall. I have a swap going on now and will be opening another destash tomorrow. I am getting ready to start another swap for the fall colors. I am currently participating in 3 different swap for Socks That Rock Lightweight. One is for older colors, one is a 10 gram swap and one is a 2 skein swap, which means each participation processes 2 skeins and will get back 40 minis.

    I am definitely a Blue Moon Socks That Rock addict. I personally want to thank the team at Blue Moon for making such an awesome product and inso many awesome colors. I love you guys.

    I hope this all helps. Please feel free to ask me more questions.

    Thanks,

    Phyllis

    November 30, -0001
  4. Oh, and I forgot to say, I am on vacation this week, and all I have done all week long is minify Socks That Rock yarn for all my swaps and destashes. I have minified 16 skeins so far. I have 10 more to go. Whew, I am tired grin

    November 30, -0001
  5. Deidra #

    Mini-skein winder-weaving bobbin winder. Would that work?

    November 30, -0001
  6. Jessi #

    I would LOVE to have mini skeins. I make scrappy scarves out of them. 5 yards-10 yards is a good length. I’d prefer to have each little skein by itself, but I don’t care how it’s wound. The one’s I’ve gotten before had little rubber bands, but I can see how that would be time consuming. If it would be easier for you, winding a few together would work fine, too. Since it’s such a short amount of yarn, it would be easy to unwind and use it.

    I guarantee if you do this again, I will by lots grin

    November 30, -0001
  7. Bridie #

    I’d love mini skeins but I’m with the second comment – 10g would probably be perfect and maybe deals for buying a whole skein equivalent?? or only able to buy in multiples?? mini skeins are great but they can become cost ineffective if you are allowed to purchase just one.. which simply measn people do minified swaps instead (I’m assuming you would want to sell a fair few if you are willing to invest capital in it)

    November 30, -0001
  8. Laura #

    I was so happy when I opened my package today…a bag of LW and one of mini-skeins.  The colors are perfect and so close to what I was hoping for.  Blues, greens and lavender goodness!  I’ve never owned a mill end before, so this sale was very exciting for me.  Thanks again for doing an online sale!

    November 30, -0001
  9. Austin Val #

    Got my box yesterday and LOVE it!  Thanks.

    November 30, -0001
  10. Alex #

    My order came in last night. It was a trio of Silkie Socks that Rock which I ordered to try out a new-to-me base.  The colors are exactly what I hoped for.  Thank you.

    November 30, -0001
  11. I like them to be in the 10-12g range (bigger is always better wink), but I don’t particularly mind how they’re wound.

    I do care a bit about the colors- I’d like to see them bagged by color themes. For example: blues, greens, variegated, jewel tones, halloween, earth tones, etc, etc, probably with a bit of crossover for each one to keep it spicy.

    I’ve got this idea of doing small patchwork weaving projects, like pillow tops or small bags, in interesting color combos.

    November 30, -0001
  12. Sophia #

    Thank you dear Tina and Team for this fun, fast, and furious whirlwind Sale! I was lucky enough to get mini skeins and would love to see more in the future so here is my 2 cents on the subject!

    1. My bags had TONS of duplicates in the bag so instead of getting 30 minis of different colours, I got 5 colours of six minis each, In a perfect mini bag, there would be one of each colourway.

    2. Although I only use STR minis for my granny afghan, I LOVED getting the minis in all the different yarns and fibers you carry! I got to see the yarns that I’ve never bought and I have plans for each one! (they make great trims on baby sweaters, hats, mittens)

    3. For my afghan, I would love to have 30 yard minis but would be happy with 10 yard minis. 5 yards would be too small.

    4. I don’t care if they’re wound into little skeins. If you just measure off the yardage and stuff it all willy-nilly into the bag, I’d be just as happy. I love the sorting and winding when I get them.

    5. The surprise is half the fun. As indulgent as it would be to pick out colours for minis I would much rather these were grab bags. Throw in whatever you need to – including from imperfect skeins like the usable mill ends.

    So that’s my story! The fact is, I love everything Blue Moon! Every colour, every fiber, even orange – my least favorite colour in the whole world – is something I LOVE from Blue Moon!

    November 30, -0001
  13. SarahJS #

    I tried, but failed, in getting minis this time around.  My vote is for 10g minis & it wouldn’t matter to me if the yarn was skeined or not.  (Though I do want to know how Lissa makes them so cute and tidy.)

    I’m with Sophia (commenter above) that be able to get minis in the different bases and/or different colors is a way to (more easily) broaden my Blue Moon horizons.  And you just know that there’s going to be a new base or color that I’ll then need a project’s worth of yarn for …

    November 30, -0001
  14. Katharine #

    I got my two mystery bags last night and I love them! Both of mine were “matching hues” sets, but the two bags coordinate perfectly – so I can either knit subtle color changes or mix-n-match for something like a colour affection (I’ve done well so far only knitting one….but I may never go to work again if you sell more mystery bags…which is okay by me, so ppplllleeeaaasseeee I want more (Squee!).

    For the mini-skeins – I didn’t order any (because I was going to think about it and come back to order LOL), but I agree with Sophia that the yarn in little bags would be just as preferable as little skeins (or more so, I don’t know…).  Can’t wait for the blue moon!

    November 30, -0001
  15. cls #

    I got one bag out of curiosity. There are bases I’ve never seen, and I’m thinking of a sweater for ME this year. I’m sending most of the minis on to some one else who will enjoy and fondle them. I also got a bag of silkie in colors that I love, and a bag of MN in different colors that will be perfect for what I need. Yay. Thank you for including us in the barn sale!

    November 30, -0001
  16. sherry #

    Phyllis posted a lot of great info that I can just say “ditto” to—but for me, I would like 20 gram minis or larger. 10 would be OK but for sure, for me, no smaller than 10 grams.

    I’m sure they ARE time-intensive for you – what if you did mini balls instead of mini skeins? not even center-pull balls – just a BALL, wound whatever way was easiest for you. Would that be easier? We could then make center pull balls or whatever we want on our own. We want your minis. We’ll take ‘em any way we can get ‘em. As long as we don’t get a knotted mess, I really doubt anybody would complain. Yes, we want them THAT BADLY. LOL.

    I make a lot of doll things – sweaters, hats, caps – and minis are just so very perfect for me. I get to see more of your fun colors that way.

    November 30, -0001
  17. I agree Sherry, I would prefer to 20 grams minis myself. I also agree it does not matter how they are wound, as long as they are not knotted. So, whatever would be easiest on the team would be best way to go. Especially since there is such a huge demand for minis.

    I am so looking forward to the sale at the end of the month. Saving my money so I can buy a lot grin

    Phyllis

    November 30, -0001
  18. Terri #

    I got my minis and mystery bags today.  Haven’t had a chance to sort them out yet, but I like all the different bases thrown in there.  As an avid blankie knitter (both Shelly Kang’s and the beekeeper), I’d like to see 5-6 g minis of STR and maybe 10g of other fiber types for potential accents.  DH has already claimed one of the mill end skeins for a hat.

    Thank you so much Tina for including us in the sale!!!

    November 30, -0001
  19. GeniaKnitz #

    Kits of minis for the Tulip baby sweater in STR colors? YUM!

    November 30, -0001
  20. Deborah #

    I think I shared the mini-skein tub with Tyler at the barn sale. He is a true yarn lover, and just dived in picking up mini-skeins like there was no tomorrow. Linda had to distract him to get him to go inside and try the dyeing. I loved his exuberance.

    November 30, -0001
  21. Jesse #

    I am going to guess that small amounts – 5-10 g would be way too time consuming for you all. I have seen another sock yarn company do mini skein kits where each mini skein (they come in center pull balls, not skein) is approx 50 yards. They bag them in groups of 24 for $80. Not a bad deal.

    November 30, -0001
  22. EileenD #

    Hi Tina – I couldn’t make it to the real thing, but the online sale was fabulous!  I couldn’t (and probably wouldn’t) have picked better colors myself! Thank you smile

    November 30, -0001
  23. Julia #

    Hi Tina,

    I was a refunder on the mini-skeins. 

    I, unlike most other posters here, primarily wanted them as a version of a “Blue Moon” color card.  (a) You know that monitor colors don’t work like we expect, and you can’t haul the monitor out into the sunlight to look at under natural light.  (b) I was hoping for inactive/discontinued colors or club colors before I joined.  (c) I wanted to leverage your experience on what I do/don’t like about pairing colors during dyeing rather than have to reinvent the wheel. 

    How large a mini skein?  It’s going to depend on the BMFA skein, how much color is in the skein and will be interacting while designing?  I’d say min 20 yards. 

    And yes, I think you must have missed out on the stitch marker/etc swaps at knitting gatherings.

    November 30, -0001
  24. marsha Salcedo #

    I love my mystery bag! It’s like Christmas in August.

    November 30, -0001
  25. Pat Mofjeld #

    Yarn Harlot showed a woven shawl that she made from yarn she spun from roving from you.  What was that colorway and is it still available???  Thanks!  (I loved it!)

    November 30, -0001
  26. Trish #

    I’m soooo disappointed that I couldn’t take part in the sale. That said, the size of minis depends on what you’re making and I am currently (and quite possibly forever) working on a Barn Raising Quilt. My squares of STR lightweight weigh 19-20 grams which is close to 60 yards. A grab bag with 6 or 7 sizable minis would be ideal for me. Sure I could handle smaller amounts but then that would require multi-mini-skein squares and more weaving in ends but heck, I’m lazy, I’ll admit it. smile

    Anyhow, whatever you choose to do I love the fact that you’re looking for input from your customers. You are a fabulous business owner and I thank you for your beautiful products and consideration.

    November 30, -0001
  27. Katherine #

    I have been considering making a scrappy blanket with a theme….all of your shades of yellows, creams and greys.  With either a pop of Brick or a bright blue like Twilight., or maybe with just a pop of the darkets grey you have.  I would love to see theme colored – like yellows, greys, reds, blues, yellows, etc. so that if someone doesn’t want a multicolored blanket, they could do this.  In the real world – this is sooooo much work, and is why I haven’t done it myself.  Lol.  For the sized blanket I would like to make, I should just purchase about 10 skeins of different colors and be done with it!

    I think it is wonderful for you to even consider making minis…truly.

    November 30, -0001
  28. Miriam #

    Thanks so much for letting the out of staters play!

    I had ordered the medium weight yarns and was more than thrilled by what I received.  The colors are gorgeous and will be used for baby surprise jackets; the pink one will make a wonderful spoiled rotten baby dress.

    November 30, -0001
  29. launie #

    at least 15 yards each various colors for “beekeepers quilt” would be nice

    November 30, -0001
  30. oscarwelch #

    I think I shared the mini-skein tub with Tyler at the barn sale. He is a true yarn lover, and just dived in picking up mini-skeins like there was no tomorrow. Linda had to distract him to get him to go inside and try the dyeing. I loved his exuberance. Search Engine Optimization

    November 30, -0001
  31. Joanne M. Perry #

    Would be easier if you are winding a few together would work fine? Considering making a scrappy blanket with a theme?

    Thanks

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    November 30, -0001
  32. VPN #

    I have a swap going on now and will be opening another destash tomorrow. And I got to see the yarns that I

    November 30, -0001

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