|  | | | |  | | Busy start to the financial year |
| Despite all the bad news about retail businesses struggling and folding, we’re doing well - thanks to winter knitters and more people getting back into sewing and upgrading their machines. Our sales revenue for April to June is up 33% on the same period last year. Sales revenue doesn’t tell the whole story of course, because all our costs have to be offset against it. They include rent, staff and contracted tutors, insurance, our computerised stock system and synchronised website, power, couriers, accounting services, IT support, bank fees, advertising, cleaning and rubbish services, stationery – and more! Some of those have risen quite sharply in the last few years but I’ve done my best not to pass the increases on to customers in the form of higher prices. The result is that Wellington Sewing Centre is doing well for a small business - but it’s been on the market for a year now, with hardly any nibbles. My broker says the conditions for selling a business in Wellington have never been so bad. With public sector cuts, higher interest rates on bank loans, the general rise in living costs and reduction in consumer spending power, it’s obvious why this is so, even when you’re trying to sell a good business! And since the shop carries a lot of stock, and has many tangible and intangible assets, a potential buyer will need ready money to buy it all. There’s 9 months left on my current lease, and a 3 year right of renewal after that. I won’t be renewing the lease (I’m turning 70 next March and plan to do more non-work things) so I really want someone else to take over the lease and the business and keep this great little shop open! If you know someone who would love the opportunity, please let them know. I’ll do all I can to help a new person learn the ropes and make their transition as smooth as possible. Meantime it’s business as usual! |
| | Term 3 Class schedule is now out! |
| | | |  | I was excited recently to receive 7 shades of the new Lana Grossa DK (8 ply) Cool Wool Big Vintage and set about knitting a jumper to show off its unique dye effect. Imagine my disappointment then when I did a reorder of the shades that were getting a bit low and discovered that the whole range is sold out and a new shipment isn’t due till September! .We still have good stock of 5 shades and I‘ve ordered more of all the current stock plus several new shades that will land in NZ in September. It really is lovely wool – extra-fine, soft, merino with a subtle marled look. It’s $16.90 for 50 grams and 100 metres. There are many distinctive, European style, patterns for Lana Grossa DK wool and I’ve bought in several - for women, men and children. The Lana Grossa website (but not the label on each ball) advises knitters of larger Vintage wool garments to knit alternately from 2 balls at once (eg knit 2 rows from one ball and 2 rows from the other). This avoids a “tide mark” when changing from a completed ball to a fresh ball. I forgot to do that with the back and front of my jumper and luckily the result is perfectly nice. However a customer who has used a lighter shade of the yarn and who also didn’t do the alternate ball trick, has noticed a distinct line where she changed from the first (completed) ball to a new ball. We always recommend that knitters use the alternate ball trick when using hand-dyed or kettle-dyed yarns, especially those without dye lots, as the balls/hanks can vary quite a lot in their tones and also in the length of the run of each of their colours. So there’s a trick to remember! |
|  | Another new yarn since last newsletter is Crucci’s Aella 30/70% alpaca/merino 8 ply yarn. It’s New Zealand alpaca with Australian merino and the yarn is very soft, slightly fluffy and in a very nice colour palette. I’ve made a iumper in the Sienna shade but was tempted by several other colours - including Prussian blue and Hunter (a gorgeous grey/green). For $11.90 for 50 grams and 100 metres, this is an affordable luxury yarn. My large sized, slightly cropped, jumper used just over 9 balls. |
| | New fabric and sale fabric! |
|  | The first instalment of my latest fabric order arrived a few weeks ago and the next, larger, instalment will be here soon. To make room for the new stock, I’ve put a good number of our summer cottons, rayons and viscoses on sale at the silly price of $15 a metre. It’ll be summer before you know it (yeah right) so come and stock up. Also discounted are many of our lovely coating weight wool and wool/blend fabrics - perfect for our current weather! |
| | | Do you know what a coverstitch (or coverseam) machine does? Do you want one? I have too many! |
| | A coverstitch machine gives a professional finish to garments, especially those made of knit fabrics such as t shirts and active wear. It’s the machine that creates the double (parallel) row of hemming stitches on the outside of t shirts and other garments, with a tidy chain stitch on the inside. The latest model Janome machine can also do the chain stitch on the top of the fabric, so you see it as you sew, and that gives a decorative finish, especially to active wear. Coverstitch stitches are strong and stretch with knit fabric, far moreso than a sewing machine’s twin needle stitches. Unlike an overlocker, a coverstitch machine doesn’t have blades to trim fabric edges. There are optional attachments available, including a foot that attaches elastic to a garment in a single step. Janome released the Coverpro 3000P about 2 years ago, which has the top cover stitch ability. It is usually priced at $2099 but I am selling my current stock for $1899. The earlier model, the Coverpro 2000, has now been superseded and I’m selling mine for $999. Babylock also make coverstitch machines and the one that is available in NZ is the Euphoria, priced at $2999. I will sell my display model for $2599. |
| | | For several years now I’ve been a fan of Indiecita 14 ply Baby Brushed Alpaca with its many gorgeous shades. A large sample blanket in the shop has helped sell hundreds of balls of the yarn! (The pattern is free if you buy enough to make it). That blanket is knitted on 6.5 or 7mm needles, which creates a fairly dense, but soft and drapey, fabric. It’s in stocking stitch with a moss stitch border. A while ago a regular customer said she’d seen Indiecita 14 ply knitted on big needles in a reversible ribbed throw, and it looked great. And, she said, I should make one of those! Ever obedient, I knitted up several balls of cream Indiecita on 15mm needles, but the result was too holey and stretchy. So I took it apart (for fluffy yarn it was very easy to undo) and reknitted it on 10mm needles and the resulting throw is very soft and attractive. So for those who have made the other blanket and want a change, or anyone who wants a reversible throw, check out the cream creation on top of our Indiecita shelf. It’s an easy, fast and rewarding knit, and would make a beautiful gift. Another beautiful gift – and for less than $30 - is a 2 ply mohair/silk cowl. I have three on display on the counter, one knitted in Malabrigo Mohair and the other two in Sesia Vivienne. I’ve written out the pattern and give it to anyone who buys the yarn. Some customers have already made several cowls as each one is a quick knit, is extra light and warm to wear, and the available shades of mohair/silk are so scrumptious it’s hard to choose just one or two! |
| On Instagram and Facebook recently I’ve been showing off my Nightshift shawl, made with 6 different shades of the multi-coloured Mandala 8 ply wool. The pattern is by the very clever Drea Renee Knits and the shawl has attracted plenty of interest and inspired a few people to knit it or something similar. Nightshift looks a much more complicated knit than it actually is. I really enjoyed making it as the colour changes kept me motivated to carry on knitting to see what would happen next! |
| | |  | | Emotional Support Chicken (ESC) Competition |
|  | Don’t forget our $50 gift voucher competition for the best (as judged by me) knitted or crocheted ESC! Entries to be brought to the shop by midday Friday 21 September - the sooner the better if you are happy for me to display your creation in the shop meantime. |
| | | Yet another reminder that we have several customer carparks behind the shop. Drive in behind Westpac Bank on Onepu Road, just before the glass bus shelter, and park directly behind the shop or anywhere that my signs are displayed. Please don’t park in the two carparks near our classroom that are reserved for Kip McGrath. (They have signs on the fence.) |
| | Machine servicing and repairs. Get them in before a Monday! |
| Our repairman now calls here early on Monday mornings so please get any machines in before Monday if you want him to collect them on his next visit. The reason we don’t really want people bringing in machines on Monday in the hope that David will get them that day is that he doesn’t always stay here very long and we like to complete the weekly hand over, with its associated paperwork and explanations, as soon as he arrives, before our other work, and his, gets under way. |
| | That’s it for July.Stay warm. See you in the shop! |
| Jo, Jess, Evelyn and Toni |
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