Whoa, here we are in late January already! It’s past time to update you on the progress we’re making toward opening Stitch Yarn Studio. So grab your favorite beverage and settle in. Let’s share what’s been happening behind our paper-covered windows and some thoughts on what happens when you create space. The past few weeks have been hectic and full of decision-making, from what size rugs we need in the studio to the best way to code individual products in the inventory system to selecting additional product lines and choosing colors. We’ve also been learning - a lot. It’s become a running joke that if something doesn’t go quite as planned, we don’t call it a mistake; instead, we acknowledge that we “learned something new” and keep moving. Opening a store is a big three-dimensional puzzle that’s physically and mentally challenging - maybe a bit more than I anticipated. But, despite any minor challenges, witnessing the transformation of our vision of a yarn studio into a physical reality has been so much fun. All of our disparate ideas are now coming together and creating the space we want for Stitch Yarn Studio. And it’s this observation that got me thinking about the power of “creating space.”
CREATING SPACE FOR ...
Creating space is a concept that extends far beyond building a physical environment like our yarn studio. The act of creating space is filled with transformative power. For example, have you ever experienced the calming effect of taking a deep breath during a stressful experience? In that moment, and with one tiny shift, your body created space as your lungs filled with air. That small space also provided an opportunity for your autonomic nervous system to engage and rebalance, as signaled by the sense of calm that floods your body after the breath. So what does this have to do with yarn and stitching and our new studio? While I love yarn and all the creative opportunities in the thousands of skeins of beautiful fibers that will be part of the studio, I am more excited about the space we are creating at Stitch Yarn Studio and the potential that comes along with it. A few days ago, we had a particularly hectic day here at the studio with many deliveries, several folks working to prepare inventory, spouses in and out to help assemble our fixtures, vendors stopping by to confirm details of orders, and interviews with several potential new employees. At one point, I noticed all the activity and glimpsed how this space will feel when it’s abuzz with customers and events. This observation led me to consider all the other potential that’s waiting in this space.