Out of my cocoon

I’ve been in a cocoon since I retired over a year ago.  I asked some friends if they thought it was strange that I get up, knit all day, and go to bed a happy camper. One friend said no, the other said I was crazy. He is a guy, though, and knitting isn't his thing.

Yesterday, I began the journey back to the work world. I re-opened my etsy account, filed for an employer ID number, and officially opened my first home business.

It started like this. I’ve been knitting so much yarn that I have gotten a bit snobby about it. Sorry, but it’s true. I can no longer imagine a reason to buy a solid color yarn. Or an acrylic blend. Or a pilly yarn or any of a host of other minor irritations about yarn. I want long-staple, soft and cushy, hard-wearing yarn in luscious, edible colors. Only I am on a fixed income now.  Hmmm. To buy groceries or buy yarn? It’s a hard choice. And no, I don’t want those stripy-looking sock yarns; can’t you stock a nice two-toned yarn that doesn’t pool?   More hmmmm. Maybe I can dye my own.

Off to the grocery store to buy koolaid. Off to the local mass-market craft store to buy undyed yarn. What do I know about undyed yarn? Nothing. One’s as good as another. So I put the koolaid on the yarn, and voila! I’m making cute yellow slippers for my cousin!



Wow, that was easy! But it took 6 packages of koolaid. I could buy commercial dye for about that and make nicer colors. Lots of colors.

So off I went to the online dye store. And the dye class at my LYS. And reading the books and websites on dyeing. Then, I took the plunge and bought a KILO of undyed yarn.

I’ve dyed…

And dyed…

And dyed!…

I’ve dyed and gone to heaven. (You saw that one coming, right?)

I can’t knit all this yarn. But I’m dyeing to get back into the kitchen to dye some more. (ditto?)

Ok, so either I have to sell this yarn or buy a bigger house. And I can’t afford a bigger house.

Hence the flurry of business-related activities. I’ve been saving the business name “Alcidina” for a long time. (Like, almost 15 years…every since the dawn of the internet!) I knew I wanted to start a business, and every time I check, that name is not taken. Do you know how hard it is to find a nice business name that isn’t already taken? Well, welcome to the world, Alcidina!