Last year was about hoping. Hoping that new show applications would go through. Hoping that new yarn and fiber lines would be well received. Hoping that money we were investing in Bittersweet would be money well spent. Hoping we’d be able to implement at least some of the ideas I’ve had bouncing around in my head. Hoping that it wouldn’t be too much to take on. That’s a lot of trust and hard work to invest with no surety that it’ll all work out in the end. It’s with great pleasure that I can say that most of what I hoped for came to be.
This year is about taking all those hopes and ideas, and making the most out of them. A huge step forward for us this year was applying for business financing. I don’t know if I can properly explain what a big decision it was. In the past, we’ve always just funded the venture from show to show. This was fine, as long as we didn’t need to make any cap-ex decisions (capital expenditures/investments). Not so fine when we needed to do things like invest in new displays, large tools, or technology. Especially not good when we looked forward to Rhinebeck, and the shockingly large (to us) amount of stock we know now I have to dye and stockpile ahead of time.
Not only was the business financing approved, but it was put through with just my information by mistake, instead of jointly like we’d planned. It was approved on my credit’s merits alone! Considering I had less than stellar credit just a few years ago, it’s immensely satisfying to get this news. I never would have thought I’d gotten to a point where I’d qualify in today’s hostile and discriminating lending environment. It makes what I’m doing with Bittersweet seem that much more valid. There’s a lot on the line, but somewhere along the line I made the transition from someday-maybe to someday-soon. I’m not sure what to make of that.
So, in the next few weeks I’ll have a bunch of fantastically awesome stuff to share, all of them things I’ve been trying to make a reality, just now coming to fruition. I should have at least one to show you by the weekend, possibly two. If you are one of the peeps from Friday Night Fiber hangouts on G+, you already know all about this stuff because I have to tell someone or my head would explode. But with the goal of not blabbing about a bunch of stuff I’d ‘like’ to do (that may or may not ever happen), I’m instead sharing only the stuff I’ve been able to make good on. It’s really cool stuff though, and I promise I’ll share as soon as I have picture proof. Besides, I think you’ll agree that it’s so much cooler when there are pictures and links.
In the meantime, it’s almost time for Cummington! I hope to see you there.




































