End of Summer Wrap Up

In Minnesota, the last weeks of August have a crispness, especially in the morning, that is so delicious, it’s as if you could drink the air. It’s the start of my favorite season!

Since we first married Gerry’s said that as late Summer rolls around I start getting geared up for something different, NEW, to happen.  He says I always seem happier when there’s a change happening in the Fall, so this year should make me VERY happy!

New Status

The first main change is that Gerry and I are officially empty-nesters.

Both kids are firmly ensconced in their respective colleges, settled into dorms and preparing to start classes.

My business partner Kathleen and I drove Andy back to Earlham College in RIchmond, IN on our way to the Michigan Fiber Festival, where we’ll be returning next year, we loved it SO MUCH!

Every time I drop Andy off at college, I can’t believe how much I miss her – you’d think it would get easier, but it doesn’t.  I’m proud of her, I love her so much, and I’m happy that she’s happy at college.  But dang, I miss her.

While we were in Michigan enjoying an AMAZING fiber show (if you haven’t been to the Michigan Fiber Festival in Allegan, you should put it on your ‘fiber shows to visit’ list – it’s just wonderful), and avoiding tornados (we spent an hour in a basement waiting for the all clear), Gerry was driving Max up to U of Minnesota, Morris for his Freshman year.

This was something I was pretty shattered to miss.  I really wanted to take Max to college for his first year, but circumstances made that impossible.

Apparently he’s doing well, enjoying dorm life, and making friends.  I’m hoping to get a chance to drive up to Morris before I leave on our next fiber-related journey to the Wisconsin Sheep & Wool Festival on Sept 6th.

New House

We’ve sold our house (about a month ago) and found a new one over by Lake Phalen that is a perfect size for us!  Three bedrooms, but not huge ones, so it will be great for a kid home for the Summer.

The rooms are small enough to be temporary, large enough to be guest bedrooms/offices.

I may even have a sewing room for the first time, which would be amazing!

Our new home is actually a LOT like our current home; the layout is very similar, it’s a craftsman bungalow, approx the same age.

Although we were hoping to find a home with bedrooms on the ground floor, the stairs in our new home are wide and not deep, thus easy to walk up.

This hasn’t always been the case in our current home (I’m SO tired of ducking as I go down stairs!) so we’re very happy.  The decision, ultimately, was up to Gerry, who said he liked this house quite a bit and felt good in it.

New Studio

The most AMAZING part of the house, though, is outside.  Although the house is around 100 years old, the garage was just built in 2012 and it’s huge.  It has three bays, two of which are currently being used as a workspace for the current owner, a skilled furniture craftsman.  The garage is heated, and it will be an amazing workspace for ModeKnit Yarn!

The idea that I can dye yarn in a large, well-lit space (NOT in a basement!) just steps from my back door will be game changing!  Right now our dye studio is, essentially, my basement.  It’s been great for the first few years, but we’re growing now, and having more space is exactly what we need!  I’m looking into used restaurant kitchen tables (metal topped) for the dyeing, we’ll be putting in a sink and we’re also looking into a portable water heater so we don’t have to run a hot water line to the garage.

The Move

It’s been a Summer of work; painting, packing, showing the house, and now more packing and a final push of throwing things out!  We’ll be getting a dumpster to rid ourselves of large items we’ve amassed over the past 10 years.

I won’t be in town for the actual closing on our houses, Gerry will have to get by with a Power of Attorney, acting on my behalf.   Once again, I’ll be away at a fiber show, feeling as if I’m ignoring my domestic responsibilities, but knowing that business obligations are important, too.  It’s been a season of feeling torn.

It worries me that I won’t be here.  Gerry’s been working hard, packing smaller stuff all over the house, but the larger stuff in the basement and garage will require more muscle than he has available, so we’re hiring the movers to come out a few days early to do some basement and garage packing.

Fortunately Jack, a good friend whose wife, Robin, is one of the most amazing knitters I know, will be hanging out with Gerry on the day.  Jack will accompany him to the closes and PREVENT him from jumping in and trying to do what we’re paying the movers to do.  Thank heaven for friends – have I mentioned how guilty I feel about not being here on the day?

So for the next two weeks I’ll be dying up yarn to fill orders (we’re getting more and more wholesale customers, bringing them in as we feel able to accommodate them) and packing up all the tools of the dye studio.

If you’re in St. Paul and will be around over the Labor Day holiday, we may just have a “packing party” and barbeque, clean out the fridge and get some final items packed up!