Samples arrived and all is as it should be.

Everything came in on time as planned. Each style in each available size, corrections made with no problems and the only thing that needed watching was the Misty and Candy styles where the turtle neck collars seemed a little wide. Patricia is back from her trip and will be on top of things.

I sent her a schematic of the woman's scarf style for the Lucky which will actually be a neck wrap instead of a full out long scarf. It is more in keeping with the pet sweater style and will use less yarn, and so, save on costs. Waiting to hear the outcome this week. Other scarf styles will follow the same schematic shape but Misty will be a little different, running the length of the scarf instead of the width. Those should be ready for her in the next couple of days, the plan

being that they can be shipped along with the sweaters, due to arrive in mid July in time for the holiday selling season.

Saturday was Emily's graduation party and ofcourse, the place was overrun with dogs...hectic yes but an excellent photo op. Elegant and regal Scooter sat in the middle of the garden, (his choice) and posed until the shot was taken, then turned and struck another pose. Such a natural. Pepper looks great on his pale coloring.

Then came Harry, the newest member of the clan. I was able to get off some great shots of him wearing Tigger and in spite of his puppy energy, he was the perfect model especially when he finally got tired out (which was way AFTER me naturally).

The newest style "Maxine" was developed in pima cotton for the Spring and Fall seasons where alpaca would be too warm. The styling worked out great and so I'll offer an xs-small; and a medium-large because of the stretch in the rib being enough to compensate two sizes in one garment. I also need to work on a more masculine model without the cute little pointed lace collar and sleeve treatment. My mind is racing as I figure out all these scarf and sweater details. Now that the samples are here,there's publicity to get started with. Upcoming events will certainly be helpful but I need to start sending out press kits and rebuild a better website. Here I go again..................

Another honor for Lollypups!

Erika never mentioned it, but she entered my name in a Creative Mother's contest sponsored by Michaels craft's stores that went on this past Mother's Day. Seems I won honorable mention for my sweater designs. She wrote an essay about why she thought I was the most creative mom and included pictures of Lacy in the Misty Heart and the Candy sweaters. Lacy looks so cute in them, with her straight back and bobbed little ears, I'd say having her as a muse and model makes all kinds of good things happen. I have to say though, I NEVER use the word retirement. I'll save that one for when I'm dead.
I am happily "moving on" to the next phase of my charmed and blissful life.

Here's the link to the winners: http//www.facebook.com/Michaels?v=app_6009294086

I love that I make my children proud. They're my greatest joy. (Sorry Lacy, I love you but they come first sometimes) and in turn, my pride in them overflows on a daily basis.
.....and the road keeps weaving in and out........

Pet Fashion Week Sao Paolo, Brazil

Love those Brazilians......they have such a classy way of doing things (in spite of the wild costumes and dancing at Carnival). Patricia went to Pet Fashion Week in Sao Paolo and took a couple of pictures of my Sorbet Valentine sweater still being displayed while she was there. It's set in a glass enclosed case like some kind of museum jewel and very impressive to look at, I must say. I told her it would be there and to take a look at it since the Brazil show coincided with my trip to Peru. It was all so serendipitious though!! I wish I could get it produced but it would be so expensive.........still.........
So the deed is done and sweater production is now underway. I'll get one of each style in each size for publicity purposes and pre sales by the end of this month. The rest will be shipped by mid July. Much to do in preparation.........

Peru Product Progress

Back from Lima on May 2,2010. All went well and the trip was most productive. I met all the ladies who have been working so hard on making the samples. They were all so pleasent and very happy with the chocolates I brought for them. There's something about women who love to crochet that connects us all as sisters. Even Victor, who came to the apartment with Maura, a crocheter, said she was happy to meet someone as enthusiastic as she was about crocheting and knitting. I gave her two hooks and you would think they were made of solid gold. Seems she had only one hook to her name and it was very small so she was totally excited.

Patricia is a very smart business woman for one so young, and with whose ability I'm confident to make a quality product. The yarns are so soft and luxurious and she says she can also do the scarves. This will be much more advantageous to me since the colors will match the sweaters better than if I source them elsewhere. I think I'll give Victor the Pepper scarf since that was the simplest and he did work hard on getting it to me on time. So Patricia's order is complete, 50% of the invoice has been wired and now things are getting under way. Much yet to do but still, progress is progress and it's exciting to have seen how the garments are turning out.

Next I met with Mariela who produced gorgeous children's wear. I asked her to work on a sweater for me using some of the multi stitches in her kid's sweaters. She made me swatches of which I chose 3 to use and gave her a knitted swatch for a color combination. Her english (and my spanish) is not good and neither is her interpreter's so I'm not sure how this will work out. I did give her the schematic and she nodded that she understood so I'll wait and see.

Thirdly, I met with another children's wear producer who made intarsias in pima cotton. I'm going to create some artwork for him and send him specs to see what he can do. The intarsias would be machine made and maybe hand finished but I just loved the feel and look of them and that crocheted embellishments can be added. Patricia has beautiful intarsia's also but I think the pima would be good for the "belly shirts" I want to do for the spring and fall seasons.

Much more to report but I'd better get back to working on the business plan now that the loan is desperately needed! More to come..........much more..........It was quite a trip and now I must learn Spanish.

We don't stop playing because we turn old.........we turn old because we stop playing.

The colors of spring are a delight and the smells delicious. Lacy and I spend our mornings pacing up and down the new grass at the top of our sloping property, I with my coffee mug and poobag, she in her t-shirt (protection from the deer ticks). The trees are not fully foliated yet and so the the river is still visible in all pinks and mauves of early morning light. My zen place (and I like to think Lacy's too though in reality, it's just her usual morning constitutional to prepare room for breakfast).

Interesting development about our trip..........after all plans are finalized, plane reservations, apartment rental.........I get an e/mail from Peru Moda graciously offering me incentives because I registered for the trade fair during my stay. Those incentives included one free (yep, free) round trip airfare to Peru!!! Bad timing on my part I'd say. I wouldn't even have known about the trade fair if one of my contacts hadn't asked me if I would be attending. So I missed out on a big one. But I am able to take advantage of free transportation via taxi from the airport as well as a shuttle to Peru Moda from various locations, so that's not too bad a booby prize. I was told to take advantage of this incentive next year.........and next year I'll be much more educated!! Live and learn.
Hoped to start the new sweater so I could bring something new with me and talk to people at the trade show about producing them. It's my intent to have a list of possible vendors for future reference.
It's quite a remarkable feeling.........all this. I hoped to do the Columbus Avenue Crafts Fair in October and requested the paperwork to apply. After telling the women I was speaking to that I would be selling alpaca pet sweaters she exclaimed how great it is that there's a "dog run" right at the site near the Natural History museum. I asked her if I could request a booth at that location and she assured me I could. How's that for kismet?? HOWEVER, the rules state that no imported goods are allowed. I have to have made the garments myself, so it's not in the cards for me. Too bad. It would have been a good kick off to getting the name out there in the dog capital of the world!! The upper west side of New York City!
Meanwhile, Victor is preparing some ladies alpaca scarves based off the pet sweaters in coloration and texture and will meet with me the Monday we arrive in Peru. Good stuff for holiday spending. Pictures to follow.
And onward we tread.............

...life is not JUST keeping busy.....

I hate that........it's not about busy work to keep your mind off the negative things that are always a part of life. It's about the results of the work moving you forward. It's happening....
maybe frustratingly slowly, annoyingly haphazard, scary expensive and uncomfortably ill equipped at times, but the end result is that it's a learning experience that's resulting in exactly what my vision for Lollypups was all along. So everything that has occurred over the past year and a half, had its purpose ....even the personal roadblocks along the way. I breathe a sigh of relief at every turn, and plod on and it makes me stronger..........I like being strong!

The first sample of Misty Heart is finally coming in from Bolivia. Not as easy working with Javiar as with Patricia but he makes the effort. I think there might be something more to the situation in Bolivia with the government's animosity towards the US, that may jeopardize doing business there. While I'm in Peru, I'll try to meet with other vendors and split up the styles so Patricia isn't overwhelmed. I know her own collection will take precedence over mine but I'm hoping that won't occur so I'm trying to get all things finalized before I get there so it moves forward into production smoothly. I still have a "head full of ideas that are driving me insane" (to quote Bob Dylan) and if I see a new color combination, or swatch or picture, I'll immediately pin it up on the concept boards. There are three: Winter Garden; Spun Sugar; Kaleidoscope
and they're bursting with tidbits of ideas. That's how I like to work because something ALWAYS comes out of them. Pepper for instance was based on a simple striped tank top.

Plans made, onward we tread...........

Flight is set for Peru on April 25th. Jeff is tagging along and that's fine by me since he's always been my "sous chef" ....travel is no different and moral and physical support always welcome from my partner and 2nd best friend (Lacy has to stay home). I'm looking into renting an apartment for a week which seems to be less expensive than a hotel. The one I found is located in the Milaflores neighborhood of Lima which is central to the city and full of touresty things to do. Views of the ocean is always a plus wherever we go. When not working, it's a suitable place to find tchotkas and other things of interest in the local markets and with internet wi-fi access, he can write while I galavant. Our friend Richard is married to a woman from Peru and goes there all the time so we'll be talking to him about our plans as the time draws closer.

Hoped to make a side trip to the Galapagos but (haha) once we Google Earthed it, we realized it's way off the coast of Ecuador!! Too bad.

Worked on organizing the business plan today. With construction workers hammering right outside my studio window ( vibrations knocking paint brushes and other articles off the shelves and walls) I decided to go to the library to concentrate which was hot but peaceful, once I drowned out the chatter from other patrons with Vivaldi playing on Pandora from my blackberry. Mission accomplished. Now to type it all up.