Welcome to CorKnits! I’m glad you could stop by today. I hope you are all doing well. Today I thought I’d get into the story of how I decided to open an Etsy shop – it’s not quite ready, but it’s getting really close. Did you notice I finally have a logo?
Of course my story doesn’t just begin with, “Ooh I’m going to open an Etsy shop.” Nope, there’s some back story I need to give you first. And since this back story has its own complete story I’ll just introduce you to it, and I’ll give you the full story in future posts, yes plural as it will take several to tell it all.
Here we go:
My sis-in-law (who is one of the sweetest, greatest ladies I know, and I’m so happy she’s part of our family) really liked a scarf I had made and asked if I’d make one for her. I of course said yes! So, we went to Michaels® together, and she picked out Red Heart® Super Saver™ Economy Yarn in “Bonbon Print”.
“Bonbon Print”
The color totally fit her, and I started working on the scarf. But this project has a terrifying/amusing story that I thought I’d share with everyone.
This past summer – July 2012 – I was blessed to be able to go on the Amor mission trip “Women of Strength” to Johannesburg, South Africa. It was an amazing trip that brought together over 80 women, from 5 different countries, to love on the Botleng, Delmas community. Botleng is about 72 km (almost 45 miles), from Johannesburg. And the people I met there were some of the kindest, most welcoming people I’ve ever met. But that story will take awhile; today it is just the intro to our story.
To get to Johannesburg from my home here in the Pacific NW was going to take over 20 hours of flight, and then there was all the time in airports, all in all I think it came to somewhere around 30+ hours of travel time. And while I am an avid reader, I knew I was going to need some variety to help keep me occupied and from going stir crazy while sitting in my little airplane seat. So, I carefully researched each airline I was flying, and each countries security measures on what was allowed on airplanes. And I found out knitting needles were okay! I was so happy, and had my sis-in-law’s (we’ll call her G. from now on) project all packed in a plastic zip top bag, so that it would be protected.
I got all the way through security, no problems. I got on the plane, we took a “red eye” so as not to miss our international connection the next day, so it was time to try and get some sleep. We got to our first layover, and I had a couple hours to kill, so it’s time to knit. I could not find my project bag!
After quietly freaking out, as I didn’t want to draw attention to myself, and telling myself it is okay it’s just a “thing”, but it was for wonderful G. and now I’m going to have to start all over. After I got through freak out mode, I started to think it through, what could have happened? I decided it must have fallen out at PDX. Eventually I was able to send an email to the “Lost & Found” department explaining in great detail what I lost, where I think I lost it, and how I was heading out of country for the next ten days, and to please hang on to it if they found it.
Next I just had to leave it in the Lord’s hands, let go, and enjoy the rest of the trip. Which I did, I was just sorry to lose so much time that I could have used to work on the scarf for G. This is why I was so sad when I thought I had lost it. Okay time to fast forward a week and a half. I got home, and I was at my parents (my whole family live within about 20 miles of each other) processing the trip and doing laundry – they also have a washer and dryer which I can use free instead of having to pay at my apartment. And I found my project bag!
You see I was at my parents doing some repacking before leaving for my flight, as my carry-on was stuffed and I was trying to figure out how to fit everything, and somewhere in the process the bag didn’t make it back into my carry-on.
I was sooooooooooo happy! The “happy dance” occurred, and there was much general rejoicing.
So, what does this all have to do with me opening an Etsy shop? Well, it was from the making of the scarf for G. and another one for her and my mom in “Sashay” from Red Heart® that the encouragement to start selling my creations began. G. told me how much she loved them, and how all her co-workers really liked them. I also have been repeatedly complimented on my own scarf – the one G. asked for a version of. I also needed a better way to help pay for my mission trips, which my trip to South Africa taught me. Thus the first thought of what CorKnits was to become was planted.
You may be asking yourself after reading through all this, “Why can’t this lady ever just tell a story straight through?” Well, I guess my answer to that would be because I have found real life stories often aren’t as simple or straight forward as they are in books. Real life stories are often intricately linked, and often we don’t even realize how a particular storyline in our lives is going to affect the rest of our life until a ways down the road and into another story.
Thus my encouragement to you dear reader would be to embrace your own story, don’t run away from it, it is you. Rejoice in the stories you get to be a part of, whether as a main character or a brief mention. Take the time to look at the stories in your life and see how they are connected, to your own life and others. For our own story is seldom completely alone and most often quite tangled up in others. This is good, this is life, enjoy it, and live it.
^_^
jessica
CorKnits 