As I write this first thing in the morning it is 7 degrees out according to the Peasant’s Manor Weather Station. It is meant to be like this again tomorrow, too. After that, the temps are meant to rise, bringing up the midday temperatures along with, and over the course of a couple of day we should see almost balmy weather. But there is snow coming with it!
This screenshot looks a bit small and blurry, and the image resize draggers are not letting me change a thing. Oh well, I am often not impressed with how a computer functions, and my patience reflects that, and so does the size and clarity of this screenshot. Once into the mid 30’s the shop is in my humble opinion, accessible. When it is below freezing, I do not really enjoy it. It is not just that the room is cold, but also the metal on the tools is hard on the hands. It’s not fun. Gloves are an option, and suit fine when it is urgent, but it’s no good for proper woodworking where the tactile feel of the wood finish is such an integral part of the process.
Oh! Speaking of woodworking! I am told that someone ordered one of the hairpin lace looms from the Etsy shop again. That’s two! We are able to make these things pretty cheap, and pass that savings on to the customer, but I try to put a nice finish on them, making them from bamboo skewers and a piece of cherry wood that I picked up for free somewhere. So the things are costing us less than a dollar in materials, and I put fairly minimal labor into them. But she is able to price them around $18 each, and they are still loads less expensive than anything else out there on the market. And the others are made from bent wire and plastic. I get a more elegant option, feeling more like a traditional hand tool, a more pleasant tactile experience, and even at the low, low sale price right now of $10, they are profitable for us, and a good buy for our customers. They also will hopefully get people thinking of our little business and return to us.
I should probably keep kicking out every weaving tool imaginable. Do them from inexpensive wood, simplify the design and build process, but make something that is still handmade from wood, and with a pretty decent finish. Make them less expensive and get people doing the work they want for a more affordable price. The hairpin lace loom being just an example of what’s possible.
It would be cool to map out where my work goes after it ships. I’d like to see where the things my hands have made have gone around. It’s kind of exciting!
One thing’s for certain. I am inspired by it to get out to the shop and make more things. I like the idea of creating useful stuff.
Well, the alarm just went off, and I suspect I’d enjoy a coffee right now. I was up a little bit ago and put wood in the fire and opened the damper a bit, so it ought to be a bit warmer downstairs than it was then, which really wasn’t bad at all considering how cold it is outside. Good day!