Growing Pains

"We need 4 hugs a day for survival. We need 8 hugs a day for maintenance. We need 12 hugs a day for growth. "
- Virginia Satir

My mailing list just exceeded one thousand entries.

I can't quite wrap my mind around that number.

Know how I know it exceeded 1000 entries?

Because of a little known "readthefineprintoryou'llgetanastysurprise" clause in my internet server contract.

It seems that if you send more than 1000 emails a day, the system deems you a virus, and shuts down your outgoing email for 24 hours.

At 4:00 yesterday afternoon...

As I toiled to send out a mailing about SnowDrift...

As I reached the "W"s on my mailing list...

I became a virus.

I am now tragically (woe is me!) without outgoing email until 4:00 this afternoon.

On a pattern release day.

I can watch the orders pile up, but I can't do anything about them.

Timing is everything...

Will send out patterns late this afternoon. Sorry about the delay!

I don't suppose, in this instance, hugs will help...

*****

Here's a couple of juicy tidbits to distract you while we wait.

Sock yarn went out to domestic buyers this morning. Think I'll take advantage of the email lull to knuckle down and figure out the Canadian mail system and customs forms so I can get the Canuck orders off the sunflower farm and into the hands paws of the dogsled teams for delivery to the great white north...

More sock yarn this Saturday.

I'll also be knitting away at another lover-ly aperitif (I got a million of 'em) This is Blue Gentian, another Canopy scarf pattern, due out in March.


And remember this?


Maria the wonder knitter, finished her test knit a week or so back, but I haven't completed enough of the model to get a decent picture. So Durum is calling me back to the joys of Mmmmalibrigo silky merino.

Then there is Sprout, and Beach Glass, and Evening Violet...

And Rouen (first in the cathedral collection)...

And two more Canopy Scarves: one in violet gray and one in deep sea blue...

And a new line of Rowan organic 4-ply cotton scarves for summer that I am calling the Zen collection.

And then there is Garden Variety 2009 to begin.

I have the rainforest seasilk for Trillium/Johnny Jump Up to play with. (April release)

And a design completed for Delphinium (summer 2009)

Not to mention two commisioned Handmaiden scarf projects: one in a new yarn called Cambyx for Evelyn at Knitty Noddy and one in Mulberry Tussah for Connie at Pick Up Sticks.

If I didn't know better, I'd think my sunflower farm was becoming an unruly overgrown weed patch.

The curse of a fertile imagination and too much time on my hands.

Growing pains...

Maybe I need FEWER hugs?

Nah...