It’s been a really busy week because I am preparing for this workshop on Saturday at the MERL, and because I have been shipping books! If you pre-ordered my new book(s) earlier this month, then your order shipped this week.
There are a couple of stages to posting out your books. Mark helped me last weekend with stickering books with download codes…
…and then my parents came to help with The Grand Pre-order Packing.
It’s amazing how much can be accomplished with a couple of extra pairs of hands, some good cheer, and the joy my Bam and Pops bring. We had a very jolly time involving an amazing curry, a massive roast chicken lunch, a late-night packing session and a wondrous numbered boxing system organised with unwavering enthusiasm by my Dad. Bam was the key CUSTOMS-LABEL COMPLETER (technical job description), book-stickerer, and nurturing voice of encouragement. Pops was the box rationaliser, and the main tea and refreshments overseer. He made about eight pots of tea, causing me to mentally rename the day of their visit as TEASDAY.
They both helped immeasurably, and I felt quite humble after they left realising that it doesn’t matter how old and independent I get… sometimes I just need my parents.
Thank you, wondrous Bam & Pops!
I had a rubber stamp made up so that those of you who requested a signature in your books could have one. I can still do most things with my hands but all tasks are slow and most of them are painful – especially writing old-school style with a pen. Thank you for your understanding and I hope my ingenious workaround will suffice. I wish I could use it on the customs labels too but I fear inspecting mail officials have no use for “best wishes” or “happy knitting”. However, if you are a customs label inspector and you are reading this, I would appreciate a steer on whether rubber stamps are allowed in lieu of a signature for disabled senders of mail.
The highlight of all the posting, stickering and stamping is seeing the books arriving with you. I’m loving spotting glimpses of them on social media when they land. It feels like I’ve been waiting for ages to share this book with the world and it’s really joyous to see it getting out there and appearing in your laps and on your knitting bookshelves… Thanks so much for posting the pictures.
As I’ve been packing up the orders, I confess I have been really enjoying how the Stranded Colourwork Playbook and the Playbook Colouring Companion look next to one another and also how they look next to my first book, the KNITSONIK Stranded Colourwork Sourcebook.
Nic and I spoke a lot about how to get the feeling of a sequel, and also how to show the relationship between the Playbook and its Colouring Companion and I think Nic’s triangular grid design is genius. Nic has a real gift for giving form and coherence to the ideas of different knitwear designers. Every time we work together I’m blown away by her intuitive feeling for layout and design. Thank you amazing Nic for making the books look so lovely and for being so turbo talented.
I’ve also been feeling thankful for my hands, slow and sore as they are, and for Angela’s Nails in Reading.
A shellac manicure with holographic powder and top-coat will do nothing to physically assist with psoriatic arthritis, but EVERYTHING for morale: fingernails of rainbows really help with packing parcels!
In final book-related news, I’m planning a small launch party on April 20th from 6-8pm in Reading… further details to be announced, but if you’re local and would like to eat fruitcake, play with samples and get your book, urm, STAMPED, please save the date.
MORE SOON,
YOURS IN BOOKS!
XF
Everything about this update is gorgeous and heartwarming Mine just arrived and I’m very excited
Your Bam and Pops bring a smile to my face early this Friday morning. Your gratitude to them is matched only by your creativity.