Recovering is a Process

Haven't written any for awhile as I have been running as fast as I can, and it feels like I am running in slow motion.  This post is going to be a think piece.  I am going to do another one right away so we don't have to dwell on this, but I just need to share some thoughts I have had as I continue to recover from what has been a major loss.  Some of the thoughts are random, some not.

1. First of all, I have much more understanding and compassion for others who have suffered entire losses of their homes through a fire or through natural disaster.  I lost most of my inventory, but I did not lose my entire life's set of stuff or a member of my family.
2. Second of all, I am grateful to my husband for being patient and tolerant throughout all of this.  He has been held up better than me sometimes.
3. Third of all, I am grateful to my customers online, at shows, and here at the studio - who have been thoughtful with their comments, generous with their prayers, and who have bought what was available on my website.
4. As we talk about the loss, we think it will take approximately a year, maybe 2, to recover from in terms of my inventory.  I had a LOT of inventory in a large range of colors.  Today, I don't.  It will simply take time to rebuild the range of colors.  I have regularly dyed approximately 150 colors, I simply cannot reproduce that in a short time.
5. When I dye a color, I typically dye it in all my yarn bases...that means it can take most of a day to dye a single colorway if it is a handpaint.  At that rate, it means I won't get to some colors in the next 365 days if I take some time for myself, go to shows, and dye the most popular colors more than once.
6. My approach to dyeing and my business has been "to provide a quality product at a reasonable price." What this meant was that my yarns would be regularly available in a wide range of colors.  This approach is not true of all dyers.
7. I hate whining, but I have done some inside my head...I try not to let it out. That is probably why I haven't blogged any, because I am afraid that would come out.
8. I am grateful to my insurance company for paying promptly and taking care of things.
9. What I didn't have insurance for was the loss in business that has resulted because the yarn is simply not available on the website.  My website looks bereft of inventory.  It looks like a big wind has blown through it...sort of like a tornado in the Midwest where I grew up.  I have left colors on so that people can see what I am capable of, but I am not so sure that is the right approach to continue with as we go forward.
10. This loss in business will continue while I build up my inventory.
11. Having faith that everything will work out continues to be important.
12. I am an optimist, I believe in hard work, my mother's English stiff upper lip helps me through as well as my father's New England heritage. This has come in handy as we do what needs to be done.
13. I have great folks that work with me...I don't want to call them employees...they are incredibly dedicated and supportive of me and my business.
14. There is always sweet with the bitter.
15. The benefit of a loss is that you can rethink what you have been doing.  And that we have.  We are changing how we work...we are doing much more teamwork and crossover from one area to another in an attempt to relieve bottlenecks and Jen who has been with me for almost 4? 5? years is going to start taking care of much of the office stuff, which includes making sure the website is up-to-date, that my yarns on Ravelry are right, that the contest gets taken care of, that....well you get the idea.  The point is to relieve me of some of the office stuff so that I can dye without so much interruption in my day.
16. Life continues, and more will be revealed.....

[caption id="attachment_443" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Day One After Smoke Damage"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_445" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Racks Stuffed with Smoked Yarn on Carport"][/caption]

[caption id="attachment_446" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Empty Racks in Driveway Waiting for Studio to be Ready"][/caption]

Two days ago...

[caption id="attachment_447" align="aligncenter" width="450" caption="Racks Beginning to Fill Up"][/caption]

The racks are beginning to fill up, but as you can tell, without the all the different colors and colorways I had before.  But they are on their way!