rant

That Yarn Stores's Rant Page.

Here is Thea's rant, followed by David's older rants.

Hi.
It’s Thea.
So, here’s what’s happening with the store. Unless we make enough money
between now and the end of January to pay for rent for 8 months (Feb to Sept),
we can’t stay in business. If we win the lotto, then we will, but we don’t buy
tickets so our chances are slim.
Frankly there is no longer anyone in the family who rationally expects us to
make enough money to stay in business into next year. We are mentally preparing
for the end, but that’s not going to stop us from hoping or trying.
If we didn’t have irrational hope we would have closed by now.

I’m not writing this to try and shame you into coming in and buying. We know
you are on our mailing list because you like the store, and we know you are
already purchasing what you can. Really, I have three reasons for writing this.
         One. Since you’ve been in the store you probably already know that we
are a social bunch, and that we like to talk. We also consider many of you to
be our family. In our house we refer to many of you as our “yarn store family,”
we really do. So it doesn’t seem right that we will close our doors in January
without warning the yarn store family and the community that has evolved
here over the past three years.
         Two. We have had many really good suggestions from you in the past
about things we could do to keep in business. So please, don’t be shy about
sending those our way.
         Three. To ask for your help in getting others interested in the store.
We have business cards and flyers at our store. If you could pick some up
and drop them off wherever your errands take you we would be grateful
and delighted. Here is a link to a flyer if you can’t make it into the store.
http://www.thatyarnstore.com/flyer.html
If you would like it in a word document instead, just email us at
that.yarnstore@gmail.com
Buy gift certificates for friends – we don’t just have yarn, but handmade
necklaces, homemade jams, tea, and sewing classes.
If you have a great idea and could help in the execution of it that would
be great too.

If you know about any cool email lists or websites let them know we exist!
If you see any forums that are discussing knitting classes, etc., let them
know we exist.
Right now it’s just David running the show and me doing what I can from
across the ocean and we are already overwhelmed.
We are going to have a meeting some time in the next few weeks for those
of you who would like to know what else you can do.
Please email us at that.yarnstore@gmail.com with the subject line
“Yarn Store family”
and we will send you the time and day for our meeting.
My plane leaves early in the morning on Tuesday, so I’ll already be on the
plane, if not in Newcastle, by the time you read this.
Bye!
Thea

David's Rant

If you aren't in the mood for my rant on economic theory, and just want to hear about the shop,
feel free to skip down to where it says, That Yarn Store

Here is an email we got lately. No editing.

"I'm sorry I haven't made a return visit to your store, but I thought you should know why.
Sometimes I just want to buy some yarn or a pair of needles. I don't want to make friends
necessarily and I don't want to hear how the current administration has sold out the little guy.
Sick to death of bashing civil servants in the name of political correctness. Your latest
tirade in support of communism clearly highlights exactly what makes walking into your
store uncomfortable. Using language to avoid communication is patently annoying.
Say what you mean. If you want to have people visit your store you probably shouldn't
sound like you need to beg customers to spend money so that you and your family can
travel the world or become better educated so that you can use even loftier vocabulary
to malign capitalism. Isn't capitalism what you chose to promote when you opened your
store? I should shop at your store because you have what I want, right? If you just
wanted to make friends you could take a class at your neighborhood community college,
join the peace corps, work for Meals on Wheels or work on your favorite candidate's
election by voluteering your time. I'm sure you are lovely people and you mean well.
I just don't need all that extra camaraderie when I just want a skein or two. Sorry.
That's the truth. I wish you well and I wish you joy."

My comments....

"Your latest tirade in support of communism...."
You'll find that tirade untouched below. I guess I didn't say plainly enough
that I don't support communism, or corporatism, which is the same thing.

"If you want to have people visit your store you probably shouldn't sound like you need
to beg customers to spend money so that you and your family can travel the world
or become better educated..."

Thea, Frannie, Jessamy, and Tom all worked at the shop without payment.
Thea and Jessamy are in England without economic help from any of us.
They all held other jobs while helping at the shop.
Max and Noah are working their way through college, and received grants
and loans that they are repaying themselves.

...and one more personal thing.. I've only spent $20 on clothes in the last 3 years,
and haven't spent much more on vices like books or music or such pleasures.

"I just don't need all that extra camaraderie when I just want a skein or two."

I'm sure this is true for this person, but the traditions of the quilting bee, the knitting
circle, and craft guilds all show that these activities are times for camaraderie.

"Using language to avoid communication is patently annoying."

I don't think there is a word in my rant below that any high schooler couldn't understand.

"Isn't capitalism what you chose to promote when you opened your store?"

Yes, and this administration has betrayed American Capitalism.
And, without this person has a customer, with conversation or without, capitalism won't work.
Unlike other yarn stores and many small shops, ours isn't a "vanity" shop. It survives,
or not, because of capitalism instead of being supported by a rich spouse.

Thanks for reading. This bit of criticism has been on my mind the last couple of weeks,
and just had to get it out.

Economic Theory

So far in our history as people, basic American style capitalism seems to work best. I'd define
American capitalism as individuals or small groups, selling goods or services to each other at
a fair profit. That FAIR profit gets passed around from business to business, person to person.

So far, socialism hasn't worked. But there are two hybrids of socialism and capitalism that have
flourished for a while, then made trouble as they collapse.

European socialistic capitalism, where capitalism exists but is very heavily taxed, so that
the services that can only be provided by a government can be provided to all who want them or need
them. The problems with this are that too many people within the system take unfair advantage, and that
the real economic support has to come from outside the system
(keep buying those Volvos and Nokia phones!)

The other hybrid is communism. I'd define communism as an economic system where a central
committee determines the economy for the benefit of a ruling class, and uses the working class to
support the system by dictating the jobs the wages and the prices the workers have to pay for goods and
services.

Soviet Communism never really had a chance because, like European Capitalism, they needed outside
money and resources, and the world didn't allow it.
Chinese Communism is trying to keep the communist ruling system while using capitalist economic
policies, which won't work because the the ruling classes and working classes are blurring, and the outside
money and resources are under other control.
Then we have Corporate Communism. Here a central committee (board of directors) dictates the economy
for the benefit of a ruling class (stock holders), and uses the working class (employees and the public) to
support the system by dictating the jobs, the wages, and the prices the workers have to pay for goods and
services. Look at any large corporation and see how they are doing just this. (Walmart, Disney, Microsoft)

American capitalism can almost work well without outside money and resources, where the others can't.
Classic American capitalism works well when the profit is passed around. However it needs an exploitable
underclass (slaves, recent immigrants, the undereducated.)   The unique thing about this system is the this
exploitable class can move up socially, or at least their children can.

The current administration has sold this country to the corporations, and it is getting worse for all of us,
unless we are in the upper strata of the corporations, or own enough shares in them to benefit from
stock dividends. And we can see how the difference between those people who benefit from
corporate wealth and those who are only serving big business is becoming greater.

That Yarn Store

Many of you have heard the story of why we opened That Yarn Store.
In short, a way to do something together as a family, continue the practical life education of the kids,
pay some bills, and make a business.

From the beginning, we wanted to create a community place, a comfortable place for us and for those
who found us. I think we have been very successful in that.
We also intended that this place would at least pay for itself.
In that, we haven't been as successful.

Without going into our own failings in business acumen, not only our shop, but many, many small
businesses are failing. With the public mainly shopping at corporately owned stores, often because
there really isn't another choice, and with the public not being allowed to have the power of demand,
we all have less money to spend, and our money has less oomph.

What you can do to help this situation? Shop local, shop small business, use your power of demand to
lower prices.

What you can do to help That Yarn Store?
     Buy yarn
     Take classes
     Teach classes
     Enjoy our events
              music, poetry, happy hours, philosophy
     Tell your friends
     Hang out and be a part of this community

The community part of That Yarn Store has always been most important. Be more a part of the community
of knitters. If you live in the area shop Eagle Rock. Support small business wherever you live.

Support us on line with comments and reviews.
Here are a few places....
    Google
      Yellow Bot
      Insider Pages
      Yelp
City Search
... and tell City Search that we have moved.

If you find more places to submit reviews of us, let us know

Tell your friends. Bring in your friends.

Have a party at That Yarn Store!!!

If you’d like to help the shop in a fun sort of way,
attend one of our events.
Or you can create an event of your own.
Do you have friends who’d like to learn to knit?
Invite them to an afternoon or evening at That Yarn Store
and with muchies and such, they will learn to knit.
If they know already, then come in and hang out at the shop.

Birthday, a shower, or invite friends for a couple of hours of chatting,
munching, and knitting, or learning to knit.

We may be a month or two away of having to close our doors.
Without your business, we can't bring you yarn, we can't be a place for
the community, we can't pay the rent,
we can't be in business.

It is the nature of the yarn business that no one of you can spend enough
make the difference between our being in business or having to close.
But if you value our shop, if you value the craft of crocheting
or knitting, if you value small business, then come in and say Hi,
come in and start a project, come in and hang out.
Come in and keep the doors of That Yarn Store open.

David