I have just closed the web shop while I upload information about new spindles:
Kaaris, several UpSideDown Spinimals and a few Orfooks (threading hooks by another name)
I should be re-opening in a few hours — Monday, June 6 11:00 am
…but there are not any spindles! I had a batch of Nøstepindes turned, oiled, buffed and ready.
There ARE spindle parts: shafts and whorls — but, as they say, “Some assembly required.” I’m bending brass hooks and a box of fresh adhesives has arrived.
Timing was perfect a week ago. Our Rhubarb bush was ripe and it was my birthday!
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie a’la mode …and the mode was homemade vanilla ice cream!
Keep a weather eye on the SHOP — there will be spindles in there sooner than later!
I’ve just “closed” the online shop for “maintenance.” There’s lots to do: I’m finally going to remove all the “SOLD” items that have been showing on the Shop pages since the deepest,darkest winter AND upload a bunch of photos of new and yes, available to buy, spindles. Nøstepindes and Orfooks.
The ewes are finally out of the paddock and eating grass as God intended.
It’s nice to have them on their own and not depending on us to carry bales of hay out to them every morning.
This past winter I began using the “Beall Wood Buffing System.” It is a three-step process in which each spindle is buffed against three separate cloth wheels:
- Tripol (a fine Red Rouge??) abrasive
- White Diamond
- Beeswax
The three wheel system mounts on the lathe. I am very much enjoying the new look and feel of all the Hatchtown tools.
Pam and I spent this past weekend “vending” at the annual Maine Fiber Frolic. It is always fun to visit with all our Maine “fiber friends” …many of whom we only see just once a year at the Frolic.
We wish word of the event would finally spread past the state’s borders. There’re usually a few savvy shoppers from the Boston area, but nobody from much further away than that.
Yesterday, during the usual Sunday stretches of inactivity at the Hatchtown booth, I took all the spindles out back of Windsor Fairground Building No. 2 and photographed them. If I really apply myself, by tomorrow sometime, I’d hope to have inventory on display up here on the website.
Whew! We finally took the plunge and installed what they call an “e-commerce solution.” Pam noticed that our good friend and entrepreneur extraordinaire Michele Michael had used something called Big Cartel to connect an online shop cum shopping cart to her website Elephant Ceramics.
Well, we launched our Shop a week or so ago and all went very well! TaDAAA! Each of the spindles I make is unique so we had to list every “item” as having an “inventory” of One (1).
A monitor “screen capture” showing a section of the Hatchtown online shop (March 2013)
We’ve been emailing the faithful customers who have been on our mailing list. Sending emails first to those who have been on the list the longest. I’m not accepting any “orders” until everyone on the list has had a chance to shop available inventory.
It is mid-morning Sunday as I type this and I am about to put the Shop into “maintenance mode” so I can update the inventory this afternoon.
If you have not signed up to be on the “mailing list” fill out and submit the form at the bottom of the “Tools” page.
