Knitting and crocheting friends,
I thought it would be a good idea to update you on our situation at Graywood Designs. As you know, we had to close our mail order and walk in business in mid-March due to the #stayhome #staysafe orders here in Michigan. As a result, many of you found that even if you placed an order, we could not fill it and you received a refund instead.
Maureen (who anchors our shipping and orders in Michigan) worked from home and did a great job replying to emails and staying in touch with many of you. She did this while working another part time job AND keeping her two boys focused on their remote schooling. Not an easy task, but give Maureen an iPad and she gets things done.
Wanda (I work from my winter place in Arizona) ended up "caught" in Arizona as the Michigan pandemic deepened. I was going to fly back in early April, but travel was not a good idea. Fortunately there were samples to be knit, website updates, and conversations several times a week with Maureen back in Michigan as the pandemic continued.
By May we slowly began shipping orders again. Our supplier was able to ship to us and so we began filling orders here. Still, we were not sure that the decline in corona virus cases would continue in Michigan and we were very hesitant to be fully back on track.
Then, in late May, one of us (that's me, Wanda) had emergency surgery for a bowel blockage. I spent five nights in a Tucson hospital. I was alone, due to Covid19 restrictions, and yet not alone because my family and friends stayed in touch almost hourly. Plus, the hospital staff were super.
I'm back on the mend and have returned to Michigan. I'm still in the #stayhome mode after the hospital stay and all, but I'm used to working from home, so that's no big deal.
Maureen and I have delved into website work. We are adding new yarn and needles (watch for an exciting new AddiClick set late this summer!) We have some luscious new samples (a baby hat, this baby blanket, shawl, more Zauberball socks!) and are working on photography and website entries for those projects.
Suffice it to say that we have all faced things in these last three months that we never imagined. I hope that if your family and friends have been touched by Covid, that you found the strength and grace to get through.
I know that I reached for knitting in a new way. It became a comfort and a diversion. That feel of fiber in my hands and a project in my lap was a big part of getting through.
Finally, let me say how much Maureen and I appreciate your support and your business. We are a small endeavor . We love what we do and are glad we can be helpful to knitters and crocheters.
Our best to all of you. Hopefully, our office and shop space in Pigeon will be open to walk in purchases sometime this summer.
Take care,
Wanda Eichler
Graywood Designs
PS Let me add a plea. I'm 72 and in generally good health. I don't take any prescription drugs, eat carefully, walk. You get the picture. In January I came down with a nasty bronchitis that scared me. The cough hung on through February and then the virus hit. I knew that I was in the older-and-compromised category, so I sheltered in place.
I have not been in a store since March 12. I do grocery pickups. There have been some takeout meals. I go through drive-in fast food places, just to get out of the house a bit. Usually I walk 1-2 miles per day. Sometimes more. Sometimes less.
This virus is mean spirited. It does not discriminate and it is not over with us.
Do take precautions.
Be a social distance person.
Wear a mask.
Use sanitizer.
Wash hands.
Check in with loved ones and friends.
We will get through, but we do have a ways to go. Yet.
