This is not the blog I was expecting to be writing.

WOW! Wow wow wow wow wow wow wow! I literally am in awe and I don't know where to start.

Perhaps I'll start at what I said to Toni when she was in the shop as I pressed 'go' on the crowdfunder:

'I'll put an extra week on, that'll give us a bit more of a chance'.

Or what I said on my personal Facebook page:

'P.s. If you're thinking about donating, apparently if I get 10 backers within 24 hours I'm 90% more likely to reach my target.... Just sayin'.....'

Or what I said to Chris a couple of days ago:

'It doesn't matter if we reach the goal, it'll all help and I'll just have to borrow a little less but maybe I should put the goal down a bit?'.



Honestly, this was not the blog I thought I'd be writing. And I don't know how to thank everybody enough. I honestly don't. You know sometimes, when things are a bit shit - say, you're in the middle of a big fight with the council and stuff's going a bit wrong at home and you have a lot of people (solicitors, surveyors, carpet people, signage writers) bothering you constantly whilst you're trying to get on and do your job - you need a bit of a kick up the arse. And this was it! Smashing the crowdfunding target in four hours was all the proof I need that Knit Nottingham is a little bit magic and means something to a lot of people and for that I am ridiculously grateful and immensely proud and just a little bit daunted at how I'm going to spend this money sensibly and not just buy ALL THE WOOL IN THE WORLD!

I have allowed myself this morning to dream big about the till system I could get if we reached the stretch target (the original was £2000 and the stretch is another £2000. We're actually half way to the stretch target already. Astounded). It didn't actually enter my head that we'd be into the stretch target at all, never mind within 24 hours! So the plan was vague with what I'd do with extra money - there are options, different wools, sorting out the basement, a nicer carpet in a knit print - but I think, sensibly, a till will make the most difference to the shop.

With the increased stock we'll have being able to take a quick snapshot of what's available will be useful, it'll also save me saying 'I'm sure I saw it the other day' and scrabbling round to find a solitary ball that I might have sold yesterday and forgotten about. And that in itself should save messing the shop up like I do now which will save on tidying. And the tills that I'm looking at have the automatic loyalty cad thing going so lost cards will be no problem. And it'll keep a record of what you've bought in the past if you want to do a signing in thingy so we'll never forget again! And I won't have to trundle through scrolls and scrolls of till receipts to do my accounts. And, finally, when we get an upgraded e-commerce site (which is a looooooong way off) it will mean that the stock can be integrated and therefore you'll know what you're buying and whether it's in stock and therefore it not only helps the internet customers but it also helps those of your that are shop customers checking out wool before you come in. Boom right?! So I think I've made my decision that any stretch target money goes towards that and if I have to I'll save more or borrow (sensibly) to make up the shortfall.

But I'm getting ahead of myself. I set a good target, higher than I thought that we could achieve and each and every one of you that contributed or shared or talked about this thing has honestly just about made my life.

I haven't read all of the comments yet, I tried to when I was on the bus last night but I just couldn't get through them. It was making me feel all weird inside to have nice things said - I prefer tough love... ;) But I love them and I will read and respond when I'm feeling less emotionally drained.

And thank you.

And sob.

Love Eleanor. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx