The resillient bird gets the worm, or sells the soap...

I was walking through Market Square today, marvelling at the dedication of the few vendors who braved the wash of ultra violet rays and the energetic winds across the expanse of interlocking brick when my eye was caught by the Kingston Soap Company's well stocked little stand. http://www.kingstonsoap.com/

I stopped and bought 4 tiny guest soaps: rose petal, herbes de Provence, Lavender and Clove for $5. Now really, did I need little guest soaps when we almost never have guests staying over, and even when we do, we only have 1 bathroom; where did I think that I was going to put these little gems? But that's not the point. The point is that for a buck and a quarter each, I was able to support local crafter/merchants, and I could dream of the luscious feel of the soaps made of olive oil and all other natural ingredients. Best of all the gentle scent did NOT bring on a migraine.

Every time that we turn on the news or read a paper, we are reminded that things are not very settled out there in the big marketplace. I for one am getting tired of hearing about the economic downturn and I'm sure that those who are more directly effected are even less inclined to want to hear of it. But it is true that we are all more prone to spending mindfully these days, and that is never a bad thing.

At WOOL-TYME Kingston we have noticed a big swing towards the use of cash over debit or credit cards; but interestingly enough, we have not seen a particular downturn in sales. We've noticed people treating themselves to an extra special project, maybe even a small cashmere scarf, but lets face it where else can you buy true luxury for about $30. You could spend the same $30 on a movie and popcorn and it's over in a couple of hours. With a skein of natural cashmere, you have hours of cherished knitting and a beautiful product at the end of it all.

In Canada, and dare I say in Kingston particularly, we are somewhat sheltered from the harshest aspects of market turns but we all can appreciate that as a society we need to reflect on how we are using our resources. People like the idea of creating rather than consuming these days, and to that end, we'll continue to offer new ideas, projects and products to keep you touch with your inner artist who needs to be fed, no matter what the economic season.