Seasonal musings

As the wind pushes the tall Poplar tree around in the back garden and the first greeny yellow leaves lay strewn across the lawn I am left in no doubt that the seasons are well and truly on the change. For us as scarf wholesalers Autumn is our prime time as our customers ready themselves for the coolness, and the warmth of the festive season. Soon the clocks will go back and the nights eat ever more greedily into the days until we are left with a 6 or 7 hour window of light to function by. Red noses and misty breath will take the place of sun tans and sweat as the balmy warmth of a wonderful summer slips into history to become a distant memory.

So what have my musings got to do with scarves? Well I guess not a lot really.............It's just that my life is ruled by the seasons and so is my business. I still have to pinch myself sometimes when I think back to how it all started , a backpack full of scarves and a £1.20 bus fare. Now our wholesale scarves come in by the ton and go out in their hundreds. When I started selling scarves at York Market it was Feb 2004. It was hideously cold and the snow and ice stayed around for what seemed like for ever. Since then the scarf business has been good to me, most of the time. At the start I didn't know my warp from my weft, or anything else about textiles. The growth of York Scarves has been one huge learning curve. I now understand about the structure of fabric, how the patterns are woven into the textile, the different techniques of dying yarn before weaving, or dying the product after it is made, the importance of fabric in the development of mankind and it's value as a tradeable commodity. When silk came from the Far East to the West along the ancient silk road it changed the world.

So I have mused my way through the evening. Time, like a never ending thread, spins forth.........and in truth we are lucky beyond belief to be here. In two weeks time we have two tonnes of scarves arriving, hopefully............it all depends on the whims of DHL and HMRC. Not only have I learnt a huge amount about the world of fabric but also about the world of importing. The simple fact is, that nothing is as simple as it seems, and if something can go wrong.........there's a mighty fine chance it will.

We fell into wholesaling through an accidental and organic sequence of events..............there was no plan. But now we are there we want to do the very best we can. Our weavers and workers in North East India have been an absolute gods end and continue to amaze me with their abilities and dedication. If you are looking for something original, unique and fair trade for your Christmas trade then click onto our website and peruse our fantastic collection of wholesale fairtrade fashion scarves.