Sets for everyone!

I have been having the worst blogging block I've ever experienced. Every time I sit down to my computer with a few minutes to blog I come up completely empty. The last few weeks have been really busy at work and I'm still coming out of my mid-winter blahs but hopefully I can find some inspiration soon. I need to visit my favorites and get caught up on all of your doings and that would probably get me motivated again but it's finding the time to do it. I'm hoping for another snow day tomorrow which would be the perfect time to do some blog hopping. We are supposed to get another 3-6 inches which should be enough for a day off.

So I'm posting pictures of all the sets I made for my girls for Christmas. Jess and Kate both wanted such drastically different colors that I made them each two sets, one for really cold days and one more for fun. In the top shot they are also playing with their crazy new toys I got them from Cranky Yellow which were a huge hit. Kate particularly loved her David Wolk doll with its Barby legs and bulging eye head. She said she couldn't wait to show it off (and freak her friends out).

The first adorable little girl is my niece Savannah looking all sweet in her funky new set. The second adorable little girl is Sophie, our good friend's Brian and Sandy Katcher's imp.

Headed in the right direction.

Because I've gotten so much great feedback from you all about the last scarf/hat set pictures I thought I would throw another set of pictures at you from last weekend. It's a more grown up style made with an organic cotton yarn. The hat is my new favorite pattern that I came up with in a fun lace stitch.

This is another example where I can't decide whether I like the one on the torso or the one on the head better. The consensus from the last set was that you liked the head shot best but I'm not so sure in this example. I really wish that I had a mannequin that actually had a head or that I could stick the head on the torso but it doesn't work that way.I will probably enlist Ani one of these weekends to do some modeling for me. I just don't know how people feel about hats being worn to be photographed. You see it all the time on Etsy but I think it could be a turnoff to some potential buyers.

So which one gets your vote in this round. The head shot or the headless torso?

Aperture Survey

I did a quick aperture test on a hat/scarf set this weekend and I would love to get some feedback. I shot on a tripod in every possible aperture to see what my favorite would be. There is a definite difference in mood as you get higher depths of field and more of the hat in focus. I chose three to share that I think reflect the different depths of field and the different moods.

The first is a the the smallest depth of field of any of my lenses with an f stop of 1.8. It is Mike's favorite and the most arty of all of them with just the front of the hat in focus and the rest blurry. I think it would make a good 2nd or 3rd shot in an Etsy listing but then again maybe it would catch someones eye as a first shot.
The next one is at 5.0 f stop which is a pretty typical setting for me. Since learning more about the different settings on my camera I usually have it set on Aperture Priority and depending on lighting conditions I tend to have it set around the 5.6 stop. It's a good middle ground spot as whatever you are focusing on is nice and clear and just the outer limits are out of focus. This would probably be my choice for a first shot on an Etsy listing I'm thinking.

The last shot is at the largest depth of field this lens shoots f stop 22. Everything is in clear focus and I think the eye doesn't really know what to focus on. I would probably use this more for a full shot of both the hat and scarf but I don't think it works for the closeup on the hat. Especially for this wild hat with all of the colors and textures as I think it all is to much to take in but I could be wrong.

I would love to get some feedback. You can see more of the detail if you click on the picture to zoom in on them. Which of the three shots most catches your attention? Which of them would you use as a first listing shot on Etsy, if any?

Back to Knitting!

Since getting admitted to the Strange Folk Festival again this year I have been knitting my fingers to the bone. It was exactly the motivation I needed to get my business act together. For some reason my knitting has been on the back burner this year. I guess my enthusiasm for my new DSLR and learning more about digital photography has caused me to be distracted. I used the shot above as one of my texture shots for my Image Within Class a few weeks ago. It's a lacy mohair blend scarf hanging on a little mannequin.

It's funny because I initially wanted to learn more about photography so that I could take better pictures of my knitting but before I knew it photography had overwhelmed my free time leaving little time for my knitting. I know I'm going to have to strike a better balance next year. I didn't realize how much I had missed my knitting time until I started doing it full force about a month ago. I never really stopped knitting but I didn't have the passion that allows me to sit and knit for hours at a time almost in a meditative place.

I'm also getting excited again about trying new stitch patterns and coming up with new designs for the first time in a while. I'm really enjoying creating my hat/scarf sets which is something new to my collection this year. I'm having trouble with the pricing issues but that is for a whole other post. This weekend I plan on getting a lot of pictures taken of my inventory before I start tagging things for the show. I hope to have my Etsy shop back up and running with all new pictures by the beginning of September.

And now for some knitting

For class this week we are supposed to bring in our best 8 shots of the week. That is double what we normally do and forced me to do some serious work this weekend. I know it doesn't sound like much but when you know that they are going to be blown up to life size and analyzed it pushes you to do your best. I decided to do some shots of my knitting for fun and practice.

I haven't taken any product shots with my new camera yet and probably won't be doing too much for a little while. On-line scarf sales are non-existent in the summer months but I may try to get some things ready for the fall as time goes on. I feel much more confident in being able to get shots that really showcase my knitting now. I may try to set up a little studio in my basement with some lights I bought a long time ago but never figured out how to use. My teacher told me to diffuse them with cheese cloth to get that soft lightening effect.

I took these on my sun porch with a white standing board for science fair projects ($3.99) for the backdrop. I used a low aperture to get the shallow depth of field that gives them an artier effect. I always wanted to be able to do that with my old camera but now I finally have the proper equipment and knowledge to put it to use.

Mike and Ani both hate the mannequin head in the above shot (one of the few things they actually agree on). They say that she is cross eyed and creepy looking. I don't think that is so apparent in pictures but what do you think? She is handmade paper mache and I got her second hand for a very good price.
This one is a hat and scarf set that I really like. I used organic wool which is super soft and has a nice subdued color palette.

Spring Celebration -- Tracey Knits

The great thing about hosting my Spring Celebration is that I've gotten to know some of my old blog friends better. But in addition to that I've made a few new friends like Tracey Knits. I thought it was appropriate to showcase her on this glorious day when my husband and so many others are out enjoying the day with a round of golf. As part of the Spring Celebration Tracey is giving away a Yoda Star Wars Golf Club Cover valued at $25.

"It is sized to fit any club from the biggest driver to your tiny putter. Made out of acrylic fiber to prevent damage. Should you find yourself in a swamp on a distant planet, it is machine washable!" I think it is the ideal gift for your golfer/Star Wars nerd, I'm sure I'm not the only wife of one of those!

I enjoy her quirky style and fun designs, including the braided belts below. They are the perfect spring accessory when a full scarf is too heavy.

When doing some research on her I discovered that in addition to her knitting skills she also is a talented artist and photographer. She sells her artwork on Etsy as Red Linc Art. I love how she describes her work here:

"Generally, my paintings, drawings and photography are realistic and figurative with a pop art quality. I like to take the everyday and put a new spin on it. Inspiration, for me, can be found everywhere. My children’s faces, a conversation with a friend, or a view I have seen a thousand times before but only appreciated that day."

I have a feeling that Tracey and I would be fast friends if we were ever to meet in real life. I have a tattoo on my left shoulder remarkably similar to her drawing of the Eye of Horis.

I asked Tracey a few questions about her work and inspirations.

How long have you been knitting and selling your work?

I have been knitting for 4 years. I started selling my knitting about a year ago. The patterns have only been available for a few months.

Where do you sell it and what are your bestsellers?

I sell original knit designed sports merchandise on my online store, http://traceyknits.etsy.com at local retail locations in New Jersey, and craft fairs as well. In the spring, people love my golf club covers. The number one design is the NY Yankees baseball player. This past winter I introduced the Football Helmet Winter Hat and did almost entirely custom orders for college teams. I recently made the patterns for these items available for sale as well which has been a big hit with my fellow knitters.

Tell us a little about yourself and your creative process.

I am a morning person so get right to work as soon as I am out of bed. The boring technical aspects of running an online business get taken care of first, then I have the rest of the day to create and gather ideas. i have to fit taking care of my young children and husband in there as well.

What inspires you and do you have ways you keep the inspiration coming?

Inspiration is definitely the hardest part of running a creative business. I tend to think about an event or a customer and what I can make to satisfy their needs. Very often I will be driving in the car hanging with my kids when the brain-blast happens.

http://www.traceyknits.com
http://www.facebook.com/TraceyKnits
http://traceyknits.etsy.com
http://www.etsy.com/shop/redlinc
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/TraceyKnits


See the contest rules here to find out how you could win your own Knitted Yoda Star Wars Golf Club Cover!

Hats Off

I was going to post this on Saturday and call it Haturday but the weekend really got away from me. That is actually a good thing. It was the first full weekend I've had since the fall/surgery with tickets to the Rep Saturday and some shopping on Sunday with Ani. The top picture is one my friend/former colleague sent me of the twins in their hats I made them. She says they get compliments every time they wear them but I'm sure they get compliments on anything she puts on their adorable heads.

The next shot is of Ani goofing around with the hats I made while laid up on the couch. It's kind of a sad number but a few of them are more intricate than others. The organic wool one in gray has cables throughout and actually took me well over a week to make. Unfortunately it has no give and will only fit a small adult head or child. When I took this shot of Ani she said, "Wait, I think I blinked."

I'm getting much faster and more knowledgeable about which stitch patterns are best for which hat. I've started using ripple stitches as it gives a cool effect especially with variegated or space dyed yarns. And since hats are not reversible like scarves I can use some cool stitches I like that are only interesting on one side.

I know that hat season is basically over but it's all about building up the inventory. It's time for me to really start thinking about next year's craft show season and what I want to focus on. I'm going to have the hats and the high and low end scarf price points. I will whip out a bunch of $15 scarves for 2 months right before my first show but between now and then I'm going to focus on hats and more upscale scarves to match the hats. I'm also thinking about how to sell them in sets. I'm really starting to come out of my creative slump which is definitely a good thing.

Inspire Me

Get the flash player here: http://www.adobe.com/flashplayer

‘You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club.’

— Jack London

I know that you would think with 4 weeks on the couch that I would have a whole lot of finished knits to show for it. But you would unfortunately be wrong. The first 2 weeks are a blur to me since I was in a lot of pain and taking some serious pain meds that left my brain in a fog. The last two weeks have been pretty unproductive too. I have a small pile of hats that I've made and that is it. Ani was over tonight and looked at the few things at the end of the couch and she said "is that it." I thought you would have filled a room with hats by now.

I made the Flickr widget of my knitted creations at PictoBrowser to help get my creative juices flowing. I have been completely lacking in inspiration. My craft room is a cluttered mess at the moment and I can't really get in there to get to my yarn. When I'm lacking inspiration normally I will go in my room, get out piles of yarn and start playing with different color combinations. I will look through my stitch books until something lights my fire.

I had Mike bring me out some books and some yarn but it just wasn't the same. Tonight Ani went deeper into the yarn stash than Mike chose to venture. She drug a bunch of different things out and helped me to come up with some color combos that peaked my interest. That is what I needed to do a week ago.

I'm not going to beat myself up about not using this time off from work more productively. My body was healing and that was the priority. I wasn't really in a position to make the most of the time and sometimes you can't force it.

I've been thinking a lot about the direction that I want to go with my business in the next year. I just don't know if trying to sell on-line is really worth it to me. It is a lot of work for very little pay off. I'm sure I will have a post soon with my thoughts on this.

13 Hours a Day?

It's totally feeling like Christmas all of a sudden. It got bitterly cold this week and there is that nice stillness on campus right before the holiday break. (Just as I typed that line someone started drilling right outside my window. Irony in action!) The Winter Shimmer scarf above would make the perfect accessory for this time of year. It's a mix of hand spun wool and a super soft acrylic yarn.

I came across a really interesting article on the NYT's Style Page about Etsy and the myth or reality of earning a living with your craft. It's titled "That Hobby Looks Like a Lot of Work" and it describes how some crafters have been able to turn their passions into a full time income through Etsy and other venues.

They featured one knitter who described her day as including 13 hours of knitting and then multiple other hours on-line with buyers and promotional duties. She actually has a wholesale contract with Urban Outfitters to sell her handmade cowls. She claims to be earning $140,000 a year which I wonder is gross or not. But either way I don't think it's worth it. I have spent 13 hours in a row knitting on the weekends before but I honestly can't imagine doing it every day. It would drain the joy out of it real quickly and my hands just couldn't take it. As great as the dream of making a living off my craft sounds, in reality it would likely be a nightmare.

There was another feature in the summer on Slate about the fantasy of making a living and how Etsy "Peddles a False Feminist Fantasy". I was insulted by some of the ideas implied in this article but the reality is much of what she says is true. There was a lot of controversy about this article and if you go back to the first pages of comments you can read some angry reactions from Etsy sellers.

I'm happy with were my business is at the moment. I had a great craft show season and had an increase in sales over last year which not a lot of businesses can say in this economy. I've found my place in the indie shows and my target market. I'm not happy with my Etsy shop but that is a different post. Online sales are just not my priority. I'm glad that I still enjoy my hobby but I'm thankful that I don't have make a living from it.

Shop Updates!

My Etsy shop is now down to just 25 items listed. The poor thing is barely at 2 pages which is just plain sad in my book. I was going through my remaining inventory and seeing if I had pictures for anything already taken last night. I found at least 10 scarves that I have photographed in the past but not listed for one reason or another.

Some of them were previously listed in my 1000 Markets shop which has been unceremoniously disconnected due to lack of activity. I don't think I'm the type of person that can divide my attention like that I'm afraid. So I started listing some of them to try to get my shop back to its normal capacity of at least 50 items. If I don't have 3 pages it bothers me for some reason.

I've already listed the top scarf, the Regal Rose- Handmade Pink Lace Scarf in a hand dyed ribbon yarn. I can't believe that it didn't sell at one of my shows. It is absolutely gorgeous in person with just the right amount of sparkle and WOW factor. The red scarf I'm calling Holiday Cherry Red. It's a wool blend that is super soft and cozy. I think it would be great for the holidays and beyond. This last one is a close up for a scarf that I'm calling Tie Dye Delight. It is a Noro brand yarn that has a cool tie dye effect, and I added some speckled beads for extra fun. I'm now done pimping and tomorrow I'll get back to normal blogging!

Family Ties

I took these three pictures when we were all home for Thanksgiving and I was really happy with how they came out. The sun was perfect and they were all sitting in the little chairs so I got a nice angle. I particularly like the one of Kate at the top. She is my favorite niece after Ani to photograph. I think that Jess is probably going to be more attractive in person but Kate is more interesting in pictures.



I so miss having Kate around. She is just such a fun and quirky kid. She is only 7 but she has the most advanced sense of irony and sarcasm, far superior to most adults I know, including her parents. It will be nice to have all of them here for a few weeks over the Holiday and we are going to plan on going down to see them over Mike's spring break too.







One of my cousins bought the Oreo Glam scarf that she saw on my Etsy shop last month. She wore it to Thanksgiving and this is the only shot I could find of her here. She has been wearing it all around town and becoming quite the promoter of my shop. Beth is always so well put together and attractive that I couldn't ask for a better representative. She had it on at a boutique last week and the owner complimented her on it and asked her were she got it. Beth talked to her about me and got information for me to contact the woman. It's definitely something for me to consider. I really want to get into some boutiques next year and it's always nice to have someone already know of you and be interested in your work rather than going in cold. It's all about the family ties today I guess.

Big Ass Wrap Up

I took no decent pics from the Big Ass Indie Show yesterday but they have a whole photo montage on their Facebook page here if you are interested. The above was my view from my perch yesterday afternoon as I guarded the dressing room. This was a rack of mostly my scarves. I think it was a good show, not necessarily a great one for me but I really can't complain at all. I haven't seen my actual numbers yet but just reviewing what I didn't come home with I can estimate how I did.



It looks like I sold over 10 of the higher end scarves which is what I was hoping to move at this show along with the majority of my lower end scarves. I think I sold only 2 scarflettes which was surprising to me until I started thinking about it. They had the majority of them buried in a wheel barrow that they were using as a display instead of arranged on a table so I really don't think people were willing to dig through it. Not a big deal since I need something to keep my Etsy shop going until I can get more pictures taken.

I started the season with 2 large tubs and 2 medium tubs stuffed to the brim with my inventory. After my last show I could probably fit everything into the largest of the tubs if I stuffed it tight. I'm very happy with how it all went and couldn't have asked for a better 3 shows for my work. I'll do a more complete wrap up later with my thoughts on how to improve things for next year.









There were some really amazing vendors at this show including a few that I'd never seen before. I got a Flesh doll by Michael Baird that I'm absolutely in love with. Mike says it is probably the weirdest thing I've ever bought which is really saying something. It has the coolest eyes in it with a long tail that I can use to hold it while I hit Mike in the back of the head, only when he deserves it of course. The leather is so soft and smooth I actually found myself cuddling it last night while laying on the couch watching TV under my blanket.

I always go into a knitting funk after my last craft show of the season. It's like I get all the frantic work done and I don't know what to do with myself after it's all done. I've knitted a few Christmas gifts and I'm going to give myself 1 week to not knit and then hopefully I will get some inspiration back. I really am wanting to work on some hat designs for next year and hopefully that will get me going.

Rock N Roll Show Wrapup

As I mentioned yesterday the Rock N Roll Craft Show was my best show yet. I took a few quick shots of the accessories area with my pocket camera. The table behind the two ladies in the 2nd shot was mostly my knitting and there were also scarves hanging from every available means with my scarves mixed in among other vendors. I like the department store style show for the most part. It's much easier on me and my time. I dropped my stuff off, they did the displays and I showed up on Sunday to work my shift and then took my stuff home.

Both of the shows that I've done like this I have scheduled myself for the last shift which has its pros & cons. I don't have to make another trip which is nice since these shows are mostly in the city. But it is always the hardest shift to work since it includes the breakdown and separating by vendor. I ended up working more than an hour over my shift helping them get things separated and displays broken down. This really isn't such a bad thing since it makes me look good with the organizers and they will hopefully remember me when jury time comes next year.









Everything was well displayed and professional. RRCS is probably the most well known of all the indie shows in the area. I think my style goes pretty well with their aesthetic. My wire wrist cuffs were a big hit and I sold all but a handful of them. I had several other vendors comment to me about them and their popularity over the weekend. Making them smaller definitely helped I'm sure. I was making them between 7 or 8 inches, which fits my big wrist, but I started making them between 6 and 7 inches this time around.

The other hit was wool scarflettes. I sold 11 of them and a few other fiber ones as well. I sold a few $30 scarves and a ton of $15 ones of course. They almost cleared me out of my low end wool inventory, over half of the acrylic low end sold, and just 1 cotton. I need to time my production better for next year and have all the cotton ones ready for Strange Folk in September and then focus on wool for the later shows.

I am definitely going to make hats for next year also. The organizers said that there were many people asking for them and just a few from one of the other vendors available. They also said that the 2 sets of fingerless gloves from another vendor sold almost immediately so I will be looking into expanding into that territory.

I really need to spice things up in my knitting this year and not let myself get stagnant. I have generally avoided making hats since I don't really like knitting in the round but I did the baby hats for the shower with a flat pattern with a seam that I could adapt for adults. I can do some different embellishments to hide the seams like buttons or bobbles or who knows what all.

The main disadvantage to these kinds of shows is that you don't get the interaction with customers or the instant feedback. During the first hour of my shift I got to just hang out in the accessories section which was nice. I chatted with a few customers and get some of the compliments that make doing shows so reaffirming. My favorite customer was the woman who bought 2 of my scarves that day and then asked me if I would be doing the show next week. She said that she would be getting the coat colors down this week and then come next weekend prepared to shop for Christmas presents for all of her friends. I also enjoyed watching a group of women spend over an hour trying things on and playing with all of the accessories. They walked away with at least 4 of my items and several things from other vendors.

I'm actually looking forward to this weekend's show. I've done the Big Ass Indie Show before so I'm not as nervous about how it will go. If I do as well as I did last year at it I will definitely be able to splurge on the DSLR camera that I've been coveting.

Scarflettes in the Wild

I have gotten over my etsy rage from yesterday. Sometimes I just get a wild hair and can't help myself. As I replied in my comments I really don't have anything against the gift guides per se. I've been in them twice that I know of and it was great exposure but I just didn't like the idea of people being redirected out of my shop after I've done the work to get them there.

I'm staying home today and tomorrow to get the house ready for Ani's birthday party on Saturday. I'm starting to question my sanity for offering to do this. I still have no idea how many girls are going to show up. I've only had 3 RSVP to me but there could be as many as 9 actually show up for all I know.

I also need to get my inventory lists in order for the next two craft shows coming up. They are both boutique style shows so I don't have to actually be there but I do have to let them know weeks in advance what I will be bringing. I have everything tagged, counted and folded nice and neatly in tubs by type. I need to do the spread sheet and I should be good to go. I think I will focus on getting some more wire wrist cuffs made between now and then since my supply of those is pretty depleted and they go pretty fast.

I thought I would leave you with a few shots of scarflettes growing in the wild. I took these in October on one of the few moments without rain right before all of the leaves turned brown and fell. They were both made with an amazingly soft mercerized cotton that I love from Chili. If you are interested in them let me know as I don't have them listed in my shop.

Now for Some Macro

I thought I would share a few of my favorite closeups from the weekend. I do so love using the macro setting on my camera. It's so important to capture the details and I think a good macro shot is crucial for a good listing on-line. Macro helps the customer to reach out and touch your item in a way. Since they can't really touch it when shopping on-line, as I discussed in this post previously, than we need to help them get an idea of what it would feel like in their hands.

I really love the above scarf. It's made with Noro, my favorite yarn brand. I used what I call my "mistake" stitch. I saw something like it in a magazine on a sweater and I figured out how to get the look through dropped stitches. It gives a ripped or grungey effect that I like. The close up on the black and white scarf shows the drapiness and fullness of the scarf is I think.



This pink and white scarf was a bit of a departure for me. It was done in a simple lace pattern with the white and pink yarns that resemble lace themselves. There is a great shimmer to the yarn that I hope I captured in the shot.

I've started bringing some expired listings back from the dead and listed the cream scarf from yesterday. I'll list some more new items tonight. It was fun to actually list something new for the first time in at least 4 months. I actually got over 30 views on it last night and 1 heart which was a pleasant surprise.

Sales Dance!

I had my first Etsy sale in 5 months the other day. It was encouraging to know that people are still somehow finding me in the sea of Etsy sellers. I was getting so discouraged that I had been considering closing up shop and just focusing on craft shows but I do think it's important to have some on-line presence. If nothing else it's like a portfolio of your work to direct people. I'm still seriously looking at other options like Artfire and expanding my 1000 Market's shop as it continues to grow.

I have literally hundreds of scarves in my inventory that are unphotographed and unlisted. I really need to get my butt in gear and take pictures the next 2 weekends. After that I'm going to be tagging my inventory and it's so much harder to get decent pictures once there is a price tag getting in the way. A friend gave me a very nice tripod that he wasn't using so that should help. I'm also going to get Kai to help me since I think having 2 sets of hands will make it go much faster. Having to set the shot up and style it takes so much time and going back and forth gets tiring. Hopefully the effort will be worth it in Fall sales.

Beginning to Feel A lot Like Fall!

It's 75 degrees today and isn't supposed to get above 80 all weekend long here in St. Louis. For the end of August that is unheard of so I'm going to try and take advantage. I'm going to photograph as much inventory as possible on Saturday and paint my shelves and I've got plans with a girlfriend to hit the big Wentzville Flea Market on Sunday.

I'm going to start relisting some of my expired inventory as we move into September and start listing some more fashion scarves like the one above in my Etsy shop here. I've been thinking a lot about my inventory for the Fall Craft Shows lately too. I'm thinking that I'm going to focus on what I know sells best. I've been knitting lower end scarves almost entirely for the past few months. I think that I have plenty of scarflettes and higher end scarves. Those are what I like doing most so I have to force myself to switch gears and build up the lower end inventory.

I'm going to continue to make and bring wristcuffs to the shows, like this cashmere one in my shop here. The cuffs sold more than any of my other non-scarf items last year. I am not going to use the cumbersome rack that I used last year but just hang as many as I can on the display hands I bought a few months ago that I talked about in this post. I'm not going to bother to bring anything else since they just take away from my scarf/scarflette display room. I sold a few necklaces and headbands last year but not enough to make it worth it.

I'm totally phasing out the barrettes. Next week I'm going to have a big sale on them and try to clear out what I can as they didn't sell as well as I hoped. Stay tuned if your interested in getting a great deal on hair accessories like this one.

BBFF, Nfall2rt Designs

I know that I've said before that I really am an introvert and one of my main depression symptoms is isolation. Blogging is good for keeping me connected with the world if sometimes at a distance. I will never leave as many comments as some of you but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate whenever someone takes the time to share their thoughts with me.

Since I'm coming up on a year of blogging I decided to share some of my blogging buddies with you. One blogger that I felt an almost instant connection with is Nancy from Nfall2rt design studio. I was telling Mike recently about something she had written and I described her as one of my best blogging friends. He said "so she's your BBFF" (best blogging friend forever) which I have to say I hope is true. We have a similar blogging style in that we both have a mix of personal with business and talk a lot about living a creative and handmade life.

She is clearly a much better writer than I am however and has even started sharing some of her poetry. I haven't written a poem in years but I know how difficult it was in the past to put myself out there with anything I had written so I really admire her for it. She even agreed to let me share a little with you. This is part of the first poem she put on her blog and as I told her there are a few lines that I really wish I had written which is always a sign that I have connected with it. You can check out more of her writing here and here.

In between moments of impossible silence

my posture stiffens; heat rises

like a wave to my face.

There was a climax that passed between us then.

I read it in your eyes: I tire you.

Nancy has so many talents and does everything from knitting, paper crafts, jewelry, and original artwork. The piece at the top is part of her contained series which is done in mixed media with linen, vellum, thread, and ink. She also makes pendants in this series which are very unique.

I have always really appreciated her use of color in her knit accessories which you will find in her Etsy shop here. She makes very functional pieces with zippers and lining which is something I haven't been brave enough to attempt yet. We both have a button fetish and I love checking out her button choices and am always impressed with how well she coordinates her work.




She just opened an Artfire shop, The Paper House, to showcase her paper designs. I love this set of notecards called Tree Huggers and think they would make a great gift. I'm really interested to hear about her Artfire experiences as I really do value her opinion about such things.

If you aren't already familiar with Nancy I hope you'll take some time to get to know her. She really is an amazing blogger and creative spirit. She shares herself openly and is a great resource for those living a handmade life.

Random Wednesday Business Thoughts

I'm really happy with how the giveaway is going. I mainly wanted to get myself over the 200 hump and it has accomplished that and then some. It has also gotten some lurkers out of the shadows which is always nice. I really like the above picture even though it doesn't show off the scarf or headband very well. I still haven't really gotten a handle on my camera or its functions. It's been either cloudy or too darn hot every day that I've felt like taking pictures for the past few months. Yes, I am full of excuses. I have literally hundreds of items in my inventory that are unphotographed. I'm okay with it for the most part since I am feeling ambivalent about my Etsy shop right now and I'm not ready to make a commitment with any of the other options yet. I've embraced craft shows as the way to make money from my knitting and am excited about doing as many as possible this Fall.

Of the other on-line options out there I really like the direction that Artfire is going but I am unsure of the $12 a month fee. I love the customization that they've made available to the shops and how much they are listening to their sellers, something so different from the Etsy experience right now. But I am very aware that there are about 6 months of the year that I will make very few sales even with all the promotion in the world. The other 6 months would have to be much more lucrative than Etsy was last winter to make it worth it. I haven't taken the time to investigate to see if I could go back and forth between the free shop and the upgraded shop but that is something to explore.

I went through my inventory a few weeks ago to see where I stand. No, I haven't been keeping up on my records as I intended to this year. But I got everything separated out so that I could see what I needed to be working on over the summer months. As I suspected I have plenty of scarflettes and actually had to buy a bigger bin to store them in. I do so love making scarflettes and hopefully they will still be popular at this years shows. I also have more than enough of the higher end scarves.

I think there will be less people willing to make a bigger investment this year than last so I really need to focus on the lower end line. This is my least favorite knitting but for the next 4 months it needs to be my priority. I have plenty of yarn in my supply and I just need to keep finding ways to keep it interesting. I've been using my big needles with several yarns held together which creates some fun scarves that knit up super fast. I've also been using some easy lace stitches that keep me interested with the lower end yarns. I need to get my headbands and wristcuff supply up as well. These are quick knits and I will spend a weekend just doing them which makes them go fast. I'm not real sure about my pouches but I think I will try some different ideas out for little bags. I don't know how well they will sell at the shows but I think it is always good to have variety.

Why Hemp?

For those of you who have checked out the contest you may have noticed that the prize set was made with an unusual fiber. First I thought I would explain what hemp is and then talk about why I love it so much that I chose to use it for this contest. I like how the picture above really shows off the vibrancy of the color and how well hemp shows the stitch definition.

Hemp is a natural fiber made from the same plant as Marijuana but it comes from the stalk not the flowering plant were they harvest the "mary jane". Although it is illegal to grow hemp in the U.S. since it falsely gets lumped in with the drug, it has been used for centuries as a fiber in everything from clothing, paper, rope, and even fuel. The Declaration of Independence was actually drafted on hemp paper. The first American flag made by Betsy Ross's own hands was 100% hemp and survives to this day. There is a website devoted to getting the word out about what an amazing sustainable crop hemp could be for this country called Vote Hemp. We are starting to find it at a lot of natural food stores and can find all kinds of sources on line in all of its many forms.

I adore working with natural fibers. I'm all about wool and alpaca for cool weather knitting, but I've just never been a fan of cotton or linen. So I was resigned to man made fibers for my spring and summer knitting since silk is mostly out of my price range. There are some amazing rayons and acrylics out there now but they just don't speak to me like the natural fibers do. Recently there has been a great revival of the alternate fibers like hemp, bamboo, corn and I've even seen milk yarns.

My favorite of these is probably bamboo but hemp is a very close second. I like the sheen and how bamboo takes color a bit more but hemp has a great feel to it. It is a lot like linen but I think it is much easier to work with than linen. Linen gets more pliable with washing but knitting with it can be hard on the hands. I don't have that problem at all with hemp. It is even more durable and breaths better than cotton or linen. They will mix it in with other fibers a lot of times to get the best from each of the parts. The yarn in the contest prize has some cotton mixed in it.

You can find a lot more about knitting with these alternate fibers in a fun book called No Sheep for You byAmy R. Singer . The book gives a lot of tips on how to approach these different fibers and teaches knitters a lot about the characteristics and special handling for each of the fibers.

If you haven't checked out the contest you can still enter until March 7 in the post right below.