Alright, well, my regular digital camera is incognito, and I've yet to learn how to use the new digital camera and the program in the computer.... so, despite my having completed a slew of knitted projects, I'll have to put off posting them until maybe next week.
In the meantime, something that I've wanted to do for a while, is to post my top 5 favourite knitting websites at the moment. Hard to do, because I've so many favourites, but these 5 are currently the ones I frequent the most and have gotten some fantastic, fun patterns from... (be aware that this list, in a month's time, may very well change!)
I know some of these are quite common and popular in knitting circles (ie knitty.com and the LionBrand sites) but nonetheless, a good resource...
That's all for today, kids...
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
Thursday, February 22, 2007
I knit 2 sweaters in 1 day! Can ya believe it?!?
Alright, so they're Barbie-doll sized.... betcha thought for a second that I meant adult-sized, right? Talk about super-hero fast knitting! Actually, that'd be the super-hero quality I'd love to have....But never mind, we're not going down that road in today's post....
These were initially supposed to be egg-shell sweaters (from www.craftbits.com) but the yarn I was using was a bit thicker than what the tension called for in the pattern, therefore making my sweaters a teeny bit bigger. But they're great for a Barbie doll or something along that size! And of course, I added cables ~ if I can incorporate a cable or two in my knits, it SO get's done...
Thursday, February 8, 2007
more beads, more yarn markers
Last December I had made a post of yarn markers I made of beads. As a teenager - before I learned how to knit, I did wicked amounts of beading crafts; but since I picked up sticks, beading had been put aside.
Lately though, I've been making it a point to go through my crafting stash and use up what I have. Last December's post talked about rekindling my love of beading and incorporating it into my love of knitting, which I did again this month. My beads became a new collection of yarn markers.
I adore shells, and I love the look of glass beads because they look like they're recycled bits of glass that were drilled for beading. And, of course, as a wanna-be-hippie teen, much of what I wore jewelery-wise was made of hemp. I thought that incorporating shells, glass, and hemp together made a really cool ropes-in-the-ocean kind of effect, which inspired many of these peices.
These fit knitting needle sizes anywhere from 7mm to 15mm, so it's a good variety for all sizes of knitting, and available for sale via my ebay store.
Friday, February 2, 2007
a rant ~ wholesalers who turn away business
A year ago, when I decided to open my own business online selling knitting supplies and things that I've made, I never thought I would have this problem.
I've been contacting several yarn wholesalers, because, to be honest, my stock is quite low and I need to build my inventory.
My mistake is twofold: firstly, I don't have an ACTUAL, PHYSICAL storefront to sell my product; secondly, I couldn't afford an actual, physical storefront even if I wanted to. A business via ebay had been the most logical choice for me at this time.
Wholesalers are actually turning away business, turning down potential customers, and argue that this isn't discrimination, but rather policy. How is this not discrimination?
I'm trying to run a business here, and what I do is no different than those who pay a lease in a plaza somewhere. I would be buying the same quantity of materials as any other store, and my customer base is so much bigger because I make it available online. So what's the actual problem?
The wholesalers (whom I won't mention, but they know who they are) argue that it's the experience of shopping at your LYS* for yarns. Interacting with staff, actually touching the yarns in your hands, that's what these wholesalers want.
When was the last time any of us went to our local Michaels, Wal-Mart, or Zellers to pick up yarn and had a whole conversation with the staff of our yarn purchase? In my years of knitting, this has never happened, ever. With the exception of going to the cashier, there has been no other interaction between myself and their staff. These stores are so UNDER staffed that it's hard enough to find someone on the floor, let alone anyone that knows about knitting.
And what about those LYS's that sell yarn and knitting supplies exclusively? Well, they're so few and far between, that they're not easily accessable. The rare occasion that I do get to go to one of these stores, that whole staff-interaction business has yet to happen with me.
So, I'm very disappointed, to say the least. To not say the least: I'm also discouraged, frustrated, angry, bothered, and annoyed at these wholesalers, and you know who you are! This policy IS discriminatory, and it's unfortunate.
(and here rolls in the sarcasm!) But, I suppose the advantage is that you now earn less money because you've one less customer, and have begun a bad relationship with potential customers by cooking up some bad blood between us. Congradulations.
*LYS = local yarn store
I've been contacting several yarn wholesalers, because, to be honest, my stock is quite low and I need to build my inventory.
My mistake is twofold: firstly, I don't have an ACTUAL, PHYSICAL storefront to sell my product; secondly, I couldn't afford an actual, physical storefront even if I wanted to. A business via ebay had been the most logical choice for me at this time.
Wholesalers are actually turning away business, turning down potential customers, and argue that this isn't discrimination, but rather policy. How is this not discrimination?
I'm trying to run a business here, and what I do is no different than those who pay a lease in a plaza somewhere. I would be buying the same quantity of materials as any other store, and my customer base is so much bigger because I make it available online. So what's the actual problem?
The wholesalers (whom I won't mention, but they know who they are) argue that it's the experience of shopping at your LYS* for yarns. Interacting with staff, actually touching the yarns in your hands, that's what these wholesalers want.
When was the last time any of us went to our local Michaels, Wal-Mart, or Zellers to pick up yarn and had a whole conversation with the staff of our yarn purchase? In my years of knitting, this has never happened, ever. With the exception of going to the cashier, there has been no other interaction between myself and their staff. These stores are so UNDER staffed that it's hard enough to find someone on the floor, let alone anyone that knows about knitting.
And what about those LYS's that sell yarn and knitting supplies exclusively? Well, they're so few and far between, that they're not easily accessable. The rare occasion that I do get to go to one of these stores, that whole staff-interaction business has yet to happen with me.
So, I'm very disappointed, to say the least. To not say the least: I'm also discouraged, frustrated, angry, bothered, and annoyed at these wholesalers, and you know who you are! This policy IS discriminatory, and it's unfortunate.
(and here rolls in the sarcasm!) But, I suppose the advantage is that you now earn less money because you've one less customer, and have begun a bad relationship with potential customers by cooking up some bad blood between us. Congradulations.
*LYS = local yarn store
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