Tag: etsy shop

Posted on by

Beginner Fingerless Gloves

Beginner Fingerless Gloves

I finished up this Beginner Fingerless Gloves this week for our youngest son. These gloves work great for texting or using smart phones. He loves the style of these fingerless gloves. In the soft grey yarn they have a rugged, masculine look in a super easy beginner pattern.

Beginner Fingerless Gloves You can find the pattern here in the Etsy Shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/164527383/pattern-diy-fingerless-gloves-crochet

here on Craftsy:  http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/crochet-fingerless-gloves/71157 

and of course here in the shop: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/product/ribbed-fingerless-gloves-pattern/

They make a wonderful Christmas gift and will really fill out the Christmas stockings this year.  The wool ease yarn is washable so I don’t have to worry that he will felt the Beginner Fingerless Gloves in the washer. The ribbing stretches making it easy layer another pair underneath. These gloves leave his fingers free for texting or computer use.

(I have included affiliate links in this post and I will receive a small  percentage of any sales you make.)

I always have such a hard time finding crochet projects for the guys in my life that don’t require tons of work or in just plain odd.

Crochet Gifts for Men

Other easy crochet projects for men in Chocolate Dog Studio are several scarves

This Granny Stripe scarf in team colors would make a great crochet gift: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/product/granny-stripe-scarf/

The tassel scarf in masculine stripes would be a great gift as well: http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/product/granny-stripe-tassel-scarf/

A different style of fingerless glove that would also create a wonderful gift :http://www.chocolatedogstudio.com/product/easy-fingerless-gloves/ Using smoother yarns would create a more sophisticated feel to the scarves and gloves. Create a matching set in the same yarns.

 

Talk to you later,

 

Karen

 

 

Posted on by

Ripple Crochet Blanket Pattern

Hi all,

I finally released a new pattern out into the world. Rather, it is an old pattern that is simply written down for you. It is for sale in my Etsy shop. www.chocolatedogstudio.etsy.com

Here  are the photos of the crochet blankets you can make with this pattern.

IMG_1453-001 IMG_2797

It is a great pattern that teaches you how to make your own blanket. You can take this pattern and make it any size you would like.  Use up your leftover scrap yarns and  have a beautiful blanket at the end of your project.

Here is a direct link to Etsy and Craftsy:

http://www.etsy.com/listing/163532020/crochet-ripple-blanket-pattern

http://www.craftsy.com/user/340454/pattern-store

The price is the same at either shop!

See you later,

I must run as I feel that I am really late today!

Karen

Posted on by

I Deserve Better…

Ok, I recently read this article that was on my facebook feed. I am a bit ambivalent about this article after all it hits pretty close to home, cough…cough. I miss the dates on being born in the 70’s by just a bit. So, some of it applies to my generation.

IMG_2783

Here is a direct quote from the article and the article links in case you would like to know why a large proportion of us are unhappy!

It’s pretty straightforward — when the reality of someone’s life is better than they had expected, they’re happy. When reality turns out to be worse than the expectations, they’re unhappy.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/wait-but-why/generation-y-unhappy_b_3930620.html

I get this article, really I do. It states (unless I misunderstood it) that generations of people born after 1970 expect to have life easy. They expect to not have to work as hard to achieve their ideal job. I kind of agree. I was born right on the end of that baby boom wave in 1966. So I received some of the self esteem training in school that later blossomed into everyone deserves an award no matter how they do. I remember when only the truly gifted or truly athletic received an award. We have four kids and have sat through multiple awards assemblies where kids received awards from being the brightest to being the best with the pencil sharpener…or something similar. I digress…my point is this. How does this attitude affect or infect your small business? It is a rather entitlement attitude that the first time you do anything should be  met with great applause and recognition.

IMG_1002

A family quilt from the depression generation. Use up waste not, want not was their motto.

 

How was your first creation received? I mean the one you created for pay that was not a custom order, not family or a friend.. Honestly, what did it look like? Was it worth the price you were asking someone to pay? Would you buy it…if you couldn’t make it…..Would you buy it? Would I have bought my first listing? Not so much, it was well made but not in my taste? Why was I making things that I didn’t like? Who knows? I really have no idea, except that I thought that they would sell. They were well made and with quality materials, so there was no reason they shouldn’t have sold. looking back now Why didn’t they sell….because of the photos, tags, descriptions and not enough items in my shop, my SEO was crummy and the whole shop was incredibly hard to find with only five items.

One of my first sales and listings and crummy photograph…

I admit I was naive and thought that simply posting it on Etsy was good enough. The world would beat a path to my door. Instead, I found myself on Regretsy for some of my photos (Another don’t ask and I won’t shock you with the really bad photos). I still struggle with photography. I pay for photos for my Etsy shop. Many people don’t but I have an in with the photographer… he is our son. I pay and feed him for his work.

IMG_2692

 

He does an incredible job.

What I am trying to say is that a business….any business is HARD work. It will take time for it to grow and provide income. My business has been around for five years. I have wanted to throw in the towel and quit at least once a year for the past five years and five years is not a very long time in the scheme of things. Most small businesses fail in the first five years. I have learned a bunch and I am still learning. Some of it is this entitlement attitude that I am overcoming and some of it is just the plain ole learning curve (as my husband calls it.) It just takes TIME to get a business off the ground and to start making $$. I make mistakes and learn from them and sometimes they are expensive mistakes (like the time I shipped a card to Malaysia for $35, don’t ask why) and sometimes they aren’t.

What advice would you give a new online shop? What mistakes have made that you learned from? What would you do different?

Talk to you later,

Karen

p.s.

I am going to step off my soap box and say this about that article. I don’t think that many kids born between 1990 and present have had it quite as easy as the article states. Many have seen their parents loose their jobs, homes, cars and possessions. I think many of them have learned to work hard and that hard work pays. I have great hope for the future generations as I see our kids and their friends work hard to achieve what they want in life. I do not see the entitlement attitude as much as I did in my post college years. We expected to have everything all at once. I see them starting savings accounts and waiting to buy what they want. So, maybe they did learn from our mistakes. If they did then it was almost worth it.

 

 

Posted on by

Why Be Afraid?

So, yesterday I asked if you are afraid. What I was really asking was  “Am I afraid?” Yes, incredibly, horribly afraid. I am afraid that I write to a black hole, that people will laugh, and the big one that NO ONE will buy any of the blankets I make. Does it really matter if no one buys any of these blankets? Will I stop crocheting them if no one buys them?

IMG_0909

No, I have this compulsion. It makes it easier because I love crocheting them. The activity of creating, the anticipation of the moment when I will be able to sit down and work on them. The choices of the yarns and fibers for the finished product. The moment when they are approaching the finish line. The Ta Da moment when I lay it out in front of one of the few whose opinion I greatly value; my cheerleaders , my family and…. boy, are they biased and I love it! Then I approach you; my internet friends and post it on the blog, facebook, ravelry and then at last on the final judgment stand; the marketplace. I love all the feedback but mostly  I love the feel of the yarn, the colors, how it comes together and winds up being something warm and cozy. I like to think about who will use it and to pray that they have great memories while using the blanket. The prayers woven into each and every blanket are for peace, for love, for the normal allotment of sorrows and joys, for friends to comfort and to celebrate, for brief moments of pain without which we wouldn’t know the mountain tops of joy and achievements. Prayers that the blankets will cover tiny toes and laps for naps and stories, hugs and kisses. There is a whole lot of joy to get out of a simple crochet blanket.

IMG_0506

I was a lot like Linus when I was little and I still feel a little like Linus from Peanuts. I guess I have never grown out of the need for a special blanket! I send my kids off to college or out into the world with one of a kind blankets. Sturdy ones that can handle the dorm washer and dryers, that can take abuse and dish out warmth, comfort and love. One that is a hug from me any time they need it. One that is bright and colorful to bring happiness and a touch of home to the dull dorm rooms.

IMG_2815

So why should I be afraid of continuing to do what I love to do. Fear should have no place in this equation but it does because I am human. I hate being judged and found lacking. I fear because such a great part of my heart ends up being in each and every blanket I make.

Why do I sell the blankets that I make? Well, I have to admit that a family can only use a certain amount of blankets and why should I keep the joy as not everyone can crochet.

What are your reasons for crocheting or knitting? Why do you do what you do for a hobby or is it a business?

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

 

Posted on by

Are You Afraid?

I read this article this morning as it scrolled past on my facebook feed. It hit a sore spot with me and I had to write. Anyway here is the article and then the quote that started all this introspection.

http://storylineblog.com/2013/09/11/if-youre-not-scared-youre-not-doing-it-right/

Steven Pressfield sums it up well in his groundbreaking work, The War of Art:

“Self doubt can be an ally. This is because it serves as an indicator of aspiration. It reflects love, love of something we dream of doing, and desire, desire to do it. If you find yourself asking yourself, “Am I really a writer? Am I really an artist?” chances are you are. The Counterfeit innovator is wildly self-confident. The real one is scared to death.”
Are you doing your own thing or copying someone else’s work? Are you wondering if you are following the beat of your own drum or a rehash of yet another whatzit? I do ask myself these questions over and over again as I sew mundane things like cup cozies, baby bibs and crochet blankets.
IMG_0531
What I truly want to do or wish to do is the very thing I am most afraid to do.  I like sewing the baby bibs and cup cozies, but my heart is truly in design work. My heart lies deepest in working with colors, fibers and creating. I struggle to write patterns and do design work simply because the work proceeds from my fingers without much thought. It is relatively unconscious and simply flows through the arm and out of the hook. It is intuitive, and one of a kind. How can you create patterns of one of a kind creations?
IMG_1448
I guess I will need to figure that out in the coming months. After the last three months of recuperation from surgery I am very aware of the limitations of my body. I know that my hands are not capable of crocheting more than 1 custom adult sized blanket a month. Which makes at the very most only 12 blankets a year. How can a business be sustained on 12 blankets a year? That is the question that keeps me awake at night.
Do you have any suggestions or comments?
talk to you later,
Karen
I do have to say that this has nothing to do with 9/11 nor is it in any way to take away from losses  and grief that we as a Nation are feeling today.
Posted on by

Introducing the Red Granny Square

Here it is… I have given you brief glimpses of the red granny square blanket. I have finally finished it and here it is!

 

IMG_2632

IMG_2636

IMG_2655

 

It is beautiful, warm, cuddly and bright! I love the bright red around each square. I started it wondering if it could possibly be as pretty as the others I have seen on the internet. Yes, yes it can! This afghan is crocheted out of soft acrylic Stylecraft DK yarn. I am not sure how many skeins I used since I started the beginning rings ages ago. It is a bit of a scrap afghan but the colors are beautiful. You can find it in the shop here: https://www.etsy.com/listing/160856722/crochet-blanket-red-granny-square-afghan

Talk to you later,

Karen

Posted on by

What’s in the future?

Right now I have about five crochet blanket ideas running around in my brain. One is definitely on the hook and progress is being made. One in in the design mode, two are definitely going to be crocheted as I have all the supplies and the shop needs them. I am thinking about several more scarves and tossing color combos around. Some scarves like this…

IMG_2672 I want to make another one similar to this… IMG_2911-001

Some more baby receiving blankets like this..

So all in all I guess I have about eight or more crochet ideas percolating. Then there are a bunch of new baby bib ideas plus some coffee cozy ideas. All with a autumn/winter feel to them. Most of them are for boy babies as I feel like the guys get slighted when it comes to cute boy things.

I would like to make a couple of quilts for the house on the home front. We are redoing a bedroom and it doubles as a guest room. It needs a little spiffing up as it feels dark and outdated. It has some really bad wallpaper that is almost ten years old now. I am also working on some pinterest ideas here and there. So those are also rolling around in my brain. We will see what happens when I actually get up off this couch and start walking! Planning is great but the proof is in the doing. Here are the quilt ideas that I am thinking about. Aren’t these beautiful!

http://pinterest.com/pin/210121138837676517/

 

http://pinterest.com/pin/210121138837661811/

Yes, these are off of Pinterest and if you find the original page please let me know. I searched but didn’t find the page to be able to give credit to the design work. I’m off to eat lunch and do more crocheting. I have been going slow on the crochet this week as the crutches are hard on my hands, on the plus side, my arms and shoulder muscles are getting a great workout off and on all day.

Talk to you later, Karen      

Posted on by

Un-complicate Your Crafty Business Life

Yes, it is something that I have been trying to do this summer. I have felt overloaded for years, home schooling the kids, running the house, running a home business, being taxi driver for the kids. I am sure that your life is just as equally busy. I ran across this blog post http://www.marcandangel.com/2012/03/08/11-easy-ways-to-uncomplicate-your-life/ and decided that I can come up with a list of  ways to un-complicate my crafty/Etsy life.

IMG_2590

Here are the 11 things to un-complicate your life adapted and changed to apply to your crafty/Etsy life.

Learn from the past, and then get the heck out of there!

Learn from your mistakes and then MOVE on. Remove items from your shop that cause less than positive feedback or gives you excessive stress to create it. I am no longer going to carry these egg cozies!

IMG_2023

Focus on what’s truly important

Why do you create? Is it a good reason? Do you really need to be able to do this? My big thing that I don’t do is fancy  decorated cakes. Everyone assumes that since I am a creative person that I can decorate cakes and make them really cool. NOPE…I do not do cakes. I also do not do rubber stamping, yes, I have tried and NO I prefer not to rubber stamp. I am never pleased with the result.

Focus on being productive, not being busy

Time in the studio for me is precious. I want to be able to get things done when I am actually having time to sew. It is easier to be productive if I keep a running list of what needs to be done. I also will spend time cutting out a bunch of bibs or cozies one day so that I can sew a bunch when I get the chance. I sew all of the items that take the same color thread at one time. That way I don’t change thread color all day long.

Give what you want to receive.

If you would not want to receive some product of  yours as a gift then do not sell it, except as de-stash! If you want happy customers than make them happy. Give refunds when you need to.

Stop trying to be everything to everyone.

You need to make what you are best at creating. Create what makes you happy and causes you joy. If you are selling something that is more hassle than it is worth, stop creating it! Do not accept custom orders to create items that you don’t have the skills or time to make. Evaluate each custom order request; do you have the time, energy, desire, does it take skills you don’t have?

These give me the most joy!

 

Do what you know in your heart is right.

Price your product so that you make profit not sales! You do not want to be the Dollar mart of the arts and crafts world. Sell quality handmade work for a fair price. You are an expert, you do have experience, charge a reasonable amount for the work you do. Everyone comes out better in the end. Along the same line of thought; if you are run off your feet from sales and don’t have enough profit; you might need to raise prices a bit to slow down the sales.

Organize your space.

Keeping your supplies orderly will save you time, money and heartache. Knowing where your products and shipping supplies are, make it easier to ship your product. If you have to stop and find scissors every time you need to pack a box then you are adding frustration to your day.

Be efficient.

Learn new ways of doing things. Research how to be better at your business, follow trends, customer requests. Order your supplies wholesale instead of from the neighborhood crafts store. You spend less time in the car, you don’t pay sales tax and you don’t over buy.

You need to have a routine. It makes it easier to find time to do the little things that need doing.  Plan to spend times developing new ideas, cleaning, paperwork, new products, restocking your shop, creating old favorites or just thinking about making new things.

Let go of needless drama and those who create it.

Do your best that you can do at the time and let go of any sales drama that comes your way.

Forget what everyone else thinks and wants for you.

People have told me for years to open another online shop front so that I have one kind of product in each shop. I know my limits. I only have time to promote, stock and keep up with one shop.

What would you add to this list?

Karen

Posted on by

Boot Cuff Tutorial

I am unveiling my boot cuff tutorial. Leave me a comment and I will send the pattern free to the first 4 comments with e-mail addresses.

IMG_1549

The pattern is great for beginners as it uses only simple stitches.

I am going to be selling it on Etsy and Craftsy! Here are the links for Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/159774357/pattern-boot-cuff-boot-topperdiy-boot

and Craftsy: http://www.craftsy.com/pattern/crocheting/accessory/boot-cuffs/65117

Talk to you later,

Karen

 

Posted on by

Granny Square Bulls Eye Blanket!

Finally, It is finished. This blanket has taken me longer than any other. It has been frogged not once but twice. Here you go the ta da photos. It is now listed in my shop and ready to go to a new home. It is 100% wool. You can find it here in the shop: https://www.etsy.com/listing/159280644/crochet-afghan-hand-crocheted-blanket

IMG_2572 IMG_2590 IMG_2591-001 IMG_2593-001My wonderful, oldest son took these photos for me as I am still on crutches. He did a great job and I am really thankful that he helped me out!

Thanks, Mark!

Talk to you later,

Karen