…he book contains 10 botanical illustrations, each inspiring a sock and an accessory pattern. What transpires inside this book is part history lesson & part botany lesson, inside a book of knitting patterns teeming with Hunter’s passion for vintage botanical prints. Interview with Hunter Don’t you want to get to know the woman who’s clever mind created an entire book of knitting patterns… inspired from the vintage botan…
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Plush Week: Dawn Toussaint
…ry amigurumi forums (‘amigurumi’ being a word that is used for crocheted plushies), and I instantly loved her sense of style: floppy arms and legs (and sometimes, ears, too!) and big, soulful eyes… don’t you just want to hug these guys? Dawn’s main pursuit is designing crochet patterns so that folks like you and me can make her adorable creations… although she does do some custom orders if you can’t croche…
Continue ReadingPlush Week: Kit Lane
…on my lap instead of foam which still worked fairly well. (except for the occasional rare stab into my thigh) I don’t much care for the squishy craft foam one can get at the hobby store but instead I prefer that somewhat rigid black foam that comes packed around electronic equipment and white-ware. I have all the fancy needley tools and a variety of needle sizes but my work horse is a #38 needle taped to the end of an old paint brush. The wo…
Continue ReadingSeptember Crochet Fun + Fave Links
…uses the new shaping technique we learned for the horns last month (single crocheting in one row below instead of using slip stitches, which have a tendency to bias)… I’m really loving it! Mojo uses a 24mm black eye… but I also think he’d look amazing by leaving out the white crocheted eye and just using a 40mm eye (by painting a 40mm clear eye. Check out instructions here.) So many possibilities! Handpainted Eyes back in s…
Continue ReadingHoliday Roundup: Free Printable Gift Tags!
…site to download. (and maybe leave them a comment to thank them for creating such awesomeness!) by Nina Seven of We Love to Illustrate by Bee of We Love to Illustrate by Mollie Johanson of Wild Olive by Rebecca by Grace at Design*Sponge by Emily at The Black Apple from Domestifluff by Stacey from FreshStitches (that’s me!) Aren’t they all so cute? Enjoy! And happy present-wrapping!…
Continue ReadingHUGE Black Friday Sale!
…embership includes: A new, exclusive amgurumi pattern download each month Access to exclusive video, e-book and tutorial content Membership to the FreshStitches forums 10% discount off all craft eye purchases Access to members-only products and sales Yes, you read that right. 10% off all eye purchases! You may have noticed that eyes are going on sale on Sunday… and you’ll get an additional 10% off! Special Offer from Furls for F…
Continue ReadingBiggest EVER Black Friday sale is LIVE!
…cannot refund your shipping and combine the two shipments. I do on normal occasions, but this is a weekend I have hundreds of packages flying out!) I am so excited about this!!! Get shopping! Below is a list of links to all of the products, for your convenience! 70% off These are items that are either being discontinued or that I ordered WAY too many of in one shipment! Snap them up while you can! Yarn Skein Necklaces Sheep Necklaces (only gold le…
Continue ReadingPattern sales, by the numbers
…ow do the patterns sell? I have over 200 designs, but the top 10 patterns account for nearly 1/2 of my sales! This isn’t completely surprising, since some of my designs are ‘niche’ animals that I don’t expect everyone to want. After all, I adore Martin the Snail, but snails are my favorite animals… and can’t match the popularity of Nelson the Owl! What’s the lesson? Patterns keep selling, years after you&#…
Continue Reading5 Surprising Reasons Your Handmade Biz isn’t Making Money
…nt of time. As a small-business owner, you’re handling shipping and accounting in addition to the actual making of your product. So, start with one way customers can connect with you. Begin with the medium that makes you most comfortable. And begin sharing your story! Reason #5: You’re giving away your work for free As crafters, we love what we do. It can be easy to forget that you should be getting paid. I’ve heard it happen so…
Continue ReadingHave you ever thought of owning an alpaca farm?
…having it processed into yarn. I then taught myself and my daughter how to crochet. The Alpaca Yarn & Fiber Shop evolved little by little until we finally added a second floor onto our garage and opened up a yarn shop. I started blending various fibers with alpaca, my favorite of which are silk, bamboo and angora. I now dye and hand-paint many of my alpaca yarns and love to experiment with different colors, shades and dyeing naturally colored…
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