Derby Knitting

There was a derby league meeting this week.  I really look forward to them because it's a few solid hours where I can knit away.  It means I can make some wicked progress with whatever I'm working on.  Roller derby is filled with so many creative people that I'm never the only one who brings something to work on. It also means I'm not the only one who drops a needle on the floor. (Oh, that horrible clang when it hits the ground, it always seems to happen in the middle of something important.) It's so much fun to catch up with the other girls and see what they are working on.  

This is the start of a skirt that Nuclear SNAX was working on.  The short rows down the sides will give the skirt a pleated look.  I can't wait to see it when it's finished.

Skatey and the Tramp was working on this super cute children's dress.  The many small cables give it such a sharp look.  I think it would look great with a chunky ribbed turtle-neck to finish it up.  

This yarn is so beautiful!  I'm such a sucker for sock yarns.  Thunder theRader was working on this one all night.  The sand cables used for the ankle look so good.

There was also a snow day this week.  It's rare for me to get a snow day unless I'm in school, or like today, there's a blizzard out.  It was such a good day.  I spent it putting up posters around the apartment and doing some much needed cleaning.  Once I was done that I sat down, put on a marathon of Dollhouse and finished a few things.  There are now a bunch of my favorite little hearts ready for Valentines day, available now at the Cocoon Bout-ique.  I even got the chance to block one of my custom orders for an infinity scarf.  It's made out of the softest, chunkiest yarn so it will take a few days to dry before I can sew it together.  I'll make sure to post the pattern and some photos when it's all done.

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Etsy updates

It took me a lot of trial and error, but I'm starting to see my store grow. Other then cosmetic updates like adding new listings or changing the banner images, my shop has stayed in a basic format since I opened it.  Most of my attention has been building my blog and working on local orders, but in the past few weeks I took some time to sit down and make a real effort to grow my shop.

One big change is that I created some policies and procedures.  These were left blank for the longest time because I didn't know what sort of expectations to set with my potential customers.  I spent a bit of time doing research first, reading the policies of shops that were doing well or sellers that I admired.  From there I was able to draft an outline of what most shops were doing, then I customized it for myself.

The shop now also has direct checkout.  This means that I can accept credit cards and Etsy gift cards, instead of just paypal.

Already the little changes I`ve been making are showing a huge impact.  Since making them I`ve been in contact with a few people for custom orders.  One was for a Scott Pilgrim hat,  I finished it in a week and it's already shipped off!  There have also been a few orders for scarves and one for some really cool super secret custom socks.  Keep an eye out for those as I'll be sharing some of the patters.

Etsy makes it really easy to get started growing your own business.  They provide so much information and support about ways to start up and improve your shop.  If you`re thinking of opening one up I would suggest taking a look at the Seller`s handbook they have available.  Or if you already have a store up and running and want to make some improvements I would suggest checking out the Etsy blog.  It has some great entries on just about everything you need to know.

Have I inspired you to open up your own shop?  Start one up now with this link and we'll both get 40 free listings,  Awesome! http://etsy.me/1jk9K0O

Etsy blog: https://www.etsy.com/blog/en/?ref=si_blog

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2013 In Review

Happy 2014 everyone!  

We've made some big progress this year with Not Your Grandmother's Knitting.  

The Etsy store has not seen a whole lot of changes over the year but I am starting to get custom orders.  It's amazing to me when people from other countries contact me because they love my work!  Most of the feedback I get is still from friends or people I have met in person, but that is starting to grow.  

I've also started selling my work at the Cocoon Bout-ique here in Halifax.  It's a fantastic store in the heart of Gottingen St. and is right now the only local place to get derby gear.  They also specialize in punk and alternative clothing so my knits fit right in!

We hit over 800 views for the month of December.  That's absolutely mind-blowing to me!  It's amazing the difference posting on Ravelry can make.  I noticed a huge change in traffic once I started sharing my patterns for free, so keep a watch for more patterns as I will definitely be doing that again in the future.  The top posts of the year were the Rainbow Mittens, my post on the Jayne Cobb hat shutdown, and the Scott Pilgrim hat.

As for the holidays I made some new fingerless gloves for the boyfriend as a Christmas present.  They were made to replace the gloves I made him last year as they didn't fit very well.  (That's what happens when you don't take any measurements and try to guess at hand sizing.  Oops!)  This year I left the strings on the fingers so I could re-size them later for a custom fit.

In turn he got me all the yarn to start making a Doctor Who scarf.  Yay!  There was so much excitement Christmas day when I was basking in all 7 balls of yarn.  There are so many different scarves used during the 4th Doctor's reign that it was hard to figure out which one to make.  Going by the guides on http://wittylittleknitter.com I started making the design from season 12.  It's great for some mindless knitting as it is all done in stockinette stitch.  I started it on Boxing day and have already made a great deal of progress.  Still a long way to go though!

The Cocoon Bout-ique: https://www.facebook.com/Thecocoonboutique

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NotYourGrandmothersKnitting

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Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/tstrr90