Halifax Spring Geek Markets

I'm back in school now for my level 3 Automotive Service Technician courses.  I love being back in school.  It is great because not only am I learning new things every day, I get to knit in class!  I'm the type of person who can't sit still when paying attention to something.  If I didn't have my knitting needles then I would be fiddling around with my pens, doodling, fidgety.  All of my teachers know that I can knit and still learn, so in between taking notes and testing engines I'm tinkering away with my projects.

There have been a few orders that I had been finishing up, a Harry Potter scarf and a Police Box purse.  The Trekkie drink cozies now come in a 3-pack so I spent a few days making some extras.  The cat toys have been so popular that I have been working on a few new designs.

School comes at a perfect time as I'm getting ready for all the spring craft shows that are popping up! Last year I started attending geeky markets and conventions as a vendor.  It was an entirely new perspective on both attending conventions and what I am aiming to do with my knitting.  It was amazing fun to experiment with designs, table layouts, photography, etc.  I feel like I've expanded so much since then, mostly due to the massive year-end convention for me with Hal-Con 2014.

I can't wait to show you what I've been working on and learning!  Check out these upcoming events:

Cape and Cowl comics is a wicked comic book store in Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia.  They have a huge collection of comics and are really enthusiastic about getting people to read.  There is even a safe space in the back for people to hang out and read or play games.  Shortly before Christmas last year they hosted a pop-up craft fair.  It was such a success that there is a spring craft fair coming up in a few weeks.  This is going to be my first market of 2015 and I'm so excited to share some new patterns as well as new table designs!  

More about the Cape and Cowl Spring Craft Fair - March 28

The Spring Geekquinox was the first market I did last year.  It was a really big stepping stone into the geeky craft scene for me.  I had so much fun meeting all the people that came through the door.  The other vendors were great to check out and I ended up seeing many of them at other markets throughout the year.  The geekquinox last year was a big opportunity for me to bring my knitting from simply being a hobby to something that more than just my friends and family would be able to appreciate.  It was all about stepping out into the larger community and interacting with people with similar interests.  I really can't wait to do it all again!

My table last year at Spring Geekquinox 1.0

More about the Spring Geekquinox - April 25 and 26

Aubcon was another market that I started doing last year.  It is a comic/gaming convention set up by the students and teachers at Auburn Drive High School.  They had rooms set up with video game and board game tournaments, panels on cosplay and costume design, as well as the whole gym and surrounding hallway being set up for vendors.  There were a few new patterns that I had out for this market.  There were Punisher and Deadpool wristbands. There was even a suggestion box with a chance to win a knitted item. I had so much fun going through all the suggestions, my notebooks were filled with cool new ideas!  I'm very excited to announce that I will have a table again this year at Aubcon.  

You can find out more about Aubcon - May 23

I will provide more information for the markets as they become available.  Please keep your eye on my Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram feeds for updated information as well as sneak peaks for new projects!

Cape and Cowl Spring Craft Fair - https://www.facebook.com/events/1421856254777923/

Spring Geekquinox - https://www.facebook.com/events/404318633082612/
Aubcon - https://www.facebook.com/aubcon

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/tstrr90

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Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits
Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/tstrr90

Starting out on Etsy

My Etsy store within the first few months of opening

It has now been almost two years since I started my Etsy shop in Feb 2013.  There have been quite a few changes since that time. And a lot of lessons learned (some easier than others).  Recently I've spent some time reviewing all the things I have learned in the past two years, and have decided to share some of them here for any prospective Etsy shop owners.

Etsy makes it pretty easy to start up a shop, but it can be a tricky path from listing your first 8 items to becoming a successful shop owner.  The best place to find helpful advice is in the various listings of the Seller's Handbook.  The start up of your shop can be a lot of trial ad error so remember that it is all a learning process. No one expects you to get it all right the first time around. I have included a few basic tips on getting your listings up and running.

Photography is key. With online shoppers the first thing that will catch their eyes will be your photos.  You don't have to start out as an expert photographer but there are some good rules to keep in mind.  Use up all 5 of the photo slots available.  It may be difficult at first but this gives you the opportunity to show off your product to potential customers.   Try to keep a similar theme between your 5 photos, and even between the photos of other products you have listed.  Play around with your photography and try including things to show the size, or potential use for your items.  You can even include photos of the item being made or finished packaging.  This helps potential customers get a peak into your creative process and imagine the item that they will be receiving.

More on photography

Another very important aspect is writing.  What you put down for product titles, descriptions and tags have a huge impact on drawing in your potential customers.  I have found this is a constantly evolving process and may take some tinkering to get the combination just right.  

The descriptors you use in your titles and tags will go a long way with helping to get your items noticed.  Product titles should describe what you are selling in a few, detailed phrases.  The title should be clear about what you are selling.  It is helpful to lead with the most important keywords of your product in the title.  When reviewing your item try to think like a buyer.  What terms would you be searching for to ultimately find your product?

Item descriptions can be a little harder.  Take some time to review your product and think of any questions a customer will have.  Always lead with the most important information first.  Remember, this is the opportunity to answer any questions your customer may have so be sure to include important information such as sizing, materials used, and what the item is intended for.  The most important thing is to be yourself and write in your own voice.  This is a chance to interact with your customers and a little personality in your listings will go a long way.  Lastly be sure to review your description before publishing.  You want to make sure that your sentences are concise and there are no spelling or grammatical errors.

More on item descriptions

An update screenshot of my Etsy shop, Jan 2015

Coming up with 13 tags can seem like a daunting task at first.  A helpful way to start is by asking yourself a few key questions about your product.  What is it?  Who or what is your product made for?  What materials or colours does it come in?  I find it very helpful to make a mind map and write down any descriptors of my items that I can think of.  Remember that you can use phrases in your tags as well.  Take some time every couple of months to review your tags.  It is important to pay attention to you shop stats for not only the tags that are regularly used, but also to what is not being searched for.  I have found it very helpful to look at other items on Etsy that are similar to what I have listed, and what tags have been used.

More on tagging

I'm always happy to talk shop about my knitting or about Etsy so if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.  Or maybe I've inspired you to start up an Etsy store of your own.  If so, click this link to open up a store with 40 free listings.  Thanks for reading!

More on starting an Etsy shop:https://blog.etsy.com/en/2013/top-10-tips-for-starting-an-etsy-business/ 

https://blog.etsy.com/en/2015/learn-by-doing-embracing-your-inner-entrepreneur/

https://blog.etsy.com/en/2015/how-to-get-serious-about-your-etsy-shop/

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Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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

Hal Con 2014

So Hal-Con has now come and gone.  It was a crazy wild weekend filled with pretty well everything that you would want in a convention.  There were costumes everywhere you looked, celebrities for autographs and photos, panel discussions on all things from the world of Wheadon to cheese puns.  This was my third year attending Hal-Con but my first year with a vendor table.

I split the table with my partner in crime Raymond Dejardens, writer of comics Shenanigans Tales and Teva One.  My table was filled with the usual suspects, Cunning Jayne hats, Pokeballs, Star Trek Drink cozies, bow ties, and geeky cat toys.  As well I had a few exclusive items made for Hal-Con such as the Scott Pilgrim hat and T.A.R.D.I.S clutch purse.

There was quite a lot of interest from people on the craft itself.  Fellow knitters or crocheters loved chatting me up about my projects and talking about different techniques.  There were event quite a few people who wanted to know if I would teach them the basics of knitting.  It was very exciting.  Now I am filled with ideas to get a geeky stitch and bitch started in Halifax.

Handmade items were everywhere.  On the 1st floor in the exhibition area there were a couple other knit/crochet artists such as Little Bits and Out of the Broom Closet.  Plus there were so many knitted costume items that went by.  I saw someone with a crochet Link hat, and another with a knitted dwarf beard. 

One woman even made her own twilek hat and lightsabers for her and her husband.  

Then the next day she showed up in a crochet yoda hat!

Everywhere you looked there was madness happening.  Costumes of all shapes and sizes.  It was Definitely a weekend to bring extra batteries for the camera.  Day 1 I was dressed up as a unicorn and wore my wonderful horn from Kaidáin Ivy’s Sanctuary for Magical Misfits.

I spent the day prancing around and being generally magical when another horn popped up in the crowd.  

Immediately we ran to each other and high fives ensued.  

For day two I ventured out as the infamous Han Solo, complete with handmade wooden blaster and leather holster.  It seemed to be a good day for it as I ran into two other Han Solo cosplayers.  We discussed at length the differences between our costumes.  My blaster and holster were the envy of the other Solos.  Mostly because my holster was attached with a seat belt bucket which made for easy removal. (You don't want to have to fiddle with your holster when the time comes to go to the bathroom.  Functionality is cosplay 101).

Now that the weekend is over I don't know what to do with myself.  Guess it's time to get the holiday knitting started.  Or maybe I should just keep making Cunning Jayne hats.  The fun never ends!

See all my Hal-Con 2014 photos here.

More on Hal-Con: http://hal-con.ca/

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

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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

Hal-Con Excitement

This coming weekend is HAL-CON!  For those of you not from the local Halifax area, Hal-con is the city's big annual sci-fi convention.  It has been going since 2010 and takes over a new floor of the convention centre every year.  This year there will be some fabulous guest stars such as Mark Sheppard from Supernatural, Morena Baccarin from How I Met Your Mother and Firefly, Kristian Nairn from Game of Thrones, and many more!

I've gone for the past few years but this time is special as I will be there with a vendor table and all my knitting stock!  You will be able to find some of my classic items such as the Cunning Hat (now available in kid's size!), pokeballs, cat toys and bow ties.  Because bow ties are cool!  There are even going to be a few Hal-Con exclusive items! These items are hand-made and will only be available at my Hal-Con table.  

To show off my excitement (and my cool knits) I made up a little photo story for everyone.  Hope you enjoy!

Elsewhere, in a nearby solar system, the away team from the starship Enterprise is exploring the planet surface for signs of life.  Ensign Jefferies wanders too close to the dangerous waterfalls and gets sucked under the water.  The captain rushes to pull him out.  Captain: "Doctor I need your help!"

*WhuurrrrrrrWhuuuuurrrrrWhhhhuuuuuuurrrrrrr*

"Did someone call for a doctor?"

A police box comes flying out of the sun!  It spins around and bashes through the waterfall before hovering above the struggling ensign. The door slides open.

Doctor: "Jefferies!  Grab my hand!"

Ensign Jefferies reaches up and grabs a hold of the Doctor's arm.  He is then hoisted into the T.A.R.D.I.S and brought to shore.

Captain: "That was fantastic!  I would be honored if you would join me and my crew as we travel the solar system."

Doctor: "Mmmmm yeah okay"

And with that the T.A.R.D.I.S and the crew of the starship Enterprise flew off into the pokeball clouds.  Because why not.

Hal-con is being held at the World Trade and Convention centre in Halfax.  It will be running from Nov 7-9th.  You can find me at table 252 with my partner in crime Raymond Dejardens, writer of comics Teva One and Shenanigans tales.  We are squished between graphic artist Andre Myatt and Faith Erin Hicks.

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

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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

Aubcon

A few weeks ago I had a table at my second market, Aubcon.  I have to say, it was quite a lot of fun.

There were quite a few changes to my table since the Geekquinox.  I picked up a lot of tricks since then as I've been doing a bit of research on table design.  This time I had a suggestion box available for people to submit ideas for new projects.  There were quite a lot of ideas and I'm really excited to get started on some cool new projects.   After the con I went right home and started knitting some new stuff.  That's how inspired I was by you guys!

There were two new wristbands that I designed just for Aubcon.  I was very happy to unveil my Punisher and Deadpool wristbands.  

These items are now available in my Etsy store!

My notebook is now filled with so many new sketches.  So far I've got a few more Cunning Jayne hats started, working on a Harry Potter scarf and started making some bowties! 

Because bowties are cool!

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Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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

Aubcon prep

Goodness, the past few weeks have been crazy.  Last month I spend a lot of time getting ready for the Spring Geekquinox, which was a lot of fun and a huge success.  Things were slow at work and this gave me tons of time to prepare for the convention.  Now, this snow has melted and I'm back to working full-time and running around changing tires all day.  This leaves me with much less time to spend knitting. Yup, you can tell where my priorities are.

 Most of my free time is spent getting prepared for Aubcon.  It's about a week away now and it's crunch time to get things done. I have a few of my classic items all ready, Star Trek drink cozy, Cunning hats, pokeballs etc.  As well I have been working on a few new going to be a few new designs available. I have a wicked double-knit Superman wristband to add to the collection and am working

on a T.A.R.D.I.S clutch 
purse.  I am very excited!


Aubcon will be held in the gym of Auburn drive high school in Cole Harbor Nova Scotia, April 26th from 12-10pm.  It is going to be a really fun time with lots of vendors, video game tournaments, card games and door prizes.  Tickets are $10 and are available at Giant Robot comics, Strange Adventures or can be purchased at the door.  Hope to see you there!

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

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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

Spring Geekquinox

In case you missed it, this past weekend was the Spring Geekquinox here in Halifax.  It was a blast!  This was my first time as a vendor at an expo and I have been knitting pretty ferociously this past month to get prepared.  It definitely paid off.

There were so many cool vendors there.  Which is great because my favorite part of conventions is always checking out the vendor tables and the artwork.  It was awesome seeing so many local artists gathered in one place.  The atmosphere there was so positive.  Everyone was excited to be there and sharing their geeky interests with other people.

My pokeballs and 'Cunning' hats definitely turned out to be the crowd favorite.  During the first day one of the other vendors had a special request for a blue and red Batman wristband.  Sounded a bit suspicious at first but it looked really awesome when it was completed.

It was a great experience and I have already got a lot of  ideas for next time.   Which, I`m happy to announce. will be Saturday, April 27th for Aubcon at Auburn High School in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.  I can`t wait!

There was so much cool stuff everywhere.  It was very common for one of the other vendors to talk a walk around and come back with handfuls of new swag.  Here are some of my favorite tables.

Ray Desjardins, the writer and creator of Shenanigans Tale and Teva One.  You can find his comics at Giant Robot Comics in Dartmouth, and Monster Comics Lounge in Halifax.

Andre Myette with his prints.  His table was busy all day and with good reason.  He had some fabulous art, including Doctor who, the Avengers, and a bunch of horror movie prints.  (I have about 3 copies of his Day of the Doctor!)

Kim and Marcy of Creative Creations by Marcy.  These lovely ladies shared the table to the right of me and were so much fun.  Marcy is a big Doctor Who fan (in case you can`t tell by all the wicked shirts) and Kim was new to the geeky scene.  We explained Doctor Who, Firefly and a few other fandoms to her and she was hooked by the time the weekend was over.

Alex Naugler of Sticks and/or Stones Jewlery.  She had so many beautiful necklaces and earrings.  There were a pair of robot earrings I was coveting for myself all weekend.  I ended up buying some key earrings and a mustache necklace for my derby wives instead.  Gotta spread the love!

Ashley Kuko of Kuko Creations.  She makes some fantastic geeky jewelry and accessories, not to mention costumes.  On the first day she was Storm from X-men and here you can see her in all steam-punk attire.  She was seriously rocking her booth!

Amy of Amy LaLoon Pottery.  I get something of hers just about every time she has a table.  Her work is beautiful and really good quality.  Last Christmas I picked up one of her Cthulhu mugs and this time I had to grab a Dalek mug for a friend.  I would highly recommend checking out her work!

Jessica and April of Perler Pixelations.  I was back and forth at this table a number of times trying to shop for a friend of mine.  These ladies were so much fun to talk to!  They have some really fantastic 8-bit art from all kinds of classic video games.  I ended up picking up a Yoshi set (Yoshi, baby Yoshi, and egg) from them.  Couldn't be happier!

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

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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

Cocoon Bout-ique

Whew,  it's been another busy couple of weeks.  Right now I'm back in school for apprenticeship classes.  I find I learn better when I have something to do, so I'm getting a fair bit of in-class knitting time.  There is something very satisfying about knitting away in a room full of mechanics.  I get some odd looks.

Being in school often means I'm done for the day much earlier then usual (unless I work after school, then I'm done much much later).  This gives me the time to focus on making my knitting awesome, and getting people to notice.

My knitting can now be found in the heart of Gottingen St. at the Cocoon Bout-ique.  It's an amazing new shop that specializes in punk, rockabilly, pin-up and alternative clothing.  The shop carries a pretty wide variety of clothing, from baby's clothes to plus sized clothes.  You can find all sorts of other little things around the shop as well. They have some amazing shoes, jewelry, hula-hoops, artwork, stickers and greeting cards etc.  It really fills a niche for awesome clothes that has been pretty much left empty since Fashionably Dead closed its doors.

It also happens to be the only place in Halifax that sells roller derby gear.  Which is great because the only other option before was to order them online and have them shipped out.  Being able to check out your gear has huge advantages, especially if you're not quite sure what you need.  I probably spent a half an hour or so checking out the different helmets making sure I got the right size. 

In other knitting news my second Etsy order came through for a pair of rainbow gloves.  Every new order is really exciting for me. For patterns I am working on writing up a PDF of the Star Trek drink cozy, and I'm also working on some rainbow mittens.  Keep an eye out for both of those!

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

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

Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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

Night Market

So my friend runs up to me last Thursday before fresh meat practice.  She asks me if I wanted to take part in a night market on Saturday.  My answer was of course, YES!

It was really cool.  It was inside the Khyber house in downtown Halifax.  Set up was at 6:30 and the market ran from 8pm - midnight.  My friend Sarah and I got there early.  We nabbed a pretty sweet location and laid out our wares.  

There were a lot of people who passed by.  Some were drawn in by the batman wristbands littered across our blanket. A few got really excited when they recognized the Jayne Cobb hat.  Many commented on how much they liked my blog name.  It was really fun meeting all the different people that came through.  

I spent most of the night knitting away.  Occasionally taking a break to wander around the market.  There were people selling clothing, jewlery, delicious baked goods...yummy!  There was a dance floor and a bar.  In one corner there was a woman braiding hair and another corner had tarot card readings.  It was a pretty happening place and pretty crowded most of the evening.

I found this absolutely beautiful pair of Doc Martens that fit me perfectly.  It was love at first sight.  I picked the up for only $1 and was shocked to see they'd never been worn! 

I made a dishcloth and a half while I was there.  I traded the finished dishcloth for a bracelet that Sarah made.  It is so cute.  My favourite part is the little catbell on it.  I've been wearing it all day.

I'm a little bummed out because I didn't sell anything, but I picked up some awesome items and had a really cool night out.  So I try not to get too upset over it.  ;)

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Etsy: http://www.etsy.com/shop/NotGrandmasKnits

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