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| Here I am, in heaven. |
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| Cotton Hoodie in moss stitch |
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| Cotton Pants to match |
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| A "sleep sack" (modeled above) and a baby Gansey |
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| Baby Surprise Jacket, ala Elizabeth Zimmerman |
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Baby Gifts
Saturday, April 14, 2012
New Name & Baby Knits
My blog hasn't been about our travels and adventures for more than a year now, so I decided it was time for a name change :). Aidan has been suggesting a new section of my Etsy shop, Feltaroo -- one named "Kanga Knits" where I could sell my hand knit items that aren't felted. I still feel my knits are more personal somehow, though, and I'm not quite ready to sell them. Still, the name has been spoken around the house here for months and I realized it is the PERFECT name for the blog, where I share my explorations, trials, tribulations and learning adventures in knitting. I also love the symmetry of one child naming the shop and the other the blog. They are amazing people, our children.
Since the New Year (and the end of the Holiday insanity/German Christmas Markets), I have been taking it easy with the felting - just filling orders. But I have been knitting as much as ever. Inspired by friends who are having babies, I have been enjoying knitting all different types of baby sweaters. I have also begun sweaters for Doug, Aidan and myself and completed one for Maggie. Poor Aidan, I tried to knit his left-handed, but my tension is so very uneven still while knitting continental that I had to tink the whole thing and start over. (I persisted for quite a while, telling myself that blocking would even it out. Luckily, my knitting group talked me out of that.) Doug's is a very elaborate Aran knit in dk yarn, so it is taking a while. When I began, I thought I would have it in time for his birthday, but that is simply impossible. Now, I am thinking Hannukah.
Since the New Year (and the end of the Holiday insanity/German Christmas Markets), I have been taking it easy with the felting - just filling orders. But I have been knitting as much as ever. Inspired by friends who are having babies, I have been enjoying knitting all different types of baby sweaters. I have also begun sweaters for Doug, Aidan and myself and completed one for Maggie. Poor Aidan, I tried to knit his left-handed, but my tension is so very uneven still while knitting continental that I had to tink the whole thing and start over. (I persisted for quite a while, telling myself that blocking would even it out. Luckily, my knitting group talked me out of that.) Doug's is a very elaborate Aran knit in dk yarn, so it is taking a while. When I began, I thought I would have it in time for his birthday, but that is simply impossible. Now, I am thinking Hannukah.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Time Trials for Crafters
I have been estimating. Over and over, people ask, "How long did it take you to make this?" And I, being the earthbound, factual person I am, make a wild guess. It isn't that I haven't tried to recreate how long I have spent on items. I have. For example, when I price an item, I like to imagine that the price has something to do with the amount of time it took me to make it. I even hope that I am charging a few dollars an hour for my time. But honestly, have no idea, not really. I pick it up and put it down. I knit a few rows on the bus, in line, while waiting for an appointment, between helping kids with homework, while the coffee brews. Knitting is marvelous (as compared with machine sewing) because it can be done while watching tv or listening to a lecture. So, I really don't know. Do you know how long it takes you?
Well, I have taken up a challenge. I am timing my projects. A good friend that has done development work with small crafting cooperatives in Africa told me that he had crafters make the same thing 10 times and time their work. Then, they all took the averages of their times for that product and averaged them together. The final average was the time they used when determining a price. I am not going quite that far. After all, this is a cooperative of only one (with a large support staff of family and friends, of course). I have made a little chart (on paper) with a list of products and four columns: three trials and the average. Very systematic!
Now I know why I have resisted doing this. First, it is hard. I have a little notebook where I jot down elapsed times each time I start and stop. Imagine, you answer the phone, jot. You check the food, jot. "Mom!" jot. Only, of course, I don't wear a watch, so the process is, find a clock, jot. Annoyed with this non-system, I have begun to do more of my knitting during the quieter, school hours of the day when I have fewer interruptions.
And, I am discovering the second reason why I have resisted doing this. It is depressing. My products take me a long time to knit, a good while to felt, and many have very involved sewing/finishing that they require. Oh well. I have only just begun and I am simply "gathering data" as another dear friend would say.
All ye crafters out there in the blog-o-sphere, do you or have you ever done time trials?
Well, I have taken up a challenge. I am timing my projects. A good friend that has done development work with small crafting cooperatives in Africa told me that he had crafters make the same thing 10 times and time their work. Then, they all took the averages of their times for that product and averaged them together. The final average was the time they used when determining a price. I am not going quite that far. After all, this is a cooperative of only one (with a large support staff of family and friends, of course). I have made a little chart (on paper) with a list of products and four columns: three trials and the average. Very systematic!
Now I know why I have resisted doing this. First, it is hard. I have a little notebook where I jot down elapsed times each time I start and stop. Imagine, you answer the phone, jot. You check the food, jot. "Mom!" jot. Only, of course, I don't wear a watch, so the process is, find a clock, jot. Annoyed with this non-system, I have begun to do more of my knitting during the quieter, school hours of the day when I have fewer interruptions.
And, I am discovering the second reason why I have resisted doing this. It is depressing. My products take me a long time to knit, a good while to felt, and many have very involved sewing/finishing that they require. Oh well. I have only just begun and I am simply "gathering data" as another dear friend would say.
All ye crafters out there in the blog-o-sphere, do you or have you ever done time trials?
Monday, September 19, 2011
Hello Etsy Weekend and Good News
First, above all, I thank you all for being SO supportive!! You can't know how much it means to me that you all responded so quickly and lovingly.
And, I am doing much better. It started on Friday when I finally got courageous and called the people who run the Christmas Market I had applied to participate in. I had been avoiding calling them, hoping they would never discover just how little German I have. I did it anyway. At first, it took a while to find someone who speaks some English, then it took a while for that person to understand who I am (she spoke very little English). Once she understood my name, she clearly knew who I was and remembered my application. Hooray! She quickly got me on the phone with someone a great deal more fluent (but from another department). They wanted to know if I was running a business or a home-crafter. I'm definitely trying to run a business, but I have been crafting for fun for so long that I sometimes wonder myself! I looked around my workroom (what my family calls my "Woman Cave") and declared myself "professional". Then, they wanted proof. I wasn't really sure if I had any, but I sent them to my etsy shop.
Today (after a very eventful weekend, see below), I got a magical email. They want me! Not only do that want me for the Christmas Market, but they'd also like me to participate in their Handmade Textile Market in November. Oh my goodness. I immediately began listing all my current inventory and making a list of everything I would need to make to have enough for both markets. Can I do it? I'm not sure, but I sure am excited by the possibility!
I am also lit up from attending the Etsy conference here in Berlin this past weekend. Amazing Doug made me go. He rocks. Over 500 small business owners (mostly crafters) were in attendance. Imagine. Practical and inspirational talks abounded, almost all in English. And, I met so many other people living here in Germany, here in Berlin, who are walking a similar path. Local community -- is that possible for fs expats, really? I think it might be the holy grail.
So, I am newly inspired. I'm still scared, but it's that edgy feeling that brings life into focus. Wish me luck!
And, I am doing much better. It started on Friday when I finally got courageous and called the people who run the Christmas Market I had applied to participate in. I had been avoiding calling them, hoping they would never discover just how little German I have. I did it anyway. At first, it took a while to find someone who speaks some English, then it took a while for that person to understand who I am (she spoke very little English). Once she understood my name, she clearly knew who I was and remembered my application. Hooray! She quickly got me on the phone with someone a great deal more fluent (but from another department). They wanted to know if I was running a business or a home-crafter. I'm definitely trying to run a business, but I have been crafting for fun for so long that I sometimes wonder myself! I looked around my workroom (what my family calls my "Woman Cave") and declared myself "professional". Then, they wanted proof. I wasn't really sure if I had any, but I sent them to my etsy shop.
Today (after a very eventful weekend, see below), I got a magical email. They want me! Not only do that want me for the Christmas Market, but they'd also like me to participate in their Handmade Textile Market in November. Oh my goodness. I immediately began listing all my current inventory and making a list of everything I would need to make to have enough for both markets. Can I do it? I'm not sure, but I sure am excited by the possibility!
I am also lit up from attending the Etsy conference here in Berlin this past weekend. Amazing Doug made me go. He rocks. Over 500 small business owners (mostly crafters) were in attendance. Imagine. Practical and inspirational talks abounded, almost all in English. And, I met so many other people living here in Germany, here in Berlin, who are walking a similar path. Local community -- is that possible for fs expats, really? I think it might be the holy grail.
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| Gnomes from a special order gnome mobile for another expat. |
Friday, September 16, 2011
Four Months? Feeling a bit low.
Going four months (or more) between posts pretty much gets rid of all readership, I suppose. Oh dear. Oh well. Let's see how quickly I can sum things up.
The German language course really did fill up my life and make me VERY busy. I even learned a little German! Happily, my instructor let me knit during the down time.
All spring and early summer my little business continued to grow. We went home to Michigan for nearly two months, during which my Etsy business nearly stalled completely, but where I found more customers. I even participated in my first Craft Fair. It wasn't a perfect fit and selling wool in 90 degree heat isn't for the faint-hearted, but it was a super experience. I learned a lot about how much thought and work goes into displays. I have applied to be in a local Christmas Market here in Berlin (I have heard back yet) and hope to learn more then.
Unfortunately, I have been feeling a bit low lately about the prospects for my business. I am VERY happy about the things I am making, but they really don't seem to be selling much. Here are some pics of some of my new things:
I guess I wonder if it makes any sense, selling these things. Well, I know it doesn't, not really. I will never really make enough to justify my time. No one in their right mind would pay me enough! I am also slightly disillusioned with Etsy. I spend a great deal of time on my photos and listings & that's on top of my time spent making all these lovelies. I have had a few strangers buy or special order items, so I admit it has been a way for few customers to find me. This weekend I am going to an Etsy conference right here in Berlin to see what I can learn. I am not willing to quit yet -- it hasn't even been a year on the site, but I just don't know how much energy I should be putting into selling things there.
I have been feeling like a much more comfortable way to earn money from my habit would be to sell at art/craft fairs. In my idealized vision this would mean that I could spend my joyful hours knitting away at things that I like, building up a lovely little pile of items. Then, one day I could simply carry them off to a show and sell them. Let the people who rent me the booth do all the marketing. I think it might be a silly fantasy.
Any advice out there? Am I just in a normal lull? I am very open to feedback at the moment!
The German language course really did fill up my life and make me VERY busy. I even learned a little German! Happily, my instructor let me knit during the down time.
All spring and early summer my little business continued to grow. We went home to Michigan for nearly two months, during which my Etsy business nearly stalled completely, but where I found more customers. I even participated in my first Craft Fair. It wasn't a perfect fit and selling wool in 90 degree heat isn't for the faint-hearted, but it was a super experience. I learned a lot about how much thought and work goes into displays. I have applied to be in a local Christmas Market here in Berlin (I have heard back yet) and hope to learn more then.
Unfortunately, I have been feeling a bit low lately about the prospects for my business. I am VERY happy about the things I am making, but they really don't seem to be selling much. Here are some pics of some of my new things:
I have been feeling like a much more comfortable way to earn money from my habit would be to sell at art/craft fairs. In my idealized vision this would mean that I could spend my joyful hours knitting away at things that I like, building up a lovely little pile of items. Then, one day I could simply carry them off to a show and sell them. Let the people who rent me the booth do all the marketing. I think it might be a silly fantasy.
Any advice out there? Am I just in a normal lull? I am very open to feedback at the moment!
Friday, May 6, 2011
Spring Break & Deutschkurs
April is over? Is that possible? Happily, two weeks of April were spent with the kids home from school on their extended (European-style) spring break. I managed to catch a nasty cold at the beginning of the break, but by Thursday night of the first week, I was functioning OK and we joyfully welcomed Doug's brother and his family for a visit. The very next morning, we headed off on a road trip to an area of Germany we hadn't visited before: the Romantic Road. Doug has posted a few pics from the trip on his FB photo album. The castles, the walled city, the lovely countryside and church steeples -- they were all straight from a fairy book. I may need to make some princes and princesses.... All too soon, we returned to Berlin and explored some of the city with our family, including some fabulous falafel and ice cream in Little Istanbul (Eastern Kreuzberg - a neighborhood of Berlin). Then our family had to go. I guess all good things must end, but we really hope they will visit again!
As you may imagine, I wasn't able to knit quite as much as usual during those two weeks. In fact, there were DAYS when I didn't knit at ALL. Of course, on the car trips I did a little knitting, including a birthday pair of slippers for my sweet sister-in-law Helda. Just before the holiday, I received two larger orders that I am just completing now! Luckily, they understood the timeline beforehand, but I still feel bad about how long everything is taking.
Despite how busy I am, I decided to take the plunge and go ahead with the intensive Deutschekurse -- German language course. Four hours a day four days a week is only, officially, 16 hours a week. Yet, those are my most productive hours, as they are 9-1 -- when the kids are gone and the house is quiet. Fortunately, the teachers seem mostly amused and entertained by my knitting in class. I can manage to knit simple objects there, which leaves all the sewing, needle-felting, felting and more complex knitting projects for home. Learning Deutsche seems important enough to slow down production. For now (the next four weeks), I will see how it goes. If I can manage, I will probably continue in the fall.
My Etsy shop hasn't been seeing a lot of business lately, but I have been selling some things out of my work room. Here are some new items that I have made and sold recently:
Thanks for reading and looking! I hope to blog again soon!
As you may imagine, I wasn't able to knit quite as much as usual during those two weeks. In fact, there were DAYS when I didn't knit at ALL. Of course, on the car trips I did a little knitting, including a birthday pair of slippers for my sweet sister-in-law Helda. Just before the holiday, I received two larger orders that I am just completing now! Luckily, they understood the timeline beforehand, but I still feel bad about how long everything is taking.
Despite how busy I am, I decided to take the plunge and go ahead with the intensive Deutschekurse -- German language course. Four hours a day four days a week is only, officially, 16 hours a week. Yet, those are my most productive hours, as they are 9-1 -- when the kids are gone and the house is quiet. Fortunately, the teachers seem mostly amused and entertained by my knitting in class. I can manage to knit simple objects there, which leaves all the sewing, needle-felting, felting and more complex knitting projects for home. Learning Deutsche seems important enough to slow down production. For now (the next four weeks), I will see how it goes. If I can manage, I will probably continue in the fall.
My Etsy shop hasn't been seeing a lot of business lately, but I have been selling some things out of my work room. Here are some new items that I have made and sold recently:
Gnome Mobiles
A Pod full of Shapes (with squeakers, rattles, etc.)
Thanks for reading and looking! I hope to blog again soon!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Another Challenge - a storybook character doll
My wonderful upstairs neighbor is teaching me that I know how to do things that I don't believe I can do. A couple of weeks ago she lent me her daughter's favorite bedtime story: The Spiffiest Giant in Town, by Julia Donaldson. She wondered if I could make her a doll "giant". I thought and thought and worried it would come out all wrong. Finally, yesterday, I just gave it a shot. His nightgown is knit and felted while the rest of him (the "doll") is all needle-felted. I'm pretty pleased. Who knew? Thanks for the challenge Sarah! (And sorry it took so long.)
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