Ladder Ribbon Necklaces

Crocheted jewellery has been around for many years. The latest 'twist' has been the necklaces and bracelets crocheted from the ever popular ladder ribbon yarns and flag type yarns.

Very simple to make yet so elegant when finished!

From a distance the necklaces look extremely intricate as they glisten and sparkle but upon closer inspection you will notice that its the yarns that are doing all the work.

Ladder ribbon yarns are simply composed of small panels of fabric suspended between two rows of thin fibers hence the name ‘ladder ribbon’ yarns. They come in various widths and compositions, some as wide as 3/4” and some as narrow as 1/8”. Some of the yarns have a little splash of metallic in them to give that little extra bit of shimmer.

Flag yarns are composed of small panels or ‘flags’ of fabric attached to a single strand.

Making a simple necklace

Materials

One ball of ribbon yarn or flag yarn.  A single ball generally will have enough to make a few necklaces.

I like to use a large crochet hook, preferably a J (10.5mm). 

Ruler and scissors.

A nice selection of yarns is available on Etsy.com 

To begin:

1) Cut 5 strands of yarn each about 10’ long

2) leaving a 12” tail, make a chain about 24” long, finishing off by
pulling the tail through the last chain. Be sure to leave about 12” at
the end as well.

3) With the 5 strands completed, lay them together matching up where the chains started. Knot the strands together a few inches up from the chains on either side.

4)  To close the necklace, holding both sets of ends together, tie all 10 strands in a single knot about 2 “ up from the orginal knots. The knot that I tie at the back of the neck is done so that there is some of the yarn 'dangling' after the knot is tied and the yarn trimmed

 Its NOT a scientific method at all.

And there you have it! A very simple yet elegant necklace that takes about 1/2 hour to make.

Some of my favourite yarns to use are the Diamond Lase from Ice yarns with its  amazing diamond like embellishments right in the yarn

Or the South West Trading Company's Calypso ribbon yarn with its fun texture and softness.

Whatever yarns you finally select, just have fun with them and let your imagination guide you!

Red Heart Boutique Chic Yarn - something completely different!

The New Boutique Chic yarn is really something to get excited about. Not only is it a fun chenille type yarn in the super bulky weight category but its also a faux fur! Yes, the Boutique Chic yarn is a chenille yarn with fun accents of faux fur that pops as you knit or crochet with it. On ball is enough to make a wonderfully Chic scarf!

Boutique Chic is for sale on Etsy at Crochetgal's shop

So what really is relevancy?

What is relevancy?

Relevancy is a 'best match' search.

Think of it as wanting to go out for dinner. You know you want a hamburger but really aren't sure what you want on it.

So you start to look at the hamburger menu. Slowly you narrow down your desire to a burger with cheese. At this point all burgers without cheese are NOT a match (or not relevant) so you stop looking at them.

Finally you decide on a burger with cheese, bacon and pickles. So you look to see if the restaurant has a burger that meets those specifications. Those that do are relevant, i.e. a match to what you are looking for.

That's what relevancy is all about.

(Sorry in advance if I've made you run for a snack).

Craft Show Success Tips - Part 1 - Is this show for you?

The toughest part about doing shows is finding the 'right' shows to do... ie the ones that YOU will be successful at. Yes, there are successful people at every show but you want to be successful as well.

I spent the first year before I ever did a show going to the various shows that I was interested in as a buyer. I watched the crowds and what was selling. Who was doing the buying? Was it geared primarily to kids or adults? What was the average amount spent?

There isn't any point in doing a show if its not a 'good fit' for your products.

While you are looking around, take a good look at the displays. Which ones catch your eye? Which ones have the most people around them? Why?

What's the mix of vendors at the show? Is it completely handmade or are there resellers (Mary Kay, Tupperware, Pampered Chef, etc) there as well?

Once you've done your homework THEN its time to consider whether or not its a show that you want to take part in.

Customer Appreciation Sale!

Customer Appreciation Sale!

Thanks to all who took part!

SWTC Vegas




To see the entire range click here


SWTC Rock

To see the entire range click here


SWTC Inspiration

To see the full colour range click here


SWTC Fur Real

Colours are here


To see the entire selection of beautiful yarns available, please take a look at
Crochetgal.etsy.com

Inquiring Customers Want to know!!

Do you have lots of views but very few sales? Here are some great tips!

1) Inquiring customers want to know!
- do you have your shop policies outlined in detail? What happens if someone wants to return something? How do you ship?

Here is a great article from Etsy’s Blog the Storque on Setting up shop policies.

http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/tech-update-plus-customer-care-tip-hello-policy-1681/

2) Are you being served?
Outstanding customer service can bring buyers back.
Etsy has done a wonderful series on Service Tips for sellers
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/service-tips-for-sellers/


3) Marketing vs Promotion
Are you always having a sale of some form or a special promotion? Too many sales and buyers will wait to make that purchase. If you are going to run a special promotion or a sale, don’t do them too often but make them really special when you do!

4) I’m looking for a green widget!
How many times have you heard people say that they cannot find what they are looking for on Etsy? If you are selling green widgets, please tag them as such! A buyer looking for a green widget won’t find you if your widget isn’t tagged.

There are some excellent tagging guidelines in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/guidelines-tips-tagging-on-etsy-281/
You have 14 tags available, use them responsibly!

5) you want it HOW big?
Do you offer your products in a range of sizes? Everyone is NOT a size 2! Sometimes
having a section for each size or colour can be a great advantage.

6) Are your prices too low (or too high)?
Sellers always seem to be asking if their prices are too high. There is nothing wrong with having different price points in your shop. Have you considered tiered pricing?
Beth writes an excellent article in the storque about how to use tiered pricing to your advantage.
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-tiered-pricing-627/

And the Etsy Success newsletter had a recent article on Three Helpful pricing exercises
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/the-art-of-pricing-three-helpful-pricing-exercises-37
88/
in their art of pricing series.
There are many other wonderful articles on pricing in the Storque
http://www.etsy.com/storque/search/title/art-of-pricing/


7) It can’t get there from here!
Sure it can... you just have to ship it.

Great basic shipping information is available .. you just have to read it!
http://www.etsy.com/storque/how-to/shipping-how-to-the-final-frontier-1821/

Etsy makes it easy to ship anywhere by setting up shipping profiles which can be applied to multiple listings.
http://www.etsy.com/faq_selling.php#shipping_profiles


And fellow Etsy Seller Goto has one of the most comprehensive forum posts on shipping from the US that I’ve seen.
http://www.etsy.com/forums_thread.php?thread_id=6382394

Hopefully, buy applying a few (or all) of these tips, you can convert your browers into Buyers!

Etsy shop tips

Often times there are things that you want to do with your Etsy shop but don't really know where to start.

Here is an easy index to a few useful posts that I've written.

1) 12 steps to a better shop
provides a basic outline to use to critique your shop. Included are points on your banner and avatar, shop policies, tagging, photos, etc.

2) Easy ways to be seen on Etsy
A list of places to 'hang out' on Etsy and be seen!

3) Twitter and the power of social networking The 'basics' of twitter in clear, easy to read English.

4) Search Engine Optimization for Dummies and how it applies to your Etsy Shop. Written in an easy to understand format!

None of these tips and techniques are new, but I have found them all to be very useful.

The Next Survivor Series!

Six married men will be dropped of on a desert island with 1 car and 4 kids each.

Each kid will play two sports and take either music or dance lessons.

There will be no access to fast food.

Each man must take care of his own kids, keep his assigned house clean, correct all homework, complete science projects, cook, clean, do laundry and basically run the household.

The men only have access to television when all the chores are done and the kids are asleep.

The men must shave their legs daily, and must always be in full makeup, which they must apply themselves.

They must attend all PTA meetings, clean up after their sick children at 3:00am, make an Indian hut model with six toothpicks, a tortilla and one marker and get a 4year old to eat their peas.

The kids will vote the men off the island, depending on their performance.

The last man wins ONLY if he has time to be intimate with his spouse at a moment's notice!

And the last man standing gets to play the game over and over again for the next 18 - 25 years, eventually earning him the right to be called MOTHER!

New Yarn! Red Heart Artesano!

I'm always on the lookout for new yarns to try and this one really caught my eye. Although I don't use a lot of bulky weight yarns, the colour effects really drew me to Red Heart Artesano.



THe yarn swatched at 15sc x 13 rows on a J hook for me, while Lion Homespun swatches at 10 sc x 10 rows on a K hook.

I've put it on the hairpin loom and its really a nice yarn to work with! It hasn't caused me any splitting problems (as homespun has done occasionally), its a lighter weight, and overall looks good! I'm really impressed with this yarn. Would I purchase it again? Definately yes, if I was looking for a yarn with a good texture in this weight.

Yarn Details:
98% acrylic, 2% nylon
100g / 3.5 oz
172m / 187 yards

Care: machine wash, gentle cycle. Tumble dry low. Do not bleach, do not iron. May be dry cleaned.

The complete colour palete for this yarn can be viewed here . The colour I'm using is 'caribe'.

What is it?? - giveaway!!

I started 'playing' with some bits (I won't call it yarn because it isn't) and this was the result.

I'm really not sure what to call it though so here's where you come in. Give it an interesting name and a short blurb (if you are so inclined) . All of the responses will be reviewed and one will be selected at random to win something from my Etsy shop!

So, let your imaginations run wild! I can't wait to see what ideas you have.

Entries will close on Easter Sunday at Midnight!

Afghans... a wonderful way to spend sometime!

I don't like to sell my afghans, rather I would much rather give them away. That's one of the main reasons that I'm a Blanketeer for Project Linus. I try to make at least one afghan each month for the local Project Linus chapter..



A very good friend of mine (another crafter), just became a Great grandmother!! She knows my body of work quite well and knew that I loved to do afghans. Even so, I was really quite surprised when she asked me to make a blanket for her great grandson. I was even more surprised when she told me that she needed to have it in the post by the end of the week. With time to buy yarn, did a quick 'stash dive' and came up with some shades of Caron Simply Soft. With no real pattern to go by, I decided that a 'Mile a Minute' would be the easiest method. The resulting afghan is 7 panels wide and each strip is 50 rows long. I just hope the baby will love it as much as I did making it.

A yearlong project finished...

I fell in love with Moda Dea Fashionista yarn as soon as I saw it. With its amazing sheen and glorious colour selection I knew I had to make something with it.. but what?

I finally decided that this yarn would be absolutely perfect for a fisherman's sweater. It was a medium weight, was wonderfully soft, and the colours were vibrant. So, in January of 2008 the yarn was ordered.

Fisherman sweaters are a labour of love. I don't use a pattern for them, rather I look at the many varieties of cables and bauble stitches and design the sweater around how I feel. Before the yarn had arrived, I knew basically what my sweater was going to look like. The only decision left was the neckline. Usually I do a standard round neck on a 'winter' sweater, but because our climate really doesn't get that cold I figured that a V-style neckline might be more appropriate.

The yarn arrived in late January and I immediately dove into the project. Unfortunately because work for others must come first in my life (yes, I need to eat), the sweater didn't get as much attention as I really wanted it to. By the end of February I had the front and back completed. But, before I could even think about starting the sleeves, the Arizona weather turned warm on me.. and warm it was. The daytime temps were in the high 70s with nights in the 40s. Even if I did finish the sweater, when was I to wear it? So, the completed front, back and the rest of the yarn were packed into a tote. I would work on it during the summer..

Fast forward to January 2009.. I ran across the tote with this beautiful, partially completed sweater in it and just had to finish it! I pulled out my notebook to tackle the sleeves. But alas! There were no notes for the sleeves... just for the body. And no notes or even ideas written down about the neckline... Time to do some 'creative' designing... By the end of January, the sweater was completed! It fits perfectly and I absolutely love it. Now if only the temperatures would cooperate...

More photos are here

Hookinosis!

HOOKINOSIS

by Ima Nutt

This disease affects women of all ages, races and religions. However, it has now started to afflict men as well. The most distressing part of having one of your loved ones catch Hookinosis, is that there is no know cure. Recently a group of men have formed the S.P.C.W. (Society of Prevention of Crocheting by Women) and have started a fund drive in hopes that, with more research, a cure may be found within the next few years.
Hookinosis has just recently come to the attention of the medical profession, since it has always been considered a hobby, but after some extensive testing, it has been found that women who crochet go through actual withdrawal symptoms, when their yarn supply has been cut off.
Some of these symptoms are:
1. Irritability.
. Nervousness.
3. Extreme craving for yarn and crochet hooks.
4. Inability to concentrate.

Since I am listing some of the withdrawal symptoms, I may as well make a list of symptoms to watch for if you feel your loved one may be catching Hookinosis:
1. Yarn and crochet hooks lying all over.
2. Sleeps with yarn under her pillow.
3. Crochets matching booties for your cat and dog.
4. Gets extremely agitated if her yarn supply runs low.

If you feel your loved one fits any of these symptoms listed above, try to get her to join Yarnaholics Anonymous. Even tho there is no cure as yet, the organization may be able to help your family cope better with this affliction. Those of you who have not yet been stricken with this disease, please keep your family safe. Crocheting is very contagious, and the best way to prevent it's ravages is to keep your females completely away from yarn, thread and crochet hooks or anyone who already has Hookinosis.

Its all about the soap!

About four years ago, a local soap maker approached my partner about making wooden soap decks. For some reason, she was not able to buy them locally. So after some experimentation we came up with these.

They are handcrafted from carefully selected hardwoods and measure 4" long by 2 1/2" wide and are 3/4" thick. The edges are rounded and each dish is lightly sanded. The dishes are cut in a manner that allows the water to drain completely through the dish and away from the soap.

In the fall of 2008, we started selling these on Etsy and they have been a big hit. Who would have known that a little piece of wood would be so useful?

They are available in single units or in wholesale quantites ranging from 10 to 50 units.

And much to my surprise, they appeared on the front page of Etsy on November 21, 2008!

Etsy Front Page

What a surprise when I checked my Etsy shop yesterday afternoon and found that I had been on the front page of Etsy earlier on that day. I had never been on the front page and really never thought I would be.

Although our soapdishes have been selling well, they have been selling even better since being on the front page of Etsy!

Thanks to a wonderul Etsian, Yaelfran for including me in her beautiful treasury. Please check out Yaelfran's shop.

Setting up an Etsy Shop

Setting up an Etsy shop is actually very easy, but getting sales is the tough part. You really have to work at it!

I've been using Flickr to post pics of some of my work and to find other people who enjoy the art as much as I do. By joining various groups I've met so many other people on Flickr with the same interest.

I also belong to a local guild that is wonderful at promoting each others ideas.

My next foray into business will be to formally open my yarn shop! Its an exciting but daunting project!

Some yarns that absolutely "ROCK"

I've been playing with the ROCK yarn from SouthWest Trading Company for about a month now and I absolutely love it! I used "Prince" to make a wonderful butterfly shawl.. what a nice feel this yarn has.

This yarn can be purchased in my Etsy shop . At the time of writing, there are all colours available... from Black and grey, to vibrant reds, blues, and greens and all the colours in between.

Got Yarn???

Buying yarn can be fun and rewarding, especially when you get a huge amount at a fantastic price. This was my 'haul' at a local yarn shop recently. Unfortunately I didn't realize exactly how much I had purchased until I got it all home!

It looks like I will have to sell off some of it..

There is some beautiful wool/silk blends and some gorgeous bamboo/silk blend as well!

Pictured are yarns from the Vickie Howell Collection "ROCK" and "LOVE", some calypso, some Karaoke and some bamboo feather.

Miscellaneous ramblings...

I've been crocheting for many many years and just love the feel of the various yarns currently available. I'm not sure if I have a favourite but silks and bamboos rank right up there right now.

This bamboo feather works so well with the larger crochet hooks.

This and other specialty yarns are often available for purchase in my
Etsy shop .