A Tiny Hat And Scarf

Here it is, the tiny hat and scarf set!
I have three sets like this in the shop right now, and I will try to have more after the shows on the weekend.
There are a few new items in the shop, a couple in each section, just about. I will be adding more as I have the chance. It can be tedious and time consuming to add all these items. I have been running out of adjectives to use to describe the new listings. Do you ever feel like that? There must be some rule somewhere that says you can only say the word "nice" or "purple" so many times in a day. I've tried using the thesaurus, but I am still stuck on the same words over and over again.

What do you to find better ways to describe your item?

Teeny Tiny Scarf

This scarf is part of my current knitting obsession. It's only an inch and a smidgen wide, by about 20 inches long. This is the first one I've made, and I will attempt to make at least 15 of them before Friday's show. There will hopefully be many more than that. They are part one of a two piece set. I will try to get a few listed in the shop this week, with better photos of course.
I didn't do any specials for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I was too busy this weekend to keep track of that stuff, and I am kind of kicking myself for it. I don't know if I would have even gotten any sales, but I'm sure just the increase in traffic would have been beneficial.
I am slowly working on goals I have for 2012. Sales, traffic, productivity and so on. I am going to be running this business like a real business.

A Successful Weekend

This weekend, I spent the majority at a craft show for LeeLee hats. I brought a few of my things with me to sell at the table, and surprisingly, I sold quite a bit! I only had a few hats and my earrings, but I am really happy. I have an order for a neck warmer to match a hat I sold, so I am making that right now.
I also received my first payment from Trinkets, Treasures & The Truly Unique. I sold three items a few days ago, and I am really happy with that.
I will soon be working on the advertiser posts for December, and there are still a couple spaces available!

Awesome Thursday: November 24, 2011

Today will be the first post in a weekly series of posts where I post about awesome things going on in my life. It is a bit of a spin on the Very Good Things posts I used to do. I will be starting to post more frequently, as I now have more time nearly every day.

Here goes:

• I finally brought my items into Doin' The Louvre. Really hoping some of them sell.
• I started a new, non-knitting project last night. I will have them available at my craft shows, and I will also be listing some in the Etsy shop. Photos are forthcoming.
• I finally picked up a table for my knitting machines and craft shows. It will be the same table for now, but I am really excited.
• I'm almost done an order for my mom. 
• Room rearranging that is about to happen. Literally, I am finishing this post and going to do that with Rick. I will have an actual office space, and we will be getting a second desk in the future so we both have our own workspaces!

So much excitement here.

What's going on in your life that is awesome?

New Earrings!

Last week, I took some time to sort out some of the buttons I have for earring making. I work best when I do things in batches. Sort all the earrings, pair all the earrings, add all the posts, add all the backs etc etc.

This is about 25 pairs that I did today. On the other half of my work surface is another 30 or so pairs. The only reason I didn't finish these is because the smell of the adhesive was making my nose itch. I plan on finishing up the buttons I have sorted tomorrow.

I have three places I will be stocking earrings. The first is Trinkets and Treasures. I want to make sure I have a good variety there. The second is the Etsy shop. The earrings have been getting a lot of traffic lately, and I want to get some more pairs up there for the people doing their holiday shopping. The last place I will have earrings ready for is my two upcoming craft shows.

I am trying to keep my craft show and my Etsy stock as separate as possible. I am so afraid that I will sell a one of a kind pair of earrings in two places at the same time.

What are all of you up to these days?

Another Advertiser!

I just got the confirmation from Robyn, of Minimalist Knitter, that she would like to advertise for a full year!
I love this blog. And I am not exaggerating when I say this, nor am I saying this because she is advertising with me. I truly love this blog. Robyn has amazing patterns, a great Etsy shop, and an adorable baby.
She is also on a mission to knit 10 000 items for charity in her lifetime! This is such a fantastic, inspiring goal. I love following her progress on this project.

There are still two ad spaces available! Check out the information here if you are interested!

Hats, Hats, and More Hats!

Rick and I are out at his parents for a few days. I brought lots of yarn and my loom and I've been working on hats. I've finished four so far, and I'm working on a fifth. I'm hoping to have 6 done before we head home this afternoon.


I've decided that I will be bringing hats to Doin' The Louvre at Artcite. I'm trying to get several hats made of a few colours due to the submission rules. I'm allowed to have 10 different items, but I can have several of each. I also have more hats to bring to Trinkets, Treasures & Truly Unique.
All in all, I'm keeping myself busy and productive. I'm so excited about working for myself. I'm still figuring out exactly what I have to sell each month to cover my expenses.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Some Fantastic News

Recently, I quit my "real" job. I was unhappy with the way I was being treated, and it was ruining my relationship with those close to me. I am currently unemployed for the first time in about 6 years. This doesn't sound like a long time, but when you take into consideration that I am only 22, that's a good chunk of my life.

While I am "unemployed," I plan on officially starting my business. Registering, tax numbers, receipts and all that jazz. This is a huge step for me, and will definitely be an adventure. I'm not super organized, so that will be a hurdle I will have to overcome. I'm lucky that Rick's income can cover many of our household expenses while I get my business off the ground. I am also very lucky that he is helping me get everything started. He is my photographer, critic, and motivator. He also helps me make decisions as far as yarn colours, styles, and patterns. I really wouldn't be able to do this without him.

If any of you have any tips for me while I am starting on this new journey, please feel free to share them! I am always open to advice!

Culture Shock Jewelry

Please give a warm welcome to Culture Shock Jewelry!
Kathryn is a local friend, we've done a couple craft shows together in the past, and her stuff is BEAUTIFUL! Seriously, I have to hold myself back to keep from purchasing nearly everything on her table. I am really considering treating myself to the two bracelets in the ad photo. She also does earrings, rings, and necklaces.
She also has a tumblr blog where she posts beautiful items that inspire her.
Take a look at her shop, and say hello!

Don't forget, there are still a couple spaces left! Just $2 to advertise for a whole month! The rest of November is included if you advertise for December, so you're really getting nearly a month and a half!

Blogging Business Artisans

In the time I have been on Etsy, I have joined and left several teams. Whether it's because I am too busy to keep up with their requirements, or I just don't feel like I fit in with them, there is often something that just doesn't mesh well. Blogging Business Artisans seems to be the opposite. I applied to them, and was accepted just a few hours later.

There are some fantastic artisans on this team. With under 25 members, it's a nice small team, where I am sure we will all get to know each other very well.
Here are a couple of my favourite items from some of the shops:


This is Nelly Bunny, made by MissMillificent. I don't know what it is about these creepy dolls that I find so appealing, but I love them all! Truth be told, it was hard to pick just one photo to post on here. Athena has several other dolls available, and they are priced between $20 and $160. She ships worldwide, and you have the option to purchase shipping insurance. For a work of art like these, I'd be willing to pay a couple extra dollars.

I love seeing other knitters hand made goods all over Etsy. This is one of Nancy's knit pouches. All of her zipper pouches are knit by hand, and have a hand-sewn lining put it, and a zipper. I have been seeing a lot of this blue/turquoise colour around lately, so I had to pick this one. You can find the rest of her goodies at nfall2rt.
Another fun fact: I've been following her blog for a while, and it's how I heard of this wonderful team.


I will be sharing more items from the team in the near future.
Don't forget, I still have ad space available!

The First Advertiser!

As soon as I'd posted the last update, I tweeted to a few fellow Etsians that I had ad space available. The first lovely lady to respond was Rachael of Talk2TheTrees.
I was really hoping she'd respond, because I absolutely adore her stuff! She knits and crochets, and paints, as well. Rachael has two shops on Etsy, one for yarn works, and one for her art. She also has adorable pups that I would let kiss me until the end of time.

I forgot to mention it in the original post, but advertising for the rest of November is free! Two dollars for a month and a half of advertising? You really can't afford not to! You pay now, and as soon as I get the ad and payment, your ad goes up, I write a post like this about you and your shop/blog, and your ad will remain on my blog till the end of December.

Advertise with Knit, Nicole, Knit!

I have decided to offer advertising on my Knit, Nicole, Knit! blog for a very affordable price. The first two people to contact me will get one year for just $10! The ad will go up immediately, and will stay until December 1, 2012. There will be three other spaces available for $2 per month. I am starting this low because I don't have an incredible amount of traffic, but it is definitely increasing. If I find that my traffic has risen a lot, I will raise my rates a slight amount.

With this price, you will have a 200x200 space in the sidebar at the left for the duration of the month. You will have one post with a personal/shop profile, and the option for me to host a giveaway for you. Coupon codes are also allowed, and encouraged! In addition, I will tweet about your shop/blog to my 350+ followers, and post about you on my Facebook page for my 400+ fans to see. I will also share this on my Tumblr to the 170+ followers. Lastly, if you are advertising a handmade shop on Etsy, I will share some of your items on I Love Etsy! for the 275+ followers to see.

If you are interested, contact me at nicole@knitnicoleknit.com .

A Beautiful Treasury!

Have you ever been featured in a Treasury so beautiful, you just had to tell someone? I was adding all the treasuries I was in to a page on my blog, but I just couldn't keep up anymore. I am still saving screenshots of all of them, though.

This one was made by the Etsy Team Leader in the Treasury Titans team. I love the colours, and the chosen items are beautiful.

If you could, go and "heart" that treasury. I would love to be featured on the front page!

A Knitting Machine, I Am

The last few days, I have been knitting more than usual. I've finished several hats, which is quite good. A friend may be buying some hats form me at a wholesale price for his clothing line. This could be amazing! His shirts sell quite well, and having my hats there would be great for both of us.
Once I get the "Okay" from him, I will be making two or three hats in each of a handful of colours. Another person will sew his custom tags on them as they are ordered from the store. I think this will be the best way for everyone involved. If I need hats, I will have them on hand and he won't have to worry about keeping a large amount of stock anywhere.

I've started using some of the yarn I received. The amount used so far has barely scratched the surface of what I have. There are about 4 large garbage bags full right now. I want to get that down to three before the New Year. That will include all the other yarn I have that isn't currently in my storage system. I guess this is a variation on my Knit The Stash challenge. Perhaps 2012 will be the stash busting year?

Lastly, I have added several items to my Etsy shop this past week. I am going to be photographing some scarves this week, hopefully. I want to have a good variety of items in the shop. I am not sure how many total items I should have, though. I don't like it when shops have more than about 8 pages of all different things for sale. I lose interest about halfway through.

What do you think is the ideal number of items in a shop?

New items in the shop! And other exciting news!

I have been editing photos like crazy today! I finally have enough done to add them to my shop!
It's mostly cowls for now, but I will be adding some later tonight, and more tomorrow. I plan on adding a few everyday, in different sections, so I can increase my visibility.
Have a look around! These are the first few. There will be many more to come!

The other exciting news is that I am in a new store! It opens up on Monday. It's called Trinkets, Treasures & the Truly Unique. As soon as I have a link to the Facebook page, I will link it here.

Why Knit The Stash Is Over

Last week, I posted saying that my Knit The Stash challenge was over. I did have a good reason for this. Actually, 5 good reasons.
This isn't a very good photo, but it's four of the five GIANT garbage bags full of yarn I have received.
And, there is more to come. A lot of it is from companies that are no longer in existence, from what my Ravelry search tells me.
Somehow, my mom was connected with a woman who can no longer knit. She is in her 80s, and I believe she is moving into a nursing home.
There are bags upon bags of various yarns. From 100% cotton, to 10% angora, some mohair, a couple with cashmere, and so many more. I can't believe this! I will be passing a lot of it on to LeeLee hats, but I am keeping some for myself. I can't wait to see what else will be coming!
Also, from the same woman, I may be getting a knitting machine. Or two. I am hoping I will be able to afford them both, but I am not sure about that. I may ask my parents to purchase them for me, and pay them back. If they have all the parts, and are in good condition, I will definitely have to think about it seriously.

In other news, I finished my second baby blanket! The shower is this Sunday, so I now have plenty of time to work on other projects. More on those soon!

A Tall Order

Sunday was the Market at The House. I had a table that my friend, Sue, was running for me as I had to work in the restaurant. I did really poorly, I am assuming because I couldn't be at my own table. No fault to Sue, who is an amazing jewelry maker, I blame it fully on not being able to talk to potential customers.

I am making some changes in the way my life is heading. I haven't been putting myself first for a long time, and I am suffering because of it. Not only have I been suffering, but so have the people I love. My relationships with many people are falling apart, and I can't stand it anymore.

In other, more exciting news, I have an order for one hat from a relative, and one from a friend. The friend might be ordering several more hats for his clothing line in the near future!! Fingers crossed for that!