YarnCraft Episode 12 :: Selling Your Knit/Crocheted Goods on Etsy & Tips on Customizing with Color

25 Mar

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The Lion Brand team takes a trip to Etsy Labs in Brooklyn to get the scoop of the people behind Etsy.com, a marketplace for all things handmade. Liz and Zontee talk to Etsy’s Matthew Stinchcomb, Charles Smith, and Mary Andrews (knitter, seller, and Lion Brand fan) about the story behind this cool website, as well as tips on how you too can be a seller.

Etsy crocheted coffee spill Check out a special interview with Vanna White, Lion Brand’s spokesperson for over 13 years, on the Storque, Etsy’s newsletter.

Stash This: Ideas for Your Crafting Life – Liz and Zontee talk about how to customize projects with colors, the meanings of colors, and color-focused patterns. Patterns discussed are:

We recommend the book, The Prayer Shawl Ministry, as a source of inspiration for using Homespun colors that coordinate with birthstones.

To share your thoughts, post a comment on the blog, email to yarncraft [at] lionbrand [dot] com! We may even feature you in an upcoming episode! Answer this week’s question: what are some ways you’ve customized projects? For our next episode, share with us stories about teaching your children to knit or crochet!

Direct Download

Look for YarnCraft on Blubrry.com.
And also look for us on Ravelry.com!

Theme music is “Boy with a Coin” by Iron and Wine, from the PodSafe Music Network.

Show Notes:
00:11 Intro and welcome
02:34 Matthew Stinchcomb
08:26 Mary Andrews
14:48 Charles Smith
24:50 Stash This
32:38 Thanks to our guests

  • Knittyo11

    I have a Etsy account, but I haven’t sold anything yet.

  • Gloria1953

    Love the pod casts, I enjoyed the Etsy descriptions and am looking forward to participating in the site. I think the Stash is the greatest have picked up some great tips for my own Stash!!! Thanks so much for your wonderful podcast!!

  • tryste

    Hi there! I just finished listening to the last podcast and since you asked for stories of personalized gifts, I thought I’d go ahead and tell you about a project I made for a friend of mine.

    One of my best friends’ birthdays was coming up, and I of course couldn’t let it go without giving him a gift. Since both of us were poi spinners and he was in desperate need of a new set of practice poi, I decided to pick him up a set of the best flag-tail poi on the market, in bright blue and orange because I’d heard him say that when he had enough money to get himself a new set of poi, those would be the colors he’d pick. I purchased the poi set from a London shop
    called Oddballs and then took the poi yarn shopping with me. I had decided to make a matching carrying bag for them, and so I bought some good mercerized cotton in a matching blue and in black (the shop didn’t carry a matching orange, which was fine with me because I figured it might be best to make the bag a little more neutral in terms of color, especially since my friend wears a lot of black anyway). I got the yarn and poi home and sat down to design a sturdy
    drawstring bag in Tunisian crochet with thin strips of blue along the top and bottom, and a long friendship-bracelet-style drawstring that used both the blue and the black. As a final finishing touch, I found a picture of my friend’s oldest and dearest tattoo, a symbol that holds profound meaning for him, and I carefully embroidered it in blue on one side of the bag before adding a lining and throwing in the poi.

    The gift was a hit. :-)

  • Maryann

    This year I knit hats for all my nieces and nephews. I wasn’t sure the ones who were teen aged would want to wear a hand knit hat. So I did a little research and made each teen a hat which matched their high school or college colors. One nephew wrote to thank me because he was would be able to wear the hat when performing in the school marching band on cold days, since the colors matched his uniform.

    I also made several Homespun lengthwise knit scarves as gifts for teachers. They were quick to make, and Homespun comes in so many colors it was easy to find colors which were a favorite of each teacher.

  • http://misseskwitty.blogspot.com/ Mrs. Kwitty

    Guess what? This was the very first podcast that I’ve listened to! I linked here from iSew’s blog. I have an Etsy shop–and am always interested in hearing the interviews about ETsy when I can find them. Your’s was very good, and very well done. AND I also enjoyed hearing about color–another passion of mine. Nice work ladies!
    Smiles, Karen

    http://misseskwittys.etsy.com

  • http://www.knitcrazie.com Cathy L. Herbold

    Dear Liz and Zontee,

    Thats for featuring about Etsy this month. I started my shop there two months ago. I was amazed at how easy it was to set up a shop. They have done a great job.
    Thanks for the inspiration on yarn colors. I use a lot of lion brand yarns. And lion brand wool in my purses I make. I do so love Vannas Choice yarn it knits up so nice and has great color choices. I can’t wait to start making some shawls out of it.
    You can find me at http://www.knitcrazie.com or knitcrazie.etsy.com. Come visit my site and see what lion brand yarn can do.

    Thanks again for the encouragements
    Cathy L. Herbold

  • Dani

    That was another great podcast, and now I can’t stop browsing on etsy. Since I’m a poor college student, I don’t have money to buy, but maybe I should sell items. Does anyone have advice for a new seller?

  • http://www.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Dani,

    Ellia of Greenbean Baby had a great article about her experiences running a successful Etsy shop, that I found via Craft Magazine’s blog. Definitely full of good insights.

    ~Zontee~

  • Malinda

    I just have to represent another side of the Virginia color issue – as a proud Hokie, married to a Hokie, daughter-in-law of 2 Hokies, neighbors of another married Hokie couple…I have to spread some Orange and Maroon pride around. I made a golf-club cover for my Hokie Hubby for Christmas (well, actually, I started it shortly before Christmas, realized I was doing seed stitch rather than actual ribbing, ripped it out, re-started, and wrapped up my needles with the work in progress attached and gave that to him for Christmas…I did finish by MLK day, though!). I also made a pair of booties for a couple that we know – my hubby’s college roommate and his wife. The wife didn’t quite enjoy the whole “orange and maroon” thought, but she didn’t actually say anything…at least to me. Her hubby (the real Hokie, anyway) enjoyed them, though!

    My husband is starting to hint that he’d like more club covers in said orange and maroon…I’m putting him off for the time being – I think I’m on acquaintence #10 that is having/had a baby in the last/next 6 months, so I’m ankle deep in booties right now (not all orange and maroon!)…and a baby sweater that I didn’t swatch properly – now that I’m almost 1/2 way done, I think its going to be sized as an overlayer to a winter snow-suit…or maybe a really pudgy teddy-bear sweater! I’m using the fact that I haven’t been around babies for many years and am actually a bit afraid to hold them (the bodily functions and crying throw me off a bit) as my excuse. As one of the few 30-something hold-outs on kids, I’m using lack of first-hand knowledge to my advantage. However, I’m also using this baby-boom as an excuse to make mini-projects so that maybe someday I’ll make a sweater for myself or said hubby…in Orange and Maroon, of course!!!

  • Kimberli

    Just finished listening. Where are you on Ravelry? I’ve tried searching for groups (yarncraft, Yarn Craft, YarnCraft) but nothing comes back. Your link takes me to main home page. Would like to join the group if it’s there! Thanks

  • http://yarncraft.lionbrand.com YarnCraft

    Hi Kimberli,

    Look for us as a user and add us as a friend–we haven’t set up a group yet, but we will in the next few days, and we’ll let you know when that happens!

    ~Zontee~

  • http://MacPhersonCreations.etsy.com,havebookswilltravel.org Wendy MacPherson

    This was the first yarncraft that I listened to. It came at a great time for me because I was just looking into starting a website to sell my sunbonnets. Since listening I have opened a shop on etsy.com (MacPhersonCreations.etsy.com). I only have one sunbonnet on and I think that I will have to adjust pricing, but i’m new to selling and just trying to figure things out. I also bought 3 sets of needles (DPN,SPN,& crochet) all bamboo for a great price. Thank you for putting on a great podcast. I have just finished listening to the “teaching kids to knit” podcast. I have 4 of them, all girls. My oldest who is 8 was interested a while back. She’s a bit finicky so we’ll see if she still has interest. Thanks again! I’ll be looking forward to more great podcasts in the future!

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  • http://etsy.com Ettamae Waterman

    Found this website quite by accident one day while looking for something — have no idea at the moment what it was. Anyway, it was quite shocking to me, as my nickname has been Etsy since I was a little girl (mostly with family members). Had never heard it used before and
    was so taken aback for a few minutes until I realized it was the name of a real place! Just thought I’d share! ha
    Ettamae Waterman
    P.S. My sis started calling me Etsy Mae and then
    they just shortened it to Etsy.

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  • Misty

    So nice to hear others with a lot in common. I’ve been crocheting since I was 5 years old. I just got a etsy web site. I love how easy it is! I still need to promote more. God Bless! http://Mistyscrochet.etsy.com Check it out I have lots of reasonable gifts. Very elegant.

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