SOTW - KnittingGuru

The Etsy Twitter Team proudly presents this week's shop of the week: KnittingGuru!

KnittingGuru products are targeted to people who love to wear designs that are both one of a kind and flattering to the wearer, and made from fine quality fibers. Her creations use natural fibers for their durability, luxurious feel, and earth friendly sustainability. Her description "ecoChic" is truly accurate.

KnittingGuru products differ from other knitwear and crochet on Etsy because they are all original KnittingGuru designs, meticulously crafted, made to fit and flatter, use fine yarns and distinctive stitches. An unusual twist: she often combines both knitting and crochet in one garment and the result is a classy and unique garment.

As a member of the Etsy Twitter Team, Twitter is a key feature of her market visibility: Her advice: Twitter is a great way to get your pieces seen by lots of people, but it’s also important to write about other things than your products. KnittingGuru has observed that her Twitter followers respond to discounts limited to Twitter contacts.

KnittingGuru is based in her hometown, New York City. She's a big museum visitor and says, "There are so many artists who I love and who have influenced me that it’s exceptionally hard to choose just one. I have always been drawn to Van Gogh for his range of style, artistic development and especially for his use of color, composition and texture." In addition, "Living in New York City has a profound influence on my work, creativity and inventory. NYC yarn stores tend to be expensive boutiques by and large, so I get most of my yarns online and from wholesale suppliers. However, I still spend hours in the wonderful bead stores, fabric and supply stores that abound here in the garment district. I love to walk, so I'm exposed to the amazing styles both in stores and on people in the street. New York is always changing, so there’s an ongoing fashion show all the time. In addition, I’m very influenced by nature so wandering through Central Park and being surrounded by water yield many design ideas. The opera, ballet, concert halls and theater are all inspirations too."

On a personal note, she shares that her mother taught her to knit and crochet when she was only 4 years old! She says, "I would have to give her the title of most influential. Without that very early training, I would be a totally different artist now. Because I learned to knit and crochet before I could read, I’ve always seen both crafts as a starting place for design and have never used other people’s patterns. Also, when you learn things that early in life, they become who you are and an integral part of your existence. I knit and crochet all the time. I often knit even when when I’m reading, and certainly when I’m socializing, watching a movie, or riding in a car, train or airplane. It’s the background (or foreground depending on complexity of design) to everything else in my life."


A Special Discount from KnittingGuru to YOU:
"I’m so delighted to be Shop of the Week on EtsyTwitter where I’ve been a member for quite awhile. I’d be happy to offer 20% off anything in my shop for this week. Fortunately Valentine’s Day is approaching, so that will be a good time to shop for the many romantic pieces I have. To get your discount, write to me at Etsy (convo) first giving the code EtsyTwitterTeamSOTW and what you want and I'll post a revised listing(s) for you reflecting your discount. I hope you find things you like!"
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Keep in contact with KnittingGuru via
Etsy www.KnittingGuru.etsy.com
Twitter www.twitter.com/KnittingGuru
Facebook www.facebook.com/KnittingGuru
Blog www.KnittingGuruDesigns.blogspot.com
Website www.KnittingGuru.com


Written by Judy of WellspringCreations
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Shop of the Week - jusshar

The Etsy Twitter Team shop of the week is jusshar, featuring the sewn, knit, and crocheted accessories created by Beth Newbern-Hallam. Beth just doesn't run down to the store to buy material for every project. She loves to recyle yarns and fabrics. As she puts it, "I'm really dedicated to using what I have, and repurposing materials into something new." She does buy new materials for use in custom projects, unless the customer is like-minded and requests the repurposed materials!

As for ideas, Beth doesn't just get inspired; she is driven! "I just have an internal need to create. I knit and/or crochet every single day. I can't imagine NOT creating." Another thing Beth loves about her work is its mobility. She'll take it along on trips, car rides...even to her kids' school events! And if she's not getting the result she wants? "I can just unravel it and start over."

On the business front, Beth is planning to revamp her blog and website. She also plans to change the direction of her work from trying to hit trends to creating the items that come from her own imagination. This will be a challenge as she is a full time student in graphics and web design and planning a move to North Carolina where she plans to continue her college education. She wont' be alone though, as her youngest son will be attending the same college!

As for Twitter, Beth does tweet, but considers herself a "dabbler". As a business tool, she approaches social media carefully as she is concerned about being spammy. "That's such a turn off for me personally." Bringing business to her shop has been a struggle, although she has concluded that her sales are cyclical, with increased activity over the holidays. With her busy college schedule and planned relocation, Beth is planning to put her Etsy shop on an indefinate break on November 30th. "I'd like to sell out my Etsy shop(s) by then."


This week, jusshar is offering
25% off to anyone who adds
"SOTW" in the message to the seller!
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Other links to jusshar:
Etsy Shop: http://jusshar.etsy.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/jusshar
Facebook: http://facebook.com/jusshardesigns
Blog: http://jusshardesigns.blogspot.com

Written by Judy of Wellspring Creations

Go Green with Natural Fibers and Yarns

For artists and craftspeople, being green includes the practices and methods we use as well as our materials. I’m a knitter and crocheter, so my concern is with yarns. I use natural yarns and only infrequently will use a novelty yarn as a trim. My favorite yarn is Merino wool; it has all the softness and loft of cashmere, but the price is a bit lower, it’s a stronger yarn, and it doesn’t pill so readily. I also adore fine hand-dyed and handspun wools, alpaca for its warmth and softness, and high-quality cotton yarns.

Of course it’s a good idea to try to use recycled materials whenever possible, but it’s also important to use materials that don’t harm the planet in the first place. I would like to take this opportunity to say that I find acrylics to be actually an irresponsible choice. They are made from petro-chemicals which are, of course, what the gas you put in your car is.

With the worldwide shortage of petroleum and the ensuing international conflicts over it, I find it hard to justify using a product like that. Also, acrylics, like all plastics, remain in the environment forever, causing tremendous pollution and environmental problems. In addition, acrylics really aren’t warm, they make your skin feel clammy because they don’t wick moisture, and they’re highly flammable unless they’re treated with very toxic chemicals. If you hold a piece of wool over the kitchen sink and put a match to the end, the flame will quickly go out and a soft ash will form that easily disintegrates. On the other hand, if you do the same thing with a piece of acrylic yarn, the flame will last for a long time (until you blow it out) and a hard plastic bead will form.

For those people who fear that they can’t wear wool or that it’s itchy, please realize that high quality wool is very soft and almost never causes an allergic reaction. What people are sometimes allergic to is the lanolin found in natural wool and the easy solution to that is to simply wash the garment before wearing it. For those few people who truly are allergic to wool, there are many natural substitutes such as cotton or rayon which is the same thing as bamboo. There are also new yarns made from soybeans, corn, and even milk. These are all soft and hypoallergenic.

As a responsible knitter and crocheter, I urge people to avoid using or wearing synthetic fibers. Do it for your own comfort and also for the planet.

RESOURCES FOR ECO-FRIENDLY FIBERS

Here are some places online to buy natural fiber yarns. Some of these sites also sell synthetic fibers, so check the fine print before buying!

www.yarn.com - This is the Webs site where they have constantly changing beautiful knitting, crochet, and weaving yarns on sale as well as their own line of gorgeous yarns. I adore their Valley Yarns wool and alpaca. It's so luscious.

www.knitpicks.com - KnitPicks has beautiful yarns at reasonable prices.

www.elann.com - Elann is a Canadian yarn supplier of really lovely yarns at good prices. Their Peruvian wool is a favorite of mine and comes in wonderful colors.

www.smileysyarns.com - I love Smileys and often go to their Queens, NY store sales as well as their extravaganza held in Manhattan during November. In among the synthetics they sell are some outstanding buys on natural fiber yarns. Smileys prices are THE BEST -- often up to 90% off retail for beautiful wool, mohair and cotton yarns.

I would also recommend that people look into www.joann.com and www.herrschners.com. They sell lots of synthetics and what I would call junk yarns like Red Heart (ugh!). However, Herrschners makes their own wool worsted which is inexpensive and comes in lots of colors. Joann sells some good wools, too, such as Paton's Merino Worsted and Joann's own Sensations yarn called Kashmira. Finally, don't forget about Ebay. If you search for wool yarn or cotton yarn, for instance, you'll find lots of great buys. I buy most of the DMC perle cotton I use for crocheted jewelry there and have never been disappointed. Hint: it's a good idea to look up what a particular yarn retails for before bidding. I hope this list is helpful for people looking for alternatives to Walmart and ways to be ecologically responsible!

-by Veena Burry

Shop: knittingguru.etsy.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/knittingguru

Don't forget we're having a huge sale and scavenger hunt for Go Green with the Etsy Twitter Team!! See here for the five prizes up for grabs!!

Team Treasuries

This Treasury was created by Jenco13.etsy.com and features shops from our team who have had less than 15 sales.
Go give it some clickety click love and check out these great shops!
(Treasury expires May 30th.)

Created by InMyHeadStudios.etsy.com!
Expires May 30th.

Shop of the Week: Rhodes Annals Designs

This week’s shop has extermely lovely handmade items. Claire Elizabeth Annals (her maiden name was Rhodes), of RhodesAnnalsDesigns.etsy.com, sells bags, hats, crochet purses, knitted scarves and cowls. She also sells some of her sister’s jewelry and vintage patterns.

“Each item is 'lovingly' handmade, by that I mean that I enjoy making them and like to imagine how they will be used by their new owner. When I made the wisp scarf, I couldn't shake the feeling that it should be used as a light shawl at a wedding. I am always on the look out for new ideas, and if I wouldn't use an item, it doesn't go into my shop. I use the best materials I can source, and I am always on the look out for unusual yarn and fabric patterns.”


Her family inspires her to create. “There have been many things over the past where one or another member of my family has said 'you could sell that'. The hats came from my mum giving me a metre of fleece fabric one day as my son had outgrown his hat and she, rightly, reckoned I could make one myself. The 'hug a hottie' came from a special request from my sister for a knitted hot water bottle cover. The flower hair clips came from a childhood memory of hair grips and bun covers that my mum used to crochet for me when I was a little girl, and the pouches came from a necessity to be able to find things in my voluminous handbag (which I made because I couldn't find anything big enough in the shops).”

Rhodes Annals Designs is located in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, UK, and ships internationally. She is more than happy to make custom items just for you.

About her Twitter habits: “I like to engage in conversation with others over Twitter - I do a fair amount of link posting but hope that I balance that out with friendly banter and sometimes even advice. I know personally that I am more likely to purchase from someone that I felt I had 'bonded' with on Twitter or in the Etsy forums - and I have purchased many, many items that way. I love the immediacy of Twitter - you can post a link to your latest item and then sit and watch the view count mount up. I think that there are lots of very courteous people on Twitter who click on every link and I am thankful to them.”

You can read about her projects on her blog at Claire's Stitching Adventures. Find her on Twitter @RhodesAnnals. Become a fan of her Facebook page.

Special for the Week: Put “Twitter Rocks” into the “Messages for the Seller” box and await a revised invoice with a 10% discount off the item price.

Etsy: Your place to buy & sell all things handmade RhodesAnnalsDesigns.etsy.com