As the seasons change from summer to autumn there is a slight shift in the air.
At this time of the year it is nice to have a light and skinny scarf to wear.
This it the time where for just for the odd day the weather is a bit cooler but it is not yet into full blown cold weather.
The Tower Scarf is a transitional piece and will work in every wardrobe.
The neutral off-white but buttery shade is a popular colour and works with all complexions.
The Tower Scarf is stylish and comfortable to wear.
Dress up your cooler weather jackets and tops with this quick and easy beginner’s scarf that only uses one ball of yarn.
Pattern Inspiration
The Tower is the Blackpool Tower a famous landmark.
Pattern features
This is a one ball wonder which means you can make it with just one ball of yarn.
It is also a make in a day neckwear accessory which is what it says, you can make this in one day.
There is a delicate filet crochet pattern at one end which can be either ignored if you are a beginner or you could even add it to both ends of the scarf. The filet makes it an interesting asymmetrical scarf.
Skill level
This garment is at the beginners crochet skill level as there are only two stitches the chain (ch) and the double crochet (dc). Although you can learn the filet piece as well.
This pattern is written in US crochet terminology.
What you will need:
One ball yarn in DK or worsted weight yarn.
We used Custom Woolen Mills Ltd. 100% natural wool grown and processed in Canada, in neutral.
As the mother of a teenage daughter it has become a special thing in our house to change the naming of her bathroom from boring old “bathroom” to “Daughter’s Spa”.
This came about as we once again sorted through tons of makeup and brushes and other toiletries that cluttered up her bathroom vanity top and clung precariously around the basin.
That she has her own tiny bathroom is in itself a blessing in our small apartment.
I am a keen believer in purging the clutter and making peace amongst the chaos.
This has been achieved in our daughter’s spa room.
I havecreated (am in the process of creating) several Spa Collection accessories to add to the feeling of luxury in what can often be a cluttered and frantic room.
Make a Spa Experience in your home
As you live your busy life it is important to have a sanctuary in your home.
Each spa collection will feature different patterns for crochet items that you can make. This is a process and I will get the patterns out as soon as I complete them.
As you can imagine for a creative person the mind rushes ahead but the hands follow at their own pace.
My Spa Collections and Colour
I love colour and I know it can change the way you feel and think about things.
In a way color is magic. To choose the right colour for each spa collection was hugely important to me.
The rejuvenating spa collection was inspired by the element of fire and it is uplifting and energy giving. This special collection of bath and spa accessories in made in shades of pink and white.
These colours invoke a romantic feel and provide some excitement and action by the colour selected.
Patterns in the rejuvenating spa collection:
Vanity mat
Cotton wool basket
Soap cosy
Revitalizing Spa Collection (lemon)
The revitalizing spa collection feature special items for oou personal use in lemon and white. this is the colour of creativity and ideas. this spa collection has been made to give you a lift during a busy day.
if you have a day at work and then still want to go out to another work event or on a date then the revitalizing colour of yellows and white will give you the extra lift needed to keep going.
Patterns in the revitalising spa collection:
Scrub pouf
Soap case
Wash cloth
Makeup wipes
Renewal Spa Collection (cucumber)
The renewal spa collection is created in cool cucumber and white. This is a light green pallette and offer you a chance to recharge your batteries and renew your spirits.
The renewal spa collection is inspired by the element of earth and has grounding properties. It offers you support and a chance to get back to basics.
Patterns in the renewal spa collection:
Eye mask
Floor mat
Slippers
Votive candle cover
Soap cover
Relaxing Spa Collection (Lavender)
The relaxing spa collection has shades of lavender and the scent of the lavender sachet relaxes you through its aromatherapeutic properties.
This collection can be used before bed to aid good sleep and full rest at night.
Patterns in the relaxing spa collection:
Wash cloth
Eye mask
Tissue cover
Lavender sachet
Soap bag
Reflection Spa Collection (citrus)
The reflection spa collection is created in tones of orange, tangerine with a touch of cinnamon. It is inspired by the (Chinese) element of wood.
This special collection can be used to aid reflection, or looking back over your day to seek understanding in what went down.
Many people struggle to let go of difficult or challenging experiences perhaps with colleagues, bosses or toxic family members and this color palette will aid clarity and acceptance.
Yes, maybe you were wrong but accept it and move on.
Patterns in the reflection spa collection:
Vaniity mat
Candle cover
Votive candle cover
Rugged Spa Collection for Men (platinum)
This is a more direct colour combination of platinum, silver, jet and white. There is a spark of humour with a definite clarity and sharp contrast in the colours used.
It offers a bracing feel and a masculine tone.
The rugged spa collection is designed for men who care for their body but don’t take themselves too seriously.
Patterns in the rugged spa collection:
Shower ball
Back scrubber
Exfoliating mitt
Floor mat
Springtime Spa Collection (Wedgewood blue)
The springtime spa collection is in cool and serene Wedgwood blue.
Are you the type of person who only has cable TV in your home so you have to watch adverts and a canned newsreel?
Do you ever buy the specialized channels and perhaps pick up the BBC or the science channel even though you have to pay for them?
How about Netflix? Would you pay $8 a month for a vast array of movies and no commercials?
Value
You can see straight away if you appreciate the value in paying for something, over getting it for relatively nothing (but with strings – the ads).
Value is the difference between what a casual crocheter, or hobbyist crocheter and a professional crocheter provide.
You can get a crocheted hat at your dollar store for $1, or you can pay $30 for a similar hat at the mall, or you can pay $75 for a well-known designer hat.
But the expensive hat probably does the same thing, it keeps your head warm and looks trendy, or does it?
If you can see the value in buying better things, made with better materials and crafted in a better fashion, and having good, or even the best things in your life that you can afford, why would you settle for the bottom of the range?
Do you choose basic or do you want something else?
The 3 Types of Crocheter
There are three types of crocheter; the casual crocheter, the hobbyist crocheter and the professional crocheter. Each of the three types can be clearly defined if you look at how they handle money and value
You can see which type of crocheter you are by reading below.
The Casual Crocheter
The casual crochet is where we all start when we begin to crochet. You start with one hook and a ball of yarn. Over time you make things and you enjoy the process. That’s why you do it.
You may leave crocheting for a time and then come back to it. There is no pressure to complete things it is simply a leisure activity.
As a casual crocheter you:
Buy your own yarns
Pick and choose what to make as it takes your fancy
May use the finished item yourself or
Give it away to someone as a gift
No money changes hands and you do not make a profit
The Hobbyist Crocheter
If you are a hobbyist crocheter you buy your own yarn and make items or garments. These items can be to order if say, your sister wants a hat just like the one you are wearing.
You buy the yarn and make the hat and your sister gives you money to cover the cost of the yarn, and perhaps also covers minimum wage (around $8.50 and hour) for the labor (this is “for your time”), or your labor is free.
Your sister pays you, but it just about covers the yarn and maybe an hourly rate.
As a hobbyist crocheter you may barter your skills and maybe make a hat to swop for babysitting your kids on Saturday night or some other trade off.
If you are a hobbyist crocheter you:
Do not advertise or promote that you crochet
Make a few crocheted items each year
Sometimes you get reimbursed for the costs
Make things at cost
Get a nominal amount “for your time”
Barter crochet for other services or goods
Although some people will give you money (and you may tell yourself you are in “business”) you are not in business, and you do not make a profit.
The Professional Crocheter
The first two types of crocheter (casual and hobbyist) are entirely different to the professional crocheter.
As a professional crocheter you are in it to make money and not just cover the cost of the yarn and your time.
You keep accounting books and know what it has cost you and what you have taken in each day or month.
At the end of the month you have profit. The money that you have over when you have paid for your overheads (computer, phone, advertising, materials, postage etc. and your labour costs) and all business related items is your profit.
Professional Crocheter
You are a professional crocheter if you:
Have a crochet business name
Have your own crochet business cards
Own your crochet domain name (YourCrochetBusinessName.com)
Run a current website and post every week
Promote to all social media channels that work for you (examples: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram)
Have a growing mailing list of clients and potential clients
Have a fan base of readers, clients and followers (weak fan base = less than 200 fans, medium fan base = less than 2000 fans, strong fan base = more than 2000 fans)
You know who you are (and who you are not), what you do (and what you don’t do) and can recite your elevator pitch in less than thirty seconds and under one hundred words
Have multiple income streams from your crochet business
Buy yarns carefully (wholesale and online) to maximize profit
Price your goods fairly for wholesale, retail and your custom work (bridal etc.)
Have a crochet business plan for the next 12 months
Use an editorial calendar
You keep financial records (this can be as simple as money in vs. money out)
Your income covers your business costs (web hosting, printing, labels, postage etc.)
You make a profit each month and each year (of course this profit can be small but it is still a profit)
Do not confuse yourself between a hobbyist crocheter and a professional crocheter. This is why hobbyists charge so little for their garments it is because they can.
A professional crocheter is in business to feed their family and will charge more because they typically have a much large setup and can provide continuity in their items and inventory.
We have a reputation for top quality, technically correct original crochet designs and we will not let you down.
We want you to find our patterns to be as relevant in ten years time as they are today and as such we have set in place many desirable features that we think you will appreciate.
There has been much thinking, planning and talking between myself and Lynn that has gone into our new strategy.
To make it easier for you this year we have streamlined the design of our downloadable patterns.
What We Did
Crochet Pattern Layout and Design
Before this year all of our patterns were in landscape orientation and condensed so all the information was printed on two page,s or on both side of the sheet, with a centerfold. In this way the patterns opened out like a book and they were handy and could be taken with you in your crochet bag.
But you have told us that this is not how you use our patterns.
Today you read the patterns from your smartphones and iPads and so we have formatted our patterns in portrait style. We have increased the color (as previously we were thinking of saving your printer ink), image sizes and we have refreshed the images and layout.
Color is a creative medium and we are happier with the clarity that has come to the patterns simply from better layout practices.
Now there is a clearer image on the cover and we have standardized our branding across the media websites and patterns with a fresh color palette and header fonts.
These details are cosmetic and do not in any way change the actual pattern instructions, but they do add value to your purchase of our patterns and the license you have to produce garments and a items from our patterns.
Your Favorite Crochet Patterns
The actual pattern instructions themselves stay the same. If you bought one of our patterns before the instructions are the same. If you buy a pattern now it will be in the new format and easier to use on mobile devices which is where you use them.
These changes are a process which we are working on and they will all be done eventually as we go through all the patterns.
Crochet Pattern Updates Available
If you bought our patterns from Ravelry you will get a new update of the pattern automatically. If you bought one of our patterns from this website, or from Craftsy or our Etsy shop you can email us for an update.
Please use the contact page at the bottom of the page.
You tell us you enjoy our up-to-date and on-trend patterns and we have responded with a new selection in the sections for the coming year.
Pattern Categories and New Yarns
This year we are tightening our niche and doing what we love and do well. This means we have let go of areas that aren’t working for us and focused on a new batch of high detailed pattern selections.
As we change our living style we seek ways to live a happy life with creativity and family and friends nearby.
This way of living can be supported by a lovely home with modern accessories in the kitchen and bathroom (or as our daughters now call it their “spa-rooms”).
So we are preparing to share with you beautiful and stylish items in our kitchen and dining pattern section, and the bath and spa pattern section.
Building on the need for fresh local cooking and rejuvenating soaks in the tub Lynn and I are focusing on our pattern areas as laid out below for 2016.
We will be Offering more Lifestyle Crochet Patterns for:
Women’s casual: Shawls, ponchos and wraps
Headwear: Ear warmers and headbands
Neckwear: Scarves, cowls and snoods
Bath and Spa: Candle covers, washcloths, shower balls, vanity mats and baskets
Kitchen: Tea towels, wash-up and floor mats
Dining: Table runners, placemats and napkin rings (or as we love to call it napery)
Local Sources for Natural Yarns
We will be bringing in more 100% natural yarns like wool from sheep, alpacas and cashmere, and cotton (raw and mercerized), but probably not silk (as there are challenges in the silk manufacturing process), and also yarns that are natural and manmade blends.
We are going to feature more yarns from our local area in Vancouver and British Columbia and surrounds, and using Canadian wools and crochet products more.
We will redefine what it is to be considered a local yarn, and we will evaluate the benefit of imported yarns when they support rural communities in developing countries. This is an area that needs more understanding.
The idea is to use less acrylic and more natural fiber because natural yarns save the environment and are biodegradable. This is a complex process and I will be telling you more on our yarn choices later.
Change is not easy. We are creatures of habit and like to do things the same way as before, but there is a time for change and if we take it one step (or stitch) at a time you are welcome to come along with us.
As the year comes to an end it is a great time to see where you are in your crochet micro-business and do a review.
Looking back over the highlights of your year can help you plan for the next twelve months.
In December there are often many things going on both in your private life and in your business life.
If you have a small crochet business make time to look back at the year your have just lived and see how you have improved since January.
Take a break
For us Christmas is a time for family so I like to rest and spend my time with my husband and family.
I like to take a break from my crochet business in the week between Christmas and the New Year.
This week is also a slow time for business and many customers have switched off and are doing the same.
But in December before The big day hits us there is time to look back at the year that just passed
Keep records
Running a micro business does mean you have to do some paperwork. In your notebook on January 1st list the numbers of:
Your business bank balance
Cash on hand
Completed items not sold yet (as a dollar value)
Your social media presence; Facebook page fans, Twitter followers, Pinterest followers and Instagram followers etc.
Your mailing list subscribers
These are all numbers that should grow every year.
Social media
Not all social media works for everyone. You may find you got into Facebook early on and you simply love it and maybe you have not yet explored Pinterest or Instagram. If one of your social media channels is doing better than another I suggest you drop the weaker one.
It is better to do one or two things well than do many things poorly.
I have concentrated on Instagram in the past year. I expect the time I spend on social media is much the same but I have developed a better understanding of how Instagram works.
In the next year I may try to understand another social media channel as we don’t know what will be the next big thing.
Time
You only have one or two hours a week for administration of your business. That means:
Website maintenance (clearing spam and general updating)
Buying stationery (bags for your items, tags and labels)
Invoicing and emails with customers
Maintaining your Etsy or other online store
Going to the post office to post your sales
Limit the time you spend on maintenance and put more time towards creating.
100% of Your Time
You don’t spend all your time doing crochet. You may have one or even two other jobs, but of all the time you have available to put towards you micro craft business it represents 100% of. your time.
Your hours available could be 5, 10 or 40 hours a week. For some of you it will be 50 plus hours a week.
How much time do you spend on your micro business was each week?
A percentage of your available time can be put towards your micro business. Whatever that time is, it represents the full amount of the time.
If you have a day job you will have less time each week for your micro business.
If you are a stay-at-home Mom your will likely have time in the day, but it may be in small chunks as your day unfolds and the kids nap and play.
There could be half an hour in the early morning as you have that first cup of coffee before your wake you family and the day begins.
There could be 15 minutes as you sit in the car and wait for the kids to come out of school.
There is likely to be time after dinner when you catch up with your family on their day or in front of the TV at night.
Weekends can be very different as your family has other needs and demands on your time.
I like to crochet in the park on a Saturday afternoon. I may take my notebook and sketch as well but it is a time for ideas and shapes to form. I can also jot some pattern ideas and diagrams in the fresh air. I have a notebook for creative ideas and buy a new one each year. I like the Moleskine A5 size with plain (no lines) pages.
On Sundays I take it easier and will try new stitches and yarns that I have not used before. I call it my free crochet time. I’m still with a hook in my hand, but I leave my weekly projects and try something new. It keeps my mind fresh and open to new things.
Have a good look at your day and find the time in hours, half-hours and fifteen minutes slots. Then add it all up.
Once you know your available time each day in hours you can calculate how much time you should spend on each activity.
How to Use the Time Available
Of the 100% available time you can break it up as follows:
5% maintenance
15% business promotion on social media
20% writing your blog, books and articles
60% crafting and creating your goods
If you let your creative time slip to less than half of your time available, you can lose the magic.
Always keep your creative crochet time to more than half of your available time.
Weekdays are Different to Weekends
If you make your crochet in the evening when you are watching TV do the social media and promotion at the weekends.
This method makes sense if you have a day job as you may be weary after your day at work.
And if you have kids to look after there can be quiet times in the evening after the kids have gone to bed.
Preserve Your Creative Time
Preserve and reserve your creative time.
As it is what you love and the creative work soothes.
Keep doing to creative work this is important.
Don’t let the running of your micro-business rob you of your love of crochet as this is what got you started in the first place.
A Little Exercise for You
Here are a few questions that you can ask yourself to help you fine tune your motives for doing the crochet in the first place and the reasons that you will continue to do so next year (or not).
You have to be honest with yourself and the answers will help you discover your inner drives and show a reason to continue.
Running a micro-business is not for everyone. To have a crochet micro-business may be something that you have done for a couple of years.
You may find that the need has passed and you can go back to just crocheting the odd item as it takes your fancy, without the pressure to craft at a high standard suitable for resale.
Ask Yourself
How do you feel about having to make goods on demand instead of whatever takes your fancy as before?
How many sales (by item) did you have this year?
Did you make any money? Did you lose money? Do you even know?
Did you like doing it?
Will you continue next year or will you choose to let your dream of having a crochet micro-business go?
Did the crocheting make you happy?
Do you complain all the time about weak sales or lack of sales?
Do you resent having to constantly be thinking about this business?
Who are you doing it for, yourself, your partner, your mother-in-law?
What are you doing it all for, money, status, independence or respect?
Are you looking forward to a prosperous New Year?
Next Year
We will have a look at your next year’s crochet micro-business goals in another post.
Author Bio
Alison Heathcote, a passionate crochet enthusiast and dedicated business blogger, combines her love for crafting and entrepreneurship to inspire and connect with others.
With a knack for transforming yarn into beautiful creations and a flair for sharing valuable insights about running a successful crochet business, Alison embodies the perfect blend of creativity and practicality.
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Your niche is the special segment in your industry that you know well and where you are skilled.
In the large world of craft, crochet is a section of craft. Hats are a section of crochet in crafts. Baby hats are a section within hats in crochet and in crafts, and writing patterns for baby hats, in hats, in crochet, in crafts is a niche.
Your niche is the place where you are good and can do, whatever it is. You could call it a passion and if you can – then you know.
Millions of people craft and thousands of them crochet. Many individuals make hats, some folks make baby hats and a few of them write patterns for baby crochet hats.
Maybe you make crochet baby booties and that is your niche. Perhaps you create amigurumi animals and that is your niche. Or you produce cotton bohemian tops and that is your niche.
Your niche is the thin area within your main industry where you excel.
Type of Crochet
Your niche is not only the actual item it can be the type of crochet
You may be a specialist in tunisian crochet, Irish crochet or filet crochet.
Perhaps you only work on freeform crochet like hyperbolic crochet and the Mobius.
These are examples of techniques that could be your niche and you may make various items within these segments.
How to Find Your Niche
Look at your stash
Do you have many yarns?
What thickness of wool and cottons do you have?
Only thin or only chunky yarns? Only natural fibres or some acrylics?
What is your colour palette? Do you mainly have brights, darks or pastels.
Or maybe only neutrals?
Which colours appeal to you? Are you a fan of variegated yarns?
My stash is very different to your stash and your stash will be different again to the next woman. Individuality is shown by the type of yarn and colour combinations in your stash.
What do you usually make when you crochet?
Blankets, scarves, doilies, kids stuff, bags or what?
What about size?
Is your work often in little projects that can be finished in a day or big afghans that take a month to complete or are they something in between?
How about the methods you use.
Do you work top-down so you never have to sew seams?
Do you do circles and work in-the-round, or squares like granny squares or log cabin?
Are you likely to create projects with tonal stripes like light blue, mid blue and dark blue or color blocks?
Do you love intricate stitch patterns or plain repetitive stitches?
By a simple consideration of what you normally buy in yarns (as shown by your stash) and what you usually make (in item) and the techniques your employ all suggest the direction of your niche.
Your Niche
If you can say “I make baby hats in natural cotton which I market online,” or “I specialize in lacy wedding shawls which I sell to local bridal boutiques,” then that is your niche.
Bear in mind that you niche may be wide for example, if you crochet kids fun clothing in primary acrylics, then that is your niche..
Your niche does not have to be narrow but it typically becomes so. Over the years you may slip into making a certain thing in a particular yarn with the same hook for a definite market.
Embrace your style and hone your skills to become the best within your niche.
Take ownership and own your niche.
Author Bio
Alison Heathcote, a passionate crochet enthusiast and dedicated business blogger, combines her love for crafting and entrepreneurship to inspire and connect with others.
With a knack for transforming yarn into beautiful creations and a flair for sharing valuable insights about running a successful crochet business, Alison embodies the perfect blend of creativity and practicality.
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Traditionally Christmas stockings are hung on the mantelpiece around a fireplace so Santa can come down the chimney and put gifts in the stockings for everyone. They are also know as Christmas socks.
In days gone by every sock has an orange and a piece of coal in the toe. This symbolized food and warmth for the year. These days we are just as likely to give a Terry’s chocolate orange and we always give chocolate coins or money in envelopes.
Traditionally the Christmas colours are red and green as these are the colours of holly. Holly is the main shrub with red berries and glossy green leaves that grows through the winter months and is available to take into your house for decoration at Christmastime.
Each stocking is embroidered with the person’s name so Santa has no problem working out whose is whose so he gets the gifts right. Well that’s the theory.
There many ways to make Christmas socks and here are the ones I’ve made for my family over the years.
Crochet stockings
Red crochet sock for Mom and striped crochet sock for Dad
Knitted stockings
Knitted socks for the kids.
The inspiration for the socks were from two were bought by my mother years ago in Johannesburg from a craft market. They are the inspiration for the other two kids stocking which I knitted when they were born, and that is over twenty years ago now.
I tried to make the second two socks similar to the first two socks because the younger children liked to have the same as the older children.
I am not really a knitter and these are about as fancy I I get with a pair of needles.
How to trim a Christmas tree
We put up our family Christmas tree on the first Saturday of December every year. We have a “Trim the Tree” party where we order in food (which is actually a treat as we usually cook every meal in our home and don’t get takeout often).
We start at 5pm when the family arrives and it takes the whole evening to get the tree beautiful.
Every year you need to have a new ornament relating the what you did that year. This special ornament often has the year on it.
Open all the branches and straighten.
Add lights and check them by switching them on. Then switch them off.
Add tinsel by draping from one branch to the next like smiles.
Ad baubles.
Add chocolate ornaments
Switch on lights and say, “ohhh… and ahhh…”
Add the Christmas angel to the top. We have a Christmas book and write down each year which child added the angel and whose turn it is this year. The kids love to be the one to add the angel. Take family photos around the tree and it is done.
All that is left is to eat the food and have a drink. Cheers!
You start to crochet the day you pick up your first hook (the day before that you had never held a hook and knew not of this captivating craft).
From that day onwards (we shall call it Hook Day) you can say you are a crocheter to some degree.
Although it may take weeks, months, years (or never) for you to turn your crocheting into a micro-business.
When you decide to set up in a crochet business there are many things to think about before you get-going and start to sell, because selling something is what being in business is all about.
You may produce crocheted goodies, designs or your skills or a combination of these options. It depends on you and what interests you enough to keep you going through the early tough days of your business.
Your Dream Customer
I used to think that my dream customer was anyone who bought my stuff.
Maybe you think this too, but take that thought another step forward and tune into who exactly your dream customer is and could be.
If you know who your dream customer is, it is one way to decide on the thrust of your creative and promotional effort.
This is important as we, as crocheters, only have so much creative effort each day and it is best not to waste it.
They say you can make more money but not more time and this is very true for creative types which I’m sure you are as you are reading this article.
What to Sell
You need to work out whether you will sell:
Crochet supplies bought wholesale
Your handmade crochet goods
Your own crochet patterns
Crochet classes that you teach
Crochet books and videos
Kits for beginners with a hook, yarn and pattern
Other – because you never know
Ways To Sell
If you are going to sell your hand-made crochet goods like hats and scarves you can sell them:
By word of mouth and thus in your local neighbourhood only.
At a local shop (kids shop or kitchen store for example) – locally
At craft fairs – locally and regionally
Through an online shop like Etsy – globally
On an auction site like eBay – internationally
Other ways you can think of
If you are going to sell digital goods like patterns, eBooks or videos there is no choice, like above with your actual physical crochet hats and scarves, you will sell your digital products online and globally to an international market.
This means all of these types of items need to be very clear and use standard crochet terminology and easily understood by all.
Your Dream Customer has Two Facets
The thing is, who is your customer and more importantly where is your customer.
Where Your Customers Are
There are four areas in where your customers are found:
Locally – In your neighbourhood where you can walk, cycle, bus or take a cab to reach them and you sell face-to-face
Regionally – In your area around 200km tops and it takes a bus or car ride to get there and you sell face-to-face
Nationally – in your country – you send the goods by post in the mail
Internationally – Anywhere in the world and you send the goods by post in the mail
Who Your Customers Are
It depends again who they are:
Individuals
Businesses (shops and retailers)
Wholesalers (who buy in bulk and sell to retailers)
Who and Where
Examples of who is, and where to find, your dream customer
Your dream customer may:
Live in your neighbourhood
Live near regional craft shows where you have a stall
Live in your country and buys one item for personal use and to give to friends.
Live anywhere. Likes your style, your goodies and your message.
It may take some time for you to decide who your dream customer is, but the benefits to you of this simple exercise are immense in saving time, money and effort.
Not to mention the agonising over why things are not working if you are pitching to the wrong people or madly crocheting things that they don’t want.
“When you know who your customer is,
it tells you where to expend your creative and promotional effort.”
If you have an online store
There is no point making twenty winter hats if you live in a warm place unless you have an online store selling to cold areas like, north America, Canada or northern Europe and you sell winter hats all year round.
If you have an online store you can sell all items both physical and digital all the time.
If you sell Locally or Regionally
There is no point in stockpiling multiples of the same item if they are not selling.
Be aware of seasonal changes (summer and winter) and adjust your stock of made-up items to suit.
Don’t carry winter hats through the summer if they sit on your shelves waiting to be bought and don’t carry summer lacy vests through the winter.
Rather have a sale in the spring (and move your winter hats) and a sale in the autumn (and move your summer tops) and reduce them to a lower price.
This will free up your cash so you can buy more yarn and make what is in demand in the next three months or so of summer.
This is known as cashflow.
Some crocheters like to have made-up items of whatever their speciality is neatly folded and in plastic bags ready for shipping.
Whilst this is good (to be organised so you can find thing when they do sell) it does not make sense to carry stock over the wrong season because you have money invested in these items.
These are some ideas to think about as you craft your next project. they are points I wish someone had told me way back when I started selling my crochet goods.
I hope you find them of use as you grow your own crochet micro-business by knowing your dream customer.
Author Bio
Alison Heathcote, a passionate crochet enthusiast and dedicated business blogger, combines her love for crafting and entrepreneurship to inspire and connect with others.
With a knack for transforming yarn into beautiful creations and a flair for sharing valuable insights about running a successful crochet business, Alison embodies the perfect blend of creativity and practicality.
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Author: Alison Heathcote - Published: April 2013 - Revised: January 2024 Crochet for Self-care Crochet is a wonderful activity that can provide relaxation, mindfulness, and creativity, making it an ideal addition to your daily self-care routine. Whether you...
What is crochet? Let's break it down letter by letter. C – R – O – C – H – E - T C is for Creative If it is anything crochet is creative. It is not like knitting where machines can do it. Crochet is always done by hand and usually there is only one stitch on the hook...
You can start crocheting very quickly with a few basic stitches.
You may already know how to do the stitches but not know their name.
Or you may know how to do them and their name but not know their abbreviation which is used in crochet patterns.
The third possibility is that you don’t know how to do the stitches and didn’t even know that they had and name let alone a code in patterns.
The five basic crochet stitches are like the crochet alphabet. They are the letters that make up the words (the pattern), and the words when brought together in a certain way can make poetry. Crochet poetry.
There are other advanced crochet stitches as well and we will cover them later.
These stitches are in USA/Canadian crochet terminology which is different to UK/RSA crochet terminology.
There are five simple stitches in crochet; chain, single crochet, double crochet, triple (or treble) crochet and slip stitch.
I will explain each one in turn with pictures.
Chain Stitch
Put a starting loop on you hook and, hold the hook like a pencil (and not a shovel), with your thumb on top and fingers below.
Put the yarn over the hook,
and pull through.
Repeat.
This forms a chain and is often used as a base for items in crochet.
If you can get your chain to be even and not too tight this will be the basis for your tension or gauge in later projects.
Practice making a chain in varying thicknesses of wool and with bigger and smaller hooks until you get a smooth rhythm.
This may take a day or two.
In a crochet pattern the code for a chain is ch.
Single Crochet
On the chain you just made (in yellow) you can start making rows of different stitches.
First is the single crochet. This is the smallest crochet stitch and the simplest one to do. I have shown the single crochet in green yarn.
Insert your hook into the chain making sure you go through two threads of the chain (there are three threads for each chain).
Yarn over your hook and pull through (two loops on hook),
yarn over and pull through the two loops on your hook (one loop on hook). This image looks a bit mess as it is the first single crochet stitch on the chain but it will get better as you can see below.
Continue making single crochets across the chain.
Remember you have completed the stitch when you have only one loop left on your hook. Do not start the next single crochet stitch if you have more than one loop on your hook.
In a crochet pattern the code for a single crochet is sc.
Double Crochet
On a chain we can make double crochet stitches.
Yarn over and then insert the hook into the chain (the two top threads),
Yarn over and pull through two loops (three loops on hook),
Yarn over and pull through two loops on your hook (two loops on hook),
yarn over and pull through the last two loops on your hook. Only one loop remains on you hook and the double crochet stitch is complete.
In a crochet pattern the code for a double crochet is dc.
Triple Crochet
You can make a triple crochet into the chain you formed or the top of other stitches.
Yarn over twice (three loops on hook), insert your hook into the chain making sure to go through the two threads of the chain, yarn over and pull through (four loops on hook),
Yarn over pull through two loops (three loops on hook)
yarn over and pull through two loops (two loops on hook),
yarn over and pull through last two loops on your hook leaving one loop on your hook and the double crochet stitch is complete.
In a crochet pattern the code for a triple crochet is tc.
Slip Stitch
On a base chain or, other row of stitches as we have triple crochets in the image below, insert hook into top two threads of stitches shown below.
Make sure to pull the thread a bit more than usual (for ease as it can get tight) and pull through the two threads and the loop on the hook in one go (one loop on hook). The slip stitch is in white.
A row of slip stitches when finished is low and flat. A slip stitch can be used to join rows when you work in a circle or to move the hook to a new position in a pattern. It can be used for edging as well.
The slip stitch is similar a single crochet but you pull through all the loops at once to keep it low.
In a crochet pattern the code for a slip stitch is ss.
Basic stitches
These form the five basic stitches used in crochet and by combining them in many ways you get patterns of stitches.
Author Bio
Alison Heathcote, a passionate crochet enthusiast and dedicated business blogger, combines her love for crafting and entrepreneurship to inspire and connect with others.
With a knack for transforming yarn into beautiful creations and a flair for sharing valuable insights about running a successful crochet business, Alison embodies the perfect blend of creativity and practicality.
More Articles
If you enjoyed this post and crochet is your thing, you may like some other crochet articles from our blog.
Author: Alison Heathcote - Published: January 2024 About Our Original Crochet Patterns Finding a crochet pattern can be quite overwhelming with the multitude of options available. However, the real challenge lies in discovering patterns that not only meet your...
by Alison Stapleton Temperature Blanket Details This year I am making a temperature blanket. Each day will be represented by a three-row granny square in the colour of the high temperature that day where I live in the city of Vancouver in Canada. I started on...
A wash cloth (or flannel as we used to call them) is a soft cotton cloth for use in the bathroom.
Each person in your household should have their own cloth and you can make them in co-ordinating colours to suit your bathroom decor.
Because we have four children I made a different colour for each child. Our eldest daughter had blue and white, our son brown and white (tip here; brown is a good colour for little boys), second daughter pink and white and the youngest daughter has purple/magenta and white.
Cotton wash cloths can be well – washed in the machine and come back fresh each time.
What you need:
Two balls of Bernat Handicrafter Cotton one ball in white and one ball in a contrasting colour this will make two wash cloths as shown in the photo. I have used white and turquoise.
5mm crochet hook.
Tapestry sewing needle to sew in the ends.
This pattern is at the beginner’s level.
You need to know the following crochet stitches:
Chain (ch)
Single crochet (sc)
Double crochet (dc)
WYRE WASH CLOTH
Pattern only $2
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About Old English Creations original crochet patterns
Original designs
All our patterns are Old English Creations original designs created by our talented designers Alison and Lynn.
Each one is technically correct and uses US crochet terminology and not UK crochet terminology.
Our patterns are sold as a PDF downloads. This means you get a file sent to your computer and not an actual paper pattern. You have to print it yourself.
Refreshing Spa Collection (turquoise)
