Sew Wrong

Great Read: Craft, Inc.


So I picked up this book on Tuesday and I’m over half-way through reading it as we speak. Wow, this is a book I wish I had two years ago when I was first starting up my knit accessories business (which, of course, is no more). From the website:

“Craft, Inc. is the hipster business primer for entrepreneurial crafters to turn what they do for fun into what they do for money. Pro crafter Meg Mateo Ilasco offers a step-by-step guide to everything from developing products and naming the company to writing a business plan, applying for licenses, and paying taxes. Chapters on sales, marketing, trade shows, and publicity round out the mix. Plus, in-depth interviews with such craft luminaries as Jonathan Adler, Lotta Jansdotter, Denyse Schmidt, and Jill Bliss provide inspiration and practical advice. Accessible, informative, and more than a little spunky, Craft, Inc. paves the way for today’s creative minds to become tomorrow’s trendsetters.”

Finally, a book relevant to today’s crafters trying to find their way in the business world! Meg offers great tips on finding your nitch market, ways to become inspired, and she cuts through all of that business lingo so that you can be a legit operation. I’ve only gotten through to the section on creating a consistent brand image, but I’m sure she offers a ton more great tips that I have yet to read.

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Webs: Truly an Experience

This past Thursday, since I had the day off from work, I took the opportunity to drive to Webs in Northampton, MA to see their retail store in person. If you have ordered online from their website, you know that they have a ton of yarn to choose from. But it’s nothing like what they have in their store. When I walked in and was immediately overwhelmed at not just the size of the store but the amount of yarn covering the walls and stacked throughout the aisles. There was so much that I had to ask for help because really, I had no idea where to begin. Plus, their warehouse is open to the public, so there was even more yarn in the back I had yet to see! I spent a good two hours in yarn heaven, and walked out a happy knitter with a large bag of yarn in hand for many projects.

Berroco Ultra Alpaca

Berroco Ultra Alpaca for a cabled beret from the new Debbie Bliss knitting magazine

Berroco Pure Merino DK

Berroco Pure Merino DK for a bobbled tam from Vogue Knitting Holiday 08

Jo sharp Silk Road Aran

Jo Sharp Silkroad Aran for a cabled scarf (ssh xmas gift!)

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran

Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran for some Fetching gloves (maybe some gifts as well?)

All in all, a very good day! I urge anyone is in the area to get out to this fabulous LYS!

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Pinstripe Work Shirt

Pinstripe Shirt

Pattern: Simplicity 7086 (out of print, I think)
Fabric: Polyester
Size: 10-14

Pinstripe Shirt

This material was a devil to work with. Of course, it didn’t help that I didn’t line up my stripes correctly (I’ve never worked with stripes before). So the darts look funny because the stripes aren’t even on both sides. I also lengthened this about two inches on the pattern because I knew it would be too short for me to tuck in to pants and have it stay put. I feel pretty meh about this, because I should have picked a better fabric to work with. For now, I’m saying “no” to slippery fabrics until I get some more confidence in my sewing.

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The Mole Jacket

Grey Cropped Jacket


Pattern: Butterick 5089
Fabric: Wool coating from Metro Textile in NYC
Size: 10

Grey Cropped Jacket

Pros: I like that it’s an express pattern (2 Hour Fashion), and I knew that it would go together fast. Of course, I opted to do some handwork, so it took longer than two hours to do. But still, pretty fast to whip up.

Fabric Used: A furry wool that I bought at Metro Textile in NYC. It seriously looks like I skinned a mole or something. But it’s got a wonderful soft feel to it.

Pattern Alterations: I added an extra snap along the lower edge because otherwise it would flip open if a breeze came by. I have no idea why they just included two snaps at the top and nothing at the bottom to keep it shut. I also hand stitched the neck facings down since they bunched up when trying to put the jacket on.

The collar, because of its bulky nature, has a tendency to roll out in the back. This should have been understitched before adding it to the jacket, but I didn’t know that beforehand. So, unfortunately, it rolls out and there’s not much I can do about it now.

It’s also a bit tricky to put on and to adjust the collar, again because of its bulky nature. I need a mirror to check it out to make sure everything is smooth and not bunchy.

All in all, a good and easy pattern.

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