Do you Etsy...? And what do you do with YOUR eggs...?

I'm not talking food here, so I don't mean poached, boiled, scrambled or fried!

As the saying goes, never put all your eggs in one basket.  So my felted bag and purse patterns are listed for sale on Ravelry and Craftsy, and also on Etsy.

However, what to do with my handmade fabric Kindle, iPad and other eReader and tablet cases has had me scratching my head in recent weeks.  My website ticks over quite nicely, but with Folksy no longer being the decent selling platform it was before last November's changes, it was time to look for alternatives.  And alternatives that might work (for me) so Zibbet, DaWanda, MISI and Coriandr were out as I'd had no luck with them in the past.

I eventually decided on a couple of lesser known but recommended sites - Luulla.com and BigCartel.com - and, of course, that crafting world giant, Etsy, where I already have a shop selling my knit and felt bag patterns.  I'm not totally convinced my Kindle sleeves, etc, will sell from my Etsy shop, as US fabric prices are a fraction of those here, making it impossible to compete on cost.  But Etsy is becoming more widely known in the UK, buyers can search only UK shops if they wish, and I can price in £ rather than $ these days, so I live in hope.  Only a few items added so far, but I'll gradually add more as time permits.

If you sell on Etsy - or on another site not mentioned above - I'd love to hear your experiences. :)

Have Kate and Madonna really made knitting cool?

Among other things, I design no-sew knit-and-felt bag purse patterns, selling exclusively now through Ravelry and Craftsy (as downloads) and Etsy (as PDFs sent direct to a buyer's inbox). Interest has been huge, and the pattern on the left is one of my best sellers. Oddly, though, 99% of my customers are from the US. I've had the occasional Canadian and Australian buyer, but very little interest from the UK. Unexpectedly, the few UK sales I did make came mostly through eBay. (That was shortlived, though, as I logged on one day to find that eBay had removed all my pattern listings, for the reason that sending items by digital means is not allowed. When I asked why, no-one could give me a sensible answer. As sending hardcopy through the mail would have made the patterns unattractively expensive, that was the end of that!)

Anyway, I digress! The reason for this post is to try to find out why there's such an apparent lack of interest in knitting in the UK. It's a huge industry in the States, and lots of celebrities have supposedly made it 'cool'. So is it the prices of designer patterns that puts Brits off? Possibly, as I was once asked by a UK eBayer if I would consider selling one (priced at what I consider a modest £2.75) at half price. I politely explained the work and time involved, and pointed her at Etsy and Ravelry, where most pattern prices are a lot higher than mine, and she came back and bought!

So are we simply a nation of tight-wallets who want everything at car-boot prices? Or is it something else...? Your thoughts gratefully received!

(To those interested, the actual bag above, fully lined and with magnetic snap fastening, is available here.)

My wrist key fobs featured

My Citrus wrist key fob is featured today on Do You Etsy. The zingy citrus colours still make my mouth water! And my Daisy fob was featured last Folksy Friday on The Little Bead Box blog. I adore this Kaffe Fasset fabric with its jewel-like colours. Must see if I can get some more!

The idea for these was born when I found myself juggling kids and shopping, and struggling to find my keys in my bag or pockets. After dropping said keys (invariably in a puddle...!) for the umpteenth time, I decided it was time for action. So I designed and made myself one, using gorgeous fabrics. When complete strangers began asking where they could get one too, I realised I wasn't the only one with this problem, and BaggieAggietoo, my second Folksy shop, was born.

As can be seen, these are not made with webbing and hardware clamps, and therefore dashed off in a few minutes, production-line style. My washable and durable fobs are made with multiple layers of designer fabrics, often vintage, and two layers of interfacing. Some will also feature unusual braids and other trimmings. Matching or contrasting covered buttons feature, and the quality nickel-plated steel hardware has been sourced for its discreet simplicity. Time and care is lavished on each and every one. I also offer a custom service for anyone who requires an alternative colour or fabric combination, at no extra cost.

The shop is very new, and other accessories will be added gradually. Do stop by if you have spare moment as I'd love to know what you think. :-)