Crochet business thoughts around the round table ...

Let's walk into a business meeting here at Southern Gal's Crochet. The place where we (the hubs and I) gather and discuss everything is at the round table. Topics range from running the house, paying the bills, how our jobs are going and of course new plans for the business. 

Yes, technically Southern Gal's Crochet is MY business but let's get real he plays a big part in it, such as making post office runs, buying yarn and more yarn and more yarn. Haha! Truthfully though I run by ideas and use his keen eye on whether the parts look crooked, he is key to my success.   

Now to the point, several times I have had the idea of branching into products for sale. Here is what we discussed and the decisions.

This will be happening:

One of the first things I want to get going in this branch will be safety eyes. If you don't know already, I have strong opinions about them and what kind to use and how to use them. I was thinking that a good way to combat these feelings was to just go ahead and offer them in my shop. 

This may be happening:

The next item we discussed was a travel pack of  crochet accessories. I don't know about you but I am forever forgetting something like a yarn needle or scissors. I don't want to carry a bulking organizer, just something that will fit in my purse and have some of the immediate essentials. 

We have done so much research on the travel pack, it is an investment that can be a gamble of being a hit or miss. I am sure other small business's feel the same when thinking about expanding but I pointed out (and to quote my mother) "we wont know till we try". Long story short 2 days later, we are still thinking about it.

This might not be happening yet:

Next up on the table is making project bags. I have been wanting to do this for a very long time but it just never seems to come to light. Not enough time, in the day to do it all. This one might have to be put on the back burner for a little while longer. Bags may or may not look like the picture below, I won't know till I actually make some and see which style I like best.

Hope you enjoyed attending our meeting today and would love to hear your input.

Happy Crocheting!

Winter storm knitting

Oh my what a 12 days it has been! 

For me it started with hubby home for two days vacation time plus the weekend. His plan was to have 4 days off for his b-day weekend but he didn't plan on being home for 11 days!
I don't know about yall but for me it is really hard to stay in my "at home" work schedule with him under foot and yabbering all the time. 

I had started knitting his bday scarf on the 10th but was trying to be secretive about so I was only able to work on it when he was at work or asleep.

Then the storm hit, power went out and took the water with it. Oh goodness it was cold for us old Texans, we were all bundled up but still trying to be a bit active to keep the blood flowing. For 2.5 days we lived pioneer style. Knitting by lamplight at night and gathering snow and roof runoff for water during the day.

I knitted his scarf, my scarf and even a pixie hat, LOL! I looked ridiculous in that hat but I it was helping me stay warm. No, your not getting a picture of that! Hahaha.

While I was making the hat, my hubby is watching me and suddenly he says "that don't look too hard".

Dude, really?! My brain is yelling things that I didn't say. 

For me knitting is a challenge, self taught and I make a jillion mistakes and the needles slip, stitches get turned around or lost completely. I am getting a bit better but still nowhere near teaching level. Truth be told, I'm not even sure I cast on right. LOL!

I gave him some yarn, needles and showed him the cast on and the first row. Somehow he managed to get the last stitch with a 4 inch loop on it. He tried again and well next thing I know he is ripping it out and wrapping the yarn around the skein, he was done! Haha, maybe next time but it was fun for him to join me for a moment.

(As you can see he is wearing his new scarf and also sporting a very old helmet hat crocheted with 2 strands of yarn.)

Happy knitting and crocheting!

"Hey We Crochet" crochet group

Hey We Crochet Facebook crochet group
 
I started the day off normal enough... 

Declutter my desk area, always a must after finishing one project and before starting a new one. Well at least it is for me, not everyone is nuts like me. While I was doing that I was also browsing Facebook. 

I ran across an interesting post in a group page for designers talking about group pages that let you self promote. I started doing some searches of crochet groups, unfortunately so many look fun to be in but don't allow self promotion. 

Mostly this rule is because some people post their stuff everyday and sometimes multiple times a day, ruining it for the rest. I get it but boy can it be frustrating. Say I want to post a pic of my work, as a designer, it is of course going to be something I created with my own pattern. Other members of the group ask where can they get the pattern. Guess what! You are not allowed to post the link because that would be self promoting, it can get very aggravating. 

I know if this bugs me and other designers as well, then there needs to be a fix.

Suddenly I remembered my sister had opened a crochet page awhile back (turns out "awhile back" was actually 8 yrs ago! LOL!), I hadn't thought of her group in such a long time I had actually forgotten about it to tell the truth. Last I saw, she and I were the only members.

I looked it up. It said the page had been archived because the admin left, I was the only member left and did I want to reactivate the page and be the admin. 

I thought "well here is my chance to have a group that can be fun and allows limited self promotion." I really didn't have to think on it too long, I knew almost immediately it was time to do it.

I do hope you will join us over at Hey We Crochet

Happy Crocheting