Monday 5 April 2010

Work? Pah!

Definition of happiness? Both of us home on a midweek day, pyjamas, whole series of Twin Peaks to watch, knitting, coffee. After having had two weeks off, 4 relatively easygoing days back at work then the Easter weekend, the readjustment to actual dayjob is going to be, well, tricksy...

So I'm making the most of today. Granted, I've got a lot of work to do on KD but it doesn't exactly feel like a chore; in fact, if I knew it would earn me enough I would jack in the DJ and go full time on the knits in an instant. And I'd live in Candyland where everything is made of sugar and smiles, and the White Rabbit would bring me coffee every hour on the hour. Lovely thought. Not that I dislike my work - I'm pretty lucky to do a job I enjoy with a great bunch of workmates, but let's face it, wouldn't everyone like to be their own boss? Oh well. One Lottery win away :)

Anyway, enough daydreaming. The weekly bulletin picks up where the last one left off, conveniently omitting the two weekends of birthday celebrations that I now realise I don't remember as well I thought (thanks Facebook and friends with cameras). I've been keeping myself occupied with a couple of commissions, which it's nice to see I'm still getting regularly. First up a nice easy couple of iPod socks: purple pinstriped for Jen, who got matching ones for her iPhone and iPod Nano; green spotty for Holly's Nano.



Then Andy's sister Emma, who has just come back from a year in sunny Oz to England's pathetic excuse for spring, commissioned some multicoloured fingerless gloves (or hobo gloves as she calls them, which I quite like), and a pair of long leg slipper socks in boho browns and purples to take on the next leg of her world tour - 3 months teaching in Japan where etiquette dictates that she have separate indoor shoes.

Super pleased with those. They're definitely going on the stock list!

I've also started making old skool football scarves - the very simple but nostalgic garter stitch stripe style - to sell on eBay; it's a more accessible item for that market and easy to do cheaply. There'll be a better pic coming up soon but here's one in red and white before it's been trimmed and finished:

Just to clarify, I've stopped selling my other designs on eBay for the simple reason that eBay is where people go to get secondhand and cheap items, not craft or handmade pieces, and it's simply not realistic to charge even what the materials and labour cost, let alone make a profit on them. People don't want to pay £6 for a brooch when they can get something for 50p out of a house clearance :) Apart from which the listing fees are so much more than Etsy or Folksy - the system of 20p to list for 6 months and then take a commission on the sale which these two craft-specific sites employ is much fairer than charging the Earth to list in the first place for a maximum 0f 10 days, plus commission if by some miracle the item sells. Etsy and Folksy on the other hand are designed specifically for handmade and original arts and designs without the antiquated 'craft fair' stigma; and those who know about chic new designs are beginning to get wind of where to go for them! That's not to say I'll eschew eBay completely, but my primary outlets, until I get a site of my own, are Folksy (UK), Etsy (US) and of course you can contact me here or via the usual channels to get a commission. All the contact details are to the right as usual. Plug :)
Well, as much as I'd love to I can't spend all day nattering away to you lot. I've got some crazy 90s thriller series to watch and a hungry man needing omelettes. That's life.
love and knitties to you all,
KD xxx

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