Podcasts about underground crafter

I first met Marie several years ago when Underground Crafter was new! Join us as we talk about her blog, her design work, and the other interesting things she does!

What are you waiting for? There are many different ways to make money with crochet – take it from someone who makes a full living doing what I love. Once you make the decision to dive in a start a crochet-related business, the next thing you will need to do is determine what kind of business structure you want to follow. That’s what this episode is all about – helping you find the right business structure. Today’s Guest I’m joined by, Marie Segares, also known as the Underground Crafter and the host of the Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show. She brought The post Best Crochet Business Structures | The BHooked Podcast Episode 20 appeared first on B.Hooked Crochet | Knitting.

I kick off the virtual book tour for Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students by talking about how teaching has helped to grow my yarn-related business and earn me a stable side income. I also share more information about the book and self-publishing.  About this episode In this episode, I talk about Make Money Teaching Crochet, including... Sharing how I got started teaching crochet and how it has impacted the development of Underground Crafter,  Discussing why I wrote the book and key decisions I made in the self-publishing process, Describing the difference between the different versions of the book, and Providing more details about the virtual book tour. You may also want to check out when I was interviewed by Priscilla on Crocheter's Connection. Follow the virtual tour! Check out the rest of the stops on the tour to read reviews, guest posts, and interviews (and for more chances to win a copy). 6/12: American Crochet 6/13: Crochet Concupiscence 6/14: Moogly  6/15: Yarn Obsession  6/16: Oombawka Design Crochet 6/17: Creative Income Blog  6/18: Underground Crafter 6/19: Kaleidoscope Art&Gifts 6/20: Fiber Flux  6/21: The Stitchin' Mommy  6/22: CGOA Now!  6/23: Same DiNamics Crochet  6/24: Nap Time Creations  6/26: Rhelena's Crochet Blog  6/27: Jessie At Home  6/28: Rebeckah's Treasures  6/29: Crochet Kitten  6/30: Poetry in Yarn  7/1: Ambassador Crochet  7/2: Persia Lou    If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in June, 2016. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).

Marie Segares is a crochet and knitting blogger, designer, teacher, podcaster, and small business consultant. She started the Underground Crafter blog in 2011 while working full-time in public higher education change management. In 2013, she left the working world and became a full-time solopreneur, straddling two disparate industries: education and yarn. The combination keeps things interesting! Marie is also the host of the Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Podcast. She continues to self-publish her designs and freelance for several magazines including I Like Crochet and I Like Knitting. In 2016, she will present podcasting workshops at the We All Grow Summit by Latina Bloggers Connect and the Snap Conference. For more episodes like this visit: www.powerpurlspodcast.com To subscribe on iTunes: itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/power-purls-podcast/id1043956186

It's 2 for 1 today as Doug interviews Carlota Zimmerman and Marie Segares, 2 New Yorkers with vastly different businesses who compliment each other in their "No Frills Small Business" podcast.   About Carlota and Marie: • They launched their "No Frills Small Business" podcast in January 2015 • Pitched and led a panel at Social Media Week NYC 2015 • Invited to host a "lightning round" at BlogHer2015. • Carlotta is a lawyer who has never practiced law, but does business coaching for entrepreneurs and other small business owners. • Along with her podcast with Carlotta, Marie is a college professor, educational consultant, blogger, designer, small business coach, and she teaches crochet and knitting!   Here's what we took away from the conversation: • Don't be obsessed with what you don't know yet • You can make your business shine and grow with limited resources • Being an entrepreneur can save your life. Marie gets regular E-Mails from her clients thanking her for her help with their businesses •  Carlotta the Creativity Yenta is "Just your average sexy force of nature" • Marie is a Creative Yarn Entrepreneur-If you're a crochet or knitting author, blogger, designer, maker, podcaster, publisher, teacher, or tech editor; a yarn dyer or spinner; or the owner of any other small business based around yarn, you'll find great ideas for launching, managing, and evolving your indie yarncrafts business, and tips for keeping your creative energy flowing!   Please visit our sponsor- www.mentormojo.com- Lessons and advice form the world's top entrepreneurs.    Carlota & Marie: http://nofrillssmallbusiness.com/ BlogHer - http://www.blogher.com/   Carlota Zimmerman: Carlotazee@gmail.com Twitter- @kittenmagix The Creative Yenta coaching- www.carlotaworldwide.com   Marie Segares: marie@creativeyarnentrepreneur.com Twitter- @cyeshow Creative Yarn show-  http://creativeyarnentrepreneur.com/ Underground Crafter-  www.Undergroundcrafter.com   Subscribe to the podcast- https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nice-guys-on-business/id966086057?mt=2    

Marie Segares, the proprietress of Underground Crafter, is a crochet and knitting blogger, designer, teacher, podcaster, and small business consultant. She teaches crochet and knitting at several adult education venues in the New York City metro area and at regional fiber events. In August, she launched the Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show, a weekly podcast for indie business owners in the yarn industry.  Listen Live for chance to win great prizes! Stay up to date with the Yarn Thing podcast with the App available on iTunes and for Droid.Find our more about Marly at www.MarlyBird.com or follow her on facebook Sponsored by: Knitter's MagazineCraftsyLo-Lo by Bar-MaidsDecade by Drew EmborskyBijou Basin RanchKnitCrateErin.Lane BagsKristin Omdahl Bamboo So FineBuffalo Wool Co.Green Mountain Spinnery

This Week’s Episode I share an interview with Vashti Braha this week. Vashti has been in the crochet business for over ten years. She has experience as a freelance designer, a self-publisher, a publisher of another designer’s work, and now, as a yarn company owner. I invited her on the show to talk about something else: her mailing list. Vashti created an email newsletter, Vashti’s Crochet Inspirations, in late 2010, and she shared what she has learned about email marketing and how her newsletter impacts her business. About Vashti Braha Vashti Braha is the crochet designer, publisher, and yarnie behind Designing Vashti. I had the pleasure of interviewing her on the Underground Crafter blog in 2012. (Vashti shared some great tips in that interview for people entering the crochet business, some of which I excerpt in today’s episode.) You can find Vashti on the Designing Vashti website or blog, and on Facebook, LInkedIn, Pinterest, Ravelry (as vashtirama, in the Vashti’s Crochet Lounge group, and on her designer page),  and Twitter. About the Interview In this interview, I talked to Vashti about her crochet career. She started it unexpectedly when she attended the Crochet Guild of America‘s annual ChainLink conference in 2004. There she met several people, including Doris Chan, Marty Miller, Rita Weiss, and the late Jean Leinhauser, and launched her career as a freelance crochet designer after attending the Designer Meet and Greet.  A few years later, Vashti started blogging as a way to continue the conversation with fellow designers and crochet professionals between conferences, and to build an online portfolio in the days before Ravelry. She launched her newsletter in late 2010. In the interview, Vashti explained her approach to Vashti’s Crochet Inspirations and indicated that it does reliably increase sales. We also talked about the yarn lines she has recently launched. Vashti will have a booth with yarn and kits at The National Needlearts Association‘s summer show. I also asked Vashti if she had any updates to her recommendations she gave for new designers in a blog interview from 2012, and she shared some additional perspective. If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in March, 2015. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).

This Week’s Episode In this week’s episode, I share an interview with Tamara Kelly from Moogly. Tamara’s crochet and knitting business is quite varied, and I talk to her about how she got her start, how she diversifies her income, and her tips for blogging and time management. You can find Tamara online on the Moogly website and blog, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, Ravelry, Tumblr, and Twitter. I previously interviewed her on the Underground Crafter blog here. About Tamara Kelly Tamara started crocheting when her oldest child was young. After her other children were born, she hoped to make some side income by selling her crocheted items. She sold her finished projects informally through friends and on Facebook. Soon, she converted a mommy blog she had started into a platform to support the sales of her crocheted items. Tamara discovered that the free patterns she shared were some of her most popular posts, and since she preferred creating new designs to crocheting the same projects over and over, she decided to change the focus of her blog, and her business. In addition to income from advertising and affiliate relationships on her blog, Tamara recently began working as a freelance designer for magazines, teaching a Craftsy course, and writing sponsored posts on Moogly. About Moogly In this interview, Tamara talks about the evolution of her own business and shares several tips for other yarn industry indies. Diversify your income Tamara adds new income streams when she feels confident about her schedule and processes related to her existing income streams. The internet changes quickly, so she takes a trial and error approach. She regularly rotates affiliate partners based on earnings. She tries to remain open to new opportunities. Tamara also repurposes content when possible. Network online and in person at industry events Tamara encourages bloggers and other small business owners to network within the industry. When possible, she encourages attendance at industry events. Tamara also suggests carrying your business cards everywhere since you’ll never know who you may meet. (And, she shares her tips for navigating the Knit and Crochet Show Designer Meet and Greet in the audio interview.) Tamara also shared several ideas for powering up your blog. Network with other bloggers with a similar style and audience. Tamara recommends doing this online and in person when possible. Develop a working schedule including an editorial calendar for your blog.Tamara developed her own schedule and calendar system. Focus on photography and photo editing because blogging and social media are very visual. Tamara emphasizes using natural lighting, taking lots of pictures, and using PicMonkey for photo editing when necessary. If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in January, 2015. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).

This Week’s Episode In this week’s episode, I share the 8 best investments I made in my business in 2014. While the topic may seem oddly personal, I talk about why each investment added value to my business and what you might take away from the list to support your yarn-related business in 2015. 8 Best Investments I Made in My Business in 2014 (Improved) Web hosting A (more reliable and faster) computer Comfort tools Monthly massage therapy A (multi-functional and higher quality) tripod (New) tools and training for business expansion Conference (or face-to-face event) attendance Time for networking with other solopreneurs Why invest in your business on an annual basis? Even when you are operating on a shoestring budget, it’s really important to invest in your business on a regular basis. You might use earnings from your business activities or money from your savings. It’s virtually impossible for your business to expand and improve in today’s economy without making periodic investments in it. This week, I’m sharing the 8 investments I made in 2014 that added the most value to my business. I’m also including substitutes that may be relevant for your yarn-related business. 1) (Improved) web hosting I had been using the same web hosting company since 2008. When I first started Underground Crafter as a business, I didn’t know much about web sites, web hosting, or small business services so I didn’t adequately research the company. I had increasing technical and customer services problems with this company over the years, and in 2014, I finally made the switch to another web host. In 2014, I upgraded to use InMotion Hosting. Their service is much more reliable, and, equally important, they have better tech support and customer service. I actually ended up saving money by pre-paying for a 2 year plan, but switching web hosts was a major investment in time and energy. It look literally weeks for me to transfer the files and databases and to rebuild the Underground Crafter website, but it was totally worth it! 2) A (more reliable and faster) computer I’ve been using the same laptop since 2007, and it started to slow down, make unusual sounds, and, even worse, occasionally shut down. I knew that if I was going to launch the podcast this year and focus on my photography, I would need a more reliable and faster computer. I set a target at the beginning of the year to publish a certain amount of patterns through external publishers so that I could raise the money to buy a new computer. I met my target and was able to buy an Apple MacBook Pro in May. You may not need to spend as much as I did on a computer, but if your business is partly or fully online, having the right hardware has to be a high priority. Even on a small budget, you should be able to identify the hardware (whether a computer, netbook, tablet, or smart phone) that performs all the functions you need for your business. Unreliable hardware can stop your business in its tracks. You may want to dedicate the device for business use only, especially if you have limited funds. (Also, don’t forget to back up your data, whether you use hard drive(s) or cloud based file storage.) 3) Comfort tools I currently crochet and knit all of my own samples, so preventing strain allows me to increase production. I bootstrapped my crochet and knitting business using my existing supplies, but as I’ve been making more and more samples, I started to worry more about comfort. I currently use my Tulip Etimo crochet hook set for most of my crochet projects. This year, I upgraded to the Knitter’s Pride Karbonz interchangeable knitting needle set, which feel smooth and soft like wood handles, but have metal tips, and the Knitter’s Pride Dreamz interchangeable crochet hook set for Tunisian and double-ended projects. If you plan to be in this business for the long haul, find tools to help you reduce stress injuries and make repetitive tasks more pleasurable. You may want to consider things like ergonomic chairs, desks, safety materials, or supplies that are more specific to your craft, as a substitute. 4) Monthly massage therapy I suffered for years from the recurrence of an old back injury. This worsened when I began crocheting, knitting, and blogging more often because I would sit for long periods. About 17 months ago, I started to see a massage therapist, Jenny Hall, and the results have literally changed my life. Having monthly “tune ups” have improved my mood and keep my body operating at a more optimal level – both have allowed my business to grow in 2014. You may want to substitute with another routine care activity to optimize/maintain your body. Some possible options include yoga classes, acupuncture, visits to a chiropractor, or gym membership in addition to or instead of massage therapy. While you are moaning about how expensive this investment is, consider how much income you may loose if you are prevented from working due to an injury. 5) A (multi-functional and higher quality) tripod I want to highly recommend the Manfrotto 190xPROb, or something similar. This tripod has an adjustable horizontal bar that makes photographing tutorials (or filming tutorial videos) much easier. It is a full sized tripod, so it’s also useful for self portraits, and it can hold the weight of a DSLR without tipping, even in the horizontal mode. This has allowed me to sell more tutorials to magazines in 2014 and take better self portraits for my designs, so I’ve been able to earn more money and also save on models and the inconvenience of scheduling photo shoots. 6) (New) tools and training for business expansion I wanted to improve my photography and add the podcast to my business in 2014, so I needed to get new tools and then learn to use them. I asked for a DSLR as a gift from my family last year, and I now use the Nikon D3200. For about the past 20 years, I have been using a point and shoot, and I didn’t really remember the purpose of all the functions on this type of camera any more. I started by taking the Beginner Nikon Digital SLR (DSLR) Photography course by John Pullos on Udemy. The course was free when I took it, but it’s now $27 (and worth it). I needed more, though, to encourage me to take my photography to the next level, so I took Digital Photography I with Jim Beecher at the International Center of Photography. (This course is also available as an online course if you aren’t in the New York City area.) In this class, I learned how to use Adobe Lightroom, and ended up buying this software to use on my new computer. To launch the podcast, I needed a microphone. I generally use the Blue Snowball (in purple). I also purchased ecamm Call Recorder for Skype for $29.95. I had a more difficult free set up with worse audio quality, and decided that it was worth it to upgrade. I’m able to use these devices for other purposes that what I originally intended – to create videos, to host live Google+ Hangouts, and to do virtual consulting – so the investment was worth it. The training helped me to consider other ways to use the tools, so it was also valuable. 7) Conference (or face-to-face event) attendance This year, I attended the Podcast Movement in Dallas in August. Although I considered attending the Knit and Crochet Show or one of The National NeedleArts Association events, I chose this event for three reasons: it was shorter and less expensive to attend, I needed more training/professional development in podcasting than in crochet/knitting/yarn industry topics, and I didn’t have an established network in podcasting. The take away here is to try and get to a face-to-face event to help your business move forward. This may be for professional development or for networking – or, ideally, for both. You can also learn a lot about teaching (the good, the bad, and the ugly) by attending workshops. On that note, I’ll be presenting at the #WeAllGrow Summit by Latina Bloggers Connect in Los Angeles in February. If you’ll be attending, let me know, because I’d love to meet you there. I’ll keep you posted as I add conferences and events to my 2015 schedule. 8) Time for networking with other solopreneurs As solopreneurs, we have unique challenges. I used to work at a full-time job and my crochet and knitting business was a part-time evening and weekend gig. Although my crochet and knitting work is still only one part of my income, when I shifted to being a solopreneur I realized how important it is to connect with other indie business owners. By putting aside this time, I can commiserate, receive coaching, and stay accountable to someone else. I do some activities online via Facebook groups, and some in person. You may find that this is a time investment only, or it may also be a financial investment, depending on whether you choose to work with a coach or join a mastermind group. The solopreneur I connect with most regularly in person is Carlota Zimmerman, who has co-hosted episodes of the Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show with me. Having another contact can help you avoid the feeling of isolation that sometimes comes with being a solopreneur. This person can also serve as a sounding board for new ideas or pitches. If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in December, 2014. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).

This Week’s Episode In today’s episode, we talk all about time management. As creative business owners, we all struggle with time. Many of us “juggle a lot of balls” by balancing multiple revenue streams and roles in our business. My guest on this episode is Lindsey Stephens, the owner of Poetry in Yarn. Lindsey juggles her roles as a crochet designer, tech editor, crochet and knitting teacher, and web designer for Poetry in Yarn with her part-time job as a math teacher at a Yeshiva elementary and middle school in Connecticut, and her responsibilities as a mother and a wife. Lindsey can be found online at the Poetry in Yarn website and on Facebook, Ravelry (as Leebah and on her designer page), Twitter, and YouTube. I previously interviewed her on the Underground Crafter blog here.  Lindsey’s Tips for Time Management Know how much time you have Know what you need to accomplish Know how much time each task takes Work with your habits, not against them Delegate (or partner) to get some of the work done by others About Poetry in Yarn Lindsey Stephens started her yarn-related business in 2009, when she began submitting designs to magazines. Her (mostly) crochet patterns have been published by Crochet 1-2-3, Crochet World, Knit 1-2-3, KnitCircus, and in Curvy Girl Crochet and Debbie Macomber: Blossom Street Collection Book 3. Shortly thereafter, she took the Designing for Print Publication course by Mary Beth Temple. She launched the Poetry in Yarn site in 2010, and began self-publishing her own patterns. She began accepting clients for crochet tech editing (including symbol chart creation) as well as web design services in 2011 or 2012. Her background includes a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and additional courses on garment grading. Her business has expanded primarily through word-of-mouth and by collaborating with a graphic designer for mutual referrals. She now provides tech editing services for publishers, and Fresh Designs Crochet: Toys, a booklet she tech edited, was recently released by Cooperative Press. As the other elements of her business have expanded, Lindsey has decreased her design submissions to external publishers. In this interview, she shares her tips for time management, particularly when you are managing diversified tasks and multiple income streams. 1. Know how much time you have Lindsey’s first suggestion is to be conservative in estimating the amount of time you have available. While you may seem to have a three hour time slot to devote to working on a particular project, in fact you may use part of that time period to eat, shower, commute, do household chores, etc. If you start by being clear about how much time is actually available for working, you will be more likely to properly schedule your duties. Similarly, pad your internally imposed deadlines to account for possible emergencies or shifts in your schedule. 2. Know what you need to accomplish Lindsey recommends tracking your tasks/duties externally, using a system that works well for you. She suggests that you should clear your brain space by relieving yourself of the responsibility of remembering all your tasks – by listing them, you can sharpen your focus on completing the tasks, rather than on remembering what the tasks are. Lindsey forecasts her tasks and sets a preliminary schedule on Sunday. Lindsey uses a spiral notebook, but others may prefer electronic task management tools. She uses a large spiral notebook, so her list of tasks looks smaller, and recommends starting a new list periodically on a clean sheet of paper. This makes her list look more manageable and less intimidating, so it relieves stress while allowing her to see patterns in her schedule and decide what can be delegated. Lindsey also recommends being aware of your own rhythms. For example, communicating and sharing on social media comes naturally to her, so she doesn’t add it to her task list or schedule. However, if you are not as comfortable with social media, you may want to include it on your task list. 3. Know how much time each task takes Lindsey recommends being realistic about what can be accomplished in a given timeframe. She uses a combination of tools to increase her understanding of how long specific tasks take to complete. Lindsey uses Toggl, a free time tracking software, when she’s working on computer-based tasks, like tech editing or blogging. When she’s designing or creating samples, she observes start and end times on a clock or by counting a number of television episodes she watched. Lindsey notes that the more often you do something, the more realistic you can be about the amount of time required. (So if you are just launching your business, don’t worry! This will be easier to understand over time.) 4. Work with your habits, not against them Once you have clarity on how much time you have, what you need to accomplish, and how much time each task takes, Lindsey recommends working with your own habits and preferences, and not against them. She was first introduced to this idea in Organizing from the Inside Out, Second Edition: The Foolproof System For Organizing Your Home, Your Office and Your Life by Julie Morgenstern. Specifically, Lindsey suggests that you don’t adopt any “system” of time management, but rather use different time management tools that fit into your own lifestyle for maximum success.  5. Delegate (or partner) to get some of the work done by others Consider what you can delegate or partner with others to do in order to maximize your time. Lindsey uses a contract crocheter, a part-time bookkeeper, and a virtual assistant that she met through word-of-mouth and social media. This allows you to expand the amount of work you can do within the limits of your available time. If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in August, 2014. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).  

This Week’s Episode This week, I’m interviewing Adriana Hernandez from AdriPrints. Adriana is a creative entrepreneur whose business includes knitting design and font design. Adriana can be found online on the AdriPrints blog, Adri Makes a Thing or Two, Ravelry, Twitter as @adriprints, and Facebook. Her font collections, including StitchinCrochet, Stitchin Crochet Pro, and three variations of StitchinKnit, can be found on her MyFonts page. We talk about her multi-faceted business, her crochet and knitting fonts, and Adriana’s tips for using her crochet fonts. About AdriPrints When Adriana relocated to Germany in 2008, she couldn’t bring her printing press. She started diversifying her business away from printed illustrations and began focusing on textiles. Her business currently includes many income streams, including knitting design and font design. (I interviewed Adriana about her knitting design earlier this month as part of my Hispanic Heritage Month series on the Underground Crafter blog here.) She began designing fonts because of her love of typography and lettering. StitchinCrochet and Stitchin Crochet Pro Adriana developed two crochet symbol fonts, StitchinCrochet and Stitchin Crochet Pro. When she designed StitchinCrochet, she assumed most designers/crocheters would use it with a vector drawing program like Adobe Illustrator. She even developed a series of YouTube tutorials demonstrating how to use StitchinCrochet with Illustrator to create a circular crochet motif pattern. (Watch the videos here: Step 1, Step 2, Step 3, Step 4, and Step 5.) She later learned that most people were using the font with non-vector programs, and as a result, the symbols didn’t always scale properly. She made some updates to the font in Stitchin Crochet Pro to enhance scalability when used in non-vector programs, and also included symbols requested by users. Both fonts are available with five licensing options, with a price range from $3 – $40, based on your choice of license. (Most designers and authors would spend $8 or less for their licensing option.) Although Adriana has developed several other fonts, she has only received feedback about her crochet fonts. She hears back from users about once a month. She wanted crochet chart design to be as accessible as knitting chart design, and she priced her fonts accordingly. Adriana receives only a percentage of each sale. Adriana’s creative process requires that she understand how to create the stitch before designing a font glyph. For this reason, she hasn’t yet expanded her crochet font library to include symbols for Tunisian crochet or broomstick lace. However, she did love reading Renate Kirkpatrick’s Freeform Crochet and Beyond, which encouraged her to include bullion stitch and other symbols common in freeform crochet into StitchinCrochet. StitchinKnit When Adriana designed StitchinKnit, knitting pattern/chart software like StitchMastery and EnvisioKnit weren’t yet available. While there were other knitting fonts, she decided to create her own series – StitchinKnit Regular, StitchinKnit Chunky, and StitchinKnit Hand Condensed Thin – that appealed to her own aesthetic. All three versions are available with the same five licensing options as StitchinCrochet and Stitchin Crochet Pro, and the price for each ranges from $6 – $60, based on your choice of license. (Most designers or authors would spend $12 or less for their licensing option.) Because there are many other knitting fonts on the market, Adriana feels her StitchinKnit series is really targeted at font connoisseurs or designers who are really drawn to the design aesthetic of the font. Adriana’s Tips for Using Her Crochet Fonts For crochet chart designers, Adriana has some additional tips. Use StitchinCrochet or Stitchin Crochet Pro with a vector software so that the font(s) can be scaled without looking pixelated. She has received positive feedback from users about using Inkscape as a free alternative to Illustrator. Once you are familiar with Inkscape, Adriana’s video tutorials about Illustrator may be helpful. Become comfortable with your vector drawing software before you start charting. Specifically, familiarize yourself with your software’s process for duplicating in a series along a path. Create your chart over a schematic or a shape of the design so the pattern charts neatly and clearly. You can design the schematic or shape in the vector drawing software, or scan in a hand drawn image. Use color, symbols (such as arrows), and appropriate spacing to make your symbol chart readable for your audience. Adriana does offer crochet chart design services as part of her business, but reminds people that she lives in a Euro-based economy so prices may be higher than in your local area. Adriana also recommends checking out her blog and tutorials before contacting her with questions about using her fonts, especially since she is currently on maternity leave. Thanks for sharing your thoughts with us, Adriana! If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in October, 2014. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).  

This Week’s Episode The inspiration for this episode, free and low cost branding resources, is Celia Cruz, the Queen of Salsa. (Read on for details!) In this episode, I talk about free and low cost resources related to color, font, and logo design that you can use to visually brand (or rebrand) your yarn-related business. Background I’m hosting my third annual Hispanic Heritage Month series on the Underground Crafter blog, featuring interviews with 14 crochet and knitting designers and bloggers. I decided to add a free pattern to my series this year, and chose a one-skein project I designed over the summer for the Stitchjones yarn club. Stitchjones had the theme of “Real World Wild Women,” and my design was inspired by Celia Cruz. (If you’re not familiar with Celia Cruz, you can find out more about this remarkable woman by watching this 3.5 minute video bio.) While researching images of Celia for inspiration, I came across an article from a few years ago called “Celia Cruz and the Art of Rebranding”  by Abel Delgado on Latin Link. The article shares a very interesting perspective on Celia’s innate knack for marketing and has a lot of ideas that are applicable to a yarn industry indie. Specifically, Delgado highlights Celia’s cross-media promotion, her success in introducing her work to new audiences without abandoning her loyal audience, and how by staying true to her core values and maintaining quality control, she was able to have a long and successful career. Free and Low Cost (Visual) Branding Resources There are many free and low cost resources you can use to create a cohesive visual brand for your yarn-related business. In this episode, I share a few, with a focus on color, font, and logo design. Naming This episode really focuses on visual branding, but I took a moment to talk about naming. There are three prevailing theories about naming online, each with some advantages and disadvantages. Consistent naming: If your user name is consistent across all social sites (and also associated with your business name), your business is easier for customers/clients to find, and your brand messaging is more consistent across sites. Consistency in user names can be challenging to do because of differences in user name length requirements, or if you started accounts before your business existed, or at different times in your business’s development. Brand splitting: If you serve different customer groups (such as consumer and businesses), you may want to split your brand identity across social media by maintaining multiple accounts. This makes each company/brand more defined, and makes your presence less likely to annoy customers (when you are sharing irrelevant-to-them information). On the other hand, it can be more time consuming and difficult to maintain a strong presence across multiple accounts. Using only a personal account: By merging your personal and business identity, you share a more authentic experience of you as an indie with your customers. On the other hand, you lose out on privacy and risk offending people by sharing personal/political information that isn’t directly related to your business. In this episode, we aren’t focusing much on naming, so the debate continues on! Instead, we’re focusing on 3 visual elements to your brand: color, font, and logo. Color These tools can help you to identify and present a consistent color palette throughout your business, including across social media, in your packaging, and on your stationary and other materials. These three sites (Design Seeds, Colour Lovers, and Color Collective) present free color palettes that you may want to choose from to represent your business. Both Design Seeds and Colour Lovers include the “hex number” or “html number,” a numeric value that is used to represent a specific color for the web. Once you find a palette you like on Design Seeds, hover over the small color boxes on the right to see the hex numbers. On Colour Lovers, choose Palettes from the upper left Browse drop down menu. After browsing palettes, choose one you like and click on it to get more details. After clicking on a palette, you will find hex numbers for each color in the palette listed. Color Collective presents palettes without hex/html numbers. If you already have a specific palette or main color in mind, these two sites can help you develop a web palette. Color Hunter allows you to upload a photograph or link to an online image (such as one from Color Collective) and it will identify the hex/html numbers for you. I find that Color Hunter tends to “flatten” colors and make things appear more pastel than they seem to be. Paletton Color Scheme Designer allows you to pick a color from a color wheel and then create a palette using several options (such as monochrome, complimentary colors, etc.). It also identifies the hex/html number. Once you have the hex numbers for your color palette, you can use them in graphic design programs and websites to create backgrounds, banners, business cards, etc. Photoshop In Photoshop, first click on the appropriate color box. Enter the hex number in the lower left corner of the pop up color selection box and then click “Ok.” PicMonkey There are several locations where you can enter hex numbers in PicMonkey. Enter hex numbers in the Design menu for Canvas Color. Enter the hex number in the overlay menu. Canva In Canva, you can add new colors to your color menus. From the background or text menu, click on the plus sign. Once the pop up opens, enter the hex number in the color code box. It will be added to your standard colors for the rest of your session. You can also save up to 3 brand colors in a free account. Once you’ve identified a color palette and its associated hex numbers, you can consider different font options. Font Not all fonts that are pre-installed on your computer or with software are available for commercial use. Two great sources of free fonts available for commercial use are Google Fonts and Font Squirrel. Google Fonts have open source licensing for commercial or non-commercial use. Font Squirrel allows you to download free fonts to your computer. Those fonts can be used in Photoshop, or in PicMonkey through the option to use “your” fonts in the add text menu. If you use Canva for your graphics, you may want to choose a font in their collection because it allows you to be consistent across your graphics, and because Canva’s free account allows you to store graphic templates for re-use. However, it’s more likely that the font you choose will be less unique. Logo design Once you have identified a color palette and fonts for your business, you may decide to develop a logo. While logos provide great visual branding, I would encourage you to delay your logo design until you are really confident that it will represent your business conceptually and aesthetically. If you choose to design your own logo, you can use design software such as Photoshop, or the design features in PicMonkey. Unless you are very skilled in graphic design, you may want to outsource your logo. Four great options for affordable graphic design are Etsy, 99 Designs, Fiverr, and Ravelry. A recent search for “custom logo” on Etsy brought up over 41,000 results, ranging from $25 to $1,500 for a graphic logo (rather than signage). The average range was $50 to $150. “Premade logo” designs are usually less expensive but more generic. 99 Designs is a site where multiple designers submit logo options and you can choose your favorite (or have people vote to determine the most popular option). Their price range is $299 to $1,199, but you can sometimes find discount codes online. Fiverr is a website selling a variety of services/products for $5. However, most logo designs on Fiverr include many add on services and cost more than $5. You may find that it ends up being the same price as Etsy or another source, or that the quality of an inexpensive design is low. The Ravelry Design Donors group provides free banners for Ravelry groups. They do have a roll call thread where graphic designers can indicate their availability for commercial design work here. In addition, many of the commercial groups on Ravelry, such as the Designers group, frequently have ads for graphic design services. You can also take the opposite approach and work with a graphic designer first to develop a logo. The designer can help you identify a color palette, fonts, and other graphic elements for your brand. I don’t have a logo for Underground Crafter, my crochet and knitting design, teaching, and blogging business, but I do use a consistent set of colors. For the Creative Yarn Entrepreneur, I have a logo for the podcast and a consistent set of colors and fonts. I found both color palettes on Design Seeds. The palettes are related but each contains distinct colors. If you enjoyed this episode The Creative Yarn Entrepreneur Show is no longer broadcasting. Episodes are available as a service to the yarn community. This episode originally aired in September, 2014. Be aware that content may be outdated. If you'd like to chat with other yarn-related business owners, join the Creative Yarn Entrepreneurs Facebook group. Support Marie's work by buying one of her books, Make Money Teaching Crochet: Launch Your Business, Increase Your Side Income, Reach More Students (Amazon | Gumroad) or Design It, Promote It, Sell It: Online Marketing for Your Crochet and Knit Patterns (Amazon | Gumroad).