Friday Feature - maxsworld

I sort of stumbled upon this shop the other day just browsing Etsy and procrastinating and I haven't been so amazed by a knitting accessories shop in ages! I asked maxsworld if she would be willing to answer a few questions for me and she very graciously accepted. Here are her answers to some of my random thoughts:

How long have you been knitting?

About 3 and a half years. I started when my mum got me a pair of needles and some wool for my 20th birthday and then a good friend gave me a copy of 'Stitch N Bitch' and I haven't looked back! Pretty much everything I do is yarn related now.

Do you have any advice for beginning knitters?

Once you've learned the basics don't be afraid to go off road! Once I realised I didn't HAVE to have a pattern the fun really began and I started knitting all sorts of crazy sculptures...!

If you were to be transformed into a knitted creature, what would you be?

I'd like to be Tiny Clanger so I could hang out on the moon with and have soup from the soup dragon! (If you don't know it - The Clangers is a British animated tv series from the 1970s with knitted characters) http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/clangers/


Were you able to travel the entire world, where would you go?

That's a tough one. My travel wish list is a bit epic... I actually really want to go to the Maker Faire in San Francisco one year, I've not been to the USA before. But I want to get to Japan and also India at some point. I'm sure they'd be amazing! I guess I need to start saving up my pennies...

Tell us something random about you that we otherwise might not know.

name is Max... Ok, you knew that but it's not short for anything, not even Maxine :-D I get asked that all the time so now you know!

Check out her other website where you can read her blog and see what kinds of sculptures she has been knitting lately :)

Friday Feature: Interview with ASenseOfPlacePhotogr

I haven't done an interview in a very long time so after I found ASenseofPlacePhotogr on Etsy I decided to start back up with my interview session with her. Read on to find out how she got started in her craft and a few other tidbits you might not find out otherwise :)

How did you get your start in photography?

I guess trips to visit family. I'd always want pictures. Then I realized which ones I would throw out over the years, and tried to tune into what really made a picture unique. Nowadays I just feel the entire process is really cathartic for me to have an objective stance on the world and improvisational attitude! The story of my very first "good" picture (Taken when I was 12) can be found here http://www.theyouandmeshow.com/search?q=the+old+tree and my photography manifesto can be found on my website (http://www.asenseofplacephotography.blogspot.com)

You have two other shops, would you mind talking some about these?

Sure. GoldenMustard is a Store which I originally wanted to transfer everything to (I actually sell a whole lot more than photography, I'm starting a comic strip, have a poetry book coming out, a children book....etc. But since I have connections on this one I continued to keep it. Asenseofplacephotogr.etsy.com is hard to remember also. GoldenMustard is my series satellite shop where I sell some of my cards at. Wackadoodles (my mom's shop) is a beginning store featuring her incredibly wacky and creative introspective drawings which she does using paint! I'm always so impressed by her and how different we are.

Can you tell us some about your music?

Sure. My husband and I write folk music, we sing together, and are looking for a band :) Some of our stuff can be found on youtube under broadcastkings4life and also on famecast.com/katbking. It's all in it's very beginning stages :) I'm also a Soprano attending the American Musical and Dramatic Academy right here in New York City presently and plan to pursue musical theatre professionally:) My very favorite musician is Paleo who can be found on paleo.ws. He's a major inspiration for me.

Tell us three interesting things about yourself that your customer may not know:

1. I got married to the love of my life when I was 20 years old and couldn't be happier. You can learn more about our love story at http://www.theyouandmeshow.com. Our wedding was just featured on offbeatbride.com last week!)
2. I attended a Swiss boarding school (tasis.ch) when I was 16 years old. It was a life dream of mine based on the book Bloomability, by Sharon Creech.
3. I write under a man's pen name.

If you could travel to any one place in the world, where would you go?

Husband and I really want to go to Norway for Christmas? Why? The gorgeous photographs of course :)

Friday Feature: twistedSheep

twistedSheep is another Etsy New Mexican and she has been in my favorites for a LOONNGG time. Her yarns and fibers are drool-worthy and she is even offering free shipping to the Continental US!

I love supporting other New Mexicans and she makes it so easy to do, I so wish I could grab up all of her yarns and keep them myself, but my stash is way to large at this point and I have to use some of it up so I can make room for more :)

Etsy Artist Feature: 99Lollipop

Today's feature is of one of my Etsyknitters Team members, a fantastic knitter who is always trying to learn as much as she can about improving her shop and her trade, read on to find out more about this fantastic woman! Here is my interview with 99Lollipop:

How did you first learn to knit?

I was first shown how to knit when I was about 7, but couldn't get the gist of it. I kept losing stitches and quickly lost interest. I think part of the problem was that the yarn was horrible, the needles were super large and my teacher was less than patient! However, I have been crocheting for about 20 years and for many of them wished I had persevered with the knitting. There's something so soothing and meditative about the click of two needles that has always called me. It's just a different mood and also compliments crocheting quite nicely. Well, a couple of years ago, while trying to relieve the stress of studying for my psychology state board exams, I took up knitting. Funny thing is I took one class out of a 4 class series at a community college and then just taught myself with tons of questions to a friend of mine who walked me through the really confusing parts. All the sudden, knitting became like breathing to me. I found it when the time was right, I guess.

What is your favorite yarn to knit with?

I love to work with natural fiber and my absolute favorite is Alpaca. It's just so soft and knits up like a dream. Ive also gotten quite fond of bamboo as well. It feels and handles like strong silk. And I really love the fact that it comes from such a rambunctious plant!

What are some of your favorite projects or techniques to knit?

My favorite thing is to do custom work because it feels like such an honor to help bring to life someone's idea, longing and desire. I love to feel the yarn and needles in my hands and just put my passion into it. I also love to knit things for new babies because that stuff becomes extra precious (just think of your first blankie). I love thinking about how my loving work is going to help welcome a new being into this life.
In terms of knitting for myself, which I don't often get around to doing, I've recently really gotten obcessed with knitting capes in all types of styles and yarn varieties.
In terms of techniques, I don't have a favorite. If Im not using a pattern, I love to hold the yarn and let it guide me into its creation. I have made some of my best items that way.

Etsy Artist Marin

Today I am featuring fellow Etsy seller and knitter: Marin. She is a recent college graduate who has a passion for math and numbers and who uses her crafting to keep her sane (don't we all? hehe). I'm sure her new cutie-pie puppy doesn't hurt matters either :)

A self-taught knitter, Marin also enjoys a plethora of other crafts including crochet, card-making, scrapbooking, beading, decoupage, soap making and many more! In her first shop you can find scarves, hats, sweaters, bags, accessories for the home, even chocolate :)
She recently opened up a second shop on Etsy called Tangled String, it will sell knitting and crocheting supplies, needles hooks, yarns, etc. Also, don't forget to check out her blog!