Moss Cable Cowl Neckwarmer Knitting Pattern

On my knitting needles at the moment is a nice pair of socks. 

Handknit socks currently on my knitting needles

I have some knitting patterns nearly to be published but I'm waiting to get the right conditions to take good product photos, and because I live in a house that gets the right amount of lighting only some mornings (usually mornings spent getting ready for work), I find myself sometimes having to wait up to a month before being able to take decent pictures, which was the case for my moss cable cowl neckwarmer knitting pattern, just published earlier this week even though I finished test-knitting it last March!

Proud of my new handknit moss cable cowl neckwarmer

Moss cable cowl neckwarmer posing with my new props 😍

If you'd like to grab a copy of the Moss Cable Cowl Neckwarmer knitting pattern on Etsy, hurry before the end of my sale event that run up to June 2nd 2022, where you can get any of my hand knitted or crochet accessories as well as knitting patterns at a 20% discount 😁.

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Lace Hearts Fingerless Gloves Knitting Pattern Is Live!

I've finally managed to publish my latest knitting pattern 😁.

These yummy looking fingerless gloves are now live on Etsy, Ravelry and Lovecrafts.

My New Lace Hearts Fingerless Gloves

As always, they are in both English and French languages, so if you happen to buy them, you may want to only print the pages in the language you want to read the knitting pattern in as the PDF is 22 pages long. Both languages are on the same PDF as currently the Lovecrafts website only accepts 1 PDF per pattern.

Why so long? you may ask: that's because I have the pattern written in 3 different sizes this time (my previous mittens knitting patterns are only written in a Medium size as the medium size is designed to fit from teen to female adult size (that includes me;)

3 sizes: Small, Medium and Large

This time I decided that a child may want to wear these cute heart fingerless gloves, and also why not large adult as I know some women may have a larger hand than standard and also some men or trans-female might want to wear more feminine accessories that fit a larger size.

There was a lot of testing, knitting and frogging involved as usual before I was finally happy with the basic pattern, and then some more in order to get all 3 sizes right, but I'm hoping it was worth the extra effort as this means I should now have a basic knitting pattern template for more gloves and mitten designs.

The knitting pattern is written for to any DK yarn (light worsted no.3) but it looks and feels much better in merino wool; just don't forget to block your sample gauge as I find merino can stretch quite a bit after washing!

Close-up of the Hearts Design: I love this!

You can purchase the knitting pattern or my Hearts Fingerless Gloves from the following websites:

- Etsy;

- Ravelry;

- Lovecrafts.

I hope you enjoy knitting these hearts fingerless gloves as much as I do.

Be sure to follow me on my knitting journey while I'll be off thinking of more exciting patterns to share, but first I'll be taking a short break from knitting to do a bit of crochet 😉.

I Heart Cables Cowl Knitting Pattern

My second knitting pattern of the year is this beautiful cowl, with heart shaped cables:

This nearly broke my own heart because of how many times I've had to restart, since I wasn't happy with the width at first, then the finishing... Did I mention my stubbornness here before? Actually the politically correct way to call it is perfectionism 😉.

This is called I Heart Cables Cowl and is available as a digital knitting pattern through Etsy and Ravelry.

It features 8 different cables, so it is not the easiest pattern to knit, but once you think logically about how a cable must look, it will come naturally, maybe one for the cable knitting nerds out there, but I'd encourage advanced beginners looking to improve their cable knitting skills to try it. 

I know, only 2 patterns so far in 2021 and we're already nearing the end of February but who said there was a race? When you have a full-time job and a family (granted my children are at the age when they can look after themselves), plus when you keep creating others ways to keep busy (my sewing machine is looking a bit guilty, even though very pretty in its brand new cover right now!), it's difficult to keep up with plans of taking over the world of knitting patterns 😂.

Head over to Sophie's Knit Stuff on Etsy if you'd like to grab the pattern. It would make a lovely gift for Mother's Day 😉.

Knitting Patterns Back In My Etsy Shop

I forgot to mention that I have finally added my knitting patterns back in my Etsy shop.

Even though Etsy informed us a while ago that they were going to deal with the European VAT issue, it was still unclear how: I didn't get any communications from Etsy to let me know if the VAT was going to be added to the price of items sold at the checkout or deducted from the total price and then paid by Etsy to the corresponding European tax organisations.

Luckily I was in contact with a designer who sells crochet patterns on Etsy and she told me Etsy takes the VAT share (as well as its own commission) out of the price that the designers list at.

I then decided to update the price of all my knitting patterns: you may find these are a teeny bit higher than the Ravelry price, but that's to account for my listing costs and commission of sales on Etsy (there are none on Ravelry, as long as you stay under a certain amount - which doesn't apply to my very small volume of sales).

The moral of this story is, if you wish to purchase any of my knitting patterns, it's cheaper to do so through my Ravelry store;-)

Long wristed chain cable mittens on Ravelry

Lace alpaca hoodie cowl on Ravelry

Oh, and I nearly forgot to add, if you make any of my designs, please add it to your Ravelry projects as I love seeing how you get on with my designs (and don't hesitate to send me a message if you need help with your projects).

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People Make Etsy: Etsy UK TV Ad

Have you seen the Etsy ad on UK TV?

I'm hoping this will increase awareness on the great marketplace that is Etsy, where you can find beautiful handmade products made by people like you and me, with real people in mind.

Etsy was good enough to let sellers have their own personalized version of the ad, so here is mine, enjoy!


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Learning SEO and a Bit of Knitting and Crochet

It's been nearly 10 days since my last post: so much for the 2 posts a week I had been aiming for!

All this month I have been following an Etsy course on SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), which in plain English is the science of getting found on the Internet.

I've learned some new things and worked on some things I already knew but there is more structure learning from a course than trying to gather bits of information here and there, which doesn't always work, as it inevitably ends with information overload (and in some cases misinformation).

For this SEO course, I've been partnered with another Etsy seller based in Ireland: I think if I didn't have a partner I probably wouldn't bother with half of the things I'm supposed to do for the course, because I don't like to let anyone down, and I think whoever thinks up these Etsy courses knows that, which is why we are being teamed up. Ultimately, Etsy gains in helping their individual sellers, since we are their bread and butter.

In between working on the SEO course, I have been crocheting 8 coffee cup cosies that would make great Father's day gifts and that are now available from Sophie's Knit Stuff on Etsy, drove myself half crazy trying to think of different keywords to describe them with as part of the SEO course, and trying to take better pictures (do you like my little coffee bean shapes?):

 

 

 I have also managed to knit a wonderfully soft blue cabled tube cowl and matching fingerless gloves with my Merino wool which should be ready for the shop next week as they are at the blocking stage and I'm taking the week end off:

 This weekend in Ireland is a long one, due to the June Bank holiday on Monday (don't ask me what that is for, I'm just glad it's there!), so whether you have a long or regular weekend, enjoy it and make the most of the sunshine if you're lucky enough to get some!





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The Importance of Good Photography to Sell Products Online

Last week-end as I was listing some new phone cosies in my Etsy shop, I realised how one simple change could make my photos look much better.

Take this picture of one of my latest crochet phone cosy for example:

Phone cosy photo taken straight from above

Now look at the photo below:

Phone cosy photo taken from an angle

The lighting and background are similar (as white a background I can get using Picasa photo editor while keeping the color true to the original item), the item is the same, the only difference is the angle in which the photo has been taken.

Which one do you be more tempted to buy? I know if I was a potential buyer I wouldn't stay very long looking at the first picture.

I am still wondering how did I manage to sell 3 knitted phone cosies with pictures looking similar to the first photo, and the obvious thing I need to do now is do another photography session with all my other phone cosies before too many potential customers see the bad ones!


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Lace Alpaca Hoodie Cowl Knitting Pattern

For the last 2 weeks I have struggled writing the knitting pattern for the Lace Alpaca Hoodie Cowl I designed last November, and knitting a new one from scratch following my own instructions:

The main reason why I struggled so much was because I waited so bloody long between knitting it last November while scribbling some half French half English notes on a notepad, and realizing while knitting the Hoodie Cowl now that I must have skipped some steps, because I had to do some heavy editing to the pattern I thought I had got right (the shame!)

Lace Alpaca Hoodie Cowl

Anyway, now the knitting pattern is available to buy from my Ravelry Shop as well as Etsy, and it's in French as well as in English (purchasers will receive 2 PDF files: one in each language).

I try not to price knitting patterns too high, but after publishing my last one, I realised that after the Paypal and the Etsy fees, there isn't much left to go in my pocket, so hopefully I will sell a few of those despite the fact that spring is already here and that knitters may be looking for more summery knitting patterns for the next few months; well, the pattern is there to stay, and I will just have to remember to promote it again in the Autumn!

To buy my Lace Alpaca Hoodie Cowl from my Ravelry shop, please click here.

To buy it from my Etsy shop, please click here.

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My Knitting Business Is Booming...

...At least by my standards.

You will probably laugh at me with my 2 sales on Etsy and 1 pattern sold on Ravelry for December so far, but that's more than what I had gotten used to so that makes me happy!

I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it or just a coincidence, but as a fellow seller was telling me that my photos were too gray (Etsy Teams and forums are helpful like that), I finished lightening the photo background of my white snood photos yesterday evening: when I checked my Etsy account this morning guess whose white snood was sold?

You guessed correctly, my lovely ivory cream white snood! I am now in the process of lightening more photo backgrounds, while trying to stay true to the colour of my knitted items.


I think I'll have to make some more of these snoods, they seem to be popular as the previous sale was a similar item in a different colour. I have a red one left and more of that same comfy wool so I think I know what I'll knit for my shop next:)

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My Pink Hoodie Cowl

When I was a child (in the eighties, a time when what would be called child abuse nowadays was normal parenting behaviour),  my loving mother used to make me wear one of these in winter:

Photo from http://annees80-90.blogspot.ie/2012/11/la-cagoule.html

My one looked even worse, it was an ugly combination of dark green and orange (I would have been happy to get the red one above but I wasn't so lucky: living in a small town with only a couple of clothing stores and no Internet, we got to wear what was available at the time).

In theory, the balaclava (or cagoule) of the eighties was great: one accessory that would stay in place and protect us from the wind and the snow in the coldest of the winter, great for children as it was harder to lose than a hat and a scarf.

In practice however, I would describe it in one word: Cringe! not to mention the scratchy sweaty feeling of having an acrylic garment so tightly wrapped around your head on the walk to and from school.

I thought it would be nice to knit an accessory that functions like a balaclava, but that looks much better than the old-fashioned "cagoule".

This is why I started knitting my Hoodie Cowl (I'm not sure I like the name "Balaclava", I hope you can understand why).

Here is the finished item, which I listed on Etsy yesterday:

I added some lace detail as I think it suits this luxurious Rowan Alpaca Cotton yarn. It is loose enough around the head but not so much that it would get blown off with a gust of wind, and can be worn as a hood or a cowl (with the hood down), so no sweaty head, and I hope this accessory looks much more lady-like than the awful balaclava.

The writing of the pattern is another addition to my "To Do" list, along with my other Truck-load of other things that need to be done: I don't think I'll ever get bored in this life:-)

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Little Happy Dance To Celebrate Ravelry Pattern Sale

I uploaded my Slouchy Hat pattern both on Etsy and Ravelry on Thursday before driving to Dublin on Friday for the Knitting and Stitching Show.

As I spent the whole week-end in Dublin, I didn't do much work but when checking my emails on Friday, I realised that one copy of my pattern sold on Ravelry:)

Then, last night one of my knitted phone cases was featured on a blog and in an Etsy Treasury, which may not convert into sales but it should help getting a few extra page views.

Apart from my online activity, I have started knitting some of the yarn I bought at the Knitting and Stitching show. I got a few bargains including a pack of 10 balls of Rowan Alpaca Cotton for €35.00 - This yarn is listed at €8.49 per ball on Deramore's website so I think I didn't do too bad.

Here's what I'm making with it:

At the moment it looks like a cowl, but the practical side in me wants to make 2 uses out of this one item, so I am adding a hood (it rains a lot in Ireland). I will post a picture of it when it's finished. This Hoodie Cowl (not sure of the name for it yet) should only take 2 balls, so I'll be looking for ideas of what to make with the rest (I'm sure there's a pair of long wrist-warmers waiting to be knit as well;-). If you have any other ideas, you're welcome to share in the comments.

Saturday Etsy Share: Random Halloween Stuff

This is the last Saturday before Halloween, so I thought I would share all kinds of Halloween things I found on Etsy.

You know the drill by now, so let's start with Halloween goodies from Irish Etsy shops:

Little Sofi has an original Exploding Pumpkin box card:

Stained Glass Fayre has a beautiful stained glass Pumpkin Suncatcher Halloween window decoration:

Barmbrack is a traditional Halloween food in Ireland. Thanks to Homespun Ireland, you can make some using their traditional recipe which comes in a muslim bag with 7 traditional charms and the obligatory accompanying teabag:

Rubys Ribbons and Bows is not afraid of giving little girls Hello Kitty nightmares with these spooky Pony O Streamers:

From International Etsy shops, here's some of what's on offer:

Sugar Tats has some odd Halloween Zipper Eyes temporary tattoos:

You can sweeten your tea with these sugar cube skulls from DemBones (even though it would be a pity to dissolve them):

Get scary with these Pumpkin Nail decals from NailsThins:

I have all these and more included in my Halloween Etsy Treasury, if you want to take a look.

Happy Halloween!

Saturday Etsy Share: Halloween Jewelry

The weeks are going back so fast! It's time again for Saturday sharing of some items I love on Etsy, and this week I've decide to show off some original Etsy Halloween Jewelry.

Starting in Ireland:

Halloween Bloody Odd Earrings from Bloody Odd Jewellery:

Scary Spider Pendant, from Feanor Crafts:

Skull Charm Bracelet from Jayne's Jewels Online:

Jack'O Lantern Earrings from Rosie Recycled Crafts:

Other Halloween Jewellery from around the World:

Halloween Pumpkin Necklace from Out Of Space Jewelry:

Spider Bracelet from Studio DCT:

Halloween Earrings from Stone Horse Designs:

Is Halloween a good opportunity to wear original jewellery? Which one of these pieces is your favourite?

Saturday Etsy Share: Knit Halloween Goodies

I've decided to share some of the great stuff that's available on Etsy, so since Halloween is fast approaching, I am starting with Halloween items.

This week I have been looking at knit and crochet items. Of course there's a lot more than handknit and crochet on Etsy, but I had to start somewhere so why not with my favourite craft?

The first items are from members of the Etsy Ireland Team.

Here's Crow Cottage Crafts' Harry the Halloween Hamster

Next, check out these Victorian Vampire Mittens from Koticzka

Halloween Handknitted Art Scarf with cats, bats and witches from Purls of Colour

Olga Soleil has some Crazy Crochet Halloween Coasters

And a few more from non-Irish Etsy sellers:

There are a lot more cute and spooky Halloween items on Etsy, and I could spend hours looking at these, unfortunately I can't share them all here, so if you want to see more, head on to Etsy.

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Etsy Shameless Self-Promotion: New Autumn - Winter Items in Store

It's starting to get cold around here so before going back to my needles, I want to let everybody know that I have at last added my first autumn and winter accessories in my Etsy shop.

There are 3 warm and cosy hats, 3 pairs of matching fingerless gloves and 3 matching headbands; here's a picture of one of each item and there is one of each color:

I have added an Etsy Shop page to this blog also so you can see what's in store so far in Sophie's Knit Stuff.

If you haven't already, don't forget to like Sophie's Knit Stuff on Facebook and share it with your friends for more knitting and shop news!

Preview of my New Knitted Winter Hats and Fingerless Gloves

I have been very busy lately, with my kids going back to school and the start of Etsy Ireland Mentor Month. So far this is going well as I am getting a lot of great advice, and by looking at my mentor's shop, it looks like she knows what she is talking about.

Since my last blog post I managed to knit a few items with the lovely King Cole Riot chunky yarn: 3 hats, 1 fingerless glove (I am finishing the second one this evening), and I am planning to use the leftover yarn for maybe another hat or each colour and some headbands.

I just love the feel and warmth of this yarn, pity I can't keep all of these for myself, hopefully they will find a good home!

Here is the picture I took this morning; I am waiting to have more finished before I can add them to my Etsy shop: