New hat and owls and mushrooms for my 1970s kitchen

Today I devoted a little more love to my website Purplesagedesignz
When I viewed the updates on my husband's nice large flatscreen panel monitor, it somehow looked weird and off-centered whereas it looked cool on my fossil monitor. O well. I added this new striped tam.
And off-topic, I added to my owl collection, vintage genuine 1970s owl ceramic containers (and they are BIG) and mushroom containers. My kitchen is original 1970s, no granit counters (as HGTV makes as believe everyone must have:), I just recently stained the cabinets, everything else has been left as it was, sink, countertops...I love it!
(Ok my daughter will probably comment on my "weird" taste when she visits since she lives the Ikea design life). My thriftstore finds haven't really found the right place yet because I don't have much time for home decorations, but will be showcased once I have a few free hours.

100% Hemp Yarn arrived

Just showing off my newest yarn order, this will guarantee great spring and summer hats, vegan suitable and all natural East European dyed hemp yarn in a very fine quality.
I am always in search of great hemp suppliers, here is where I ordered, especially interesting for hemp jewelry people.
These yarn cones contain 4 X 2400 ft. Ordered here.

Silent protest

Since the $4 and $5 socalled Handmade hats are selling undisputed along with all the other mass-produced accessories and clothing on the "Handmade sites" I will try to list more of my items on my own personal website.
I have taken a picture of a new hemp/wool hat, almost finished, a popular stripe design. As you can see each color change leaves loose ends hanging. So the actual crochet part is done, now the sewing part starts to weave in all the loose end strands. Besides the material costs (all hemp yarns are ordered online with shipping costs) a lot of labor is involved to crochet a tam.
I hate to be upset and will avoid it in future by focusing on my own selling space. I can't and I don't want to compete with Far East imports.
I would be very honored if my customers give my own site a try.
http://www.purplesagedesignz.com
Have a great day in peace and harmony!

Bagging Leaves on a sunday afternoon

Today we had a good work-out raking piles and piles of leaves and then bag them up. Since we have 1 giant tree and 5 big sized leave trees on our property (and a bunch of smaller ones) most likely this job will never get finished, but it had gotten to a point where leaves just took over our backyard. Instead of cooking a lean dinner we decided to get fast food today. I can't even recall on which diet week we are on, but it has developed into a lifestyle with little exceptions like today.
I cannot show a lot of new work today, but I finally got one of my handmuffs finished, a project which I had started some time back. I love muffs, they have such a cool vintage look. I have never been a gloves girl:)
This periwinkle, slightly elegant hand-warmer has a removable neck strap and is super soft inside with an extra layer of black crochet.
Available for sale on Etsy

A quick show-off of new tams

I love these colors and yarns and need to show off my newest dread beanies.
Apple green and brown tam hat
El Paso Fall Dreadlock beanie
Happy weekend!

My Tips 18 - 20 (of 20) to survive the holiday rush of a cottage industry

Snow cottage oil painting borrowed from this website
I chose this painting because we had our first snow day yesterday. Today it is already gone. When I stepped outside late in afternoon I was struck by the silence...like there is a blanket of snow damping all the sounds of nature (or cars...). I looked up into the sky and there were heavy grey clouds hanging in the air. No bird singing, no dog barking, just awesome quietness. Two hours later micro-sized snowflakes were falling from the sky and despite them being tiny they covered the roofs and ground with a thick white blanket by night.

18. After I had been rather philosophical the last few days I will end my series with down-to-earth practical tips. 4 weeks till Christmas, so we probably look at 3 more weeks of holiday business unless you sell in Brick&Mortar stores until the very end. I plan on reducing my offered inventory the closer I get to Christmas because I will reward myself with a few quiet days before Christmas. Looking at a time frame of 3 more busy weeks seems manageable and gives me something to look forward to.

19. Even though I have several best-sellers I always create a few OOAK items just to please my creative soul. A new color or a new stitch design keep my craft interesting and I don't feel burnt out.

20. Random time-savers:
*clean out and fill the dish washer while cooking dinner, you are in the kitchen anyway.
*move everything to its place immediately after use
*don't get distracted and stick to one task until finished, all those little breaks add up
*print and pack in bulk and get your daily orders out in one batch
*keep your materials handy
*stay happy, life is great
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My Tips 16 - 17 (of 20) to survive the holiday rush of a cottage industry

Craft Revival Image linked from this website

16. Giving thanks for my (e-) businesses Purple Sage Designz and Retro Chic Boutique is important to me. I had experienced how difficult it can be to maintain a Brick&Mortar business in Germany long before online selling was a possibility. I am grateful for my online venues and easy set-up of a business license in the USA. I also own my first home in Oklahoma and my cottage business allows to work inside this home without spending most of the day at someone else's work place. The pleasure that I get out of these opportunities can not be measured in $$$ only, but are a life style that I had visioned for a long time. I think this point of self-reflection is very appropriate today on Thanksgiving Day. And yes, the turkey breast and all side dishes were delicious, I have a cozy warm feeling inside.

17. In respect of changes made on some of my online selling venues I thought a lot about independence today. Being Indie! Own branding, self confidence in the way you conduct your business and the balancing act of watching the overall market and stay true to your own designs. Pricing, presentation and advertisement usually develop over time and we have our own comfort zone of price range, target customers and the way we feel about solicitation in social spaces. I keep my prices in the lower range because I believe that not every one is willing or able to pay over $30 for a hat. I don't live in NYC either, so my profit still puts food on our table.
I don't look at the lowest Ebay prices either, been there, done that and have moved on. Joining every online team or group just to post a link to my stores has not been beneficial either. I hate bragging, boasting...it's just not my style. I strive to stay true to myself. I am confident in my own abilities and I don't worry a whole lot about what other people do. Of course I see a lot of online selling fraud and misrepresentation going on since I am not blind. I am not indifferent, but I make my choices of where to engage with my contributions and where not. In German we have a saying ..."Don't throw pearls to the hogs".