A Little Research

This design will get produced, just
not by who initially said yes ...

I wrote this blog entry way back in November about a design that was supposed to receive yarn and marketing support from Yarns of Italy. At the time I was incredibly excited about it - even though the support was in the future, and we both knew the yarn hadn't yet been manufactured and delivered to the this side of the Atlantic.

Well, fast forward to March of this year. Yarns of Italy informed me that they hadn't yet received the yarn, didn't know when it would be delivered, didn't really have a suitable alternative, and had decided to scrap their original plans of marketing support for the design. Disappointed was I. However, I actually was equally disappointed in myself - I knew all of the facts, and I took a leap of faith. Ok, so much for that.

In March, I proposed a salvo that I was thought was incredibly gracious and very easy to say yes to - please provide me with some swatching yarn. I was still swatching for projects for the fall (although, admittedly, that was wrapping up fairly quickly), and swatching with the yarn might afford both of us some beneficial opportunities. Yarns of Italy was on board.

Well, I never received any swatching yarn, and of course chose other yarns for things that will be published by others later this year. Disappointed again was I. This time, definitely not with myself.

However, I tried one more time - I contacted Yarns of Italy, told them I had a design in mind, and would they want to support it with providing yarns that are already in their warehouse? I once again was told yes, and my YOI contact passed along the request to the person now handling all designer requests. That's happened. Still no response. Disappointed am I? No. This is par for the course. I just thought I'd give it one, last try.

I bring this up because while I wish I had been treated differently, it's symptomatic of a much deeper issue. YOI is a small company, and if I'm going to be completely fair (why do I always feel the need for fairness?) I can see their need to keep a tight reign on the marketing budget. However, the craft numbers tell a story that should lead people in the industry to a different set of actions.

Both The National Needle Arts Associates (TNNA) and The Craft and Hobby Association have conducted surveys and published their respective results. While Doris Chan has written about her analysis of the data, (and yes, the survey methodologies are like apples and oranges), there are some irrefutable truths:

 * there are more households crocheting than knitting;
 * 58% of the crocheters TNNA surveyed spend between $201 and $800 on their
   craft in a year;
 * one of the two most-requested "fresh and new" products TNNA
   respondents indicated were crochet patterns (with cross-stitch being the
   other most requested); and
 * crocheters spend equally or just slightly more than their knitting counterparts on
   patterns and books.

One of the fresh cardi designs from VK's
special crochet edition

Seeing how the recent Vogue Knitting crochet special edition has flown off the shelves, the last two points aren't a big surprise. It's also no surprise that fresh patterns sell yarn. Given all of this, you'd think YOI would have acted differently. Oh well.

There are some yarn companies that recognize the above, know that crocheters have many purchasing options, and speak directly to crocheters (as well as knitters!) with great yarns at affordable prices underscored by great design. Garnstudio/Drops Design has an amazing selection of yarn and an equally amazing pattern database; KnitPicks also has an excellent line of yarns and their IDP (independent designer program) supports both designers and designs. Those are just two of several.

So I put it to you dear reader: what are your favorite yarn lines? What do you crave in patterns? What myths or stereotypes does the above information shatter?

The Good, The True and the Beautiful



A sneaky peek at a portion of my
Yarns of Italy design submission.
Never fear, my design vision is far
clearer than this enlargement.

 So, I received word yesterday that a design I had submitted for a Yarns of Italy competition has been accepted! Happy? Me? Yes!!!! There were a few fine details to smooth over, but I am pleased (and just a little honored) with how it all worked out.

The submission/acceptance process is not always so mutually agreeable. As much as I want my designs to be accepted and published (as every designer does, I'm quite certain), it doesn't mean that I must accept all of the terms all of the time. Especially if I feel I'm getting a little too much smoke blown in my face. I have retracted design submissions. This doesn't please me, but I think it's important to be true to myself, and if I feel (with evidence to back up that feeling, of course) that I'm being sent up a lazy river (or to that bridge to nowhere), I will absolutely listen to my gut and not think twice about the decision.

Fortunately, I've had far more positive interactions than negative. I get to play with fiber I truly enjoy, and create beauty and good (at least my version of those concepts). I get to decide who I want to associate with - which is why I have so loved my Friday Fiber Arts adventures. I have always believed that how we make others feel is what drives how we act. Making another feel included and appreciated and valuable, done with authenticity, will always lead to good things. Manipulation ... not so much.

Which leads me (the good, the true and the beautiful - not the manipulative) to speak a little more about the spindle and fiber I received a few weeks back. I had swapped with someone earlier in the year, and it was a very pleasant exchange, and afterward we went our respective fiber ways. However, since I hadn't heard from the swap mate in a while, I got in touch with her. I also discovered she was trying to clear away some things she no longer used or needed. The spindle, which has a few small dings in it from being dropped, seemed a perfect first spindle on which to learn my hand-spinning technique (since I know I'm gonnna drop that thing at least once). Well, communications ensued and we decided another swap was in order. I was overwhelmed when I received such wonderful fiber to play with as well as the spindle! And, I saved the best for now - she included a note written on a card that needed to be put together:

Check that out. We're not talking mere pop-up card, but one with actual creation instructions, with pieces to insert and interlock. I had so much fun putting this card together, and am thrilled with the thought put into the entire package. I'm in the process of getting a package together for her, and I'm pleased to bits to be doing so. (BTW, I'd love to hear what helped each of you as you learned to spin.)

I thank everyone (and especially Andrea!) for being such great fiber mates all of these past Fiber Arts Fridays. Please check back with Andrea's blog, and make certain to take the time to enjoy all the wonderful creativity this group displays each week. Fee-Fi(ber)-F.O. to that, my friends!