PhatFiber November Box - Seasons of Light
It's always a good day when the PhatFiber Sampler Box arrives in the mail! It's really a happy combination of trying out some awesome spinning fiber samples and learning from the other contributors.
The samples are always spectacular, usually half an ounce of fiber, which is more than enough to play around with. All kinds of fibers and colors! It's almost like a calliope!
The yarn samples are usually 25 yards and I just love them, but have always been reluctant to cast on because most are too nice to knit into something as trivial as coasters. This box, however, yielded a superb solution, in the form of a shawl pattern from Katherine Vaughan, the Eydi Fichu. "Fichu" is a French word meaning "little shawl" and the geometric shape of this one means it will hug the shoulders and not fall off like a triangle shawl or a rectangular wrap. I think it will lend itself perfectly to knitting these small samples into a stripey exotic shawl! Thank-you Katherine!
I love the stitch markers too - and "WOW" - I got a Twinkle Star Swarovsky crystal stitch marker from WineMakersSister!! Eeeee! Talk about great luck!
This is only my second box but I have already learned a great deal about what works and what doesn't for marketing. I pay attention to what catches my eye and ask myself, "Why?". Then, when I'm done looking at everything, I close my eyes and try to imagine what I've looked at and liked. It's a very good exercise in making your samples memorable.
I've realized that while my business cards don't compare in the least to the fancy commercial ones many sellers have, my samples are unique as few contribute paper goods other than printed patterns. Also, my stitch markers are much better than most I've received and I make sure not to repeat the construction flaws I've seen in the poor ones. Some make me wonder if the makers even tried using them...
I think, after a while, you begin to see who is running a business and who is just toying around with their hobby. As for me, I think I'm somewhere in the middle. The exposure is great - now to produce some great things to put in my shop that will sell.... hmmmm!
Cheers all!
The samples are always spectacular, usually half an ounce of fiber, which is more than enough to play around with. All kinds of fibers and colors! It's almost like a calliope!
The yarn samples are usually 25 yards and I just love them, but have always been reluctant to cast on because most are too nice to knit into something as trivial as coasters. This box, however, yielded a superb solution, in the form of a shawl pattern from Katherine Vaughan, the Eydi Fichu. "Fichu" is a French word meaning "little shawl" and the geometric shape of this one means it will hug the shoulders and not fall off like a triangle shawl or a rectangular wrap. I think it will lend itself perfectly to knitting these small samples into a stripey exotic shawl! Thank-you Katherine!
I love the stitch markers too - and "WOW" - I got a Twinkle Star Swarovsky crystal stitch marker from WineMakersSister!! Eeeee! Talk about great luck!
This is only my second box but I have already learned a great deal about what works and what doesn't for marketing. I pay attention to what catches my eye and ask myself, "Why?". Then, when I'm done looking at everything, I close my eyes and try to imagine what I've looked at and liked. It's a very good exercise in making your samples memorable.
I've realized that while my business cards don't compare in the least to the fancy commercial ones many sellers have, my samples are unique as few contribute paper goods other than printed patterns. Also, my stitch markers are much better than most I've received and I make sure not to repeat the construction flaws I've seen in the poor ones. Some make me wonder if the makers even tried using them...
I think, after a while, you begin to see who is running a business and who is just toying around with their hobby. As for me, I think I'm somewhere in the middle. The exposure is great - now to produce some great things to put in my shop that will sell.... hmmmm!
Cheers all!
Posted by Gloria Patre at 12/8/2010 10:38 PM 
Categories: Yarn, Spinning, Fiber, Musings
Tags: PhatFiber Sampler Box November seasons of Light
Categories: Yarn, Spinning, Fiber, Musings
Tags: PhatFiber Sampler Box November seasons of Light
Any other tips you care to share would be appreciated Monica. As a seller I also like to know what catches people's eye and what sells
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