Beekeeper Quilt

Current Projects
Yes, I'm currently working on the beekeeper quilt just like a lot of people are on Ravelry.com.  I'm not too far into the project (current puff count is 12), but I'm having so much fun working on these.  My mom gave me another idea too, but I'm keeping that one a secret.  Following the advise of someone else working on the project, I looked up a calculator to see how many puffs you will need to finish your quilt (find it here).  If I want a quilt to fit my queen size bed, I will need 829 puffs.  As a result, I'm thinking just what the author said to do: work on the puffs for a year and see how many you come up with.  Perhaps it will just be a piece that I frame and hang in my house or a yarn shop should I ever open one.  We'll see how it goes!

Coming Soon
My fall toddler girl jumper is almost done, I'll be posting pictures soon!  Check out some of our stuff on etsy.com under cherishedmomentswi.

The Business of Doing Business

Design
I'm calling this entry a design element, mainly because the topic of business can be tailored to any industry, any project.  In essence, you're designing a business.  I'll be doing a few entries like this, mainly to show some of the process I'm going through to create my business plan.  Yes, I'm buckling down and writing a business plan.

Why talk about business?
Simple, I love the little nuances of running a business.  What you may not know about me is that I have a Master's Degree in Business Administration (aka MBA) with a concentration in Health Care Management.  I have done some business consulting, planned events, and even taught courses to business students.  I have been a manager, assistant manager, and a line worker for over a decade, and the actual idea of running a business is virtually the same in all sectors, except a few...  And with a health care background, I've seen a lot of crazy things!

When starting my own business back in 2008, I did not think I had what it takes to be an entrepreneuer.  I lacked a lot of confidence in myself, and I wanted to quickly make a lot of money.  I made the mistake of thinking that my degree inherently warranted that.  Boy was I wrong.  Starting a business is harder than getting a job and learning how someone else does business.  Why?

1. You have to set your own way of doing business.
2. You need to research all aspects of yourself and the business you want to go into and put it all down into a coherent plan (i.e., you have to write a formal or informal business plan).
3. You need to make sure that your idea is unique and viable for continuity of the business.

Craft businesses need a plan too!
In the early days of toying with the idea of starting a craft business, I thought I could just continue knitting, and just sell my products however I could.  Nope, nope, nope!  Even as a crafter, you have to pick your niche.  Ask yourself these questions:

• What market do you want to target?  (Men, women, children, all ages, etc.)
• What kinds of sales do you expect?
• How much can you realistically invest to start your business?
• Do you want a brick and mortar shop or want to sell online?
• Who is your competition?

and the list goes on... 

What does all of that mean?
You've got to do some good old-fashioned research on your industry.  Whether it's woodworking, knitting, painting, or any other craft, start with a simple Google search and see how many viable businesses you can find doing what you want to do.  Find out how successful they are.  Find out how popular they are amongst other crafters in that niche and go from there.

So what are you waiting for?  Let's get this business started.  If you'd like a little free advice on starting a business or writing a business plan, leave a comment and I will get back to you ASAP. 

Coming Soon
Some fall and winter design ideas!

Peanut Models His New Vest

Current Projects

• Peanut's Fall Sweater Vest:  I loved making this vest for my son and hopefully I'll have a good response on Etsy.com for this vest.  This was the first time I used Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino and was happy that I did because it was so great to work with.  I made a special trip out to my parent's Bed and Breakfast to visit and take photos of Peanut in his vest so that I could have some excellent pictures to post on Etsy.  Here are some highlights from his first photo shoot:

Warming Up for the Camera

Gave him a truck so he would sit still

Distinguished Gentleman

Back view of the vest

Side view

My dad told him to say hi to the plant, so he did just that!

Don't forget to check out Cherished Moments on facebook and twitter (momentswi) and also take a look at Peanut's Vest listed on Etsy.com!

Coming Soon
More socks?!

Knit Continuum

Knit Madness
This will be a brief entry, but I am happy to announce that I am still working on The Dude Sweater.  I finished a few more rows and will begin armhole shaping of the back tomorrow.  I would have done more, but I was watching my son who has been a bit of a yarn monster lately (snatching my work from my hands or pulling a needle out from one of the sides).

I also managed to finish another pair of socks (below) and start a pair of socks in toddler size.

Green Moss Socks

$25 on etsy.com (cherishedmomentswi)

Finally, I'm experimenting with new photographic techniques in order to better showcase my handmade products.  I am using different scrapbooking supplies to dress up backgrounds and add a little something to the foreground as well.  I hope it's helping.

Coming Soon

The quest for popularity in the handmade realm.