small crochet

I've been crocheting with a 1.5 mm hook for a lifetime (it seems). I will persevere and see this project to the end in sha Allah! Then, I will grab a hook in the range of 4 to 6 mm and crochet with a skip and a jump! I may pick up one of the two blankets I'd started on. I might even hook up a Ribbon Accent bag! 

Or even knit something like this Amari shawl!

It makes me ponder a little more about the issue of making money out of a hobby. Do you still enjoy what you do once you have looming deadlines over your head and customers negotiating prices? If you do sell your handmade goods, is it better to make and sell (for example, on Etsy) than to take orders for customised items? What's your take on this? 

Speaking of the smaller hook size, remember the bangle motif? Elena over at ArtEC has just made a video tutorial for it (she has made it in to earrings though, which is great!) ... in Italian! Isn't that just ... bellissimo?

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books

I enjoyed reading The Handmade Marketplace: How to Sell Your Crafts Locally, Globally, and Online by Kari Chapin because it's all about developing a business out of your creativity. This is something I've been thinking about for a while. So, the book was something that I could relate to for the most part. It covers all the bases when it comes to branding, marketing, blogging and social networking, and getting right down to it and selling (both online and otherwise). There are quotes and contributions from various familiar crafty types. It's a very useful book for anyone without some sort of business background, but is mostly geared towards the US. On the plus side, the inspirational notes are great if you're unsure about taking the plunge. 


This book, Living Out Loud: An Activity Book to Fuel a Creative Life, blogged here sounds interesting! Have you read it?

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