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Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Interview with Heather Fantello of crazyjaneknits

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I featured Heather last month in my fingerless glove roundup, and here she is telling us what it takes to run crazyjaneknits.

1

What is your craft / art / creative endeavor?

I make just about everything handmade. I have a knit & crochet shop where I sell handmade hats, cowl, scarves, handwarmers, etc. I have a jewelry shop as well that I am currently updating http://wildfeatherbeads.etsy.com and just recently opened a photography shop http://heatherfantello.etsy.com.

I love ETSY!

How did you get started? Have you worked in other creative areas before the kind of work you’re doing now?

I have always been an artist. When I was little, I wanted to be an author and a illustrator. Drawing and painting was my main talent. When I was 10 I dabbled in beadwork and various crafts.

In highschool I did a lot of pottery, drawing, painting, the school newspaper photographer, and performing arts.

It wasn’t until my daughter was born that I started crocheting and then knitting. Since then, I have been addicted. I can’t imagine not doing something with my hands. If you run into me, I will most likely have a skein of yarn in my purse. :)

2

Is there a story behind the name of your shop?

My daughter’s name is Gracey “Crazy” Jane. My grandpa started calling her that when she was probably 4 months old. I made her a hat that said Crazy Jane on it and the rest is history…

Do you work alone? With a team? Do you engage your family or friends in the work? What is your process? How do you ensure you get your work done yet still have a life?

I work alone. I taught my sister to knit and my grandma to hand seam but I’m such a perfectionist that I just do everything myself.

My process starts out with an idea. I get inspiration from everything around me. I mess around perfecting a pattern, wait for a nice day to take pictures, edit, list, and watch to see if it sells.

My top seller (Olive and Taupe Woodland Handwarmers) is an inside joke with my boyfriend. He picked the colors. I didn’t want to make it but I did to make him happy. They are my top seller so everytime I sell a pair, he laughs at him. I scowl at him but on the inside I’m saying, “thank you Matt.”

I don’t really have much of a life haha. I work so hard on making my products that I do it everywhere. I take my yarn to family/friend get togethers, to work, and of course at home. I’m a bit of a homebody. When I’m not knitting, I make candy, can goods from my garden, blog, and spend time with my family.

3

Where do you sell your work? Which venues are your favorites? Do you prefer selling online or in person? Do you attend shows or fairs? Is your work in a gallery or brick-and-mortar store?

I sell on ETSY.com and a couple shops in the Pacific Northwest, WA.

My stuff will be in a little shop in Greenwater, WA soon. It is a shop called Wapiti Woolies located by Crystal Mountain Resort that has been in business for 25 years. They are a family business that started out by making handmade hats.

I prefer online because the whole world can see my items where they are only seen by people who go to that store.

4

Do you have a favorite handmade shop or seller?

I have too many favorites! I find myself searching vintage, wood, and wedding. I love whites, golds, and wood tones. I like visiting somethingshidinghere.etsy.com because their color palette is so inviting.

5

What inspires and motivates you?

I love living the Pacific Northwest. I get inspired by farmlands, forest, oceans, rivers. I love the colors of moss and stones.

I love vintage everything and old traditions. I use vintage inspired styles for my jewelry and try to capture memories that will someday be vintage through my photography.

Coffee coffee coffee motivates me :)

What do you wish I had asked you?

blogs…

I have a website and a twitter.

Thanks Heather! And if you would like to be in this space next, just go to DIY Interview.

Hoboe Jane

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Are you a hat person? Me, I LOVE hats. I wish people wore them more often. And you wont find more interestingly designed berets then Hoboe Jane‘s! These quirky hats are a simple way to add a sens of fun to your look. Hoboe Jane’s creator Kristy has a background in sculpture and art and some of the hats have hand painted elements. Kristy picked up her love of arts, crafts, sewing and design from her mother, a Kindergarten teacher and has been exploring creative venues from a young age.

Kristy is influenced by lines and patterns in nature and also draws heavily from the fantasy movies she watched growing up like “Labyrinth” and “The Princess Bride”.

Kristy’s favorite item in her shop is the Spider Swirl Beret Hat. It’s a good representation of her style as it includes both hand painted elements and design with felt.

When I make my items, I think of a story that goes along with each piece. Like with the Spider Swirl Beret Hat I’ve made, she is a wandering tarantula from the northern regions of Chile and has made her new home on this very hat and wants to live with you now.

Kristy started making her own clothing and accessories in high school and to help with the family budge she started redesigning her old things and turning them into brand new objects! While she’s always loved making skirts and bags within the last year, she found a new love for making hats.

I love the work I create and I hope my love for it shows through, in my products. I try to give my work a sense of fun and joy, so whoever purchases an item will have their very own one of a kind piece.

Larger retail organizations may sometimes have better prices, but you are getting what you paid for. Retail stores sell numerous multiples of items, making them not as unique, quirky, and creative. I try to make my items as affordable as possible, for the everyday customer.

Hand made goods are much more personal and unique. Much more passion and care goes into everything we create ourselves than if it is made by a machine in some obscure factory.

You can find out more about Kristy Albury at her art website or at her experimental music site Retro Juju.

Sweetness by Sarah Lamont

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Most sweet knit hats are more appropriate for baby girls, so it is refreshing to see some that are meant more for boys.

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Sarah Lamont:
I am a SAHM to three little boys.
I am a slave to laundry and snacks.
I use Playhouse Disney as a negotiation tool.
I get more hugs and kisses than deserved.
I am witnessing beauty at it’s finest.
I am constantly inspired and need to keep “creatively” busy.
I knit during naptime (when I SHOULD be exercising…)

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