You can't or you won't?

Those of you who know me from Facebook would most likely know that I happily take custom orders for hats. I have sprouted the term 'I love a challenge' many times. But sometimes when your challenged it becomes all too much and you want to throw in the towel (or crochet hook in my case).

One of my lovely customers (you know who you are) challenges me quite often. Every time I relish in it, as creating the same thing over and over becomes quite mundane. One thing I can guarantee you each and every time is that at one point I hate it. I hate what I've done, I can't figure out what I need to do next, I have to rip out half of my work and complain to my lovely partner (who has absolutely no understanding of crochet but still ah hah's and mmmm's to my ramblings). A lot of the time he will tell me to scrap it, if I can't do it, I can't do it, just let her know it can't be done. This may sound unsupportive, but I know he means well, he doesn't want me to stress unnecessarily, (or he doesn't want to hear me complain and is just really good at seeming concerned).

However, what I discovered tonight was this is just part of the creating process. It works for me. And my partner telling me basically to throw in the towel if it's all too hard spurs me on more.

This discovery surprises me as by nature I'm usually looking for an easy out. You may even say kind of lazy... Don't say that to me though or I'd be crushed.  When I crochet, however, I don't like to give in easily. It's like a puzzle I have to solve. That's why I prefer to crochet without a pattern and work out what I need to do as I go. And the sense of accomplishment fuels me on further. The only downfall to this is that I continuously fail to write down what I've done so each time I try to recreate it I have to figure it out all over again...

I'm proud to say I haven't failed a challenge yet... and I hope I don't anytime soon

x Adele

P.S Blanket's finished

                                                         



Handmade???

Something that has been bugging me of late, when I visit handmade websites and markets is the abuse of the term 'handmade'.

To me, handmade means starting from scratch with the raw materials and creating a usable object (or artwork). Some sellers don't seem to feel the same about this and view 'handmade' as adding an embellishment to a mass produced item. However, I do acknowledge it is a grey area....

I suppose the main thing that has been annoying me lately is seeing all the 'handmade' beanies bought from china wholesale for around $2 each and whacking a button on it and claiming it as your own work. Or not even bothering to do anything to it and because it WAS (or so says the marketing) handmade by someone, somewhere it is still fine to resell as handmade. Is that any different from someone purchasing my hats from a stockist? Some may say no, but it doesn't sit right with me. We all know of the conditions factory workers in other countries deal with, and we really don't know who is making these items. There's a chance child labourers are being used to hand make these hats for your child... a sad irony indeed.

These sell for around $12 and non-crafters think they are buying a handmade item, a price which for most of my hats I couldn't match when I factor in materials, packaging, branding, selling fees and tax, that's before I pay myself anything for labour. When people sell these FHM (faux handmade, not the men's magazine, if google brought you here for that you can find it here...) items it gives the average customer the idea that AHM (actual handmade) items prices are overly inflated.

FHM hats

It really is a grey area though isn't it? I mean, could we go as far as saying since i don't spin my own yarn, or make my own buttons, technically my items aren't completely handmade... Just for the record, I don't whittle my own hooks either.

It makes me angry (or sad, I'm not sure which) that customers who think they are supporting handmade are being duped. I have many lovely customers and 'cheerleaders' who (like me) take comfort in thinking that buying handmade is helping support the creator of the product, but I wonder what support the makers of FHM items are getting??


In other news I made this hat yesterday

And today I decided to buy myself some pretty flowers to liven up my day. Not usually a red person but i think my hat from yesterday inspired me.

And do you love my new jug as much as I do? It is (according to its little tag) 'another handcrafted creation' from Robert Gordon, Australia. But I purchased it from a major Australian retailer... so does that counteract the handcrafted-ness of it?? who knows...

And I finally got my yarn order to complete my latest blanket

Thanks for reading my vent, hope your all having a great start to the new year.

x Adele