AWOL?

I'm sorry that I haven't been writing much at all lately. I finally have my shop up on Etsy, now I'm working hard to get some items made, photographed, and descriptions written. I should be up and running by next Wednesday. That's may goal, anyway. February 29th, Leap Day, is our anniversary. I figured I'd like to make that my shop's Grand Opening day, too.

Over the past two weeks, I've learned more about running an online business than I ever thought possible. I had no idea that there was so much to it. You have to know about the basics (marketing, making your product appealing to potential customers, etc.) AND all of the accounting, taxes, shipping costs... I really don't want to screw up on that end! The way things seem to go for me, I'll be hearing from the IRS in a year about being audited. I want to be sure I have everything all lined up properly from the very start!

Then there is actually making stuff. I have so many ideas! I've been looking them up on Etsy and Google and many of my ideas have very few listings. The things I have made are typical - washcloths, bags, etc. They're quick and I'm very confident in my ability to make them well. The "ideas" I have are designs of my own making, or tweaked designs that I've found online and in books. These need a little more time from me - if I screw up, I'll have to unravel and start over.

I can't tell you how thankful I am to those who've sent yarn, books, crochet hooks, and their positive thoughts. Without them, this would still be a dream for me. But now... IT'S REALITY!!! (I'll be writing a much better "thank you" post in the future, so keep your eyes peeled.) And, I am so excited. I have a creative outlet, I have hope for the future, I have more to do all day than just be "mom" and "honey" - I can be myself at the same time! I don't have to set aside a certain time every day to do my work. I can pick it up and put it down at will, making the needs of my family always come first.

 I have found that knitting and crocheting at the library is a great way to get some business, too! I have been taking Little Guy to the "Thomas Library" once or twice a week so he can play with other kids and their great Thomas & Friends train table. While he runs around, playing, I sit and make stuff. It's amazing how many people will come up to me and ask what I'm doing. I have even had a few people try to purchase the item I was making right off of my needles!

OK, OK, enough about all of this - for now. I'll let you all know when I open up. I'd like to write a few posts that showcase a couple of my items. I need some help with pricing. I have seen the same type of bag, for instance, on Etsy for $50 and for $10. I am going to need to know what people are willing to pay for things. So, once I get some pictures done, I'll start posting those.

For now, though, I'm just not able to write any "good" posts. So, I'll be re-posting some of my early writings that I love and probably didn't get much attention. They'll be things that I wrote when I had close to no readers, so I'm sure that most of you have missed them. I also still have those pesky reviews and giveaways to post. I'll get to those, too... I have all kinds of posts written in my heads, but my hands are too busy to type them up right now. I sure hope they stay put and aren't forgotten before I can pound them out!