Friday Finds: Drawstring Bag for Knitting Project by zigzagstitches

'Tis the season to be knitting, fa la la la la...!
And zigzagstitches has just the accessory to keep all your knitting in an organized fashion. The padded drawstring bag comes in a variety of fun fabrics and has room for lots of yarn, needles and patterns. I especially like the fact that the padding prevents the needles from poking through. Check out more items from this wonderful shop!

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and zigzagstitches

Friday Finds: Fingerless Gloves by Arly

Brrrr! It seems that the weather has changed and we've left summer behind! Now that Fall is almost here, and I say almost because the leaves haven't changed colour yet, we need to keep warm... fashionably ofcourse!

Arly has just the thing. From her studio in Montreal, she spins beautiful hats, mittens, scarves and baby accessories with luxurious, colorful yarn. My favourite is this pair of fingerless gloves in Bridal Rose. I love the attention to detail found in the romantic heart buttons. A perfect accessory for Fall or Winter!

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and Arly

Friday Finds: Ivory Knit Cable Handbag

This lovely knitted handbag comes from Hilary's Hats.  In her  shop you will find bright coloured hats, cowls and of course these wonderful handbags with the cable knit stitch that gives it such wonderful texture.  I really love the colours that Hilary selects for her handbags from this lovely ivory  to  bright orange!  I also love the handles she incorporates into these bags.  I am a knitter myself and I recognize great talent!  Please take a peek at this colourful shop.

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and Hilary's Hats.

Friday Finds: Ecco Friendly Shawl

This ecco friendly unisex shawl is named Breezy Pomegranate.  The creator is annymay.  In her shop you will find fashion clothing and accessories made from ecco friendly fibers and materials.  She designs and makes all her items, creating clothing that is comfortable and respectful to the body and the environment.  Some of the ecco friendly materials she uses is bamboo and tencel, which is woodpulp made from ecalyptus.  In her shop you can purchase such things as scarves, hats, dresses and jewelry.  

Copyright 2011 Oh Canada Team and annymay.
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Friday Finds: Baby Ear Flap Hat

Chocolate Teal Ear Flap Hat
Originally uploaded by TresBelleKnits.

Today’s find is an adorable crochet hat in chocolate and teal. These soft accessories are not only warm and cozy, but make great accessories for professional photographers. Imagine having a custom portrait of your little one wearing it!

You can order your own ear flap hat in a variety of charming colors from Tres Belle Knits and Crochet. It is available in 5 children’s sizes, so you can have a matching set for all the tykes in your family!

Also in the spotlight today is Oh Canada Team member Knotted Nest, with a recent Etsy Front Page feature. Congratulations!

To see even more incredible creations by Canadian artists, include the tag “OhCanadaTeam” in your searches on Etsy.com.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team
Text by Mortira

Shop Spotlight: Tres Belle Knits

There are few things in the world more cozy and comforting than something that was knitted by hand. From the hats and scarves that keep us warm in winter, to the blankets that we nap with on the couch, knits are the wearable equivalent of chicken soup.

But the wonder of knitting and crochet doesn’t end there. Knit wear is a popular medium among some of the world’s best fashion designers, and is always a favorite for gift giving. At Tres Belle Knits, Christina Boulard channels her creativity into everything from coffee cozies to baby cocoons. Oh Canada has put Tres Belle Knits in the spotlight.

Oh Canada: Of all the things that you create, which item or style is your favorite?

Christina: I love to create baby items. Especially for newborns. They hardly take any time to make so it's pretty much instant gratification. I also love how tiny they are...it brings me back to when my 2 year old was a wee one. And I love to see my new creations on teeny new people!

Oh Canada: Where did you learn your skills?

Christina: Honestly? The internet! I taught myself to knit by watching videos on You Tube and KnittingHelp.com. I also posted a lot of questions on the KnittingHelp forum. It's a great little community over there. Without them I think I would have thrown my needles out the window!

I also taught myself to crochet. Mostly through You Tube, but when I had questions, I would message my wonderful friend Joy (who I've never actually met in person! We met on a "new mommy" message board) on Facebook and she would help me out.

Oh Canada: Everyone has different motivations for making their unique wares. What drives you to create?

Christina: I've never been a creative person. I used to look at knit and crochet clothing and wish I could do something like that. I loved getting them as gifts for myself or my daughter but I thought it would be too difficult a thing to learn.

When I finally did finish my very first piece, I was amazed and proud and thrilled. And each and every time I finish a new creation, I still feel those same things.

That's what drives me. The feelings of pride and joy and accomplishment I get when I finish a piece or see someone wearing something I made with my very own hands. That's why I LOVE appreciation photos! There's no better feeling in the world.

Oh Canada: If you could learn to use any new technique or material, what would it be?

Christina: I would love to learn to write or paint. Both are completely different from what I do now.

Oh Canada: Any plans to incorporate a new product into your shop this year?

Christina: Yes! I'm working with a professional photographer and that has inspired me immensely! I'll be adding some newborn photo props like pea pods and cocoons as well as some hats for babies and bigger kids.

Oh Canada: What is your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?

Christina: The community, hands down. I belong to two great teams and a handful of BNR/BNS's. The people I get to chat with everyday make the slow weeks worth it.

Oh Canada: Do you have a number one tip for new sellers?

Christina: I do!

Don't expect it to happen overnight!

That was my HUGE mistake! I opened my shop in late November, and I got slammed with Christmas orders! It was so much that I could barely keep up! I was only knitting then and I was up until 3am trying to finish orders, then getting up the next morning to start all over again.

That REALLY fooled me! I thought that was what it would be like all the time. Boy, was I wrong! I sold my last Christmas order in mid-December. I didn't have another sale until mid-January! Even now, I can go weeks at a time without one sale and I market like crazy!

Oh Canada: What is your favorite thing to buy on Etsy?

Christina: Oooh, so many things! I'm always looking for cute dresses, clothes, ponies/bows and books for my daughter.
For my fiance, it's hockey stuff and funny tees.

But for me? I love soaps, edible goodies, anything Twilight or True Blood (Yeah, yeah, I'm addicted!), wall art (like paintings) and yarn.

Oh Canada: What is the number one best item in your shop right now?

Christina: At the moment, I'm really proud of my openwork fingerless mitts. They've made the front page! But very soon, I think that will change. I finished some very sweet baby items that I will be listing in the next couple of weeks, with brand new, professional pictures!

You can catch up with the latest news, products and sales at Tres Belle Knits on Twitter and on Facebook. Christina also shares her inspirations on her blog, Tres Belle Knits and Crochet. Some new additions to the shop include premade avatars and banners for Etsy sellers. To see even more of Christine’s designs, stop by Tres Belle Knits and see what’s fresh off the hooks!

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and Tres Belle Knits

Shop Spotlight: The Knit Gallery by Arly

What kinds of images come to mind when you hear the word knitting? Is it a granny in a rocker making wedding blankets for her grandchildren? Do you think of mittens and toques? While these traditional forms of knitwear are still popular, there are even more ways to make fibers fabulous. In the Knit Gallery, you can find a wide variety of handmade treasures, from knit jewelry and accessories, to sweater pins and even knitted stationery! Oh Canada puts the spotlight on Arly and her knit creations.

Oh Canada: Of all the things that you create, which item or style is your favorite?

Arly: Designing is rather new to me as I used to simply knit from patterns that I would find in books and magazines. Right now my favorite style is cables! I will knit almost anything that has cables in it from purses to Twilight inspired mitts.

Oh Canada: Where did you learn your skills?

Arly: I learned to knit as a child from a combination of forces! My grandmother taught me and this was reinforced by various Brownie leaders. An aunt taught me how to knit and another aunt taught me to needlepoint. All in all (with the exception of my mother) both sides of the family are pretty "crafty". I didn't really take up knitting until I was in my early 20s - right at a time when knitting was not "in" and yarn stores were closing every day! Poor timing on my part for sure.

Oh Canada: Everyone has different motivations for making their unique wares. What drives you to create?

Arly: I love the wool. The texture, the colours, the possibilities. My day job is not at all creative and if I didn't have a creative outlet I would simply go mad! As soon as I am on vacation and my brain is not in work mode it is as if a switch has been flipped and I can't stop coming up with ideas to try!

Oh Canada: If you could learn to use any new technique or material, what would it be?

Arly: I would like to learn to machine knit. I know that is shocking. Most handknitters shun the machines! I would just love to be able to see all of the different designs come to life in record time!

Oh Canada: Any plans to incorporate a new product into your shop this year?

Arly: Ahh, with knitting there are always new products! I want to make more purses this year. I have lots of lovely handles and lots of nice thick yarn. And yes, there will be cables on those purses! And I have four large hanks of yarn that are waiting to be made into toddler sweaters.

Oh Canada: What is your favorite thing about selling on Etsy?

Arly: One of my first sales was to Tanzania. For some reason that just thrilled me. To think that something I made could travel all that distance to warm someone else (they were fingerless mitts). I also "chat" with a lovely bunch of crafters on one of the threads and I feel that I actually have these new friends in my life and that is really lovely.

Oh Canada: Do you have a number one tip for new sellers?

Arly: The best tips that I was given: Make sure your location is listed; use all of the allowable tags and all five pictures; take the best pictures you can; don't list all at once - oh wait - did you say number one tip?

Oh Canada: What is your favorite thing to buy on Etsy?

Arly: I would have to say cards, although I also seem to buy a lot of soap and earrings!

Oh Canada: What is the number one best item in your shop right now?

Arly: Mitts of all sizes!

You can see even more of these wonderful knitted designs in her Etsy shop, The Knit Gallery by Arly. If you love knitting, or want get started on a new hobby, she also has a selection of PDF patterns to try! You can take a look at Arly’s designs and inspirations by checking in with her on Flickr.

Copyright 2010 Oh Canada Team and Arly