This week the Making Things platform launched. In case you haven’t heard (which I’m certainly sure you have by now), Making Things is a brand new platform that follows a Netflix-style subscription service. For a fee a month, users get access to ALL the patterns on the platform. Making Things launched less than 48 hours ago and already it’s a HUGE disruptor in the industry. It’s causing conversations and surprisingly, one topic that popped up among KNITTERS (not just designers), was about...

This week on the Yarn Alchemist podcast, I answer a very popular question that plagues many new designers: should I be following trends? I break this question down and address the several layers that this question brings: When is it appropriate to follow trends in knitwear designs? The mistake that designers make when following trends Why focusing on trends (if you're not doing this one thing) can leave you high and dry How to be your own trend-setter. This episode was sponsored by...

The messaging behind my work as a knitwear designer is undergoing a shift after a catalyst moment with my audience the past few weeks. Despite it being obvious the direction my community wants me to go, I faced a bit of resistance to it. In this episode, I share what was holding me back and the 5 lessons I learned that helped me overcome my own roadblocks.

This past week I’ve been watching “Chef’s Table” on Netflix. I never thought myself to be interested in a documentary series where people talk about food, but the way they talk about their craft is infectious. They have a reason for why they cook, and they see the value in their work. This season focused on desserts, and one chef said (and I paraphrase) “I know that my desserts aren’t healthy or have great nutritional value, but they give so much joy. In a long and stressful day, just having...

Show NotesThere's a reason why I don't teach branding as part of SWATCH Studio. 1) Learning how to design is a lot already and 2) there are much better teachers out there who can properly articulate how to. Lori from L Knits is one such person! In today's episode, I review her book "Design Your Brand" an e-book that provides a great foundation for everything you need to know about branding your knitwear design business.  Special Podcast Code: BRANDPRO (get $10 off!). Click here to get your...

Show NotesToday's episode comes from a question that was sent in: "I'd love for you to do a blog post or podcast episode about handling "the business" of being a designer once your first pattern has been published. For instance, what tools can be considered business expenses? What yarn? What software do you use or recommend for tracking income/expenses? Is it necessary to become an LLC or other "official" business through a local entity? Etc. I've been searching Ravelry forums looking for an...

Show NotesEver since I became a user of Slack last year, it's really helped facilitate communication between me and my team. One of my goals this year was to learn how to better run and manage my test knits using Slack! Slack is an app that was created for the purpose to ease communication between large groups of users. Today I take you behind the scenes of my knitwear design process and show you how I run my test knits and make it a more streamlined, smooth process for everyone involved. ...

Show NotesThe topic for this episode came about as the result of a casual question I posted on social media a couple weeks back to my followers, "What elevates a good pattern to a great one?" The amount of feedback I received was so great (in worth quantity and quality), I wrote down the top 8 best responses. I've been applying these changes to my own work and been able to greatly improve the quality of my pattern writing. Here at the top 8 ways you can elevate a good pattern to a GREAT...

In this episode, I go over a question that was submitted to me by one of my SWATCH Studio students: how to run a KAL. I go over the different types of the KALs you can run, things to keep in mind when setting them up, and answer her question for best marketing her patterns using a challenge + KAL. ...

Here's a scenario that many of us would like to avoid, but all come across: what to do when our design looks much to similar to another design? In this episode, I share my experiences and lessons that I've learned from situations like this, both when my soon-to-be-published design looked to similar to another's, or when another design published looked just like one I did before. ...

In today's episode, I bring you behind the scenes of Aroha Knits! Even in my own brand I face mindset and tool roadblocks, so here is how I found out I needed a project management system and how I use it to help me on a day to day basis.

In today's episode, I talk about how to find the best coach for your needs and business: what to look for, what a coach actually does, and how to approach finding one! Show Notes5 Tips on How to Ask Your Mentor the Right Questions - Chelsea Fitch If you want to be coached by me...Sign-up for a one-on-one coaching call below! ...

Submitting to knitting magazines and publications can be a terrifying task. It's a great way to push one's knitwear design career forward but is facing all of the rejection worth it? As someone who has both experienced being the submitter and the editor, I want to share my insights and the behind-the-scenes of what is going through the mind of an editor, as well as how you can change your outlook on the submission process so you can make it a win-win situation every time. Enjoying the show...

What is imposter syndrome? Who is more susceptible to it? How can you overcome it? Today I dive into the mindset hangouts of this syndrome and provide some perspectives to frame it in a new light.

2017 is coming to a close and 2018 is just around the corner! In this week's installment of the Yarn Alchemist Podcast, I talk about my method of setting goals, starting with the overall vision of the year, then breaking it into chunks using the S.M.A.R.T. system! Enjoy my work? Support the podcast for as little as...

From left to right: Claire, Chelsea and Frenchie (moi) Last month I took an international trip to Melbourne, Australia for Chelsea Fitch's Fiber Boss College LIVE event as a speaker! In my first ever speaking gig, I talked about how I use challenges in my business, the theory of challenges and then dove into the practice of setting one up. However, I'm not going to talk about my panel in this episode (that's for a future one) but...

Self-care is a vital part of the health and success of our businesses, but why do we try to hold it off as much as we can? Today I explore some of the mindset hurdles to effective self-care, why it's important, how often we should practice it and what self-care looks like for each of us.

After each major launch, I like to reflect on what worked, what didn't, and how to make the next launch more effective next time. In this first episode of the Yarn Alchemist, I share the top 3 lessons I learned from the most recent launch of SWATCH Studio.