Saturday Artisan: Melli's Yarn Works

Meet Melli of Melli's Yarn Works, our Saturday Artisan!

 
She is an avid knitter, makes bags, scarves, wrist warmers and many more and welcome custom orders. Take a peek at her shop and you will see colorful beautiful creations. 

Tell us a bit about yourself and what arts/ crafts that you make?

I'm Melli! We live in AZ, and I have an almost 4 year old who we lovingly call Hobbit Kitty. I love coffee, cute things, and video games. I enjoy reading, listening to music and also watching shows on Netflix.

I am an avid loom knitter, I loom knit a wide range of items, and have even made my own patterns and tutorials. I love bright colors and working with soft yarn, so most of my creations feature this. I am always adding new things to my shop and trying out different things. I used to also make jewelry, and had a jewelry store, however my love for yarn became greater! I have moved from having a bead addiction to a yarn addiction.  

What is the story behind your shop name? 

I wanted to have my name incorporated into my shop name, to bring more of a sense that it did belong to me. I love the Yarn Works part, because it allows me to explore a variety of items made from yarn and does not constrict me to just one type of item.  

Who is your target market?

Anyone who loves colors and yarn items! I try to target all age groups with my items, so I have things for little kids up to adults who want fun hats or wrist warmers.
 

Which part of creation process that you enjoy the most?

I love putting people's orders together! I aim to ship my items as if they are gifts, and I am sending them a present! I love my new packaging because I recently made the change to ecofriendly packaging! I also love picking out new yarns for a new piece.  

For us who love to travel, could you share a bit about your beautiful town/ city? 

I live in Buckeye, AZ which is a growing city outside of Phoenix. It is gorgeous here, and has a great vibe to it.
 

Could you share on how your organize your products, we all can use a little tips here and there in this department?

My yarn is organized on a large bookshelf. I have it sorted by what kinds of yarn they are (i.e. baby yarns are all together, bulky size are together, variegated yarns are on one shelf) and I have to admit, that bookshelf is getting pretty crowded. I have a few baskets full of yarn ends that I have rolled into balls waiting to be used. I go through the baskets every few months and try to use up those ends in hats or other small projects. My shipping materials are all organized on a rolling cart and on my craft table in my craft room.  

What is your best seller?

My best seller would be my wrist warmers and hats.
 

How does your day go in general?

My day can range from chaotic to fairly easy going. I try to do promoting and checking emails in the morning when I get up. I also check my store stats and see if anything needs my immediate attention before moving onto my personal email and other things. Once all these are done, I have the rest of the day to work on projects or do homework. I am a full time college student, so I am always doing homework, especially on weekends. This is my basic schedule, not counting all the times I do stop to play with my son, attend his needs, or do random chores or cooking.  

How do you balance your personal and work life?

My day can range from chaotic to fairly easy going. I try to do promoting and checking emails in the morning when I get up. I also check my store stats and see if anything needs my immediate attention before moving onto my personal email and other things. Once all these are done, I have the rest of the day to work on projects or do homework. I am a full time college student, so I am always doing homework, especially on weekends. This is my basic schedule, not counting all the times I do stop to play with my son, attend his needs, or do random chores or cooking.  

What inspires you?

Colors, yarns, or other people's projects have been inspirations to me. I love trying new ideas, so getting a new yarn special for a project is always really fun!
 

What is your goal for 2014?  And are you on the right track?

My goal is to get my name more out there. I would love to break 30 sales in my shop, as well as sell out some of the items I have had in my shop since I opened it. I am on the right track, I have 18 sales on Storenvy which is awesome!  

Any advice for others running their on-line shop?

Be happy in what you do. Allow yourself to take breaks. Remember we are our own worst critics, but also be happy with what you make and list for other people. People will know that you're not 100% behind your product.  

What does handmade mean to you?

Handmade means that item is special and one of a kind. Even if people reproduce one of their items, it is still unique and not mass produced. 

Melli of Melli's Yarn Works can be found here:

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