Alexia Bautista » shopping

New sweater: “Peach Melba”

Lex — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:16:45 +0000

It’s a long time coming, but I’ve just added a new sweater to my Knit Purl Geek Girl shop at Etsy. It’s a simple peach/chocolate brown combo, with a bit of space to add a personalized monogram.

NEXT UP: A black & white Space Invaders sweater. I had actually finished it already, but because I was wingin’ it as I went, I misjudged the sizing at it was a bit tight for Bella’s shape. And by “tight”, when I tried to squeeze her shoulder and front legs into it, she exhaled like a wheezy bagpipe.

New sweater: “WOOF”!

Lex — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:34:52 +0000

Just added another fun sweater to my Etsy shop, Knit Purl Geek Girl. It’s a bit big for our Bella, but it’ll definitely be a great sweater for a dog of a larger breed or maybe just a little pudgy. :)

A Season for Change

Lex — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 19:25:52 +0000

Last Thursday, we received a flyer in the mail that has really affected me and made me rethink my gift-giving this coming holiday season. The flyer was from Plan Canada, complete with lots of simple ways to, as they so aptly put it, “Give a Gift of Hope”. For under $100, there are lots of ways to make a difference, like providing mosquito nets, livestock or a source of clean water, with many gifts being matched dollar-for-dollar by government and organizational donors. In support of giving girls equal rights and building their self-confidence, some of the gifts also support Plan Canada’s Because I am a Girl program. I haven’t decided which gifts to get/give yet. They’re all such terrific ideas!

I also just heard about Efren Peñaflorida’s story, having just received the CNN 2009 Hero of the Year award. It moved me to tears to read about how he rose up from a life as a street youth in a gang in the Philippines, to an advocate for bringing education to kids in the slums by way of a traveling cart filled with books, bathing supplies and even a big chalkboard. It’s no wonder his Dynamic Teen Company program was also a featured story in Oprah’s Angel Network.

“Each person has a hidden hero within. … Look inside you and search it in your heart.” – Efren Peñaflorida

This season, whether or not it’s to that person that has everything, I know where I’ll be doing most of my shopping. Besides, the mall thing is so last year.

New sweater: “Belly Bones”

Lex — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 20:03:34 +0000

Just added this little sweater to Knit Purl Geek Girl. It’s pretty simple, with just a repeating bone motif around the sweater, but still fun and cozy nonetheless. :)
Next up: I started a medium blue sweater last night, doubled up on a lightweight yarn. I haven’t decided on what pattern or motif to do on it yet. I was thinking of perhaps doing a large snowflake or maybe a few small ones. Or maybe something else altogether like a small flock of white birds flying away. Hmm.

My New Etsy Store is Now Open!

Lex — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:11:56 +0000

With temperature starting to dip below 10C, it’s definitely time to bring out the sweaters. Doggie sweaters, that is. :)

Knit Purl Geek Girl, my new Etsy shop, is now open! Right now, there are only four sweaters listed, but I have another two in the wings that just need those last finishing details.

If you think you’re experiencing déja vu, you’re pretty close. Yep, around this time last year, I opened “Knick Knack Pack”, my first Etsy store. After taking a break from knitting during the summer and after an inspired new, catchier shop name, I felt like starting fresh. And why not? All the previous sweaters were sold, so there wasn’t even any old stock to carry over. A new products for a new season! Feel free to stop by, maybe pick up a sweater or just tell your friends about it. :)

Also featured on these blogs:
Oh I Love That (Thanks, Jenny!) and Bara Litten (Thanks, Katharine!)

Knit Purl Geek Girl: My new Etsy shop

Lex — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 18:31:07 +0000

A few weeks ago, as the temperature outside was starting to dip, I decided to try knitting Bella a little sweater, following a pattern I found in one of my knitting books, Stitch ‘n Bitch Nation. It turned out pretty nicely, but I wanted to see what other patterns were out there. Although that pattern wasn’t overly difficult, it was a bit slow-going, so I looked online for free patterns, looking for something a little simpler. By the end of 3 or 4 days, I somehow had three different sweaters completed, each with their one unique little touches. I even attempted a couple of intarsia motifs for the first time and they turned out pretty nicely, too. For the curious, one was a snowflake and another sweater had a skull & crossbones. :)

One thing lead to another and I started looking into how Etsy.com works and just a little over a week ago, I opened my shop, Knick Knack Pack.

I wish I had thought of it sooner because within just four days of opening the store, I had three sales under my belt, two of which were custom requests (the skull & crossbones seems to be a popular look). I didn’t make that much off the first couple of sales because I hadn’t quite figured out the best ratio of sale price vs. fees vs. shipping/packing costs. Can you believe it actually costs MORE for me to ship within Canada than to ship an identical item to the U.S.? What the …?!

Anyway, I think I’ve balanced out the numbers better now for future potential sales (one of which just happened again today!). I have to admit that although it’s still in its humble beginnings, this is kind of exciting and empowering. :)