The Handmade Pledge

As someone who tries to make money off their craft, I thought it was important to take the Handmade Pledge. The official pledge is to "buy handmade this holiday season and request that others do the same for me."

The website has a lot of interesting, political information on "craftivism" and the importance of being a conscientious consumer. But the main reason I took the pledge was because in my minimal craft show experience, I was tired of people saying (loudly) that they could get something similar at Walmart for half the price.

And I'm not perfect. I shop at Walmart too, but I do try to take a proactive approach. Not every gift I give will be handmade, but I'll make an effort to seek out some that are.

And now the fun part, requesting that others do the same for me.

Giving gifts is not the most important part of the holidays, but if you happen to be considering giving me a gift, here are some ideas.

Etsy may very well be the largest online marketplace for handmade items. I have a shop on the site myself. I also have a very extensive favorites list with lots of ideas. You can search Etsy by just about keyword, check the treasuries and look by color.

There is also a list of links to independent yarn dyers here. It's worth viewing just to see a few of the yarn dyers out there.

Also, there is a general wishlist here. It's not all handmade, but there are a few Etsy items there.

Finally, this isn't handmade, but the wishlist above includes links to Austin' local yarn shops. Shopping there does support small local businesses. Also, I have my a wishlist on file at The Knitting Nest, and Stacy, the owner, would be glad to show you everything is. My list is filed under "V" for Villarreal. :)

Ok, I'm done being materialistic. Time to work on the gifts I'll be knitting.

(PS - If you're on my shopping list, let me know if you have handmade requests, or if you see something you like on Etsy or elsewhere.)