Vogue Knitting Live Launches Small Business Launch Pad

Knitting industry events are a great way for designers, instructors, yarn and accessory makers to meet and get to know each other in real life. They can be important for sales, name recognition, getting featured in magazines and more.

But the barriers for entry are high for many small business owners. Booth space is expensive, as is travel to events, getting goods to the venue and more.

Vogue Knitting Live recently launched a program to make it a little easier for small business owners to vend at their events, called Launch Pad.

The program will offer resources and support for new and marginalized small business owners, including webinars, weekly assignments and lectures, which will culminate in an opportunity to sell at Vogue Knitting Live in New York in January at a discounted rate.

Launch Pad is especially aimed at addressing problems of diversity in representation at such events, so BIPOC small business owners are being prioritized in selections. Applications are being accepted from business owners regardless of age, race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, or socioeconomic status (though there is a cost both to the program and to selling at the event).

Applications are due by Friday, Nov. 15, and the program will accept 20 people. The fee for participation is $125, and booth space is $175.

This sounds like an amazing program and I can’t wait to see what comes out of it.

[Photo: Vogue Knitting.]

Next Pattern:

Not too long ago I was seeing a crochet pattern for a glasses holder shaped like a bear all over the Internet. It was super cute, and also useful as a place to put your glasses on your bedside table instead of just throwing them somewhere random.

This project stewed in my brain for a little while and I decided I needed to make a knit version, but I didn’t want to make a bear. If you know anything about me you might know that I’m a cat person, so of course my version had to be a cat.

The base is just a basic little basic worked from the center out to the desired size, then up the sides as long as you want them. Knit some ears and add embellishments to make it whatever kind of animal you want.

The way I figured out to work the base from the center out was to use a crochet cast on, which gives you an easier way to pick up stitches from the back of the cast on than if you worked a more traditional cast on for a knitting project. It’s kind of fun to do things in a different way from time to time.

This little project is adorable if I do say so myself, and even as a plain little basket not made into an animal it’s a cute way to keep your glasses or other little things in one place. I’m tempted to make one for my desk to hold pens or even little little scissors and sewing needles that are always on my desk but somehow always seem to get lost on my desk.

If you need a little holder for your glasses on your table, check out the pattern at Our Daily Craft.

[Photo: Our Daily Craft]

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