Help Crochetville Win a $250,000 Grant!

[Amy]

We're up to 226 now. Just 24 to go!

 

Any other ideas on cool things we can do with the money if we win? Donna and I already have a long list of our ideas, but we want to make sure we do some things you want us to do, too.

[eurolyons]

Amy, at this point I'm really drawing a blank on anything for the wish list past the magazine...and really with the magazine at this point, what I really want is more things for experienced crocheters. Everyone has really great ideas and I'm sure you do too...At this point, I trust you and Donna on this...

[craftyone]

Maybe some more classes- more advanced techniques, pattern grading, how to set up a website, patterns and techniques for some of the novelty yarns(Ribbon yarns)-there as so many scarf patterns for knitting but none for crochet that I 'veseen.

[FizzlePop40]

Maybe you could add a place on this forum for photos. Would that be possible? I think it would be really nice if we had a place to just share pictures of our creations.

[Amy]

230 votes----just 20 left!

[Amy]

Maybe some more classes- more advanced techniques, pattern grading, how to set up a website, patterns and techniques for some of the novelty yarns(Ribbon yarns)-there as so many scarf patterns for knitting but none for crochet that I 'veseen.

 

I have a class for crocheting with all the novelty ruffle/ribbon yarns, but I'm not sure when I'm going to have a chance to teach it again.

 

We'll add classes for any advanced technique or pattern grading or anything like that as soon as we get teachers who want to teach them.

 

As far as setting up a website, what exactly is it you want to know how to do and how much would you be willing to pay to learn how to do it? I'm not sure if that would be something we should teach here, or something that would be better from a place that specializes in web design classes. I'm thinking we might easily be able to set up something for a Wordpress-based website.

 

Edit to Add: Here's a link to a 6-week class offered by our local community college on building a Wordpress-based website/blog. Cost is $99.

[Amy]

Maybe you could add a place on this forum for photos. Would that be possible? I think it would be really nice if we had a place to just share pictures of our creations.

 

You're talking a photo gallery, right? Something other than the Show-and-Tell area? That's something we're investigating.

[kraftynkrazy]

A few thoughts... first, I think the magazine idea is wonderful! I would love to see a wide variety of projects: some thread, some yarn, some charted (but definitely not all), some amis, some clothes, some afghans, some doilies, some experienced, some easy... you get the idea! I would also love to see lots of articles with the opportunity for everyone to contribute if they are able. I would be a paid subscriber for sure, especially if it were available for my Nook.

 

Another thought I had is that it would be wonderful if Crochetville could offer its own sales forum, like an Etsy type of setup. We could all offer our patterns for sale to other crochet artists, and our completed items to those who don't crochet. Crochetville could benefit and it might make it easier for those of us who want to gift patterns to other Villers too. I know we all visit Etsy and Ravelry, but this would be a little closer to home. What do y'all think???

 

AND... How about a Crochetville calendar? Each month could feature projects designed by our very own Villers and we could include designer bios and everything. Crochetville could sell them and use the money to assist in financing the magazine and/or special pattern books. This would be lots of fun!

 

Ok, out of ideas for the moment... thoughts?

[Amy]

237 down, only 13 left to go!

[Guest]

I voted hope crochetville wins.

[Amy]

Thank you, everyone! We now have 255 votes, over the 250 we needed!

 

We now qualify to have our grant application reviewed by the team of business experts. They'll announce the winners by mid-September.

 

So now we can just keep dreaming up fabulous ways to spend that $250,000!

[craftyone]

I have a class for crocheting with all the novelty ruffle/ribbon yarns, but I'm not sure when I'm going to have a chance to teach it again.

 

We'll add classes for any advanced technique or pattern grading or anything like that as soon as we get teachers who want to teach them.

 

As far as setting up a website, what exactly is it you want to know how to do and how much would you be willing to pay to learn how to do it? I'm not sure if that would be something we should teach here, or something that would be better from a place that specializes in web design classes. I'm thinking we might easily be able to set up something for a Wordpress-based website.

 

Edit to Add: Here's a link to a 6-week class offered by our local community college on building a Wordpress-based website/blog. Cost is $99.

Amy,

Congratulations on getting the 250 votes to qualify for the grant! Hope you choosen for one of the grants; it will be hard to wait until September when the winners are announced.

As far as setting up a website- I've looked at some of the sites where you can do it yourself, but have to get a domain name and hosting. I just would like to know how to choose what company to go with, how to get a domain name that will be found in a google search. Also how to set up so customers could shop from the site. I don't really even know what questions to ask- I'm not too tech savvy and don't want to pay too much to set up a site until I know if it will work for my business.

 

I just looked at the link to the online course- that looks like it would be very helpful. I can't commit to a 6 week course right now; I have too many projects will deadlines coming up soon. I've bookmarkded the link - hopefully I'll have time to do it a little later in the summer.

[HappyOldCro]

This is so exciting!!! To belong to a wonderful forum like this and be able to have input into the growth and history of the Ville...a very wonderful experience....

[HappyOldCro]

Amy, As far as setting up a website- I've looked at some of the sites where you can do it yourself, but have to get a domain name and hosting. I just would like to know how to choose what company to go with, how to get a domain name that will be found in a google search. Also how to set up so customers could shop from the site. I don't really even know what questions to ask- I'm not too tech savvy and don't want to pay too much to set up a site until I know if it will work for my business.

I don't have a business anymore, but would have loved to have my own. So I understand where you are coming from. Even the language is intimidating when you don't have the tech know how.....

[Amy]

As far as setting up a website- I've looked at some of the sites where you can do it yourself, but have to get a domain name and hosting. I just would like to know how to choose what company to go with, how to get a domain name that will be found in a google search. Also how to set up so customers could shop from the site. I don't really even know what questions to ask- I'm not too tech savvy and don't want to pay too much to set up a site until I know if it will work for my business.

 

Well, you can't just get a domain name that will show up automatically in a Google search using general search terms. You have to build your website, and employ Search Engine Optimization tools. It's difficult to get a small site up at the top of Google rankings even when you know what you're doing with SEO.

 

There's all sorts of shopping cart software out there, but you really do need to be somewhat tech savvy to be comfortable installing it and customizing it to work for your site, make it look like the rest of your site, etc.

 

For a class that covers everything from detailed instructions on how to find site hosting, register a domain name, all the way to setting up a shopping cart on your site, you're looking for something pretty intensive. That's not something I would personally have time to teach, but we might be able to find others who could teach a class like that here.

 

Such a class would probably cost well over the $99 fee that I mentioned earlier. Would that be feasible or a deal-killer?

[Amy]

This is so exciting!!! To belong to a wonderful forum like this and be able to have input into the growth and history of the Ville...a very wonderful experience....

 

Thanks, Carol! We think it's pretty exciting, too! In fact, I screamed out loud when I saw we were up to 255! I think it was just a little over an hour earlier that we were still at 137 or so.

 

There have been lots of fabulous ideas in this thread so far. Some that may be on our list, others we may not have seriously considered before this thread.

 

I don't know how I'm going to wait until mid-September!

 

So far, somewhere around 96 companies from Alabama have applied, but only 14-15 have met the 250 vote requirement. About the same number from Tennessee have qualified, and closer to 20 from North Carolina. Those were the only states I checked.

 

I did notice that New York had about 3,600 applicants, but I didn't even attempt to check to see how many had qualified!

[craftyone]

Amy,

I probably wouldn't be able to take a class costing more than the $99 fee you mentioned in the other link. I'm just looking for guidance on choosing and setting up a site- I've been looking at Shopify and GoDaddy, but I'm not sure if the basic site on one of those would work for me. I'd like to sell some of my hand crocheted items ,patterns, craft supplies, printed ribbons, and favors on a website

[Amy]

Amy,

I probably wouldn't be able to take a class costing more than the $99 fee you mentioned in the other link. I'm just looking for guidance on choosing and setting up a site- I've been looking at Shopify and GoDaddy, but I'm not sure if the basic site on one of those would work for me. I'd like to sell some of my hand crocheted items ,patterns, craft supplies, printed ribbons, and favors on a website

 

You could try searching for some free online tutorials on some of these issues. You may also want to start some threads in the new area recently created in the Crochet Business Center called B2B: Lend a Helping Hand. That area is created for businesses to ask questions of each other, bounce ideas around, that sort of thing.

 

You might find other businesses who are willing to talk about and share how they selected a site host, why they made their final selection, what type of shopping cart software they use and why, website software, etc.

 

Those who are more tech savvy may make different choices than those who aren't very tech savvy, so it would be helpful to get a wider range of opinions.

[eurolyons]

Congratulations on qualiftying Amy and Donna...good luck...we all have between now and mid September to think good and positive thoughts...

[craftyone]

Thanks Amy,

I'm going to post in the B2B: Lend a Helping Hand section tomorow. I'm just researching and trying to find out what would work for me. I have a lot of work to do before I could get a site started, but think it would be a good way to supplement my store when sales are slow. But I also need to a 36 hour day and a few more hands to do all the crocheting I need and want to do.

[sunnywolfgar]

WTG on winning the votes Amy n Donna, at least you guys are in and now the waiting till September, Amy n Donna you both will have to just crochet, lots of crocheting lol........ it will keep your mind busy.

 

so sorry you have to wait that long to hear something, but maybe if not alot of voters our there for the other stuff, maybe that will bump you up the list quicker, you will hear something much sooner.

[HappyOldCro]

Thanks, Carol! We think it's pretty exciting, too! In fact, I screamed out loud when I saw we were up to 255! I did notice that New York had about 3,600 applicants, but I didn't even attempt to check to see how many had qualified!

Being an ex New Yorker, I can believe that. New York is really into crochet/knit and other handmade items. When I had my business there (no internet) I did good. No license was needed for the craft fairs (may have changed by now), and people snatched up everything. But even better, they wanted classes to learn how to do it, history and to learn everything about the craft/item.

[DesertCrocheter]

Congratulations! Fingers will be crossed all summer now, making it very hard to crochet.

 

I'm going to be the party pooper and vote against the magazine idea. Do any of you have any idea what state the publishing industry is in right now? I do; my sisters work in it. It's bad. In order to start a brand new magazine, that is not part of a well-established stable from a long-term industry member, like Interweave Press, would probably need more than $250K. I don't want that money, were Crochetville fortunate enough to be granted it, wasted.

 

First, you have to have an editorial board, advertising department, accounting department, insurance and liability, etc. Then you need a print publisher, have to pay mailing and delivery, etc. How are you going to solicit designers and what will you pay them? Attorney's fees and other set-up and maintenance costs. I have no idea what number of subscribers you'd need to make that just break even the first few years, and not lose money (which it likely would for the first few years), but I'm pretty confident it's more than the few ten thousand members we have here. I'm sure if it were offered as an online magazine only, there'd be other costs not mentioned here, like domain costs, etc. And that's assuming that every single member would subscribe. I've had several of the magazines I subscribe to fold over the past five years; it is a tough, tough business.

 

And then, finally, the content wars. The most virulent arguments I've seen on Ravelry have been in the Interweave Crochet group form, when a few patterns that combined crochet and knit were published. People threw fits and threatened to end their subscriptions because how dare they put knit in a crochet magazine? Then there are usual quarterly complaints from some people because there are a few patterns they don't like in there and they feel it's a waste of their money. These have really shaded my enjoyment of both the magazine and the group. I don't want that happening here.

 

Want more thread patterns? Write the existing magazines and tell them! They probably have no idea that there is a population out there that wants these kinds of patterns. And let's support the online mags that already exist (how many of you regularly read The Crochet Insider, Crochet Uncut, or Tension?)

 

Sorry to be a party pooper, but I would hate to see that money wasted.

 

Party Pooper Patty

[Momcrochets]

Congrats on passing the 250 mark so quickly! now to wait for Sept, and hope for even more votes

[Amy]

We're up to 271 votes now! It would be so cool to get like 1,000 or more votes, just to show the judges we have lots of friends out there who really want us to win. So, if you haven't voted for us yet, you can do so any time until they close it down at the end of the day on June 30. Not sure what time zone, though.

 

So it's time to chill, have a nice relaxing drink, and dream up ways to spend the money.

 

EDIT TO ADD: I'm so surprised we got it done that quickly, in just 4 days. There are so many businesses that appear to have sent in their application back when the program opened sometime in May, and they still have less than 10 votes, or less than 50, or some relatively small number.

 

The competition is going to be stiff, since there will probably be at least 1,000 companies that end up qualifying. Not very good odds, so say a prayer, light a candle, send white light our way, think good thoughts for us, cross your fingers, whatever you're comfortable doing to send some positive vibes our way for winning!