Positive Yarn

I recently came across a press release touting the results of a brand-new study from the Craft & Hobby Association. (To see the release in its entirety, click here.)

Designer Beth Gantz may be onto something sweet and delicious: combining needlepoint with "cake decor"!

The 2009 Attitude & Usage (A&U) Study surveyed approximately 6,000 households to see how many craft projects they did during the year. Although there was an estimated $27. 4 billion spent on crafting (supplies, classes, etc.), the study found that the percentage of participating households has remained at a steady 56% — the same as in the previous three years, in fact. In 2008, sales were $27.3 billion, so that’s not exactly a huge gain. But on the other hand, there’s something to be said for it not being a loss.

“The A&U Study tracks trends in four broad categories comprised of General Crafts, Needle & Sewing Crafts, Painting & Finishing Crafts, and Floral Crafts,” the release explains. “During 2009, the General Crafts category represented 44% of industry sales and was +18% over the prior year.  Strong category performance was driven by growth in the Woodworking, Cake Decorating, and Jewelry Making segments.”

While the other three categories saw declining sales overall, there were some segments within that did well: “Home Decor Painting/Accessorizing/Finishing, Knitting, and Wedding/Bridal crafts all grew in 2009.”

The study ranked the Top 10 segments, based on sales and participation, and it’s little surprise that scrapbooking remains No. 1. While many of us have all the paper, stamps and stickers we could ever hope to complete albums with to last a couple lifetimes, it seemed that handmade gifts from the heart — like a special memory box for grandma at Christmas, for example — were popular. (For the record, cardmaking is broken out from the scrapbooking category and is ranked at No. 7.)

Because we are taking more “staycations,” it also makes sense that home decor comes in at No. 2. If we’re stuck at home, we might as well spruce it up, right?

I suggest needlepoint businesses in particular take note of what came in after No. 3-ranked woodworking: cake decorating and art/drawing at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively.

Whether you’re talking color, clean lines or overall artistry, there are definite parallels to cake design and needlepoint design. In fact, Medina’s own Sandy Rodgers was a very well respected cake designer before she turned her considerable talents loose on the more permanent medium of fabric — check out her gorgeous work on her “Life Before Embroidery” page here. (And if you’re not familiar with her current needlework, for shame! Click here!)

If your local bakery is offering cake-decorating classes, for example, see whether there’s some synergy to be had with their students. Offer to promote their teaching schedule in your shop if they do the same for yours, with flyers touting something to the effect of “Got cake? Get canvas!” Or perhaps co-sponsor a seminar on color choices.

Similar opportunities may lie with the local community center’s introduction to drawing and painting classes. Offer to be a guest speaker and show in what ways painting on a canvas to be stitched can be similar to and different from just regularly listening to your muse.

I’m actually surprised that jewelry-making came in at No. 6, because it seems so popular with crafters of all ages — and especially working moms. Projects you can do with a glass of wine on your right and a good conversationalist on your left, and still get something beautiful completed in less than three hours, are few and far between. Still, traditional shops take note: Once consumers get the “bead bug,” so to speak, they’re looking to embellish everything they can. Do you have beads on display that can complement certain projects? Selected packets of beads to add sparkle to that shawl they’re currently working on? Quick kits to work up a beaded key fob to go with that new felted purse? Tiny needlepoint frames that can go on a chain and let them show off their work like their Victorian counterparts once did?

Perhaps most important to note is what the study found to be the main motivators for crafting. At No. 1 was a sense of accomplishment. Think about that: Are you letting your customers know that you’re proud of their work? You, the expert, are seeing them transform from novice to skilled artisan with each project they complete? Are you giving encouragement to students who are looking at a mistake or a daunting task, and showing them just how much they have achieved already? When they ask for your input on choosing a project, are you considering how much they can challenge themselves without getting in over their heads?

That final point is important because of Motivator No. 2, relaxation!

I encourage you to read over all the survey’s results, and see how they apply to how you’re currently doing business. The release has a lot of info on its own, but CHA makes a full review of their results available for purchase.

I’d love to keep the conversation going, so please share your questions and insights in the comments section below, or drop me a line at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

I say promotional items; you say… what? Logoed pens? Stress-relieving squish balls? Wall calendars?

These trinkets have their place at community fairs or by your register, for example, but there are a host of other — still affordable — items that you can use to get your business name out there. Here are just a few ideas to think about incorporating into your 2010 marketing plan, and if nothing else, perhaps I’ve just made your holiday shopping for your team and favorite customers a little easier!

Please note that the links are just representative of what’s out there; they’re not an endorsement of any specific promotional product providers:

• private-label hand sanitizer: These 2-oz. bottles can be a welcome addition to your customers’ pockets or purses as they run their errands (including a stop back at your shop, of course). Pass the out before a class, for example, so that everyone’s hands are clean before they pick up their needles. A 1-oz. keychain gel version or pen-sized version on a lanyard are also popular.
• flip-top mirrors: Using a mirror can be helpful when trying to get a quilt design just right, for example, or when doing other crafts. If an upcoming project includes using a pocket mirror to help map out the design, why not use the kind that has your name, address and Web site on it, too?
• water bottles: As a modern alternative to the coffee mug, this product also encourages your customers to not only drink healthier, but also cut down on the risk of spilling coffee or soda on a project or merchandise (that is, if you even allow drinks in class to begin with!). If you have a core group that’s thinking about getting in shape, why not try the gallon-size bottles: The average person is supposed to take in 64 oz. of water per day, and these bottles are designed for you to fill in the morning and have them empty by evening. Make it a contest — who can lose the most weight by the end of a given period simply by substituting water for their lattes?

T-shirts and tote bags are perennial favorites, especially when they’re used to commemorate a special event. Zazzle.com not only lets you design your own, but its member “community” has uploaded a number of items ready-made that might be appropriate. Do a search for “Knitting Gifts,” and among the many gifts you’ll find T-shirts asking “If I knit fast enough, does it count as aerobics?”; mugs that warn “You can make fun of my knitting but remember…. I’m the one with the pointy sticks!”; and a tote featuring a humorous cartoon about what happens when a guy says knitting is for old ladies. There’s even a knitting-themed Christmas card! All of these items can be furthered personalized with your business information, or purchased as-is if you prefer.

Crocheters, cross-stitchers and needlepointers, you each have plenty to choose from as well (my favorites include a “Real Men Crochet” T-shirt, a poster that says “Never trust an acupuncturist whose license is in needlepoint; and an apron that asks “To cross-stitch or not to cross stitch… What a stupid question.”) After all, what student wouldn’t want a hoodie that shows her graduation from “Needlepoint University”?

So now it’s your turn. What promotional items have you used with success? Are you stocking these items as merchandise in the shop, or are you using them strictly as prizes for participation in a loyalty program, for example? Have you seen a genuine return on investment, or do you see it more as an investment in relationship-building? Sound off below or send me an email at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

Happy holidays, and here’s to a great 2010!

Update 11/5/09: Thanks to some readers who have been following this closely and who broadcast their findings on Twitter, I’ve learned that on Nov. 3, the Consumer Safety Products Commission issued a Guidance Document that in part reads “The Commission intends to solicit further input … at a public workshop to be held with stakeholders and Commission staff on December 10 and 11, 2009 at the Commission headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland.” You can download the 12-page PDF here (it’s the first item under the “What’s New” header). I’m glad to see that the voice of small businesses will get a chance to be heard, and will keep you updated as new info arrives. —HG

The National NeedleArts Association (TNNA) recently sent a letter to members about how the U.S. Consumer Protection Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) of October 2009 directly affects how the needlework and crafts industries sell their goods, particularly to children.

“We cannot suddenly say that our products are ‘not for use by children 12 and under’ and still try to teach children to knit, crochet, needlepoint and cross stitch,” states the letter, which was sent by TNNA’s five-member CPSIA committee. “We can’t say children 12 and under are only allowed to use certain tools but not others and still expect them to take needlearts seriously. We must involve ourselves and our businesses in the effort to amend this poorly written, misguided legislation and keep it from destroying our businesses.”

The committee urges industry professionals to download and view a PDF of the Statement of Policy: Testing and Certification of Lead Content in Children’s Products. As stated in the letter, the committee is concerned with the following:

• “Textiles (including yarn, fabrics and it sounds like needlepoint canvas, although not specifically named) have for the most part been exempted. While the list does not specifically include, it also does not specifically exclude metallic fibers. And while there is no metal in most metallic fibers, there are metallic fibers that contain aluminum, gold and silver – but without question no lead.”
• “Wood, paper and other cellulosic products have been exempted. This does not include finishes or paints put on wood.”
• “Printing inks with CMYK technology (this is what color laser printers use) have been exempted. Other inks have not been. Screen-printing has not been exempted; hand-painted canvases were not mentioned.”
• “Surgical steel, stainless steel and precious metals have been exempted. However, if a solder or other component is used, that is not exempted. Aluminum was not included on the list.”
• “The labeling requirements have been relaxed somewhat to allow manufacturers to create labels that are appropriate for their products. The CHA memo is not specific as to those requirements and this issue should be researched by those it affects before deciding on a label format.”
• “Phthalates are not discussed specifically in this memo. Phthalates are used to make plastics flexible and can be found in many products in needleart stores.”

Think about the metal tools, plastic accessories and other items you use — and sell — every day. As the letter points out, “Every manufacturer, distributor and shopowner will be held responsible if they are found to contain lead or phthalates above the acceptable levels. The testing that will be required on many of these items will substantially raise the prices. How many of the items you sell can tolerate a $1,500 testing fee for each production run? How much will that raise your price?”

The letter concludes by pointing out the obvious — no one wants to see any child or adult put at risk from dangerous contents in a toy or other item. But on the other hand, no one wants to see a responsible business put at risk from a narrow interpretation of this law. The committee asks for a call to action from members to contact local legislators and demand an amendment to this law that makes its interpretation less anti-business.

Even if you’re not a TNNA member, please voice your concerns. You can find out who your local Congressional representatives are by clicking here.

British newspaper The Guardian reports in a recent article that more than 800 volunteers are knitting (and crocheting) blocks featuring different letters to “create the world’s first giant knitted poem as part of the centenary celebrations for the (UK) Poetry Society, with the as-yet secret poem set to be unveiled at the beginning of October.”

Poetry Society Director Judith Palmer gave a particularly astute quote about the parallels between the two art forms: “With poetry and with knitting, you work line by line, and if something goes wrong you have to unravel it.”

The blocks average about 12 inches square, so this is no small feat once all the letters are strung into words, and then phrases. The article notes that many volunteers are sending in their contributions along with a copy of their favorite poem, and Palmer says those are being collected into a special anthology.

Personally, I think this is a great idea to raise public interest in needlework, in particular. It could have local application for a similar project: Get a group of regulars to each turn in a block letter that, when put together, spells out “Race for the Cure,” for example, and auction the resulting blanket at a local breast cancer fundraising event. Good publicity for you and the charity you choose; good for your civic-minded customers who like to take part in an easy and rewarding project.

Or maybe just keep the letters in your shop and as you gather enough of them, incorporate them into the seasonal decor: “Happy New Year”… “Founders Day Sale”… “If you can read this, you are not shopping enough.” Designate a corner, put down a brightly colored throw rug and toss some squares in a basket nearby for kids to take out and arrange into words as they wait for Mom to make her way to the register. Who knows — being exposed to the tactile feeling of the squares at a young age could turn them into lifelong fiber enthusiasts, too.

I love when needlework can do more than just hang on a wall (though I love that, too). I thought about these squares some more, and if you want to get serious with a “gaming corner” in your shop, check out these links:

• Knitwhits’ felted backgammon pattern
• Lily Sugar’n Cream’s crochet checkerboard afghan (I particularly love that the pieces double as coasters!)
• Tapestry Tent’s gallery of needlepoint gaming boards

And of course, no shop should be without DMC’s Stitch-opoly for a slow afternoon!

Have you mixed words, games and stitches in your shop? I want to know! Comment below or drop me a line at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

My marketing debut was a careful mix of multimedia — and hot pink!

Beyond the weather, what was hot at The National NeedleArts Association’s (TNNA’s) recent Summer Market in Columbus, OH? Plenty.

On Friday afternoon, for example, retail sales and marketing guru (and psychologist) Jim Dion gave a fantastic keynote presentation, “Thriving in Tough Times.”

Dion offered attendees some basic psychology techniques to not only reach their customers, but to make sure their current employees and future hires always kept customer service top of mind. He also warned of the dehabilitating nature of running discount sales. “They’re like crack,” he quipped. “Fifteen years ago, if Macy’s ran a 10% off sale, you’d have people lined up outside the door. We’ve trained consumers to wait for less. Nowadays, what’s the percentage level we need to get our ‘fix’? Usually about 60% is where we start thinking ‘Oh, that’s maybe worth it.’” To combat the issue, he said, sell the value of your service and expertise: “They’re not just buying a skein of yarn; they’re buying into your brand.”

On the show floor, buttons and bracelets (both ribbon and yarn) were all the rage. So were interchangeable knitting needles and crochet hooks, being offered by the likes of HiyaHiya-USA, Colonial Needle and Denise. Chunky yarns and big needles, like the size 50(!) sets from BagSmith, were touted as being customer-friendly because they worked up so quickly. Sock patterns were everywhere, too — the better for customers to use up their oddball yarns in their stash, of course, and come back to your store for more.

A lot of “practical” products were on display, such as Stirling/DBH’s small totes and luggage tags to needlepoint. Among Nordic Needle’s latest wares were magnets and ready-to-stitch greeting cards, as well as just-for-fun items like neon tatting shuttles and designer lanyards. Appalachian Baby was getting plenty of attention for its infant Spa Robe pattern, knit with all-organic yarn; while The Knit Kit team was hard to miss in their black T-shirts and hot pink hair (their attire coordinated well with the kit’s availability in black this year).

Knit. introduced an interesting organizer: The Knit. Scrapbook. Debra’s Garden not only had a needle gauge pendant line to debut, but also a special-edition needle gauge that donated a portion of the proceeds to an animal rescue organization.

On Sunday, TNNA’s Yarn Group and Yarn Market News magazine bookended the gotta-have-marketing theme nicely by having retail marketing consultants Rich Kizer and Georganne Bender present “Creating Connections: Straightforward Solutions for Uncertain Times.” The pair, known for their entertaining interaction with the audience, presented several marketing solutions for retailers to easily implement when they returned to their shops. One particularly interesting tidbit from their presentation was a statistic they used from the Direct Marketing Association: Customers consider it to be acceptable to be contacted every 20 days. With many consumers spending more time on their computer than watching TV, Bender notes, it’s high time to start thinking about sending a regularly scheduled e-newsletter or e-mail announcement to your customer base. As long as you have valid, call-to-action content (an exclusive sale invitation, for example, or a print-and-save coupon), you can “train” customers to actually look forward to your news hitting their in-boxes.

As an exhibitor, I must say that my husband and I had a ton of fun meeting attendees and getting along with our “neighbors” (shout-outs to Miranda, John and Betsy of Weeks Dye Works, Ralph and Stephanie of Stephanie J’s Designs, and the gang at BagSmith, among many other folks). I had several great conversations with some forward-thinking needle artists about how to get the next generation interested in stitching. One good start, of course, is TNNA’s Pathways into Professional NeedleArts college internship program — whose participants were able to attend the Market and delight in all they saw and learned.

I hope those who nabbed our brochure at our booth like what they see — and even if they don’t end up using our services, are inspired enough by what they learned at the show about what makes good marketing in this industry.

Today I went to the Kent State University Museum in Kent, OH, with some of my favorite folks — several people from my local Embroidery Guild of America chapter and my own two little girls, who went through even the “boring” spots well-behaved. (I’m so proud!) I thank my friend Cindy, who gave my daughters beads for every room they went through, culminating in enough beads to make two beautiful bracelets. That seemingly small token kept the girls occupied when the grown-ups were taking a bit longer at the exhibits than they would have liked.

We went to the museum to view its fantastic embroidery exhibit, and it certainly did not disappoint. When I got home this afternoon, I jumped online to see whether the museum’s Web site had even more about “The Art of the Embroiderer.” For the record, it does — see here.

But I also discovered another interesting section of the site. The “Care of Historic Costume and Textiles” got me to thinking about shops who offer restoration and cleaning services. I ask of those of you who do this service, are you marketing it as much as you could? After all, this is an area of expertise that few professionals can successfully offer.

Are you using search engine optimiziation (SEO) keywords for your Web site, terms like “embroidery restoration,” “needlepoint repair,” and “antique needlework”? Are these kinds of terms sprinkled liberally throughout not only your site, but your business cards, signage and brochures? Even on your receipt copy?

Are you reaching out to local museums and needlework guilds and associations to make them aware of your service? Are you offering your expertise to speak at association meetings about simple ways they can conserve some of their older treasures? Are you reaching out to local media about how your shop offers this service, and some simple preservation tips for readers?

If you’re already doing this, or if you’re doing other creative marketing techniques in this regard, I want to know! Comment below or email me at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

My newest client, Barbara Parry of Foxfire Fiber & Designs, is currently attending the New Hampshire Sheep & Wool Festival at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds in Contoocook, NH, in part to promote her book, Teach Yourself Visually Hand-Dyeing. She’s also selling some yummy skeins.

I’m very excited for Barbara, a first-time book author, because the book is in a very user-friendly format: Each two-page spread has a self-contained lesson, and the spiral binding that lets it lay flat. Beautiful photos, easy-to-understand instructions, inspiration pieces and even a glossary of hand-dyeing terms — Wiley Publishing has done a fabulous job, and of course, so has Barbara. On SheepGal.com, you can read about the many adventures she and her husband, Michael, have raising Cormo and Border Leicester sheep at Springdelle Farm, Shelburne, MA.

On a somewhat related topic (after all, what better gift for Mom than some custom-colored skeins for her next project?!), I wish every mom a very enjoyable “holiday” weekend. You did tie in a sale to Mother’s Day this year, right? Yarn Garden in Portland, OR, for example, put together a very nice promotion. Ridgewood Needlepoint, Ridgewood, NJ, nudged sales of Needle Vials in the direction of cute Mom’s Day gifts on its blog.

If you did something to tie in to this, too, let me know about it! Comment below or email me at positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.

Just thought I’d share a smile about how the needlearts are enjoying a thoroughly modern twist in the Land Down Under. Click here.

And of course, because I am always thinking of the marketing angle, here’s a thought for the day: Are you reaching out to local art students — not to mention established artists in the community — who might want to experiment with your medium? It doesn’t have to be on a grand scale; maybe it’s a matter of speaking to a class about what your art form is and what your business has to offer. Maybe it’s going to a gallery event and networking a bit with others. Maybe it’s chatting up the local art supply store to see what synergies (oh yes, I used that word) are there for some reciprocal discount coupons or a joint program.

Talk to me: Comment below or email positiveyarn@goochandgooch.com.