Aloha! I'm LoreleiHI, and I run an Etsy shop called Lorelei & Tracy's Yarnwork & Vintage Shop. Kossacks can use katalogue2011 to get a discount at our shop. :)
You can also find us on FaceBook, or be sure to follow me on Twitter @LoreleiHI!
Like many others, I'm not able to find a 'real' job. Mortgage production isn't really needed theses days. But I feel terrible when I'm not doing something--and I'm great at handcrafts. So I mentioned my idea of starting an Etsy shop to my housemate, and she said that she'd love to get in on it. So we started a co-op shop!
My initial idea was to cater to the large amount of Bronies out there, and make hats in the colors of the various characters in My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. I looked into it, and very few people were doing anything similar. An added bonus was that I could take a few hobbies and fuse them into happiness--and so my Mane 6 line was born. I crocheted a bunch of hats and concept tested them on my housemates (as well as some more normal hat and scarf sets I made). One housemate immediately bought a few things for Christmas gifts, and I was on my way! I've expanded into wonderful wool hats and fingerless gloves, for those who just aren't into ponies. Besides, I love working with natural fiber, and my disability doesn't get in the way as much. Getting hired in this climate with a service dog is a challenge and a half.
Tracy knits, crochets, and collects vintage. We have a few dresses up in the shop, which are lovely, if I do say so myself. There are also some lovely doilies that her grandmother made (said grandmother died in the 1970s, so these are handmade and vintage). Tracy does wonderful knitting, too. I'm constantly amazed by the projects she works on. She has even made sweaters!
Since I'm the one without a job, I run the site, do the social media networking, and do all the photography (something I'm slowly improving on). It's fun, and I no longer feel like I'm being lazy all day (even though I was always doing housework!).
So I'm doing something that I enjoy. I can make things, and have people enjoy them, and even bring a little money in. Etsy is a fun place with a good community. I've even bartered for holiday gifts!
I am hoping to get a drop spindle, so that I can crochet from wool and alpaca that I spun myself. Fiber arts have always been a passion of mine, and since I can get local wool and alpaca roving (as local as across the street!), I'd be supporting businesses in my area as well as boosting my own. Ultimately, I'd like to make enough to be able to get a spinning wheel, and hopefully sell in the local shops.
If you'd like to support my shop, I'm currently giving Kossacks a 10% discount, using the coupon code katalogue2011. I'd love to see you! We have the MLP hats, a Holiday section, vintage, and children's items. Come visit!