What came first, the chicken or the egg?

Do we define our world, or does our world define us? I have to say that I've made some things for my Etsy store that I'm sure I would never had thought of making. Robots, foxes, mustaches, owls, narwhals - all things that were never in my repetoire prior to discovering Etsy, and all popular themes on Etsy. I really LIKE foxes and owl, and I don't think I've been even been with a man that didn't have a mustache, but would I have thought of making them if it wasn't for Etsy? Did Etsy make them popular or are they popular despite Etsy? I just recently bought a pair of fingerless gloves - an item that had never before entered my mind as something I should own until I saw them on Etsy (they're actually quite handy). Still, Etsy tends to have a great influence on us creative types, especially if we are business people as well as makers and like to sell as much as we like to create. Here are some great examples of the themes that are popular on Etsy, with buyers and sellers alike. What I love most about the handmade pieces is that the creator has taken a common theme, put their artistic stamp on it and made it their own. Personalized Bike Stationery by SweetPerversion

Mustachioed Thank You card by Gigglesapu Vintage Owl Magnifying Glass by Soradesigns

Beige Cowl by Phydeaux

Octopus Thank you Card by PupandPony

Fox Wedding Topper by Handymaiden

Blog post by Felicia of MaidofClay Ceramics. This blog features members of the CCCOE, please post to Twitter and Facebook and help promote your fellow members and the team in general. Thanks!

Tools of the Knitting Trade

At its most basic, knitting is about two sticks and some string.

Two sticks. Knitting needles. There are so many varieties to choose from. Sure, there are the utilitarian models out there, but when you're spending so much time on a project, you want your tools to be beautiful, like these from Mama's Magic Studio...

And some string. Yarn. Yarn is so easy to find if you know where to look. But why knit with ordinary yarn. There are so many artists who spin and hand-dye their own, like Excavations...

Once you've got the basics, it's time to acquire other accessories. If you've got stunning needles and scrumptious yarn, the rest of your tools should shine as well.

Some patterns are complicated. Some patterns are knit in the round. To help a knitter keep her (or his) place, stitch markers are a must. Here are some fine examples from AG Mode and Ohmayzee...

Another cool accessory to have is a yarn bowl, like this one from Anuart. What is a yarn bowl? You put your yarn in the bowl and thread the end through the hole. This keeps your yarn from going all over the place while you are knitting.

Once you have all your supplies, you need something to knit. It isn't hard to find some great patterns, such as this one from Phydeaux Designs...

Of course, the needles must fit the yarn which is the right weight for the pattern. There are so many great projects out there. This is just a taste of what you can find.

All pictures link back to the items on etsy.

This post was contributed by Liz from Zizi Rho Designs.