Decisions, Decisions

 On Monday night, I hit a milestone of sorts. I got caught up with Etsy orders. This Christmas shopping season has been crazy. 

Etsy Stats:

November  2016 - 2 sales    December 2016 - 1 sale

November 2017 - 5 sales    December 2017   - 2 sales

November 2018 - 4 sales    December 2018 - 4 sales

November 2019 - 0 sales    December 2019 - 2 sales

November 2020 - 27 sales    December 2020 - 27 sales and counting

Of the 54 sales in November and December, about 20 were custom orders. So, for weeks on end, I had open orders that I needed to work on. I'm finally caught up, and now I need to work on restocking. My problem is that I have so many choices, it's hard to decide what to work on first! 

1. Pocket Scarf - I have yarn set aside... It's a long-term project, but I would need to schedule to finish it for when I have one of my girls home to model for me! I made one over the summer, listed it in mid-October, and sold it at the beginning of December. 

2. Mr. Fox - one of my favorite designers, Yarn Society published a new pattern for this adorable little fox. I made one up, listed him, and he sold within an hour! I have plenty of orange yarn... or I could do gray for a silver fox... 

3. Cute little seal - I made this up while testing the pattern, and it sold within two weeks. I'm thinking it would also look adorable in gray. 

4. My African Flower Sea Turtles have been good sellers this year. They're fun to make, and would help to clean up my scrap yarn box a bit! 

5. This Colorful Chicken has also been a hit this year. I have it listed as a custom order link, but maybe I should have one made for ready-to-ship. 

6. I made my first anemone hat this summer and have sold 3 of the four that I made. I have some ideas bouncing around for new variations. The "crazy hat listing" that I have on Etsy also has a spot for an Octopus hat... so that is on the list of possibilities too. 

7. Chameleons are fun to make, a quick project, and they use up scrap yarn. No wonder they're one of my favorite things to make! 

8. Scrappy Snakes are also a fun, quick project that uses scrap yarn! 

9. Geckos have probably been my best seller of the year. I think I've sold 27 of them this year... 

10. Since the pattern for Hilde the Highland Cow came out in June (another pattern from Yarn Society), I've sold over a dozen of these! 

So, which one do you vote for? 

From Penguin Place to Lizard Land...

 With a name like Penguin Place, you would think that penguin amigurumi would be my best sellers. 

Nope. It's lizards. I sell a gecko, chameleon, or iguana just about every week. 

I try to keep my lizard listings populated with a good selection of colors, but when I get busy with orders, the selection can get a bit skimpy. 

I wanted to get one spot where I can show the many different colors and styles of lizards I have made. I made them from several patterns: Snappy Tots'  Greg The Gecko, my own smaller gecko, my own chameleon pattern, Iggy the Iguana from the Friendly Red Fox. I also have my own pattern for a standing gecko (like the Geico commercial gecko).

Greg the Gecko: these guys end up being about 11" long, with thick, sturdy legs. You can pinch the legs and they will hold the fold for a little while. To see my shop listing for this style of gecko, Click Here

This rainbow one was made with a double strand of yarn, so it's bigger than usual. 

For this guy, I added color patches, different color legs, and a mohawk! 

This guy has embroidered eyes rather than safety eyes. 

This guy also has crocheted eyes. 

This matching set was a custom order... both have red and orange stripes, but one has a red head and the other has an orange head. 

My no-sew gecko: They are a little smaller, and  have thinner legs that curl up a bit. Click here to go to the Etsy listing for this style 

I also have a baby gecko pattern that matches my no-sew gecko. 

Iggy the Iguana: I've made five of these, but I've never stuck to the original pattern that calls for one strand of yarn. I've made them with three strands held together, giving Iggy a tweedy look and a sturdy figure! I don't have a listing for Iggy at this time, but you can always contact me for a custom order. 

Standing Gecko: I came up with the pattern as a custom order, and have sold several of them since then. He is listed in my misc lizards listing in my Etsy shop. 

My Chameleon: 

Here is the listing for these chameleons.

I tried making an extra large one from the Caron Anniversary Cakes yarn I got to participate in the Caron Cakes contest a few months ago... this is how he turned out: 

Sometimes I just go off on my own and make up my own pattern... these guys are in my misc lizards listing. 

This is Maynard the Mudpuppy from Manic Yarn. Maynard He sold a while ago... I want to make another one! 

And there are so many other patterns I'd like to try! There is an elaborate gecko called  Frecko Gecko that I really want to try... Manic Yarns (designer of Maynard the Mudpuppy above) has a bearded gecko pattern that has been on my to-do list for a while! 

So, that gives you a pretty good idea of the many kinds and colors of lizards I can make! You can contact me through my Etsy Shop if you'd like to set up a custom order! I have worked from sketches and photos to make amigurumi that resemble a family pet. 

11/16/20 additions to my shop. On the left, the Stained Glass gecko will be added to this listing and the pale camo and XL pastel will be added to my shop here.