Christine, who lives in Ballina, which is on the far north coast of NSW, about an hour drive south of the Queensland border says ‘I must do some kind of knitting/crocheting everyday to maintain my sanity’—how many of us would agree with that? Her evenings are spent unwinding in her lounge enjoying her craft. Many will envy the fact that Christine has a room—her ‘creative space’ devoted to her craft books, yarn, sewing machine and other crafts that she enjoys.

When asked for how long she had been knitting she answered ‘I am 46 & my first knitting memory is making a beanie for my pop when I was in primary school. I can still see it, it was maroon & white stripes with an enormous pom pom on the top! Crocheting is something I taught myself when I needed to add an edging to things. I did a workshop in making freeform bags about 3 or 4 years ago, and sold about 15 bags after that. Last year I did a 3 day retreat in Montville (Qld) with Prudence Mapstone and now want to do more freeform garments.

Two beautiful hats for the price of one! The hat in the photo is one of the ‘funky feral range’ – for the stylish wildchild! Imagine the ingenuity of a hat that is fully reversible, one side funky, one side feral and in addition can accommodate a ponytail or dreadlocks through a clever opening at the top! Christine likes to use luxury yarns in her creations…..wool, silk, alpaca, cotton, kid and mohair abound…..

Christine’s advice to Etsy shop owners is to put the time in at Etsy. Join street teams & be visible in the team. She is also a member of EtsyFAST and she notices that the ones who are most vocal are the ones that others choose for a Treasury. Be active on the forums, heart other shops, list frequently. Look at other shops & pay attention to what makes them attractive (or not).