Shannon Talks Yarn

  I am having so much fun getting ready for my first vendor market… but I’m also very aware that I don’t fully know what I’m doing. And honestly? I think that’s kind of the point. Instead of waiting until I have everything figured out, I wanted to bring you along for the process: mistakes, experiments, and all so that maybe you can skip a few of the headaches I’m probably about to experience. Because if there’s one thing I know about myself, it’s this: I tend to make things more complicated than they need to be. So this time, I’m trying something different. Starting With Who (Not What) Before I bought a single display piece or designed a tag, I asked myself one question: Who am I creating this for? For me, the answer came pretty quickly— fun, rural women… probably around my age… who love a little mix of: western boho vintage and a touch of 80s/90s nostalgia Everything I’m bringing to this market ties back to that one person . Not random products. Not ...

  Craft Market Prep If I have a typical pattern of behavior, it’s this: I make things far more complicated than they need to be. And when it comes to preparing for my very first market booth… I think that’s exactly what I was doing. I had started going down the rabbit hole of spreadsheets, inventory tracking systems, receipt books, and all sorts of complicated ideas about how I was going to run my booth. I knew I wanted to be able to accept credit cards and digital payments, and I also knew I didn’t want to just guess at what sold. Since this is my first market, I really want to learn from it. I want to know what people are drawn to, what sells quickly, and what maybe doesn’t sell at all. But the question was: how do I keep track of everything without making the whole process overwhelming? Eventually, I realized the answer was simple. Deciding on a Point-of-Sale System I spent quite a bit of time researching options for taking payments. These days, most shoppers expect to ...

  Lately, I’ve been seeing more and more creators - especially in the yarn and craft space - talk openly about overconsumption. And honestly? It’s a conversation I’ve been sitting with for a while. If you’ve been around here long enough, you might remember that I touched on this topic in a video some time ago. I’ll link it for you HERE if you’d like to revisit it. But I wanted to come back to the idea again, because it’s at the heart of a small, but meaningful, shift you may be noticing in my content. This spring marks nearly five years of me creating videos on YouTube , which still feels wild to say out loud. I’m incredibly grateful for every view, comment, and word of encouragement you’ve shared with me over the years. This channel has always been about more than stitches. It’s about the why behind making. But after almost five years, I’ll be honest: consistently creating “fresh” content can be hard. It’s tempting to fall back on things like yarn hauls or starting projects...

  A Cozy Yarn Catch‑Up:  Well friends… it’s been a minute. If you’ve been around Shannon Talks Yarn for any length of time, you know this channel has always been about more than just stitches. It’s about the why behind the making, the seasons of life we’re in, and how yarn fits into all of it. Today’s post is a cozy, behind‑the‑scenes catch‑up on what I’ve been working on lately: creatively, professionally, and personally. Grab your coffee, your work in progress, and let’s talk yarn. Learning From Other Markets (a.k.a. Strategic Snooping) A few weeks ago, a friend and I took a little road trip to check out another vendor market in a larger town. Not as competitors, more like students. We went in with open eyes and the goal of learning what works and what doesn’t . Some of our biggest takeaways: Booth layout and spacing matters a lot Crowded aisles make it hard for shoppers to linger Vendors need room to chat without blocking traffic Focused booths are easier to understand (a...

  Lately, my whole theme has been cozy . A nd honestly, I think a lot of us are right there together. The temperatures here have been brutal . Even when we briefly pop above freezing, it feels like the rest of the country is buried in snow. It’s the kind of winter that makes you want soft yarn, warm layers, and comforting projects that don’t ask too much of you. So today I want to share two smaller creative updates and one big, exciting announcement that I’ve been quietly working on behind the scenes. Grab something warm, get comfy, and let’s catch up. A Simple, Cozy Bandana Cowl (Coming Next Week!) First up: a crochet project that I meant to have ready already...but a bigger surprise bumped it back just a bit. I’ve been working on a bandana-style cowl using Katia yarns: 100% Merino DK weight wool: GET IT HERE ! Paired with Ingenua , a soft mohair: GET IT HERE ! I’ve already made two full cowls , and the last step I need to film is sewing up the back—so yes, I p...

  How I’m Deciding  I’m planning an in-person market, preparing for my own crochet booth, working on multiple projects, and trying very hard not to turn all of that into one extremely long, rambly video. So instead, I’m breaking things down and sharing the process one piece at a time. This post is part of my ongoing series about participating in a market with a crochet booth...specifically, how I’m deciding what to sell as someone who has never done a market before. Click here to read the first BLOG POST in this series! And yes… I’m also helping organize the market. Which is a little nuts.  Thankfully, I have an amazing co-host, and we’re both really passionate about doing this  right . We want it to be worth our time, and worth the time of every vendor and shopper who shows up. Why Target Customers Matter (Even for Your First Market) One thing I touched on in my last video, and something I can’t stress enough, is knowing who you’re making things for . There...

  Every so often, I have a question that doesn’t have a neat, tidy answer. This is one of them. Should you take something you love, like crochet, and turn it into a side hustle? The honest truth? There is no one-size-fits-all answer. And anyone who tells you there is probably isn’t telling the whole story. This decision depends entirely on you : your priorities, your energy, your goals, and what you actually want your creative life to look like. What works beautifully for one person might drain the joy right out of it for someone else. So instead of giving you a yes-or-no answer, I want to walk you through how I am thinking about it: what changed for me, what I’m considering, and the steps I’m taking as I explore whether selling crochet makes sense in my life. Does Monetizing a Hobby Ruin the Joy? I don’t believe that turning a hobby into income automatically sucks the joy out of it. But I do believe that it can if you don’t make some key decisions early on. Those early decision...

Honest First Impressions From a Crocheter Katia Yarn recently sent me a PR box featuring three of their yarns, and while I’d heard of Katia before, this was my  first time actually working with their yarns . As always, gifted yarn or not, I like to take my time, crochet samples, and really get a feel for how a yarn behaves before sharing my thoughts. In this post, I’m doing a  deep dive into all three Katia yarns I tested , how they felt on my hook, what kinds of projects I think they’re best suited for, and who might enjoy them most. I even experimented with  holding two yarns together , which ended up being one of my favorite parts of this experience. Let’s take a closer look.

  January always feels like a fresh start...new ideas, new energy, and good intentions for the year ahead. But if I’m being honest, this week has been a reminder that even with the best plans… things don’t always go the way we expect. My Monday night video is now being rescheduled toTuesday because of ongoing tech issues with my phone simply not recording when it should. I'm dealing with an update and a storage issue. It’s one of those situations that feels extra frustrating because you did the prep, you showed up, and you still didn’t get the result you were aiming for. I won’t sugarcoat it. That kind of thing is disappointing. It’s hard when plans fall apart, especially when consistency matters and you genuinely care about showing up for your community. And while I try to be someone who can “go with the flow,” the truth is that flexibility isn’t easy for me. It often comes with a little sigh, some big frustration frustration, and a moment of feeling let down before you can m...

  January can feel a little strange as a maker. The holidays are over, the rush of gift-making has stopped, and suddenly you might find yourself wondering, “What should I even be crocheting right now?” If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Especially if you went hard in November and December or if you’re still figuring out what kinds of projects you actually enjoy making. Today I want to share several crochet ideas that are especially well-suited for January… and one big project I gently suggest not starting right now. Embrace the Winter Slowdown Here in Iowa, January is cold, windy, dark, and long. There’s no popping outside for activities, and most of us are spending a lot more time indoors. Because of that, January is actually a great time to work on projects that might feel annoying or impractical during warmer months. If you’ve been wanting to make a larger project like a blanket , now is the time. You can comfortably work with a heavy project on your lap, actually...

  Every January, it seems like everyone on YarnTube is making a temperature blanket. Your feed fills up with gorgeous color palettes, neatly organized yarn kits, and excitement about tracking the year one stitch at a time. I’ve been there. I’ve felt the FOMO, jumped in, and learned the hard way that just because a project is popular doesn’t mean it’s right for everyone. So consider this your friendly reminder: you don’t have to make a temperature blanket , and you’re not missing out if it’s not the right project for you. What a Temperature Blanket Really Requires Before you commit, it’s worth doing a little honest self-reflection . First, temperature blankets are tedious by nature . You’re not just following a pattern, you’re tracking daily temperatures, deciding whether you’ll use the high, the low, or both, and keeping records every single day. None of this is difficult on its own, but it adds up quickly. Second, this is a long-term commitment . A true temperature blanket ...

  I’ll be honest right up front: for a long time, I've been fairly skeptical about buying yarn from Amazon. Yarn is such a tactile thing. The texture, drape, softness, structure, those are hard to judge from a product listing and a handful of photos. And let’s not even get started on listings that don’t clearly state the yarn weight . But yesterday, during a full-on Iowa blizzard, I found myself in pajamas, under the glow of the Christmas tree, finally ready to take a closer look at some Amazon yarns I received for Christmas. All of these yarns were gifted to me from an Amazon wish list I shared with my mother-in-law, making this a perfect opportunity to give true first impressions -  no hype, no pressure, just honest yarn talk. If you’ve ever wondered whether Amazon yarn is worth it, especially if you’re used to brands like YarnArt, Hobbii, or Lindehobby, let’s dig in. Why Amazon Yarn Makes Me Hesitant One of my biggest frustrations with Amazon yarn listings is how inconsiste...