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Beautiful, peace and joy for your holidays as well.

Thank you for this video. I crochet mainly baby things but that too has become very saturated. I tried an Etsy shop but didn't sell anything, so I sold off most of my stock on vinted and now I'm just making what I want too

Thank you for making this video. I've been getting more and more frustrated and disappointed on Etsy too. I've been selling there since 2017 and every year I sell less and less. I opened a shop on Folksy earlier this year and this December I sold more there than I did on Etsy, although that still wasn't very much. However, Folksy is a much nicer feel, it is really putting the hard work in to make sure that items are hand-made and they don't sell vintage either, so it is all hand-made or materials for hand-making items. Importantly, Folksy gave us a heads-up about the new EU rules and have made it easier for us to decide how to handle it. It is very nice to have a UK-based platform to be honest. I have bought a few things there too, and been very happy that I am getting genuine hand-made items. Sadly, I think at this point I may have to close my Etsy shop. When I first started at least 50% of my sales went to the US but they changed the rules about people offering free postage in the US as going to the top of the searches and my sales dropped off dramatically and I hardly ever sell outside of UK and Europe now. I refused to be bullied into offering free postage in the US as all my prices would have had to increase to cover the costs which would have meant more local customers paying more. That felt very unethical to me. I had my funds held for three months earlier in the year due to the fact that I didn't use their own labels, and they said my stuff wasn't tracked, but I had loaded in the Royal Mail tracking number, which showed as delivered, so it seemed very arbitrary, but there was no way to appeal the decision and get my funds. This means that I am nervous of this happening again. And of course, I am not in a position to sell to the EU any more either. Like you, it feels like a great deal of work to put in just to make a few sales. I have let my social media slide a little bit (actually a lot, if I'm honest) due to being a bit jaded about the whole Etsy thing, but I think I will spend more time on social media next year directing people to the Folksy shop and see how I get on. Wishing you all the best, and thanks again for putting into words how a lot of us are feeling at the moment.

Yes.The feeling of a heartfelt item we made ourselves against sellers that just mass produce something without the effort and love and just want money is overwhelming at times. Everyone making the same thing, but mine is made with more effort and has a better result than some similar ones I see. I have been tempted to quit. Etsy is turning into an ai generated fakery, no one really knows what they are buying, and to almost guarantee you buy from genuine seller....costs a huge fee

I’ve recently picked my needles back up with a small local knitting/crochet group with neighbors, mostly because my gardening obsession has declined along with my walking ability (thanks to MS). I have two daughters who are entering their adult time of life, and yes it’s terrifying.

Yeah feels like it’s commercialized. I haven’t sold on Etsy but used to sell collectibles on eBay when I acquired a bunch of things from my uncle when he passed. It seems like all drop ship items over there too. I’m not selling anything these days bit still watching and keeping as up to date as I can. I hope your local sales go well!!

Thank you for making this video! I've had a hard relationship with etsy for several years, and have gotten increasingly disappointed with the way they are running the company and I am looking at other platforms to sell on with little success. I sell physical items and I feel like it's very difficult to get your items seen by people unless you spend a lot of money promoting not only on etsy but also on social media.

quitting? not quiting

crochet and folklore is such a cute idea!

I think ETSY knew exactly what was going on and what would happen but did not do anything in advance because the new rules could easily be predicted as having a chilling effect on new shops opening and to be the straw on the camel's back that would make a lot of shop owners just close their shops.

Good to see a video from you! Etsy sounds like a tough place to be at the moment. It must have been a hard decision to make. Your packaging is adorable and I felt for you talking about missing packaging the items you sold as you put so much care into them. You could wrap Christmas gifts with it, it would be lovely. Did you enjoy the embroidery class that you mentioned in your last video?

Hi, lovely video. I really appreciate the work you have done! The topic resonates very much here. I started following Stacy Abrams' videos, they are not craftivism, but she goes through how to maintain resistance and debate based on facts. She encourages using (if I remember correctly) your own skills and talents and putting them to good use. Of course, she is talking to Americans and from their perspective, but I feel the rise of populist right-wing talk is strong here in Finland too, so there is a great need to maintain the debate certainly around the world. At the moment I am knitting mittens for the unhoused. I haven't done many projects of this type, but a few a year. I've been thinking about how I could best be useful in the world and what my own community is. On the other hand, because I can exercise my power and have conversations where it would be unsafe for others to do so, I will probably also try to find opportunities to provoke discussion with those who do not share my views. To make this possible, I knitted myself a hat that reads in red "Yhvertaisuus kuuluu kaikille <3" (Equality is for everyone). I'll have to check out your previous videos. See you there!

A tutorial that included the phrase cat lady would be lovely but regardless looking forward to using this tutorial and making my own cat hanging

This was great and I can't wait to see your next freeform project!!

It turned out beautiful! Thank you for sharing your process. I love how you put it on canvas. I am fascinated by Freeform crochet and just learning.

Whoah, where can *I* find a map like that?

I was also crocheting a Christmas coloured granny square blanket for donation (resource building!) while I watched your video. Good to hear your thoughts. Was great to see your compilation of what you had been doing for your Yarn with Purpose. There were a LOT of scarves donated for the Lewy project, wonderful! The hats look good and the assortment of items for the food bank were wonderful. I have challenged myself to make 5 scarves this month, I've made two so far.

I"m a white American woman; I'm in a very good spot compared to some folks and of course have my own struggles that will come up. However, I'm very worried about many friends of mine and people I've never met. People deserve to have basic human rights, they deserve compassion and love too, no matter if they're PoC, LGBTQA+, disabled, immigrants just looking to participate in the "American dream" and so on. I hope I can find a way to help others some way or another as well. I don't know what to do yet, but I'm sure I'll find something. Thank you for your thoughts, I really appreciate this video.

Neurodivergent, introvert, chronically ill, American here. Just want to say thank you for making this video. I'm really looking forward to checking out the books you've recommended.

THis is really inspiring. I do papercrafts and I am trying to think of a way I could contribute something.

Wonderful, interesting video. Lovely to hear about your charity makes. I have made scrunchies and left them in the little free pantry nearby a few times this year. I think they are small things but all these small things can have a positive impact.

Hello, new subscriber here. It was great to see a glimpse of Yarndale and what you bought and hear about your experience.

Thank you for sharing, love your yarn choices,beautiful colours. Just subscribed 🧶♥️x

I love love love the neck cowl you’re wearing! Did you make it yourself? X

Love what you've done so far and want to thank you for the tip about cartoonifying on Canva. I'm going to head there now! From what I know about myself, there's no way I can just look at even a cartoon and just begin to make stitches so I'm going to outline the cartoon into sections which will be equal to a different yarn, if that makes sense. So excited to begin and to continue following you on your journey!

That is so cute

Thanks Sam. I have recently been looking for charities to crochet simple items for (especially granny squares). This is a very useful, and timely video for me!

Cute!!

this is so amazing! every piece looks beautiful. Good luck with your challenge Sam, cant wait to see the future updates and pieces.

Thank you so much for these videos I've been wanting to crochet freeform pet portrait but didn't know where to start Can't wait to see how you finished it in the next video

I still don't understand. How did you know which strand(s) to pull?

Very beautiful you are design thanks for sharing 👍👍👍👌👌🇵🇰

Love craftivism ❤

Love this 😍

Lovely ❤

Very beautiful ❤

So cute 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺

So cute 🥰🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

The black is a better contrast.

Gorgeous.

Your cat portrait looks amazing. Especially for a first effort in free form.

Excellent! Love the strings - perfect touch.

Good and interesting data. Subbed. Love this cat creation. My first project is a painting my 9 year old granddaughter made me for my birthday. I taught her to make a scrunchie and she is now getting help from her other Grand to make a velvety scarf. She was very excited to hear about Freeform crochet.

Black personally 😊

Wow that is soo good

Hiya Sam, your work is beautiful. Thank you for this, I am a cat groomer with the most amazing friend who lives and breathes cats. She'd do anything for them and I want to honour her dedication, your piece has truly inspired me but I am MILES away from your talent, I am just teaching myself. Dying to do this.

Black can I be in a video 😢😢😢

It may have interpreted your request for a hat.

Super idea. All the best. Looking forward to following you. 21:02