In July 2013, I opened my Etsy shop under the name Bat's Woodland Wares. Since then my business and creativity have grown and expanded into designing clothes and wares outside my realm of ability to create these items with my own two hands. Fast forward to October 2018 when I made a down payment on an automated knitting machine to put in my house.
A few months before I made the down payment, I felt stuck. I was struggling to keep certain items and colors available in the shop. I didn't know how to grow my business and expand my product line with my own two hands. So I started looking into having my designs manufactured locally and I emailed/called/Facebook messaged MANY knitwear manufacturers across the United States. I didn't hear back from most of them and the ones I did hear from couldn't do what I needed in the time frame I was looking at (cut and sew production wasn't the way for me as it's wasteful, so whole garment knitting was what I was looking to do).
After making some calls to an art school in Seattle, I heard about an automated knitting machine Kickstarter and that's how I found my (soon to be) new toy!
I will get more into the machine of my dreams when it is here in my house and I've had time to play with it, it will be arriving sometime this summer!
Circle all the way back around to now...whats going on? what is happening?
I'm leaving Etsy and have started my own website on the Shopify platform. Tadaaaa! Now you can shop my Instagram feed, sign up to my newsletter to get all the details on sales, new products, discounts, and sneakies of my new collections! Not only that, but when I get this machine in my house, I will be producing NEW DESIGNS (including new hats, coats, vests, blankets, scarves, dresses, hoods, etc etc etc)! I'm sourcing lots of new fantastic yarns to bring you a wider range of fibers and colors to choose from! This has been over a yearish in the making and is something I've been dreaming about for my whole life.
I cannot wait for you to see all the new things I have planned for the new and IMPROVED Bat's Woodland Wares!
Etsy, it's been fun and honestly without you as a stepping stone I wouldn't be here. So thank you. For helping me build my customer base and reputation.
And thank you! yes you, who have hopefully read this whole ramble, THANK YOU.
~Kelsey Bat