If you haven’t heard about Chetnanigans you are in for a treat! Today on the Yarn Thing Podcast join me as I talk with Holly and Sean, owners of Chetnanigans, about how they got started and what is like running a business out of their garage.
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About Chetnanigans:
Chetnanigans was started in early 2015. Prior to this date, we were building and selling some items on eBay, but the official start of our business was the launch of our Etsy Store on 3/27/15.
Our successful was built initially on our Hairpin Lace Loom and Organizers. When we started, we were offering about 8 – 10 items. Today we offer over 70 different models from which to choose! The company was started based upon an idea I had to help Holly become more efficient when changing hooks on a project. I watched her one evening change her hook to a different hook to complete her project and the entire process probably took 3 – 4 minutes… “Not there”,” Where did I leave that hook?”, “Wrong bag, oh here it is!” I came up with an idea to build her a small desktop organizer for her hooks.
The next day, I purchased a drill press and set to work. Later that day, she came by and posted pictures of it on two of her Facebook Crochet pages. Over the next 24 hours, we received over 4,000 likes! It was a real revelation that there were so many Crocheters out there without the proper tools to do their work! I decided to launch Chetnanigans over the next few days.
Nearly three years later, we’ve sold over 3,300 items, introduced over 70 different models and have created hundreds of custom built crochet hook organizers! This last year, we secured a relationship with a US Based Midwest manufacturer who is producing 15 different models of our design for our company. We are working with this manufacturer to develop retail packaging and hope to launch into retail storefronts later this year. In the meantime, his products have been very well received by our customers and sales of this line have already risen to over 50% of our business!
This last week, one of our Blocking Boards were featured in Crochet World Magazines’ 40th Anniversary Issue and was highlighted as an” Editor’s Faves”. Across from this review, we launched a full page, full color advertising campaign launching our company into the Fiber Arts World! We continue to innovate and add value to the industry.
In late February, we introduced the new Premier BlocksAll 812. This is a 12” blocking platform with an 8” x 8” area that has pin holes every ½” while the balance of the board is at 1” pin hole spacing. Our 8” BlocksAll Products are extremely popular and the opportunity to incorporate a unique 8” area into our 12” Blocking Board Line Up was a perfect way to extend out offerings and meet the need of thousands of Crocheters worldwide. In that same video, we announced our latest “Chetnanigans Granny Square Perfector Strips”.
These are simply small strips of wood with holes drilled into them to align with our 8” and 12” BlocksAll Products. When a person is blocking say 20 – 30 squares at a time, it’s quite common that the squares at the top of the “stack” are slightly smaller than those at the bottom based upon the dynamics of the squares pulling in and adding pressure to the top end of the pins. This translates to issues surrounding the final project. You might have number of exactly 12” x 12” squares, but as you begin joining them, you may notice that some of your squares are slightly smaller than others, and this is a function of where that square was located in the blocking board stack. Chetnanigans introduced a perfect solution for this and we’ve named them the “Chetnanigans Granny Square Perfector Strips”. These ingenious small strips of wood fit over the tops of our pins and force the pins back to a perfectly vertical position, making sure that the squares at the top at the stack, and bottom were 100% aligned with each other!
Finally, we’ve had customers looking for a solution to block squares larger than 12”. Lori from Colorado Springs called one night and asked if I could build her a 21” x 21” board. We talked about is and I shared some significant issues with producing and shipping a board that size. Instead, I shared with her an idea that I had been thinking about… Magnetic Blocking Boards! For an additional fee, we can add 12 magnets to two edges of our boards that will allow you to spin the board and attach up to 4 boards at a time creating a 24” x 24” platform (12” boards) or a 16” x 16” platform (8” boards). The beauty of this solution is that the boards can be used independently, or when needed, snapped together for that “large blocking project” that you’ve been working on…
Listen to the Show:
Want to listen to the show live? Head over the to the Marly Bird YouTube channel to see the live show. Be sure to subscribe to the channel so you get notifications when we are live!
Find Chetnanigans online in the following locations:
Shop Chetnanigans Website
Chetnanigans on Facebook
Pinterest page for Chetnanigans
Instagram for Chetnanigans
Chetnanigans on YouTube
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Crochet Workstation
I loved the PODCAST I love the crochet workstation organizers.
These Crochet work stations are awesome! 🙂
I would love to win a Crochet workstation.
crochet workstation
I think every crocheter needs a crochet workstation
My crochet workstations around my house are quite unorganized and very reminiscent of Holly’s story where my hooks are kept in zippered bags. A Chetnanigans organizer would be a great addition to ease my workflow and beautifully display my Clover amours and Furls hooks.
I loved the podcast Marly, thanks for having such an amazing couple on the tube today. Very enjoyable, i love the crochet workstation’s and all the other wounderful items they have come up with. So nice to be able to buy real wood an not your everyday plastic in todays world. Thanks
I could really use a crochet workstation. All of my supplies are scattered across my bed right now.
Crochet Work Station. Loved this show! <3
Crochet Work Station. I really loved today’s pod cast. Chetnanigans was great and I’m adding items to my wish list.
OMG, such a great podcast. What a fun couple. I would love to spend a few hours visiting his workshop watching him make the crochet workstation. I want everything they have created.
Thanks!!
The crochet workstations are very cool!
I just watched the live podcast. Sean and Holly are so fun to listen to! Great ideas and products including the crochet workstation!!! Love it. Thanks.
Shawn and Holly at Chetnanigans are such great people! Shawn’s woodworking is beautiful! Holly’s ideas are fabulous! It would certainly beautify my Crochet Workstation
Crochet Work Station
I would love a crochet workstation organizer
I could really use a crochet work station! Thanks for sharing these creations. Love the podcast.
A chetnanigans crochet workstation would be a great addition for me. I have to check my work//travel bags to find the crochet hook for project I am starting, later have to find my stich marker in their holder, lastly find my needle to weave in the ends. Also this would take off my honey do list for my husband to come up with a crochet workstation to put everything in one place in the house, and it is portable. Thanks
Great! Great Podcast! Always is! I’m in LOVE with the wooden products Chetnanigans makes. I definitely need their products for my crochet workstation.
Crochet workstation. Thank you for the informative podcast
Marly did you make the hat you are wearing and if so were can I get the pattern? Also I would love a crochet workstation. I have never seen such beautiful products. Thank you
No Marly did not make the hat she is wearing.
Crochet Workstation
Beautiful workmanship! Nothing beats handmade products. I’ve been eyeing their products for a while. “Crochet workstation!”
Oh my goodness such a great show. I think my favorite part was when they talked about the Blocking Profectors. I so need those! I have a long wish list of products to create a wonderful crochet workstation.
Love the crochet work station. Very clever.
I would love a crochet work station. most fun video.
I would love to have a crochet work-station to organize
all of my stuff. At
this point its in a
very big bag. I wasn’t sure of where to post this. Show notes area is very confusing. Patti
I love the crochet workstation concept they made. I totally need one of those. Their work is amazing and I can see a lot that I would want.
Oh my word I loved, loved, loved the podcast, they are such nice people. I would love to win the crochet workstation and I am sending the link to my husband with some ideas for Christmas and my birthday……….loved it Marly. I just sat there smiling at the laptop.
Crochet Workstation they are beautifully crafted.
I don’t officially have a crochet work station so I keep my yarn in my room and just work all around my apartment lol.
The Crochet Work Station is amazing. I would love to win and get organized!
Crochet workstation
Hi, as a fairly novice crocheter I need all the help I can get and certainly a crochet work shop would be very beneficial. Thanks for the giveaway.
Hi ya Marley, wrote so sad I missed live show today. This is by far one if my faves. I’m hoping the drawing hadn’t been done..and crossing my fingers! 8 )
I hate to say these lovely,.and worth every cent I’m sure, aren’t in my budget. Maybe they week be able be to bring prices down just enough with the manufacturer for those of us crochet Lovers that are on a very strict budget. Myself an disabled and loved the idea of the bedside helper. I can tell you a few days a week in bed are rough and though yarn itself is so pricey these days ..yikes! When you have something as wonderful a crochet that lets your mind continue to flourish and create it certainly would be a blessing to have those MUCH NEEDED things easy to use ..definitely get more done more often without a TANGLED mess and frustration! Congrats to the lucky..scratch that, CONGRATS TO THEY BLESSED WINNER!
Toodles for now, Kathleen Champ in Cali
It is a great item! I’m disabled and he chose my idea and created it perfectly. I know how you feel about things being financially difficult on a tight budget. Contact Sean he may not cut the price but may allow payments.
Hi ya Marley, WOW, so sad I missed live show today. This is by far one if my faves. I’m hoping the drawing hadn’t been done..and crossing my fingers! 8 )
I hate to say these lovely,.and worth every cent I’m sure, aren’t in my budget. Maybe they will be able be to bring prices down just enough with the manufacturer for those of us crochet Lovers that are on a very strict budget. Myself am disabled and loved the idea of the bedside helper/CROCHET WORKSTATION! It was super when I found the cushion grip hooks and now this MIND BLOWN! I can tell you a few days a week in bed are rough and though yarn itself is so pricey these days ..yikes! When you have something as wonderful a crochet that lets your mind continue to flourish and create (KEEPS YOU YOUNG 8)) it certainly would be a blessing to have those MUCH NEEDED things with easy use ..definitely get more done more often without a TANGLED mess and frustration! Congrats to the lucky..scratch that, CONGRATS TO THEY BLESSED WINNER!
Toodles for now, Kathleen Champ in Cali
P.s. Was so excited forgot my key word and tried to go back and edit..hit the wrong button. Im not sure how to delete the accidental entry. Hope it doesn’t disqualify.
I’d love a desktop organizer for my crochet workstation!
I certainly need this for my Crochet Workstation! Love their stuff!
I love the crochet workstation! What an awesome show.
This was the best visit with a guest for a while. I totally enjoyed it so much. The projects he makes are perfect for a more organized work station. Thank you for having them on.
This episode was so much fun. I would love to win a crochet workstation.
To get a crochet work station would be fantastic!
Get tons of ideas for much needed gifts! Thanks much!
These people are so fun and full of life!
Yes I would love me a CROCHET WORK STATION!
CROCHET WORK STATION. I am also a knitter.
Crochet workstation
A crochet workstation woild be perfect out here in my tractor trailer.
These are amazing tools to add to my crochet workstation
I just took a peek at chetnanigans.com and I am in love….WITH EVERYTHING! Now I just need to win the lottery so I can spoil myself. My crochet workstation (aka my desk) is a disorganized disaster.
So many great ideas….I never know how to organize anything. A crochet work station could solve everything, time to go shopping =). Thanks for a great podcast.
I totally need a crochet workstation. I have to get some of their products for myself. Well my birthday is coming….big hint!
Wonderful show, Marly. I loved seeing all of the items they have designed. Their crochet workstation is such a unique design. I would love to own some of their products.
I enjoyed the show. The crochet workstation design would be helpful.
I have been crocheting for years
now. Just started knitting recently. And with Marley bird I have learned so much about both worlds and all the products that are out there I had no idea. A crochet workstation organizer will be fabulous for me among some of the other things that I saw on the podcast today. Thank you for great show and I can’t wait to make my shopping list.
I enjoyed hearing about the creativity and pride Shawn puts in his crochet workstations and other products. I don’t do woodwork, but I appreciate good craftsmanship. I plan to look at his website further to see which of his products would be most useful to me.
Crochet workstation… Also in response to the bedside comfort workstation. I’m the Amanda he mentioned and it honestly brought tears to my eyes again. Sean did something amazing for me and I’ll always be beyond grateful. I use my workstation daily and still love it. Wish I could share a picture of it on my night stand which is where it is displayed if I’m not using it in bed.
Loved learning about the crochet workstations
It was great listening to Sean’s story. I would love to try one of their crochet workstations!