Q&A with Vegancraftastic and a Giveaway!

If you’re like me, then you require that everything in your life be aesthetically pleasing, down to the tiniest details. This is why I’m crazy about the Vegancraftastic Etsy shop, which is full of adorable handmade stitch markers, project bags, original knitting patterns and other crafty wares. Below are a few of my favorites from the store.

Giraffe Gardens Drawstring Bag

Alt Fibers Stitch Marker Set

Nesting Knitting Pattern

Recently, I caught up with Kala, the proprietor of Vegancraftastic, and we discussed yarn, blogging, Etsy and veganism.

Q: Which came first, the vegan or the craftastic?

A: I guess the craftastic since I’ve always been sort of crafty. I get that from my mom, she’s a jewelry and metalsmith but has also crocheted since she was a kid.  I’ve been vegan for about nine years now and have always extended my vegan-ness to my crafting.

Q: When did you open your Etsy shop and how has it changed since you started?

A: My shop has been open since February of 2009. Since it opened I’ve tried to add more and more products, my pins have been really fun to make.  My bag sizes have also changed over time with the help of customer input.

Q: What are some of your favorite materials to work with?

I love fabric, I used to quilt but since I don’t really have the space for it, my shop is a great outlet for my fabric love.

Q: Do you have any favorite yarn shops or craft stores in the Twin Cities? Are any of them especially vegan-friendly?

My favorite yarn store has to be Borealis in Saint Paul.  They have a smallish selection of vegan yarn but my knit night group meets there so it’s great : )  Crafty Planet in Minneapolis and Treadle in Saint Paul are also great local shops.

Q: How would you describe your experience as a vegan in the crafting world? Have you found anything particularly challenging or helpful?

A: I think the most challenging thing about being a vegan crafter is other crafter’s attitudes.  It’s amazing how hostile some people can get when you simply say that you prefer to not use wool.  That’s one of the reasons I started my blog, I wanted to create a resource for vegan crafters just starting out. Over the years I’ve been happy to hear from readers who have said that my blog makes them feel less alone as a vegan crafter and that’s reason enough for me to keep doing what I’m doing.

And now, a contest!

The prize is your choice of one item from the Vegancraftastic Etsy shop! There are a six ways to enter (see below), after you’ve entered post a comment telling me which option you chose. You may enter more than once but please post each entry as a separate comment. This contest is open to anyone, including international residents. The contest ends Saturday at noon west coast time.

Ways to enter:

1. Visit the Vegancrafastic Etsy shop and let me know what your favorite item is.
2. Follow TreeWool on Twitter
3. Follow Vegancraftastic on Twitter
4. Subscribe to this blog
5. Subscribe to the Vegancraftastic blog
6. Like Vegancraftastic on Facebook

Tags: contest, etsy, giveaway, q&a, vegancraftastic