Day 5 - When ‘uh-oh’ sounds a lot like ‘woo-hoo!’ 🎁🎁🎁

[@cbaxter7837]

Glad to see your excellent sock progress. I knit a lot of socks and have found the heel flap and gusset is most comfortable for wearing. It is not easy in the beginning, but on future socks it will get easier and will make more sense.

[@CreativeStitchingwithAnn]

Funny thing to share; timestamp: 1:43 When you turned out the lights my KZbin went to a commercial about futuristic things and it was surreal! I'm really enjoying these Vlogmas formats where you talk, pack orders, and have technical difficulties. Not "justified" you're validated. Oh no I just noticed you took down the cups! I had one more to go. I was collecting them. Two out of three ok.

[@EmbracingImperfect]

Love the snowflake confetti, it IS the little things! ❄️ also got a good giggle from your daughter's contribution, glad you left it in 😆

[@KimBliss]

There are so many little inclusions like that, she's such a hoot. 😁💚

[@rsislandcrafts]

A little confetti is fun. I love hand knit socks and do enjoy knitting them but I have to make them as easy as possible. When I set them down for long periods It has to be easy for me to figure out where I left off. Because of that I found the Fleege Heel. It’s super simple but it’s not meant for a sock with a contrast heel which is fine for me. It’s great for self striping yarn.

[@KimBliss]

Ooh another one to look at, thank you! These ones are a bit of a task. 😆

[@caro-stitched]

Love the confetti and that patch is brilliant!! Made me laugh thinking of you having to find your needle finder 😂😂it doesn't take a lot I'm afraid 😁Can't say that the heels of socks are my favorite things, they are very fiddly, your a brave women.

[@KimBliss]

Cheers love! I swear, those heels will be the death of me. 😆💚

[@susanwoodcarver]

Hello from Chicago where it is well below zero and the snow is flying but (and this is important) NOT sticking! I ordered and received the small bags I need to make your Christmas Tree stick thing for my friend in 2025 and have already taken a cue from your husband and have a pin saying "You are wonderful". I was worried about what I would put in the bags as she can't have any sweets, but I will see what you pull from your bags and use them as inspirations. Best wishes and HUGS!

[@KimBliss]

Well I'd definitely recommend stickers, but I think my husband and daughter would disagree! 😆 I hope the snow keeps on not sticking, at least for now. Snow's great, but blocked roads and shovelling pathways gets old really quick! 😆

[@CricketsBay]

I have lots of ideas for Advent Calendar stuffers. Stickers, pens (short pens?), little notepads. Is she into crystals? Little ink samples in plastic vials if she's into fountain pens. A glass dip pen is usually pretty cheap like a Poundland, but a lot of paper-and-ink people seem to like them. Small handcreams in squeeze tubes. Stamps and ink. Seashells. Does she paint? Watercolors in small tubes. Jewelry charms--craft stores have an endless supply.

[@susanwoodcarver]

@@CricketsBay You are an angel!! Thank you. I'm screen printing your reply and putting it in my car. Again, thank you. All great ideas. 🥰

[@JohnLee-mk1tj]

Happy Day 5 🎉😀☕️

[@KimBliss]

Cheers John! 😁

[@HannahsHeirlooms]

kim, I love the "so-so seller badge" 🤣loving your vlogmas :)

[@KimBliss]

Thank you! It's a badge Etsy can't take away. 😂

[@gillianmcmurray]

I can't believe I missed yesterday's vlogmas video. I have just remedied that now. You sock is coming along beautifully. I can definitely recommend the afterthought heel. It is much simpler than the traditional heel - and it uses a lifeline too.

[@KimBliss]

I will never knit another sock without lifelines again! 😆

[@KatisBags]

congrats on the orders! I love watching your videos, your vlogmas is definitely as entertaining as your regular videos. also I appreciate the handmade business tips in your regular videos because I'm in your position so you provide a lot of very helpful tips!

[@KimBliss]

Thank yooou! 😁 I'm loving how it's giving me a chance to share more of the handmade part of my business with everyone. The chatty tips videos won't be going anywhere though. I love them too. 😁💚

[@flashchikV2.0]

I had one of those horrible lights in my last workshop, so I decided to replace the bulb/tube with an LED tube (+choke) that was a natural white daylight lumin (5000 I think). The difference was night and day (all puns intended!) and really helped with seeing colours correctly too. It also didnt make that silly buzzing sound when it started up! A great investment as the light needed a scaffold to get to it and we never needed to replace it in the 10 years we were at the last place. Snowflake idea, bob on! Where did you get your beech tree hm stamp made, Kim? Its lovely to see you everyday, I know it tough on you, but its cheering me up no end, so TY x

[@KimBliss]

Oooh thanks for thr light tip love, I'll absolutely look into it because I'm going to have to use the bastard thing a lot more bow winter's here. Oh and the stamp is from a company called Get Stamped UK. They've got a website and are on Etsy. Highly recommend. 💚x

[@etgdesignstudio]

Of COURSE we are deeply interested that your daughter's flares are wet! LOL! Adorable. And yay for the finished heel flap! Is it possible to put snaps or a little zipper inside the bottom of your badge project bag? ...so that you can access the inside put keep project stuff secure???

[@KimBliss]

I can confirm that her flares have since been washed and are now dry again. 😄 And actually something like that for the project bag would work really well... thanks! 💚

[@GingahSnapsArt]

Alas I cannot knit but my dear friend knits me a pair of socks every year and they are cherished possessions! It's become one of my favorite parts of the holiday season.

[@KimBliss]

That is a very special friend to have. I'd love someone to make me socks each year! 😍

[@wtsreads]

Kim my wife and I need your wisdom on this! My wife runs an online art shop under her name Patsy Shaw. We are based in the US. From what Patsy can tell, the E.U. is enacting a new regulation called GSPR that would essentially bar any non-E.U. small businesses from selling to customers in the E.U. starting this month, unless they go to great lengths and pay big expenses. Could you PLEASE do a video on this explaining if that's true? I don't know enough to really understand what it means, That would be inconvenient for us but I think it would be devastating for many craft small businesses to have a significant customer base taken away overnight like that.

[@KimBliss]

Ok leave it with me. But in a nutshell, it's a complete mess. There's a lot of confusion here in the UK and over the last couple of weeks I've seen so many small businesses just shout down sales to Northern Ireland and the EU because it's just too much. I personally stopped selling to the EU shortly after Brexit was finalised so there's no change for me, but my heart goes out to anyone who are losing customers because of this. Sadly for many though, it's the only feasible option. Sorry I couldn't reply with anything more positive! 💚

[@CricketsBay]

It's true. You should consult your tax professional. They will probably say it's going to be very expensive and there's no workaround, but there will be in the future. You might have more luck in the Etsy Forums, if those still exist, but your business accountant should have the info. on GSPR since it will affect a lot of their customers.

[@donnab2810]

I would so love to be knitting socks because it is cold and I really want another pair, but I still haven't found my sock needles!

[@KimBliss]

Buy some more. You'll find them then. 😆

[@ElainefromPenguinPlaceCrafts]

What are flares? The flared bottom of her pants? I did get a chuckle from her answer!

[@KimBliss]

Yes! She's learning the horrors of soggy trouser bottoms in winter. 😄

[@VHWordsToLiveBy]

Love your vlogmas! I’m going try to attempt to make my first Christmas stockings from a kit and boy are they ambitious. I am not much of a sewer, I am making it up as I go 👀😬 Hopefully, it’s decent enough to use and hopefully I get it done before Christmas.

[@KimBliss]

I made some stockings for a friend a couple of years ago. I started following a pattern, but by the end I was winging it too. Good luck with yours! 💚

[@LauraGarwood-p3w]

I can’t decide if I want to learn knitting or crotchet but I applaud you in your sock efforts. How you do you suppose it’ll be until you have a pair?

[@KimBliss]

Well I'm really hoping I'll be able to finish these ones in time for Christmas Eve. They are trying to break me though so we'll have to see! 😄

[@LauraGarwood-p3w]

@ I have faith in you!

[@jayneaspinall1638]

I love my sock knitting. Try the shadow wrap heel. It’s so easy and quick to do.

[@KimBliss]

I'll look into it, thanks!

[@rebeccazegstroo6786]

Hello, I'm *an* Aquarius (or is it Aquarian?). I prefer dragon from the the Chinese calendar even though I'm not sure if I quite qualify since my birthday is at the end of January and lunar new year is usually in February which would make me a rabbit. If I had any drawing skills, I'd draw a dragon-bunny. It would be as cute as a bunny yet fierce as a dragon with a pearl of wisdom.

[@KimBliss]

Hello fellow Aquarian! 👋