Knits, Needles, Etc was founded in 2011 by 15 year old, Meredith Glenn. Meredith took up knitting at age six. Starting with thin, ragged headbands, Meredith learned quickly, and soon washcloths and scarfs scattered the house. Her skill set grew and she progressed onto more advanced stitching and detailed patterns. Hats, socks, mittens and sweaters began flowing from her needles. They looked cool with fun colors and patterns; and they were warm. Schoolmates and church friends began to notice her work. One day an elderly lady asked Meredith if she would knit her infant grandchild a sweater to wear home from the hospital. Meredith agreed and made her first dollar. $130 to be exact. The sweater had not taken her long to make and the average scarf took about an hour. So Knits, Needles, Etc was born. At first, her business flourished word-of-mouth. In 2013 her company went international. She continues to sell product in Beijing, today. Her sweaters are sold there for over $200. Meredith saves money by advertising on her own, taking her own pictures and posting her work. Meredith’s needle skills continued to grow to the point where she can now create her own patterns just by looking at a picture. She specializes in detailed and delicate clothing for babies sold easily for $100 to $150. See something you like on Pinterest? Email a picture and she’ll make it for you by the time you need it! Check her out on Facebook (www.facebook.com/KnitsNeedlesEtc). She can also be found on Etsy.
Meredith’s business is inspirational to me, not only because she is my sister, but because it shows the young entrepreneur that you don’t need a college degree or fancy technology to make money and do what you love. Her business started by accident. She naturally makes things that people want to buy. Meredith attends an academically rigorous high school and waitresses in the evenings. To relax, she runs her business. She sits on the couch, watches Dr. Who, knits her orders, and makes bank! To me, that’s doing alright. Even though she is known for her infant sweaters and booties, Meredith has not forgotten her first creation – scarves. Below are a few pictures of her products. If you are interested in having something custom made, you can contact her at glenn.meredith.g@gmail.com.
It is so encouraging and inspirational to see someone doing what they are skilled at and what they love to make money, instead of a job they hate to just pay bills. I especially love the fact that your sister will customize her products based on customer preference.
Having the option of submitting a picture from online for her to make is an added benefit and unique touch to her business. Pinterest is a growing phenomenon in the fashion world, and for customers looking for a way to buy designs they pin to their profiles, this business is perfect.
I am sure as the word spreads that her profits will skyrocket. This business has already grown exponentially in such a short time, which proves that her skill and products are truly incredible!
I love this story! Your sister is so cute!
I can relate to this story (on a much smaller scale) but I also create and sell handmade scarves, gloves, hats, and headbands. While I only ran my business for two months, I made over 700$ and was pleasantly surprised! I can only imagine how successful your sister has been, the knitting/crocheting world is actually really desired by consumers! Especially during the chillier months, knitted/crocheted accessories are very fashion forward, and very warm!
I am encouraged by your sister in the fact that she pursues a challenging, but welcoming market and takes on the busy work of hand making such adorable products. I admire her ability to customize her products according to her consumer’s desires.
I am looking forward to seeing how successful your sister is, and maybe someday gaining some tips from her!
What an awesome story! Even more special that she is your sister:) You must be really proud. Thanks for sharing those pictures; they were a beautiful representation of her work. The hand-made product business is a very uncertain niche in the marketplace, but with the right targeting, and obviously quality work, Meredith found success. She is a great success story of pursuing what she loves and making it big. Tell her congrats next time you see her!
As someone who has been knitting for several years, I was impressed with the skill of Meredith’s work. I know that patterns themselves can often be confusing let alone to be able to create your own unique pattern. I think this is a good example of how it is possible to take something that you enjoy and turn it into a profitable endeavor.