Elle Russell 01

“A LIFE IN STITCHES” Jodie Weekes is a lot more than your average wife or mother. She lives on a farm on the outskirts of the rural township of Cobar in Western NSW where she and her husband Brad raise their two daughters. Jodie has a passion for knitting, crochet, farming, good food and beautiful fibres. She is a popular and successful blogger and in 2010 she opened a small yarn shop in Cobar after the ever-growing success of her online blog “Jellywares” gave her the confidence to take the plunge. Jodie gives an exclusive look into her creative lifestyle and is living proof that a small hobby and passion can become a very successful business. Where did you learn your craft and how many years have you been knitting/crocheting? I started to knit at an early age. My Nanna was a large influence, she always sewed and repurposed everything and I learnt to knit and sew from her. I took up crocheting last and it turns out that it’s the easiest of all! My Mum is also crafty. When did you start blogging? I started blogging about 6 years ago. It started out as a way for my girlfriend in Darwin and I to keep in touch. Email was really slow back then and she asked if I would be interested in setting up a private blog each where we would post about our lives, our houses and anything we were up to with pictures and info about our lives at the time. Did anybody subscribe to your blog back in these early days? It started out just my friend and I posting privately then slowly some people started requesting to subscribe to read my posts. After about six months of being a “public” blog, I noticed I was getting small traffic, then other bloggers linked up to my page creating more followers and today I am getting roughly 300 hits on my blog per day minimum. I get around 50,000 visits per year and 20 – 30 comments a post. Where did the name “Jellywares” come from? Well when I first started out in “Blog Land” my husband Brad didn’t want me to use my real name on the internet because he said “everything on the internet gets stolen” (laughs) so we came up with the name by using my initials, JW. I always wanted to use a name that could work if I eventually started a “brand” or line for my crafts, this is where “wares” came from. Jodie Weekes – Jellywares! When did you realise that you could make a living out of your blog and craft? I started posting about knitting and things I had been making for my girls or family and friends and once I noticed that people were showing a lot of interest it got me thinking. As a farmer, we are always thinking of new ways to come up with more money and this was a way of contributing to the farm as a second income. When did the idea generate for “Jellywares” the store? About 18 months before the shop opened a lady from Coonamble contacted me about running a workshop to teach people how to knit and crochet. I started to realise that the best way that my craft could help me make the most money would be to teach. As I have found out now since opening the store, a large portion of my cash flow comes from my lessons. If I am making products for people its more for the love of it rather than the money that comes from making it as the return is quite small. What age bracket do you mostly find are signing up for your classes? Well I have classes twice a week, Friday classes are completely booked out and I have ladies ageing from 22 through to 60 year olds that attend then. On Saturday I teach a kids class and they age from 5 to 12 year olds. Were you ever criticized that your online business wouldn’t translate to a real store or that the idea wouldn’t work? About 6 months before the store opened I confided in a local Business Facilitation organization to discuss my idea of opening a knitting/yarn store and the feedback wasn’t very positive. The organization told me that the shop would never work because a shop needs more than one thing being sold in it to be successful. They also couldn’t get past the fact that no one in Cobar would want to be knitting in 40 degree heat during our Summers. I was a little disheartened but knew that they didn’t understand that I already had a strong online following that were very supportive of my business and this helped reassure me that it would be successful. They also didn’t like my business name as they told me that locals wouldn’t understand what it was I was selling! Did you ever think that Jellywares the store wouldn’t work? I never thought that it wouldn’t work, sometimes I was unsure if it would be popular or not but I never got scared that it wouldn’t work. I have always made sure that I really research and monitor my stock and never get myself in too deep. I never let myself get to the stage where I feel too tired or stressed out about payments of products or any aspects of the job. I am lucky that my overheads are relatively low and I never over commit. How do you cope with juggling farm life, the business, raising your children and also homeschooling your eldest daughter Connie? I just feel so lucky to be doing something that I am so passionate about and I love doing. There are so many other women out there doing it tougher than me, I feel really lucky and the rewards I get from my hard work are worth it. Oh, and of course I couldn’t do it without my husband Brad! What inspires you? Who do you admire or look up to? I love gardening! I am inspired by fresh seasonal produce and good food! Someone I admire would have to be a US blogger (I’d love to say an Aussie!) called Soule Mama. She’s also on the land, she has kids, she’s crafty and a good reference for inspiration. Plus when she blogs about her meltdowns I can relate and don’t feel so bad about my little meltdowns too! (laughs) Where do you see Jellywares in 5 years? I really hope that the store is still open! Currently Brad and I are looking into stocking a line of sheep on our farm where we can produce high quality, fine wool that I can hand spin and dye to be sold in my store. Currently there is no fibre like this being sold in Australia that is “purely” Australian that I can get for wholesale. 80% of wool fibres from Australia are being sent overseas to be processed because it is so much cheaper but I don’t think that’s OK. I would really love to be able to supply and stock Australian wool fibres equivalent to the high quality of yarns that I currently stock in my store. Its really hard to find wool that is being produced ethically. Brad and I would also love to eventually use our farm with the business and be host to farm stays and “knitting retreats” where we could provide our guests with great produce during their stay. Do you think your girls will be “crafty” when they grow up and possibly continue on with the Jellywares legacy? Well my eldest Connie knits already. She also has her own sewing desk next to mine so when I sew she can too! She’s just recently started to get into all the crafty things! Millie is still my little farm girl. She loves being on the farm with Dad, but she is still quite young so who knows when she gets a bit older she might get more into it too?! I hope when they do grow up they still think I’m a hip Mum, not the crazy knitting lady in the yarn shop! (laughs) What has been the hardest part of your job and the most rewarding part? The hardest part would have to be knowing what my clients want (in their yarns) and not being able to always get what they want. I mean, I stock a lot of yarn and try my best to get new yarns in but I can’t stock everything, and certain things sell better than others and it gets difficult. The most rewarding part would be getting to meet so many people! I get to know more people in my community now and in surrounding areas. I love teaching classes in Bourke now as well as Cobar and I even had a lady fly in from the Northern Territory for a class with me! It’s a great feeling! Were you surprised at how successful Jellywares has been? Yes! I was really surprised at how many people showed an interest in wanting to learn and their love for great yarns just like me! What would you say if someone said “Knitting is just for Nanna’s” ? I get that a lot! (laughs) It’s so not just for Nanna’s! I think when people say this they are being closed minded. Knitting may be popular with the Nanna’s but it has definitely been re-born. There are so many exciting new and beautiful fibres out there to knit and create with. Do you think your country lifestyle has influenced you as a creative person? Yes in a way but I draw a lot of inspiration and influence from people in town too. If you weren’t running Jellywares, what would you be doing? I have a big passion for preserving food and for fresh produce. I like to cook and make cheese and I’m really into gourmet food. I’d like to think that if I wasn’t running Jellywares I could use my love for these things in a way combined with offering farm stays on our property. What is the strangest thing that someone has asked you to make for them? I was asked to knit a ladies garter belt for her wedding! I’ve also made dog coats, cat collars and dog beds. What would you say to other crafty women wanting to make the transition from an online business or blog to a real store? Know your product and know how to sell it! Make sure you can handle talking to a lot of people because if you cant tell people about how fantastic your product is then they wont be convinced to purchase. Also don’t listen to negative people, sometimes their comments can be helpful but know in yourself that if you have passion and drive, anything will work. How has your life changed since opening Jellywares? Its changed hugely! I see more people on a regular basis now. Before, I was constantly on the farm with the girls and Brad and didn’t have a lot of contact with too many locals. The internet and my blog has also played a large part in connecting me to new people. I am also a lot more stretched for time now! In between working on the farm, in the store, online blogging, raising the girls and homeschooling Connie I am one busy lady but I love it! You have created a bit of a “knitting/crochet movement” in Cobar and some surrounding towns, how do you feel about this you and people being obsessed with your products and your store? It gives me a huge buzz! There are days when I am so hectic and busy on the farm and I contemplate not driving to town to open my store as the farm is our first priority but when I get there and I see my clients that are so excited about what they have made or what they are working on or anxiously waiting for me to open my shop doors it totally makes my day and it’s all worth it! Why do you think people are resorting back to “original” methods of living or past times like knitting or veggie gardening? I think it has a lot to do with the feeling you get when you make something for yourself or your family, like growing the veggies to cook for your familys’ dinner. You get a feeling of self worth or pride in the achievement. I think all of these things are great for the soul!

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