About Us
Why Are We CrowdFunding?
Meet Jane, one of the creative powerhouses behind Stitches and Cream, a charming craft shop nestled in the idyllic town of Falmouth on Cornwall's sunny south coast. Jane's love affair with sewing, knitting, and crafting spans a lifetime, and her expertise shines through in every corner of this wonderful shop.
Stitches and Cream is more than just a shop—it's a vibrant hub at the heart of Falmouth's community. Jane's passion for mental health and her inviting nature has led her to organise delightful stitchers meet-ups, where anyone can gather to share their love for knitting.
Jane's enthusiasm for these meet-ups has inspired her to find a way to spread her passion for knitting by starting an online Stitches and Cream Knitting Academy to bring more knitters together. Our Knitting Academy aims to provide high-quality video tutorials, a supportive community, and exclusive knitting patterns for beginners and experienced knitters alike.
At Stitches and Cream, we believe that knitting is not just a hobby; it's a form of self-expression, a creative outlet, and a way to connect with others who share our love for this craft.
We are launching this crowdfunding campaign because we want to create something truly special for the knitting community – an online Knitting Academy that goes beyond just learning how to knit socks and scarves but one that brings people together. Our vision is to build a vibrant and inclusive community of knitting enthusiasts where we can come together, share our knowledge, inspire each other, and celebrate the art of making.
This Crowdfunder will fund us to build upon the first online community in our Knitting Academy. - The S&C Sock Club - so we can reach more people and create great content.
We want Sock Club to be just the start of something much bigger and connect more people across the world.
So, why are we crowdfunding? The answer is simple: we need your support to bring this vision to life. While we have poured our heart and soul into planning and developing our Knitting Academy, there are significant costs involved in creating a platform that meets the needs of our community.
What Makes Our Knitting Academy Truly Special?
Our club is all about nurturing our members, but we also want to build the fibre community by supporting small independent businesses in the South West and those in the broader UK wool and fibre industry.
And we're more than just a club. With each cohort, Jane, our talented teacher, will be sharing educational videos to help you learn and grow, as well as hosting online community events.
We will be collaborating with like-minded independent businesses and experts who share our values of sustainability and quality to bring you quality content, and to help us curate a delightful surprise that arrives at your door every other month with everything you need to create a lovely project supported by our video tutorials, with a little gift from Cornwall inside too.
For us, knitting is about more than just making beautiful knits. It's about forging connections and fostering a sense of belonging. With your support, we aim to build a vibrant online community where knitters of all skill levels can come together, share their stories, learn from one another, and inspire a new generation of knitting enthusiasts.
What Will The Money Be Spent on?
By contributing to our crowdfunding campaign, you will be directly supporting our first Knitting Academy series which includes the following:
Exclusive Pattern Designs: Knitting is an art, and we want to offer our members a collection of unique and captivating knitting patterns targeted at each community we create. Your support will enable us to collaborate with renowned local pattern designers who will create exclusive patterns that you won't find anywhere else.
A Local Illustrator: We want our Knitting Academy platform to be visually stunning and engaging. With your support, we can hire talented illustrators who will bring our knitting patterns and tutorials to life, making the learning experience truly captivating.
Filming Equipment and Video Editing: High-quality video tutorials are essential to help you master the art of knitting. By supporting our campaign, you will enable us to invest in professional-grade equipment for filming, as well as hire local skilled video editors who will create polished and easy-to-follow tutorials.
Local Marketer: We recognise the importance of reaching out to knitting enthusiasts and building awareness about our Knitting Academy. With your contributions, we can collaborate with a seasoned marketer who will help us spread the word, grow our community, and ensure that our platform reaches those who can benefit from it the most.
Community & Teaching Platform Fees: To provide a seamless and user-friendly experience, we have chosen teaching software as our learning and community platform. However, there are costs associated with hosting, maintenance, and providing a secure environment for our community. Your contributions will help cover these fees and ensure a high-quality learning environment and safe community forum.
What will happen if we don't reach the target?
The project would still go ahead, but on a much smaller scale; so while many people would still benefit from the project, it wouldn’t have the amazing impact that I'm hoping to achieve!
Support Us
Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our CrowdFunder. Please take a look at the rewards on offer; whether you live in Falmouth or elsewhere, there is something for everyone. And if you are a little tight on funds, that’s ok; we would appreciate it if you could share our Crowdfunder far and wide!