Featured seller: Houseshoes

Talented yarn wrangler Jina Voyce of White Noise Maker (known on Felt as Houseshoes) produces gorgeous made-to-measure crochet slippers for men and women, as well as very snuggly mittens. Her robust construction techniques, combined with interesting ornamentation and vibrant colour schemes mean her creations are practical and attractive – just the thing for these chilly winter days!

SONY DSC

gallery

What do you make?
I make crocheted slippers, hand-knitted mittens and accessories. I also felt.

How did you get into your craft?
I started knitting at an early age – a skill I was taught by my mother. More recently, I taught myself to crochet.

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
I have no formal training in knitting or crocheting, but I come from a very artistic family; making things with our hands is commonplace. I’m also an architectural graduate. I find my work with architecture really feeds in to many aspects of White Noise Maker, from design to business and marketing.

Your favourite tools, materials and processes?
I make my own patterns, so a big part of my process is developing new designs. Otherwise my process is fairly simple, I use a pair of crochet hooks and a variety of different yarns.

What inspires you?
A lot of things inspire me. For instance, I love classic footware designs; sneakers, loafers, Mary Janes etc. I like to incorporate aspects of these classic looks into my own designs.

houseshoes
houseshoes

Is there a philosophy behind your work?
I like products that look clean and simple, which is not easy to achieve. I spend a great deal of time making patterns that eliminate and simplify seams, as opposed to adding elaborate decorative ornaments. Comfort is also important, so my designs always progress with this key concern in mind.

Describe your work space:
I work anywhere I can get a minute – usually in my lounge or at the dining room table.

Your favourite feedback from a customer:
I love it when customers report that my slippers stay on their feet most of the time – they ‘live in them”. One customer wrote “Quyana Cakneq”, which I understand to mean “thank you” in Native American – I love that my slippers reach the far corners of the world, from Alaska to Dubai, and I really appreciate it when customers send a piece of that place back to me.

gallery

What are you currently listening to?
Little Son: “Your Love Will Blow Me Away When My Heart Aches” is a current favourite. I usually shuffle songs on my phone on the way to work – Beastie Boys, Beck and The Pixies always feature at some point.

Recommend an album: Bass Player by Rhombus.

Who is your hero/heroine? My Mother – she lives for arts and crafts

Do you have any pets? No.

What would your advice be for those starting out in a crafty business?
Like any endeavour, enjoy what you do, but take your work and your business seriously. Expect to succeed and more importantly, be prepared to succeed. You never know just how much business will come your way when trading online.

What was the last handmade item you bought and what attracted you to it?
So many things. I own The Kobuk scarf, made by Ozetta. I bought a personalised child’s story book from Lostmyname for my daughter which is brilliant. The handmade item I cherish the most is the Booming Root Crochet Necklace made by Uloni.

Most recently I bought a superhero cape, cuffs and mask from Minka from here on felt. It was for my daughter’s superhero birthday party. The quality is excellent (so was the packaging). Kari kindly worked with me for customisation of her handmade products. I am a true believer of buying handmade directly from the makers.

What’s in store for the coming year?
I’m developing some new items at the moment – as David Bowie said: I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.

Upcoming Items 1

Upcoming Items 2

You can see more of Jina’s cosy winter slippers and accessories in her Felt shop.

self portrait

Jina has kindly offered this winter-warming prize for one lucky Felt blog reader: the Mushroom Hat, a lovely crocheted beanie hat worth $50 (pictured below). With no flappy bits or dangly parts, this is a straight-up, no-nonsense beanie hat that offers clean lines, quality detailing with a comfortable fit. To win this excellent prize, leave a comment telling us what you like about Jina’s philosophy and her creations. The draw will be made on Friday 31 July and is open to New Zealand residents only.

the mushroom hat

houseshoes his and hers

10 thoughts on “Featured seller: Houseshoes

  1. I love the lived in philosophy. Creating comfortable products that achieve that I love in this is indeed and art and it looks like you have mastered this.

  2. I love your style and the natural colours your use. The piece of advice I loved and need to take up is “Expect to succeed and more importantly, be prepared to succeed.

  3. In this world of complexities and hassles, it’s soothing to read about creativity which strives to be as simple as possible. Why make life more complicated than it needs to be?!

  4. I really love the simplicity of Jina’s designs, the clean lines and simple look overall, no clutter, that appeals to me very much 🙂

  5. I’ve always admired the simplicity of your slippers and I enjoyed reading about how you work. Thanks for the kind words about your Minka purchase too, I love working with someone to make a very special custom set.

  6. I love what Jina makes especially as I’ve never managed to master crochet. I’m taking on board her advice on crafty business success!!

  7. Just came across this article and think your houseshoes are so cool, so great reading more about you and your beautiful creations. I’ve been looking for something like this for a while they look so cozy and looking forward to getting my tootsies in a pair…the mushroom hat would be a fab accessory to compliment the look from top to toe!

  8. Good on you,love what you make, love the hat, would match a cowl I have made for myself. Don’t often make for myself, just finished a couple of prem baby singlets for Wellington Nicu.

Comments are closed.