Behind the Shop: How WhatMegKnits Turned a Pandemic Hobby into a Thriving Knitwear Brand
Welcome to Behind the Shop, where standout sellers in the Big Cartel community share their insights and experiences.
- 12 February 2025
- 2 min read
Welcome to Behind the Shop, where standout sellers in the Big Cartel community share their insights and experiences.
In our Behind the Shop series, our resident artist and Big Cartel team member Ana Armengod brings you candid interviews with artists and creatives who balance making beautiful things with running their online businesses.
In this edition, we talk to Megan Ellie, knitwear designer and owner of sustainable knitwear brand whatmegknits, about the story behind her shop, tips and tactics for marketing, and the creative process behind her distinct designs.
Site: whatmegknits.bigcartel.com
Sells: Hand Made Knitwear
Location: London
Selling on Big Cartel since: 2020
Plan: Platinum
Template: Luna
Integrations: GiftUp!
I am a fine arts graduate and studied at Camberwell College of Arts on a drawing course, though hand knitting and textiles were always part of my practice. I started whatmegknits when I was out of work at the start of the pandemic.
With plenty of free time on my hands, I began learning how to use a knitting machine, which was super daunting at the beginning. It got shoved under my bed several times before I finally committed. I began by selling the odd cushion here and there on Instagram, but I thought this was a little hobby that would fade after the pandemic! People seemed to like the pieces, so I kept going, and the shop evolved.
Credit: Ruby MountFord
Persistence is key to succeeding when running your own business, and planning ahead definitely helps. Taking time out and fully switching off to rest is important and something I have to actively remind myself to do! Going with the peaks and troughs of sales and maintaining a healthy relationship with that is something I have learned to deal with. When you run your own business like I do, some months might be great and others a little quieter, so be mindful of that when thinking of starting up.
I have been hand knitting my whole life, but in a very hobbyist way. I’ve been knitting on a machine and creating items to sell for about four years.
I think my inspiration often shifts. It can be drawn colours or drawings I’ve done over the years. I’m also very into vintage packaging and often feel inspired when looking at little characters, shapes, and colours on the packaging.
Yes, I find this tool very helpful. It gives me full control to take a pause and give the website a little spruce up before a collection launches to keep it fresh and exciting when people visit again!
I actually really enjoy having tight deadlines as long as I have all the materials and equipment I need. I feel like I often do my best work under tight time restrictions.
- Megan Ellie, artist and owner of whatmegknits
I love working collaboratively, and since I work alone, I need to have those connections. It’s also super fun to work on a project together and have a back-and-forth about ideas and possibilities that I may not have thought about when working alone.
Social media is how I reach most of my audience and make sales. I have my Big Cartel shop linked in my profile, and whenever I’m launching new collections on my website, I will post and link the exact page of the item so that customers can click the link. Sometimes, you need to make it as easy as possible for customers to find you.
Yes, I do; I use Gift Up! so customers can purchase gift vouchers for friends or family. This is more popular around Christmas! And I do have Mailchimp, but I haven’t created a newsletter yet. I want to focus more on it in the lead-up to Christmas.
I aim to launch three collections per year. I need to keep the production fun and fresh as I work alone, and creating the same garment 100+ times can be testing (though I am SO appreciative of the support and customers). I’ll always start with drawing in a sketchbook, and I’ll try to build a collection around something really interesting to me. I then sample items in various colourways, shapes, and patterns. Once I’m happy with the collection as a whole, I’ll do a photoshoot and launch on my Big Cartel shop!
Be PATIENT and make sure it’s something you LOVE!
Credit: Ruby MountFord
Meg is not using a custom domain Using a custom domain for your ecommerce store comes with many advantages, but whatmegknits is an excellent example of a successful shop that thrives without one. It's worth mentioning that a custom domain can enhance your shop's visibility on search engines, builds credibility, and makes it easier for customers to find, remember, and share your shop.
Meg leverages social media to boost her business
Social media boasts a massive audience that's engaged at all hours. For instance, Instagram currently has 2 billion users, TikTok has 1.5 billion, and Facebook has a whopping 3.07 billion users. This kind of attention presents a fantastic opportunity for shops and artists. By being active on social media, you can engage with fans, connect with other creators, and reach potential customers from virtually anywhere. Leveraging social media allows you to showcase your shop to the broadest audience possible.
The design of her shop is both tidy and enjoyable, making it a breeze to browse her products
Her shop is using the Luna template. We suggest reading this article about choosing the right design for you here. It contains a lot of excellent tips!
whatmegknits puts a lot of attention on product photography
Product images serve as the face of your brand. They showcase what you offer across various marketing platforms. These images will convey important information, build trust, and spark interest. High-quality product photography is crucial in enhancing store engagement, boosting conversions, retaining customers, and ultimately increasing their lifetime value. But don't worry, you don't have to be a professional photographer or hire one to take good product photography; we've made a guide for you here.
12 February 2025
