Weekly and monthly resume

What I did this month? That's a tough one since I don't keep track and can't remember that long, lol. But I'll try.
I finished one complete pattern, Sonja Shrug. I finished it today and sent my testers a final copy. So I finished my first test! And as for first test experience it wasn't that bad at all, lol. The testers were great, they helped me a lot and I am immensely grateful to them and hope we'll continue working together on my future projects.
I also wrote the pattern for Moro Shrug. It's similar to Sonja, but it has longer sleeves and different lace elements. But the just is the same, raglan shrug worked from the top down. I am currently making it to look like Sonja Shrug so I can post it for testing tomorrow or Tuesday the latest. I still need to set a deadline date for it.
I made 4 completed capes this month. Three are knitted and one is crocheted. I also made the 5th cape but it's not finished yet since I had to frog it and start over. And because of my last week's back problem I still don't have the yarn to finish it, but hopefully that will be resolved tomorrow.
I knitted some gloves in between working on cape collection. Those gloves I put in my finished items shop and in the drawer where I keep finished items for sale.
I also have some ideas for video tutorials. First the intro. I played around with some cotton yarn and made my brand name Aimarro and starched it. It is done drying but I still have to make pictures of it. The letters look great, so much so that I had an idea to make the whole alphabet both big and small letters. But I am known to have more ideas than time to realize them, so I don't know if that will be ever done, let's hope so :) The letters use I-cord and I am preparing a video for that because I love to use it in my products, from strings for barefoot sandals to handles for bags. I just love it!

Here's what I hope to do next week:
-Buy buttons and yarn for that last cape, finally!
-Make at least one video and try an editing software
-Make elements needed for the video intro
-Write at least one more completed pattern (final pictures don't have to be included)
-Dabble with Wordpress theme

And everything else I'll do in between! ♥

Writing and knitting

More resting this weekend. I am currently adding finishing touches to my Sonja Shrug pattern. The testing is finished, everything went well which makes me happy. But I need to change small things about the pattern and maybe leave room to make some helpful videos. I also want to add the same corrections to the Moro Shrug, since it's done in the similar way except for longer sleeves.
I also finished a pair of gray braided cable gloves with the last remaining yarn. I wanted to make sure I have enough and I did. And since I have some leftover of plum color yarn from making a cape, I've decided to make another pair of braided cable gloves from it. So off to work some more :)

Friday

So today I didn't go to the store. I felt I needed more time to heal my back, which is better today. I went to a store to buy some starch, but I couldn't find any! And I went to three different stores. In one store they didn't even know what that is! I'm still amazed by people's... well, won't mention what :)
So I went to my trustworthy source - the internet! And I found some home made ways to make starch. I tried the one with flour. Right now my logo is safely drying on a styrofoam. :)
If the flour doesn't work, I'll try it with sugar. I didn't want to start with sugar because it seems that would be too sticky. But we'll see. It will probably take more than 3-4 days for the logo to dry, since it's not flat but a bit 3D.
I won't be able to finish all the things I wanted this week, because some of the things include buying yarn and buttons, but that was unavoidable this week. I'll need to revisit what I'll do instead :)

Resting

Today I rested some before I go to the store tomorrow, hopefully. I want that yarn before weekend. I've finished half the cape and I just want to continue it. My back is better today, but I still can't bend.
I also want to buy starch and find some Styrofoam for a project I want to finish over weekend.
That's all from me today ♥

Frogging

Yes, I frogged the cape today. And I started a new one. Before I asked myself why oh why I didn't have enough of yarn to finish the cape, now I know. Because the third color I put into it gives the cape such a wonderful look! It simply opens it up, gives it life and joy! I've had the beige color for so long, I used the same yarn to make myself a hat and gloves set. I just love the yarn! But the yarn is not thick as other two colors I used, so I have to use two strands to make a row. It doesn't matter, I just love the look of it and I can't wait to see it finished!
I will definitely work on the cape tomorrow so I can determine how much of that beige yarn I need. My back pain is slightly better today, but it's still here. So I am hoping it will get better on friday and I can go to the store to buy the remaining yarn for the cape before weekend. After that cape is finished, I'll start working on the patterns for all seven and for some hats I finished months ago. And after that I can take pictures :)

Back pain and logo

Last night I wanted to do something productive for the day, so I cleaned my desk and throw out some boxes that were clogging my room. And lo and behold, I through my back out. I think it's a pinched nerve in my lower back but today I couldn't move. Well, I could walk but couldn't bend at all. So no store for me today or any other day until my back heals. That happens because I knit a lot and don't exercise. I constantly say I will exercise but after 3 days I quit. So I will at least do stretching exercises every morning after the pain is gone.
I wanted to be able to do something today since no yarn for the cape, so I checked video editing software. I found a few but haven't tried them, instead I watched some video tutorials on Youtube to see which one has best features. During that I found one video that explains the intro to videos which I've always wanted to have in mine, so I got an idea! Immediately I had a whole segment in my head. And whenever I have a new idea I have to try it out if I have resources and I did this time. So I started working on my brand name "Aimarro", as a logo, and I am almost finished. It looks great! I only have to go to the shop and buy some tools to finish it completely, but I'll leave for when I feel better.
So all in all, very successful day :)

Dance

So I'm doing the dance of avoidance once more. What else is new ;)
I should have gone to the store today to buy some yarn for the 7th cape and buttons, but I didn't. Well, there's always tomorrow ;)

Weekly resume

Last week I had some new ideas and some old ones. I decided I will make a website in Wordpress after all. Two years ago I tried it and I didn't like how Store looks like in Wordpress. I first wanted to make two categories: patterns and finished items. But whenever I clicked on the Store, I got all products jumbled with "recent" on the top. I wanted it to be different and all Wordpress websites I searched looked the same. I still don't like that part but it will have to make do for now. It's better to put up a working website and iron the small stuff later.

I also made two capes, which is wonderful. But only one size is written. I need to determine how many sizes to write. I want to write S/M and L/XL size, but I don't know if I should attempt to write kids sizes. Although I can test the patterns afterwards of course. I will ponder about that...

I also took pictures of some finished gloves. Those gloves I made about a month ago and they were ready for my shop with finished items, but I love working on patterns so I constantly put it off. Drafts are already made and ready to be publish when I feel ready.

While making pictures for capes, I found a solution for making tutorial videos. I used to have a complicated way which I didn't try, but now I found a simpler one and tried it. It seems it works great!

Last cape, number 7, is nearing end. Unfortunately, I don't have enough yarn for it. It takes two colors and color B is reaching it's end. There is no more of that yarn in the store, so I need to find a solution. I think I will use a third color that complements black and gray I am already using. Which means frogging! I hate frogging, but sometimes I have to do it.

What I want to do next week:
-Buy more yarn for the 7th cape, frog what's done and complete the whole cape
-Find some editing software for videos and try it on the piece I already filmed
-Make notes about videos I need to do first, so that the patterns can be written completely
-Write at least one complete pattern
-Buy buttons for capes that are made and sew them on

Hopefully I will succeed in these endeavors. :)

Learning

Learning is what I need and want to do. There are a few ideas that I got last week and most of them involve some kind of learning. I want to finally put up a website, that means some Webpress learning. I want to make video tutorials and help, that means learning how to edit and make videos. I want to learn some promotion and marketing, more learning. I want to learn to work in Corel. Learning it is! But I learn quick when I want and internet is filled with helpful tips. :)

Simplicity

For months I wanted to find an easier way for me to shoot videos. I want to make videos for knitting and crocheting tutorials and post them on Youtube. I found a way but it seemed too complicated. I wanted to make the videos on my table and put the camera on a tripod. But it takes a lot of other planning to do that and it always seemed too complicated for me to do, so I've never tried it.
Today I was taking my standard pictures for patterns and I got an idea how to make my videos much easier! So I tried it and it worked! I was so excited that I finally find an easier way!
Now all I have to do (is that all??) is to learn editing and everything else about making videos. Not to mention that I need to make my website and install the right Wordpress theme to it and adjust it to my needs, which change all the time. But at least I have some work to do and work is always good when it comes to me :)

Something, something...

I'm doing something, something :)))
Actually, I just made myself a supper. French fries, scrambled eggs, lettuce, radish and scallion! I am going to enjoy myself very, very much! :)))
It's so simple to make, you always have potatoes and eggs in your fridge. And lettuce, radish and scallion I bought in a market near my building.
Now off to eat and stay merry! ♥

PS. This looks like I always eat, lol!

Slava

I don't know if there is a word in english for serbian word "slava". But today is that day. On this day 21 years ago I was baptized. It happened accidentally on this day, but that tells me something.
So today I didn't knit or crochet. I made some small changes but they are changes non the less. I cleaned my message board and added some sentences I want to see the minute I wake up.
I also added some of the things I want to do, made a concrete messages of things I want to finish as soon as possible. And I even finished two. They weren't anything major, but I took pictures of some gloves. It's a beginning process of me cleaning my room, or organizing it better. I always make a chaos and then have to clean it up. This time the mess is only in some places, the major ones are clean or in order :)
I also organized something for friday so I am starting to do something instead of thinking about it or talking about it.
All in all it was a good day, enjoyable day ♥

Weird

And the weird thing is that I went to sleep early and realized that I haven't written a post for today. So I restarted the computer to write and mark another day, as per agreement with myself :)
Like a Lazarus I rose! :))) I'm beginning to think I am weird in some way, but that is no news to me.
No cleaning today. Surprise, surprise. I was too tired to move, which always happens to me when I stay awake for a whole day. But I organized and cleaned some things on my desk and I hope I will do more this week. I also am at the end of one more cape. All I need is a bit of day light so I can take pictures of the final phase of the cape and it's done. And then the final cape, which I need to tweak a bit so it will be as I imagined it to be.
So nighty night for now ;)

Cleaning

Today and tomorrow are my cleaning days. I need to work on something other than my work. Thing pile up around me and it reached it's peak. Hence, two cleaning days. I need to organize things better. I don't know if I'll finish everything, but if I do the majority of work I'll be satisfied. Will post my progress tomorrow :)

It's here

Well, that was quick! We have snow. It was the first thing I saw when I woke up. I love waking up and discovering that snow has fallen the previous night. It's something that takes me to my childhood, the good part :)
As for the other things today, there hasn't been anything much. I finished another cape. The one that is all in garter stitch and with short rows (isn't every one made like that). Next week I need to go out and buy some buttons for two capes. And two more I need to finish. Those are crocheted ones. I need to figure out how to switch between two colors. If I crochet one row in one color and next one in another, then I will have strings on both sides and I would need to weave them in which I don't like to do. And if I make 2 rows in one color and 2 in another, I will still have to weave the necessary ends afterwards. I will probably work on the other cape for now while I'm thinking of a solution for the two colored cape. Oh, I can't design so many things on-the-go at once, right?

Waiting

Waiting for new snow over here! They say it will fall any day now. I like walking in the snow. In the meantime I knit as much as I can. I want to finish this collection so I can take at least a few picture in the snow :)
Meanwhile, I am waiting for a friend of mine to come over. I said I won't be going to the sea this year but it seems I will after all. She and our friend are going by car so it's a nice change than bus, like we go each year. You have time to stretch as you want and take smaller or bigger breaks, so it's better that way! 15 days in Greece, nice one ;)
Of course, I won't be me if I didn't have some summer designs I will be taking with me so I can take pictures on the beach. Hopefully I will make a few sandals I plan by then. Which means I have to go to Home Depot next week to see if they have a material for the soles. Bye for now!

Friday the... not 13th

Today is my "thinking" day. Not a good thing for me if I overthink, which I do these days. I guess when I do some big projects and knit/crochet all the time, thinking is a big part of it. And being the way that I am, I can't help it. Sometimes I wonder if we are on top of the food chain because of our brains, how is it possible that our brains actually make our life harder? We are a strange bunch us humans.
When I knit/crochet something for a long period of time, I watch something on TV or computer, some movies or TV shows. I do that to stop my brain from going places that I don't want it to go :) Today I watched Youtube tutorials on some things, not knit or crochet wise, just some other things about utilizing social media. There is so much about it out there, and it's hard to find what can really help you, not all people in general. Because there is no unique formula. So I have to sift through everything and also not in my native language. But hey, that's life!
They all say you have to be truthful and yourself. Ok, I get that. But on the other hand I see people that are making a certain image and show themselves in a different light. They don't seem very believable. In fact, I've research some of the smaller brands that are to say interesting to me, and only a handful (if that) seem to be true to themselves. But that is a long post to be written and I'm in no mood right now for it. And for the end. I don't think people would like to see my "true" face. :) I can be so moody sometimes (aren't we all!) and you don't want to see me when I'm in a bad mood. It happened yesterday and I was with my friend. She understood me, hehe. I do get some good ideas during my bad mood, so there's that! Ok, gone now, I want to read some more. Love ♥

Yarn is here

Finally I went to the supply store today and bought the yarn needed for 2 capes! I bought light blue yarn that will go nicely with gray yarn I already have. That will be a crocheted zig-zag cape. I already tested the idea on a small sample and it needs a bit tweaking, but it looks good.
The other yarn is a color between purple and navy blue. It's interesting. Maybe someone would call it plum color. And it's a 100% wool yarn. Of course, I wouldn't be me if I didn't buy other yarn even if I don't have a project in mind :)
Although a friend was with me and she picked yarn so I could knit her a hooded hat with a scarf. It will be in a beautiful variegated color. I also picked another variegated color together with off white color and I already have a design in mind, a scarf.
I can't wait to finish this collection. I have so many other designs in mind and I would like to finish what I started before beginning something entirely different.

Sardines salad and knitting... hmmm

I made sardines salad today. It's kind of a spread really. It takes one can of sardines, you need to grind them with a fork, 1 small onion, 1-2 hard boiled eggs and about 100 g. of mayonnaise. Cut onions and eggs and mix everything together and voila! Easy peasy! Just don't kiss after eating it :)))
My friend's mum taught me that years ago and I make it from time to time. I spread it over bread and eat for breakfast.
As for knitting part of the title... Instead of going to the yarn store (surprise, surprise), I stayed at home and I knitted some more of that sideways hooded cape I am currently making. I use 3 colors in it and I can tell you that I don't like shifting balls of yarn at all! Well, I hope it will be done in a day or two, I can't wait to start something new.
The designs I am making right now are pretty simple, from my point of view, maybe they aren't from someone else's. I have some unusual ideas, but I constantly worry that they won't be accepted. I know, I know, I shouldn't be worrying but when I am cooped up too long designing and I emerge into reality, I worry too much. Everything looks great in the "designing mode", I feel vulnerable afterwards. I need to stop doing that. Any advice on how to do it? I'm a practical person, so I would need an exercise of some kind. :)
Well, I need to finish one more repeat on the cape and off to bed. I am determined to wake up early tomorrow and finish what I couldn't these past two days - and that is yarn shopping! Nighty night sweet one ♥

A day in life...

Well, today I was supposed to go to a supply store to buy some yarn for a cape I designed, but I couldn't. No matter, I will move it for tomorrow.
I got an idea to make 7 capes/capeletes and I even have a name for that collection, The Sideways Seven. They are all done sideways which is great since it's easier to add more width. I already made 3. Actually I made 4 but that one is done in a variegated yarn so it's difficult to see the work, but it looks great if I may say so myself :) That's why I wanted to buy some single color yarn to make it again. The variegated yarn is also of different thickness throughout which gives this cape another interesting look.
So, since I don't have yarn yet (until tomorrow), I started another cape which I designed a month ago or more and already have yarn to make it. I also have yarn for the last 2 capes, so I believe my next two weeks or so will be spent knitting and crocheting. I call this my "design mode". You don't want to be near me when I'm in it, lol. Earth can be destroyed and I wouldn't even notice. I'm kidding... kind of ;)
While I was knitting the cape today I designed the upper part of something. Well, I initially thought of it as a dress but since it's only an upper part, it could be a top. I don't know yet, I just kind of got a flash image in my mind and I started imagining it. Too bad I can't draw or I would be drawing it right now. I need to learn how to draw, nothing fancy just to be able to draw my designs. That could help me immensely!
Well, off to make something in the kitchen and knit some more. Bye sweet someone ♥

David Bowie died

He was my idol and my first love.

Lazy Sunday

This was exactly that, Lazy Sunday! No need to write anything more. I can't wait tuesday, I am going yarn shopping! Yay! :)

Designing saturday

I spent whole day today designing and I was happy!
Actually I am still happy and I am knitting a cape sideways. It will be part of my sideways capes both crochet and knit that I plan to release this year! :)

Friday

I am preparing to go to the post office to send a pair of gloves for a customer of mine. The gloves are my popular white Inverted Cables design in cashmere blend. Unfortunately, there is no more of that yarn to be found in my supply shop, so this is the final pair. Luckily, previous order of these gloves was canceled, so this lovely customer has a chance to grab the last pair!

I also need to do a heavy talk today after the post office, so I wanted to write before that. I am not in a good mood for days, and since I am a very closed off person emotionally, it is still hard for me to talk about troublesome things. Maybe one day I will, hopefully. I actually do hope it will happen, because the way I have been living is not something I wish to continue at all. If I could do it on my own, I would, unfortunately I still live by other people's "rules" and it spills into my creativity or lack thereof. That was vague, but hey it's something, right? Bye for now, whoever you are :)

Orthodox Christmas

Today is the Orthodox Christmas! So, Merry Christmas to you all!
I don't have anything to write today. It's a quiet day all around. My best friend Ivana and my friend Zoran and me were in the church last night. It was my first time in church for Christmas Eve and I was really happy last night. :)
That is all I want to be remembered for this day ♥

Christmas Eve

Today is Christmas Eve for Orthodox Christians in Serbia. It was a beautiful snowy day. I love snow and I hope it will snow some more this winter. My friends tell me it will, so I am preparing for a new one, since this one is melting unfortunately. I see so few kids sledding this year and I remember how we used simple plastic bags when we were younger and returning from school. I wish I could do it now :) But I feel I won't survive, lol! Well, giving my childish nature, I won't put it past me ;)

I also designed one more thing in my head. I will have to draw it although my drawing is terrible, just to make sure I won't forget it. Currently I have to write the patterns for already finished things and I promised myself not to design or start anything new. But being me, that's not going to happen :)

I finished a yellow capelet last night. Although it was already knitted, I needed to add the buttons I bought weeks ago, so I did just that. And I feel like I've done something, which is why I wanted to write every day in this blog. To some accidental viewer these writings won't make sense, but they mean so much to me. I need to stay true to myself and not talk about doing things but do them, in spite of the difficulties. Now on to enjoying the day before Christmas!

First Goulash this year!

I made first goulash this year! It is one of two recipes I love to make. First is white chicken meat marinaded in soya sauce and honey, then roasted in butter, with a side of rice with curry and Worcester sauce. It's called "Chinese chicken" and I found it on the Internet. Yummy! :) And second is the goulash I make. Goulash is made in so many ways, but I saw the recipe for this one on a Serbian cooking site, together with pictures, and I just had to make it.

Here is a picture of goulash with macaronis:

 

After a while I added some of my own ingredients, which I tried following the comments below the recipe. And I loved how it turned out! Now I enjoy making it "my way" for my family.

Next time I make it, I will write a recipe in english and make a whole post about it. I will make a recipe for "Chinese chicken" too.

One more knitting pattern finished

Today I finally finished a new knitting pattern, called "Moro Shrug". I am currently waiting testers to finish testing Sonja Shrug so I can post Moro Shrug for testing.

I have about 16 patterns in total that wait for me to be written. Two of them are down, 14 more to go! Although most of the projects are finished, some still need to be tweaked. Only seven of them are photographed. I really don't like taking photos, because I mostly do it myself. I put the camera on a tripod and set it to "smart". I usually make about 50 pictures of one item so I can find at least 5 that are worth posting. Last time a friend of mine helped me. She took a photos of me wearing my shrugs and shirts in a studio we once worked together. Maybe we'll repeat that soon :)

Although I would love to make some pictures in snow! Especially hats and capelets, they would look lovely in white setting.

First snow

Last night the snow begin to fall! And I LOVE snow! A few friends of mine and I got together to celebrate a friend's birthday. It was wonderful and relaxing and there were lot of laughs. And in the midst of it we saw that snow begin to fall. I was happy thinking how I will wake up today and see it through my window. It reminded me when I was little and when I saw it for the first time so white and beautiful through my window.

A glimpse on the street from my window:

Anyway, today is Sunday and after New Year's celebration, I'm glad it's finally peaceful and I get to finish some of my work on next pattern. I watched movies, talked to my friends and decided to stay home today to rest a bit. I love peace the snow brings! ♥

Saturday madness

Yes, this will be hard to manage writing posts every day. But on the other hand, I write this mainly for myself so I can see if I can do it. I like giving myself tasks and seeing if I can go through with them. Hopefully, I will learn something new doing this, which is mainly the point for me :)

Currently I am testing a new pattern "Sonja Shrug". It's being tested on Ravelry and I can't wait it to be done! It is the first pattern I test so I had to learn many new things.

As far as knitting/crocheting, when I have an idea I can't wait to begin making it. So I tend to work on 2-4 projects at a time, while writing patterns for them on my laptop. Usually I write only one size, mine, so afterwards I have to calculate other sizes in my head, on papers on the computer. I am always surrounded with yarn and paper :)

About 2 months ago my friend and I made photos of some of my finished boleros/sweaters, but the patterns are not written completely. Only Sonja Shrug and now I'm in a process of making another bolero pattern that is similar to Sonja's. So last night I did the most difficult part and I am very proud of that fact. The shrug is knitted from top to bottom and it's a raglan style. I previously calculated all stitches and rows for 6 sizes: XS-S-M-L-XL-XXL. But the lacy part on sleeves gave me grief. I spent 3-4 hours writing the pattern, checking if I did something wrong and I finally went to bed at 7 am. But I was happy and content. :)

Since I did what I wanted yesterday, I've decided to give myself a free day today. I don't have to work every day ;) So I am going to enjoy the company of my dear friends, relax and enjoy the evening. I hope you will do something relaxing too :)

The First Day

Today I got an idea. Granted, it's probably not a new one, but it doesn't matter to me. This is the first day of New Year 2016. and I have some new year's resolutions. We all have them each year, but do we follow them? Probably not all of them, but some. For me, it's time to change things, some smaller and some bigger ones. I won't write about them here, at least not for now. I will however say this. Among my family and friends I am known as a talkative person. Yes, I talk a lot! :) And when someone talks much, they don't do much. That's the reason I won't write what I want to do, I will give my best to do it.

Now onto the "idea". :)

I want to write in this blog every day during year 2016. It will be like my diary. I used to have one when I was young, well... a couple of them ;) I don't know why I want to do this, I just know that one of my new year's resolution is to follow my heart no matter what. If I feel I need to do something, I want to do it instead of imagining doing it.
A little bit about me. I am a knit and crochet designer. I sell finished items on Etsy and also patterns on many marketplaces. Knitting and crocheting is what I love to do the most, it's where my heart is. It's something that I've always wanted to do. And I finally got to do it. But it can also be overwhelming sometimes, especially if you are not well organized like I am not.
Everything I did and learned was by myself. It can be gratifying in a way but also very limiting and lonely sometimes. So I had to make some decisions.
It's hard to keep up with two shops that are in a way very different. In one I sold finished items, mostly gloves, that I make myself, leaving me with very little time to create and design new things. And that is something that I've always loved. You can't imagine how many things I juggle in my head, this one is filled with ideas! That is why my pattern shop is so "all over the place" (like I call it) with so many different things. I have baby shoes, gloves for adults, bags, jewelry and so many things. There is no coherency :) I don't know if I can change that. I am a person that makes a layout for everything she can do and instead of going from beginning I tend to "plug the holes" in that layout. I do need more discipline and I intend to learn how to do it.

My goal right now is to design and design some more. I want to connect with like minded people. I want to learn more and share what I have learned. Let's see if I can do just that! :)

And for the end. I will continue writing this blog each day. I don't know what I will write. Maybe just what I ate that day, lol, but it's a new adventure for me and I hope if someone stumbles upon this blog they will find something to be inspired with.

Happy New 2016. Year and may you find the courage to follow your heart! ♥