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! ♥

Crocheted Cotton summer shrugs (wedding boleros) and some mumbling, lol

Hi y'all! :)

I haven't posted a while and I actually don't know what to post about. Although I have some nice ideas, I am totally scattered between 2 shops. My pattern shop: AimarroPatterns and my store with finished items: Aimarro.

I am currently thinking about (read: procrastinating) opening my own website where I could post blog posts, offer tutorials, free crochet and knit patterns, finished items and much more! I have oh so many ideas :)
I already own a domain name under the name of Aimarro, although right now it is redirected to a Weebly site, which is ok but I want a complete standalone Wordpress kind of site.

So for now I'll post some of my current products here until I can present my standalone website.

Here are three of my knitted lacy wedding shrugs in white, turquoise and black color. I am currently making one in red and light gray.

Black knitted cotton shrug 

White mesh wedding bolero 

Turquoise lacy bridal shrug 

I can't wait to open my own website! I intend to post more often there and hopefully I'll learn how to do it right one day, lol :D

Crochet Santa's Baby Booties

Here is a new pattern I recently made for my Etsy pattern shop. These booties are made for sizes 0-3, 3-6 and 6-12 months babies. I hope you will like them. I really did enjoy making them and I am currently making a version for toddler size Santa booties and for adults (only women sizes).

Aimarro Patterns shop on Etsy

So I haven't been writing for a looooong time :))) I've been creating new designs and making old ones and since I do everything myself I'm a bit creatively challenged :)

A new thing is that I opened a new shop on Etsy where I'll be selling only my patterns. I will be offering crochet as well as knit patterns. Some are my older designs and I will keep adding new ones as fast as I make them, which is pretty fast :)

I can make almost anything so I'm all over the place as far as patterns. I am even adding some baby patterns which is something I've never done before. I love trying out new things :)

So take a look at my new shop and I hope you'll tell me what you think. And if you have suggestions feel free to leave a comment on this post.

Aimarro Patterns on Etsy

Is it a plane? No! What is it? Um...

OK, when I first started this "blog" I wanted to write regularly, but that kind of wore out on me, lol. I used to write diaries when I was very young and I though this will be the-youth-revisited, but fat chance. To tell you the truth I was not inspired much to write because for a little longer than half a year I was out of work and my Etsy page started well but I sold nothing for the past 4 months. So you see, not a good mood to write.
Although, I was creative enough. At least I made my triangle bags in different colors and a few tear-dropped ones too. But for while now I create something different. It is still crocheted, but not bags. I won't reveal anything now because I want to make enough designs so I can list them in my Etsy store.
My mind is still wondering in the bags direction, so I try to make some different bags also. And I tend to make multiple things at once and that's why it takes me a while to list new things in my store. Here is a picture of one of my designs. It's a beginning of something...

It doesn't look much, right? It looks like a crocheted circle, which it is, but there is something much more to it. In fact, while I was making this... "thing"... I designed another one in my head. Unfortunately, I don't have materials to create it right now, but I will get them once I make the projects I already started a while back. Otherwise, I won't have any finished designs if I buy more material and start making new designs. Yes, I have an issue with finishing things, lol. I think it's because so many new designs are floating in my head, that I want to start them all as soon as I think of them. Of course, I first make some kind of drawings, which I'm not good at but still, at least I know what I drew. :)
So, that's it for now. Nothing revealed, as per usual :) Sorry!

To be continued...

Is it my turn to rant?

I just read an nth post about why should such and such leave Etsy and I'm honestly fed up! I refused to post to the fore-mentioned thread, because I don't want to be evil or rude, because no one deserves that. However, they deserve the truth and I usually don't have the heart to tell it, like most people, the most of us try to be "nice". This is such a cop-out, I know that, but that's that. I can tell the truth to my friends and family and not be harsh about it, which is something I consider constructive criticism. In this case, I would be plain rude! I won't go into details, I'll just say that some people don't see themselves honestly. They expect everything to be given to them on a silver platter. I wonder if they ever experienced that "platter", because I had and honestly, it's not what's cracked up to be. You can become resentful and not at all satisfied.

Thankfully, I was aware of that and could break the cycle. I want to be rewarded for my deeds not my looks or whatever. That is why I chose to be a freelancer in my field of work, translating, which is my "day job", and knitting and crocheting designer, which is my dream "job" for as long as I can remember.
And I'm damn good at both! I won't mince words here, not only because I don't have followers, hence no one reads my posts, but because it's something I know is true! However, you won't hear me say that often (if at all), because I only speak about it when someone angers me and I don't like to be angry so I try not to tangle myself in such debates. Unfortunately, I do my best work in both fields when I'm angry or tired, lol, which I know, I know is a big conundrum. That's why I chose tired over angry and right now I'm a bit tired since I've been up all night and it's almost noon here. After all, I'll sleep my 12 hours and I'll be perfectly content when I wake up tomorrow.

So why did I chose this topic? Here is why. Up until a month ago I haven't got a day job for about half a year. I put my heart and soul in my Etsy shop and I personally think I have unique and unusual designs. By this I mean my triangle bags and my teardrop-shaped bags. And yes, I know I have more than one of each, but I got sidetracked with so many critiques that I should put more than one of each designs. I started with only 1 of each of my designs, I put the option that I make the same things in many different colors and that if someone wanted a different color they should just convo me and I'll make an arrangement. But no one did. So I wanted to show my bags in different colors, because, let's face it, people are lazy and they don't want to imagine it they want to see it. So I bought me some thread in different colors and started making my most unique design and that is my triangle bag. And as it happens, I put all my current money into that. I have so many designs, drawn or just in my head, but I can't by materials right now. I assumed, since I had 2 sales at the very beginning, that people will buy at least 1-2 items a month. It maybe a presumption, but I am really confident in the quality of my work and I stayed in contact, listing new items, relisting some. I got some love in the form of hearts, lots of them, but love can't buy me money (as opposed to Beatles' "money can't buy me love"). Don't get me wrong, I love the love! I embrace it with all my heart, but the bottom line is I can't live off it. And I don't think there is anything rude about what I just said. I meet some nice people on Etsy, I just ADORE so diverse people's creativity! There are soooo many great creative people out there! I never opened a thread saying "where are the sales!", I might posted it in a few threads asking about it (this I'm not sure of, because I read so many whiny threads my head is spinning, and I read them wanting to see the answers of some people with helpful advices, not to read the actual whining). You may consider this a whining, but it's just deflating. One whine too many, if you want. I'm both a patient and impatient person, I can wait for a perfect sale because I know it will come. But a few months ago I was not that sure, because I had no other means of living than my Etsy shop. I can breath easily now and can be more confident, since I have a mean of supporting myself, not actual money yet (lol) but a light at the end of tunnel.
And what's more, I have some new designs in the making. The weird thing is when I'm at the end of my ropes, I tend to have the most unique designs. That said, I pray to The Big Guy in the Sky not to leave me dangling on the mentioned rope, I promise I will continue designing even if he gives me some success in my work, *wink, wink* :)
Ok, I'm cheerful again, lol. You see how easy it can be :) I think I started like this:

... and now I'm like this:

But the one I really am looking forward is this:

Now, let's think positive and get me those mula! lol! Love you, my faithful non-followers!