K1 P1

I have tried 3 times to learn how to crochet.  I simply can't do it.  I can't keep a constant tension and find my projects getting smaller and smaller as my stitches get tighter and tighter.

Knitting, however, is another story.

Elizabeth Vahey showed me how to knit just once and it stuck.  Video tutorials for special stitches are the same; I view them once and know it.

Knitting just makes sense.

When I first started knitting, I hated it.  Projects take for-ev-er!  My first project was a leg warmer (yes a leg warmer.  I haven't made one to match it yet.)  It took me several days to complete and when I was done, I wasn't sure if I would knit anything again.  My other crafting endeavors are typically start-and-finish projects.  Would you like a custom fit hemp necklace?  Watch this movie and I'll be finished when it's over.  A fancy scrapbook page you can frame?  Give me 45 minutes.  A purse?  I'll have it to you tomorrow.  A knitted scarf?  Give me a few WEEKS.  I'll be halfway through a project and start thinking about 3 other projects I'd like to do, with no end in sight.  Frustrating.

*Disclaimer* I know someone who crochets and can make a hat in an hour.  It takes me MUCH longer.  I don't know why it takes me so much time, but the simple fact is it does.

But knitting has grown on me.  I can knit while watching movies I've never seen before, something I can't do with my other craft mediums.  I can take knitting with me in the car on long road trips.  It's easy to bust out my needles at a coffee shop.  It provides me with time to think about the person I'm knitting for; each stitch is a prayer just for them.  Knitting, for me anyway, really is a labor of love.

Fail

Yesterday was a total fail for me in terms of t-shirt making and feeling confident in my crafting abilities.

I've been working on re-creating my first original shirt for my online shop.  This design involves bleaching in three different stages.  I began working on this shirt a few days ago and it didn't go well.  Yesterday morning was terrible.  I won't get into all the boring details, but to get right to the point this shirt will not be for sale.

It was very discouraging.  And it gets worse.

While re-thinking this project, I created a small addition that was not on the original.  Frustrated with everything going wrong, I desperately wanted something to go right.  So I dug the original out of the hamper and set out to add this adorable addition.  I could tell almost immediately that it wasn't going as planned.  Luckily I was able to stop the bleaching process with minimal damage.  Later in the evening, I decided to give it another go.  I had worked with this shirt before; I knew how it would react to the bleach.  I was extra cautious when laying out my stencil and I bleached wisely.  Everything seemed to be going great... until I removed the stencil and it revealed a large, unwanted, bleached spot.

My first original t-shirt ruined.

I did everything right!  Why did this happen?!?

I cried.
A lot.

Not just because one of my favorite shirts was now my favorite dish rag, but mostly because of how discouraged I felt.  I wanted to forget the whole online shop idea.  But by the end of the night I was thinking rationally about the pains of the creating process (and the money I already invested) and was ready to try again.

So what did I learn?

1- Bleach is not easy to work with and will not be my medium of choice in the future.

2- I like to see results; sometimes I need to wait for them.  Allow the bleach to react, let the paint dry, wait a moment while he digests the idea, sleep on it, give it time.  The results will be much more satisfactory.

3- Somethings are good just the way they are and should be left alone.

4- When everything is falling apart and frustrating the mess out of you, set it all aside and come back to it later.  Working on something you love is NOT the answer.  Curling up on the couch with your man is.

My Online Shop

Friends have often recommended that I take my crafting hobby to the next level and sell my creations online.  I appreciated the compliments, but never moved forward in creating pieces I could sell.  My insecurities got the best of me and I didn't think what I made was good enough for retail.  My lack of time gave me a viable excuse for not starting an online shop.  When discussing this with one of my friends, he said that in this instance, my opinion was the only opinion that didn't matter.  He has a point.

Moving to Georgia, I have found a lot more time for crafting and, with the encouragement of my husband, I am beginning to take the next steps towards posting my creations online for purchase.  Every week I try to create a few new pieces for my online shop and am brainstorming how to market my "brand."  I'm excited and enjoying the creating process, but I am also very nervous.

I fear rejection.  What if no one buys my products?

I fear not being good enough.  What if someone buys something and then sends it back?

I fear failing.  What if I spend more money on this than I make?

And if no one likes my stuff, is that some sort of reflection on myself?

You know those singers on American Idol that are terrible and delusional?  Most are auditioning because someone told them they could sing and they bought into the lie.  Am I doing the same thing?

Despite the quiet lingering fears, I am moving forward once more.  I have several pieces of jewelry ready, a purse done and another almost complete, and several shirts at varying stages of the creating process.  I have found a model for my jewelry and will start taking photos this week.  Now I need a name...

So if you have any ideas for my brand name, please share!

Or if you have a computer you are willing to part with (or sell for dirt cheap), I could also use that.  Seems to be an essential component for an online business...

Check back in for more updates on my online shop (along with contests and discount codes!).