Thursday, May 19, 2016

What kind of knitter and crocheter are you?



So, I wasn’t going to write a blog post this week because I didn’t really have anything I felt I needed to say and I don’t want to waste your time or mine just putting out a blog just for the sake of it. But I just listened to Chalene Johnson’s Build Your Tribe podcast and my mind is spinning. I am so inspired by the episode that of course I have to share what I learned with you because that’s kinda my thing!

Maybe you’re familiar with Chalene and her work. She is an amazing podcaster and teacher, and a leader in the fitness (PiYo) and online marketing/entrepreneur world. Even if you are not particularly interested in either of these topics, there are a ton of life lessons to gain from her show.

Anyway, in the latest episode of Build Your Tribe, Chalene hit on a topic relating to entrepreneurs (4 types of entrepreneurs and which one are you?). This topic can easily apply to knitting and crocheting. For example, 4 types of knitters/crocheters and which one are you? See how easily I twisted that mindset around from entrepreneurship to knitting and crocheting?

The 4 types are:
1)      Doubter – interjects self-doubt into everything, no matter what.
       2)      Perfectionist – needs to be 100% perfect before going forward; needs definitive answers.
3)      Jumper – full of self-confidence and don’t worry about failing at something because they can always change course and do something else.
4)      Soldier – are not easily distracted and can finishes despite distraction.  

KNitDesigns by Tian


So, who are you? What kind of knitter and crocheter are you?

Are you a Doubter? When it comes to your knitting and crochet, are you constantly filled with doubt and lack self-belief? When it comes to the project on your hook and needles, are you a non-believer; that it might not work out? You might email the designer to ask tons of questions about what yarn to choose, what color might show the stitch pattern best, and what size might fit you? You have a hard time choosing a project because you doubt your ability to complete it, thus, you stick to what you know works without branching out of your comfort zone to try something new. If any of this sounds like you, then you are a Doubter.
Mentzelia Shawlette, knitdesigns by tian
Mentzelia Shawlette
Are you a Perfectionist? When you are working on a project, are you paralyzed by perfection? You are more worried about getting it right rather than getting it done. You are afraid to make a mistake or failing, which results in you never getting anything done? You are a Perfectionist!
Are you a Jumper? Do you have a ton of WIPs hanging around in various stages of undone? You quit your current project with maybe only a few rows to go in order to jump on to the next shiny object. You are confident that you can do anything, so you go from project to project without following through to the end on any of them. You have a chronic case of startitist; you will try anything and start many things, but you are not good at finishing them. You, my friend, is a Jumper.
Are you a Soldier? Soldiers are finisher. They get tasks done. You are a Soldier if you have more FOs than WIPs. You see all the shiny new patterns but you are not distracted by them. When it comes to the latest and greatest new pattern, you have blinders on. You have laser focus on only your current project to completion. Only then, when your current project is done you will go on to the next project. If this sounds like you, you are a Soldier.

Maybe right now you are a Jumper or a Perfectionist, but that doesn’t have to be who you are tomorrow. You have the ability to change, to become a Soldier; the kind of person that sticks to a task and get things done.

Until next time...Stitch on!
Tian
A rising tide lift many boats




OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!




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Wednesday, May 11, 2016

Mentzelia Shawlette



With the brand Anzula, you know what to expect with their yarns, every time. Their yarns are consistently high quality and the colors, beautiful. Their latest addition to the line, Ava, a sport weight 80/10/10 (merino/cashmere/nylon) blend is no exception. It's everything I've come to expect from this brand and dyer.

A couple months ago, Charlie at Anzula reached out to a bunch of designers about their new yarn, seeking designs featuring the new yarn. I was so thrilled to be included in that list of designers. Immediately my brain went into overdrive. So many ideas came up, but for my first pattern, I wanted to create a pattern that would be perfect for a single skein (because sometimes we grab just one skein at a show or our LYS to try out), and a design that is easy enough to adjust with additional skeins. Thus, the Mentzelia Shawlette was born.

You know when you have that single skein of precious yarn that you can’t imagine just knitting any ole’ pattern. Well, I had only the one skein of this color of this yarn and I wanted to make the very best of it. Of course the yarn is in Poppy. I have to say, this color is by far my favorite color in the long range of Anzula's colorways.

At 330 yards per skein, I figured for this design, big needles and lace would make this skein go pretty far, which it did! Worked sideways in stockinette stitch with a lovely lace edging, the Mentzelia Shawlette allow you to use up every ounce of your precious single skein. The pattern is easy to remember and very intuitive. As you progress through the lace pattern, the edge stitch counts changes, increasing and decreasing as you to create the beautiful points along the edge of the shawlette.


Want a 50% OFF coupon for the Mentzelia Shawlette?

Subscribe to {The Weekly Yarn} for a subscriber-exclusive discount. Coupon good for 24-hrs only, expiring May 12th at noon (eastern time), so sign up now!



If you have only one skein, you’re good to go. Grab an extra skein or two and you can easily adjust the pattern to use up every bit of yarn.

Grab a copy of the Mentzelia Shawlette on Ravelry. Or, if you are at Vogue Knitting Live this weekend in Pasadena CA, Ava and my Mentzelia Shawlette will be available in the Yarnover Truck booth (121-123).


Until next time...Stitch on!

Tian
*A rising tide lift many boats*




OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!



Go, check out KnitDesigns by Tian Pattern Page to get your copy here:








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and subscriber-exclusives?  

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Wednesday, May 4, 2016

How to store your knits and crochets

KnitDesigns by Tian, knit, crochet, storage
It's time to put your knitting and crochet away.

It will be getting warm soon… Yay! Well, any day now. The last few days in Massachusetts has been less than stellar. The sun has been in hiding and the rain is making its presence felt, hard, particularly in parts across the country. Prayers goes out to those in Texas and Mid-West hit with the brunt of these storms.

With warm weather to make its arrival, soon, it’s time to start thinking about what to do with those cold weather hand-knit and crochet project. Yep, any day now, that sweater you’ve been throwing on, you will need to pack away. So, what do you do to get your woolies ready for storage?

Vacation Knits-Vol 1Well, three things really:

1)      Check your woolies.

        Don’t get grossed out, but there are little critters that love your hand-knits and crochets as much as you do. You want to go through piece and check for any evidence of moth. It’s the baby moths – the larvae – that we need to really worry about. They are the one that loves to eat your woolies. Don’t get freaked out about moths. I know you’ve heard horror stories about moths ravishing a knitter’s entire stash. While I think it happens, I think it doesn’t happen often and with vigilance - in your woolies and yarn - you will be just fine.

2)      Wash your woolies.

        After you’ve checked your woolies for moth and larvae, you want to sort them to wash. Separate them by color, and maybe fiber content, then wash as you normally would. If there is a sunny day coming up in the calendar, that’s the day I would do my washing so I can put out in the sun to dry, using a sweater drying rack, or just towels out on the ground.

3)      Store your woolies.

        Now that your woolies are thoroughly dry, it’s time to give them one last pet before you put them away for the season. Now, where will you store your woolies. Some people use giant storage bags, plastic bins, or in drawers. For me, I store my hand-knits and crochets with my regular winter items in storage bins. I don’t use moth balls or any other chemical moth deterrents because those can damage the fibers and stain your clothes. Some knitters and crocheters use cedar blocks in their drawers and storage bins as a natural deterrent.  



KNitDesigns by Tian
So, there you have it. This is what I do when I transition from winter to warm weather - if it ever gets here - and need to put those Lopi sweaters and bulky hats away.

What do you do? Did I miss anything? How do you get your knits and crochets ready for storage? Leave a comment and share your process.




One Last thing
One last thing. Can you give me just 30 seconds of your time? I know you are super busy and your time is precious, so I will make this quick.

You’ve told me that you want to write your own patterns. That you have written a couple patterns and you feel like you are just flying by the seat of your pants. I recently opened up enrollment for Pattern Writing 101, and I noticed you didn't join.

No hard feelings, of course. But I'd like to learn more about how I can help you. So, if you can fill out this short survey, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Take this short survey



May the 4th be with you! hehe.




Until next time...Stitch on!

Tian
*A rising tide lift many boats*




OTHER PATTERNS YOU MIGHT LIKE!



Go, check out KnitDesigns by Tian Pattern Page to get your copy here:















Want a 20% OFF COUPON to my Ravelry Shop 
and subscriber-exclusives?  

Subscribe to

{The Weekly Yarn} from KnitDesigns by Tian

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I am interested in Crochet and Knit...
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