Getting back on track

This is just a quick post because I'm really trying to get in the habit of blogging regularly. Hopefully the quality of the posts will improve once I get back in the swing of things! I wasn't able to photograph my knitted shawls and neck warmers on the weekend as I'd hoped, but they're all blocked and ready to go. I probably won't get another chance until this weekend now, but in the meantime I've got my mother-in-law's camera to familiarize myself with. And I've cast on for another cowl, so I'll get that ready for the weekend as well.

Last night I finished another pair of gloves and put them up in my Etsy shop this morning. I really enjoy these gloves as a quick and satisfying knit. I've stocked up on all the colors I used last year so I can restock the shop with those while I'm waiting to photograph the new stuff, as it's looking a little bare. Then, I think I'll pick up a few more colors of the merino I use for the gloves and try out a new pattern I've been playing with. There's no such thing as too many gloves this time of year I think! Here's the pair I finished last night.

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Playing Catch Up

Photo by Josef Stuefer

This is just a quick post to say hello and let folks know I'm still alive and well. I've decided it's time to renew my blogging efforts (again). I have let it slide once more since I haven't really been doing a whole lot in the way of crafts this summer. For one thing, the record heat we've been having has not exactly made me want to have hot wool in my hands, and pretty much all of the things I do require me to do that in one form or another. Also, I've actually been quite busy with personal stuff this summer, from weddings to music festivals to family reunions. It's been a lot of fun, but it'll be nice to ease into Fall and a pace that's a bit more relaxed. And I'm really looking forward to dedicating more time and energy to my crafts and my Etsy shop again. I'm working on some great pieces for Fall - mini-ponchos made from Alpaca and Mohair and squishy, colorful Merino neck warmers are the first of many warm snuggly things to come. I love Fall and Winter for the chance to really explore my knitting and spinning, and I can't wait to get going again!

In the meantime, I've said that I want to make this blog a bit more personal and offer a whole view of myself, my thoughts and my life. So I am going to do some posts that aren't necessarily related to Etsy. I'll probably start by writing about the things I've done this summer. There's no time limit on telling stories of fun times, right? Thanks to those who still read this sad little blog... I hope to have more interesting posts coming at you soon! Wish me luck!

Recharging... with Art!

Lately I've been finding myself in need of some serious recharging and renewal. Without really doing it on purpose, I ended up withdrawing from all the things I normally love doing (knitting, spinning, blogging, etc). And I think it's because I'd managed to turn my hobbies into "work" in the sense that I was starting to feel guilty and stressed out if I wasn't doing them almost all the time. I was putting so much pressure on myself, by turning ideas and goals into obligations and deadlines, until I just had to take a break for a little while. For the last few weeks I haven't done a whole lot in the way of crafts for my Etsy shop - instead I've just been letting myself do whatever interests me. And now I can see things from a different perspective and I think this is exactly what I needed to help breathe new life into my shop and my craft. So, here are some of the things I've been up to...

I've been watching tons of videos on YouTube about art and keeping an art journal. There are lots of great videos and channels dedicated to art but the one that caught my attention first and served as my gateway into the world of art-themed videos was Suziblutube. I especially love her Art Journal Playshop videos, which offer prompts, ideas and inspiration for journal pages. Her enthusiasm for art is so infectious that I had to go out and get a journal for myself. Another really great one is Willowing. Her videos weave together art and spirituality and present the idea of an art journal as therapy, which is exactly what it's been in my experience.

I've been keeping my journal for about 2 weeks now and I am surprised at how much I love it! I've never really considered myself an artist in terms of visual art - I never even had much of an interest in making art. But I have been enjoying it on so many levels. Because of the fact that I didn't know anything about drawing and painting when I started this, I had no expectations of myself at all. It has been so wonderful to allow myself to be a beginner again and to be okay with making mistakes! It's shown me that I need to show myself patience and kindness and compassion, which is something I think I've needed for a long time. I've heard it time and time again - if you're not willing to make mistakes you can never make anything original. There have been moments while I'm painting in my journal that I've gotten so absorbed in the process that I don't even worry about the outcome, and that is something I have not felt in a long time. I'm hoping to bring this same attitude to my knitting, sewing, spinning, etc. because I really do love it and I miss being excited about filling up my shop coming up with new ideas. I think that's going to be the key to getting my enthusiasm back. Trying new things, and being willing to make mistakes. I've got some yarn I don't mind wrecking - it's time to get bold with my knitting!

Anyway, here's a little slide show of my art journal so far. There's only a few pages but I thought I'd show you what I've been doing...

Another thing that really appeals to me about these women on YouTube is that they seem so honest and they share so much of themselves. This is something I've struggled with - finding a balance between being professional in my Etsy shop and sharing personal content on my blog and elsewhere. And with the art I've been making I find I'm able to be more candid because I'm not trying to make a business out of it. And the interactions I've had with some of the other folks on YouTube have been so very authentic and satisfying that I plan to bring some of that transparency into my shop and my blog as well. Right now I'm all about integrating the various facets of myself into a whole representation of who I am and what I'm passionate about. Because afterall, isn't that what drew me to Etsy and the idea of sharing my work online in the first place?

So, I'm going to focus on trusting the process, relaxing into it and being patient with myself. I have lots of great ideas and if I don't get around to them all this season, I'll just have to save them for next year... and trust that the time will be right then. When we exert too much control over the direction we take we can end up missing out on some great twists and turns. Basically I'm beginning to realize that if I stop thinking of my life as being compartmentalized into work and play, productive or non-productive use of time, etc. I can look at everything I do as having value and helping me get to where I want to be.

Now I'm itching to get back to "work" on my Etsy stuff with a new sense of perspective. I'm going to start with spinning because it is in itself a very meditative process and I think it will be a great way to gently get back on track and get myself motivated to do more. I'm about half way done spinning some SW Merino that I dyed myself - one of my very first attempts (the green one) and then I'm going to dive into this amazing roving I got the other day from All Spun Up on Etsy. Isn't it gorgeous?

I can't wait to get back into the swing of things. I'm so glad I gave myself this time to reflect and recharge.

A New Goal - 100 Items!

I've been in a nice creative mode lately. Between making a whole whack of new headbands and pouches, and fine-tuning the other new ideas I have for the upcoming months, I've really been excited about my work! I've been listing regularly, participating in forum discussions on Etsy and reading lots of blogs. It's been great getting reacquainted with all the awesome people on Etsy and my enthusiasm for my shop has been renewed - it feels really good!

Still, I've noticed myself stalking my own shop, checking and rechecking for sales and other activity. You Etsy sellers know the what I mean - you log on, check out the shop, answer convos, maybe head to the forums, make a few posts. And hey, while you're still on you might as well check the shop again. Maybe read a couple of blogs, check out Ravelry or Flickr or the like. And you never know, maybe something's happened in the shop by now, better check again... and so on until you start to feel disappointed and discouraged that nothing has sold and you want to scream at yourself to step away from the computer! And of course meanwhile all that time could have been spent actually making something! It's okay, you don't have to admit it (but I might feel less crazy if you did!) I know I can't be the only one!

will KNIT for food american apparel tank top
by moresassvintage (I LOVE this shirt!)

I've decided it's time for me to try a new tactic. I want to enjoy the creative process and the feeling of productivity and stop at that. I don't want to worry about whether or not things are going to sell when I'm making them because it inevitably takes much of the fun and freedom out of the process. So, I've got myself a new goal. Instead of watching my sales so closely I'm going to focus on filling up my shop. I'm aiming for 100 items and I'm really looking forward to working toward that goal. I've got some great ideas for Spring and Summer and I want to approach them whole-heartedly. And hey, if sales are slow, it'll actually be helping me to reach 100 items. Well, I wouldn't go that far, but at least I'll have something else to focus on!

In a similar vein, I'm reading a GREAT book right now called "Your Money or Your Life" by Vicki Robin & Joe Dominguez. It's all about changing your relationship with money and work, and (among other things) recognizing the value of the unpaid work that you do in your life. The book is basically set up like a course, and I'm just reading it through once to get a broad view before I start in on the program. I plan to start a new series on my blog to share any insights I gain in the process of working through the book in earnest. For now, in order to help escape the craft=sales trap, I'm making a point of noticing all the things I get from selling on Etsy that have nothing to do with money. Like the chance to get to know so many great people and talented artists, and the encouragement and kindness of other sellers, or being a part of a movement that is questioning the mentality of our society and working to re-educate people on the value of handmade art. These are just a few of the many benefits of Etsy, the ones that are available whether sales are up or down.

Artwork by (you guessed it) an Ape!

I'll leave you with an excerpt from the book, about a study conducted on apes that fits perfectly with what I've been thinking about lately.

"In The Biology of Art, zoologist Desmond Morris tells of an experiment in introducing the "profit motive" to apes. The first step was teaching them to be artists and to produce drawings and paintings that were decidedly lovely. Once their "art" was established he began to "pay" them, rewarding them with peanuts for their work. Under the reward system their artwork quickly deteriorated, and they began turning out hasty scrawls just to get the peanuts. "Commercialism" destroyed the apes as artists and got them scrambling for the peanut instead."

Something to think about... Fellow crafters, feel free to leave your thoughts on this subject in a comment - I'd love to hear them! What do you do to stay motivated when sales are down? What other forms of "payment" do you get for your artwork?

Spring 2009 Headbands

I've just finished photographing the headbands I've made with all the new fabrics I picked up for Spring! I will be adding them to the shop a couple each day for the next week or so. Here are a few of my favorites so far.

I'm totally loving these new prints! Clockwise from top left - "Black Sakura", "First Leaves" in Green, "Flower Child" in Purples, and "Flight of Fancy". I'll be adding these and many more to Black Mustard Fiber Arts this week.

Also, here's a look at how the recycled fabric headbands turned out! These started out as 2 men's shirts and a cool vintage dress. I can't wait to go raid the thrift stores for more goodies like these!

Rediscovering Leisure

Yesterday was another gorgeous day and I feel great for having taken full advantage of the first couple Spring days we've had. On Saturday after I found that cutting up old clothes can be a huge mood booster, I made the most of my motivation and went for an hour-and-a-half bike ride, my first since I packed the bike away for the winter. I rode all through the trails by my house, up to the park and the man-made (but still beautiful) lake there. It was a wonderful first day of Spring.

Yesterday I taught my guitar lessons, did some spinning on the deck, and then met up with my brother for dinner. We had about an hour left of daylight after we ate so we took my guitar and a drum and hung out in a field near my house.

It occurred to me as we were playing songs and enjoying the sunshine that I still felt anxious. I had this nagging feeling that I should be doing something. Like in order to really be making the most of the day and the moment I should either be doing something productive or at least entertaining. I realized that since I've become an adult and been increasingly able to buy different things and experiences I've become increasingly unable to just relax and be.

I used to do it all the time. I would spend hours just sitting outside listening to music, or reading, or writing, or just daydreaming. Now, if I think of doing something outside, it's always something that requires planning ahead and organizing some kind of activity, usually something I pay for. So, I've decided to work on getting back to basics. To allow myself true leisure time, without having to have something to show for it afterward. To focus on the quality of the story of my life instead of just the plot.

I have noticed lately that whenever I am asked to spend time with someone, I immediately run through all the other things I could accomplish with that time. I feel like I have to justify every moment I spend. I can foresee this kind of thinking getting out of hand very quickly, and I know it's already hurt some of the people I love when I am always making excuses why I can't see them. I think in our society "work" always trumps leisure or recreational time, and I really don't want that to be the way I live my life. So, I'm making a conscious decision to reassert my right to leisure and to welcome spontaneity back into my life. After all, if I hadn't agreed to sit with my brother in a field yesterday I would have missed out on this:

Which, as it turned out, was the perfect end to an awesome day.

Recycling / Upcycling to live life softly

On Friday I popped into a thrift store on a whim while driving home from work. I thought it'd be cool to see what kind of things I could find that would be good to cut up and use for fabric. I ended up picking a couple of men's shirts and a cool vintage dress, all of which had small spots and flaws that I figured might keep them from finding good homes in their current forms.

Yesterday I was planning to meet up with my best friend/model to photograph my new headbands, but because my sewing was not as fast as I remember it being, I ended up missing my chance to get together with her. I was feeling pretty bummed and kind of annoyed with myself, and I decided to dig into the clothes and start cutting. I had no idea that simple act of cutting up clothing would have the power to turn my day around! It was so much more fun than I expected it to be. It was the perfect mix of a destructive outlet and creative possibility. And once it was all cut up, I ended up with some great pieces of fabric!

Next time I will definitely wash everything before I cut it, because the way I did it I ended up with quite the tangled mess in the washing machine. But after ironing I have some really nice-sized pieces of totally usable fabric.

I really like this brown and green striped woven looking stuff! I can't wait to see how these look as headbands, and I am already itching to go scour the second hand shops for more finds!

And the Winner is...

Congratulations Melanie (aka pgb)! You've won a free pair of hand knit fingerless gloves in your choice of "Diamond in the Rough" or "Cascade" syles. Please check out the colors available and choose the one you'd like. I will make a custom listing for you in my Etsy shop. Just head over and "buy" it, and leave a comment with your choice of style and color! I hope you'll love your new gloves!

It was so inspiring to read everyone's suggestions for how they "live life softly". I will be compiling some of my favorites over the next few days and I'll post a list here! (If anyone would rather I not share their suggestions, please let me know)

The winner was chosen using the random number generator at random.org. This is a true random number generator that uses atmospheric noise rather than predetermined algorithms to come up with its number.

Live Life Softly Give-Away (Last Call)

I thought I'd forego my Etsy Monday feature today to remind everyone that today is the last day to get in on the "Live Life Softly" blog give-away! I will be drawing the winning name tonight at 9:00pm PST and will announce the winner tomorrow morning.

Up for grabs is a free pair of fingerless gloves in your choice of "Diamond in the Rough" or my new "Cascade" style. As further enticement, here are the colors available:

All you have to do to enter is leave a comment on the original post telling us how you "live life softly". Good luck to everyone who entered!

Cascade - Hand knit wrist warmers

I'm so excited to list the first pair of my new "Cascade" wrist warmers in my Etsy shop today!

I've had a few pairs done for a while now in a handful of different colors, but I had no one to model them for me. I finally convinced my best friend Sam to give it a shot - isn't she beautiful? The best part is she really had fun, so we're going to be doing it again. I'm really looking forward to scouting out cool locations around her house in downtown Vancouver to take our pictures throughout the spring and summer!

These are knit with the same soft Superwash Merino yarn as my "Diamond in the Rough" gloves. I am in love with this yarn - it is incredibly soft and warm and there are so many great colors available. And it's made in Canada, which is very cool! I'm really happy with how these gloves turned out. The eyelet pattern reminds me of a waterfall, hence the name. They're feminine and pretty without being overly frilly.

And don't forget, these gloves (along with the Diamond in the Rough gloves) are up for grabs in the Live Life Softly give-away going on now! If you haven't already, be sure to enter for your chance to win a free pair!

The "Live Life Softly" Give-away

Black Mustard Fiber Arts has a new look! One of my priorities since New Year's was to finalize my logo and branding for my Etsy shop and blog, and I'm really happy with the result. So, wherever you find me hanging out online, you'll see the Black Mustard blossom.

I've also come up with a new mantra. Following along the lines of the ideas I talked about in my "Perspective" post, I set out to pinpoint the things that are important to me, the reasons why I do what I do and what I hope to share through my work. To distill everything that I work toward into one powerful statement.

To me this means being gentle with myself and others. It means taking the time to do the things that make me feel peaceful, loving and connected. I think that's why I love knitting and spinning so much. They're relaxing and wholesome. They connect me to a tradition that was borne out of necessity and has evolved into a luxury, and a form of creative expression. There are many other things that make me feel this way: my morning walks, going to yoga classes, playing my guitar and singing with my brother, spending quality time with a friend, or with my cats, doing something kind for someone who doesn't expect it...

As a philosophy for Black Mustard Fiber Arts, it means a renewed commitment to using materials that are eco-friendly and wool that comes from happy, well-treated sheep. I love finding local folks who raise their own animals, and I'm fortunate that the owner of my favorite yarn shop shares my views and only stocks yarns from companies that meet certain industry standards for the humane treatment of their sheep. Living softly includes treading softly and it feels wonderful when I can make something that is good for the planet without sacrificing quality and style. I'm looking forward to exploring the ways that I can apply the "live life softly" philosophy to my work and life.

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So, welcome to the new and improved Black Mustard Fiber Arts! To celebrate, I'm holding my very first give-away. To enter, simply leave a comment on this post sharing the ways in which you live life softly. One person will be chosen at random to receive a free pair of fingerless gloves from my shop in the color of their choice. They will be able to choose from either the "Diamond in the Rough" style or the new "Cascade" style gloves, which will be going up in the shop this weekend. There will also be a new range of colors to choose from! The drawing will take place on Monday, February 9th at 9:00pm PST and the winner will be announced on Tuesday, Ferbruary 10th. Good luck!