How I started To Crochet

I haven´t crochet much before I started. I remember doing one crochet work in the primary school and I think it was something for the Easter time, maybe little chick or something. 

Years later I was studying in Interior Designer school and hadn´t time to learn how to crochet although my internship place boss were crocheting almost anything but at the time I wasn´t so interested to learn.

After I graduated from Interior Designer school I started to spend my free time crocheting things. I wasn´t plan to learn how to crochet, it just started naturally. I searched on YouTube suitable videos for beginners and I must say I really enjoy to crochet.

My first bag handles. These are slightly
flexible and flat shape.

First I started to crochet bag handles since my friend needed them in her bags and wanted different kind handles than faux leather or fabric ones. So I started to seek right kind yarn and suitable video on YouTube. I learned pretty quickly to crochet bag handles but then my friend was looking for some decorations that she can attach in her bag creations. I remembered my grandma´s crochet butterflies but couldn´t remember how they crochet so after couple hours seeking right kind videos I found one but the butterfly wasn´t exactly same but still it was pretty.

After making things for my friend, I wanted to expand my crochet skills and now I have crocheted ear warmers, scarf, couple ballerina slippers, baskets, cat toys and my favorite thing to crochet: fingerless gloves.

I learned all on YouTube so naturally the stitch names that I know are in English. I laughed with my friend that once I didn´t know the stitch names in Finnish! 😆 So now I´m willing to learn those stitch names in Finnish and want to learn how to read different patterns.

As you can see, you can crochet pretty much anything. Here´s some of my crochet work that I´ve made during this time.
My cats just loved to play with crocheted mice but the ball wasn´t their favorite. On the right are the butterflies. pink edged butterfly is my grandma´s that she made years ago and next to is my version.

As always, I´m open to learn anything new and interesting so now I have crochet about year and half and now I´m learning how to needle tat. It´s been little challenging but at least I´m trying and most of all, I got new experience and learn constantly from my mistakes. 

This quote describe well about my creative life. Try, learn and most of all have FUN! 

~ Minna

Photographing

This week I thought to write about photographing. 

My Interior Design studies included one course of photographing and first I was so excited about it since I´m always eager to learn to take better photos but when I realize that the teacher wasn´t going to teach us to use SLR camera even some of us haven´t used it before and told us to just to take bunch of photos I consider the course vain.

I´m not professional photographer but I´ve been photographing pretty much my whole life different things  like my favorite Finnish singer which is pretty difficult to photograph since she likes to dance along with her songs. Lately I also love to take nature photos too. Usually I have my Iphone with me and the phone have good camera.

Once my Interior Designer teacher said that camera doesn´t affect the quality of the photos but I´ve testified it wrong as below photo collage show you - camera do matter the quality of the picture!

Over these years I´ve changed my camera probably three times. Above collage you can see how different camera affect the quality of the photo.

First photo on the left is with white glitter background. That time my camera was battery based and they were pretty quick out after couple photos. Also for this photo I haven´t used any natural light nor flash.

Second photo with wooden imitation background I took with my new camera that needed to charged with USB cable. For this photo I tried to use natural light but it was pretty much impossible for me at the time since my apartment were near forest and corner where the Sun didn´t shine was any time of the day.

Last photo is taken with my latest camera. I´ve been long wanted SLR camera that suited for beginners since I didn´t want any fancy one with fine features that I probably won´t learn to use. I planned the background, used natural light and bought a mannequin bust for the necklaces.

If you have Etsy shop or planning to open one, I simply recommend to buy good camera. Mine camera is Nikon D3300 which is user-friendly camera. With that camera I´ve taken all my Etsy photos and I´m so pleased with the camera. This camera is also good for any beginners who haven´t used SLR camera before.

Here´s my few photograph tips to take better photos:

1. Buy good camera

As I´ve shown you, nothing beats good camera that takes clear photos and the quality of your photos will bring you many sales

2. Plan your photos

Many seller favorites clean white background, usually PhotoFuzed one but I personally think that it may be clean but also makes items little floating in the air. I highly recommend to use clean background and I bet it can be found in your home. You can use your kitchen table or counter to photograph your items or any other table you may have in your home that suited your item style

3. Use natural light

I´m not talking about direct sunlight but good day light which won´t bring much shadow around your item. This may require to observe little while how the natural light come in your home and which time of the day is the best time to take photos

As you may know, you can´t learn photographing unless you just photograph. Try different settings of your camera and transfer the photos in your laptop to see the differences between photos. That way you can find the settings that suited best your items.

~ Minna