Career Direction

I participated in several discussions this weekend on Ravelry and further read some past threads that helped me make some decisions on how to proceed with a possible career in the fiber industry. One of the things Rob, my husband has been hounding me about is limiting my scope on what I do if I am going to pursue a career in the craft business.

After thinking about this for quite awhile and trying my hand at several things, I have come to the conclusion that my strength is in what I have been doing most of my life, knitting and working with yarn.
I have tried beading & braiding and I produce nice pieces but designs don't come easily to me, whereas I have several knit designs flowing in my head.

So with that decision made, a path emerges -

1. Get my name known in the knitting community through test knitting and tech editing
2. Offer to test patterns for other designers - make sure I produce a quality finished product well before the deadline and make sure I review the pattern with a fine tooth comb to give the best feedback possible
3. Become a technical editor, which first requires I take a course on tech editing. Hopefully I can do this in March. Then get my name out there. Again when I start editing to give each client a quality review. 
4. Design patterns, but withhold offering them for sale until they have been tested and technically edited. Figure out correct pricing, learn not to sell myself short.
5. Determine best knitting software and pattern template.
6. Knit up my patterns using my dyed yarn so that I spark interest in my yarn. Also to start dyeing yarn with better quality dyes. I also want to invest in a better yarn blank maker. Rob was able to fix the Singer Toy Knitting Machine but it still is very hard to use and continues to have held stitch issues. 
7. Put together a list of start up needs/costs work into household budget
8. Get business registered
9. Knit, Knit Knit and at the same time look for ways to mix media with Knitting, Jewelry Making and Braiding. 

So that's the beginning of the plan. I have been flopping around trying to decide how to proceed, it feels good to have a sense of direction now. 

So what do you think, does it sound like a plan? Do you see pitfalls, if so what?

Blog conversion

I was having trouble linking blog posts to Ravelry projects so I decided to abandon Wordpress.com in favor of Blogger. All posts have been transferred so I am ready to kick off all new posts from here. Fun to come.

In a totally different place

Originally published on wordpress.com 12/8/2014

Since I lasted posted my life is in a totally different place. For one I am semi-retired, or rather taking a break, or seeing if I can put a craft related business together as well as possibly fund another business model in a few months. The options are many but for now I am weighing them all to choose the best path. The thing I want most this time is to do something I really enjoy doing, not something that just brings in the money. I was very good at what I did but not good at the politics that went with the job, what can I say I am too honest to play games.

I have also moved from the west coast back to the east coast, and now I am nearer my parents. After a couple of health scares this is truly a wonderful thing; to know I can get home in a few hours by cars, much different from Cali where our only option was an expensive plane flight. Also since we have a dog going home to Mom & Dad's is much easier, don't have to figure out should we board her or not, because taking her cost almost as much as one ticket. No now Mitzy can go with us, in fact I think we wouldn't be welcome home without her.

My days now are filled with almost my perfect dream, living in the mountains being able to design, make, assemble craft ideas by day and spending time with hubby at night. The most frustrating thing is too many ideas are coming, but when I go to make them I hate them. Grrr. Also I am scattered with all different disciplines in a little bitty space not designed for being a studio. Hence why I say almost perfect dream, the location is right, the space is not. I have a limited number of my supplies around me, they have to be shifted almost on a daily basis to make room for this or that, things are getting lost!

 

So what are my focus areas right now - taking a Craftsy class on Freeform Crochet, love it; making Holiday cards with new Cricut Explore, wow is this machine so much better than its predecessors; knitting a lace scarf, trying my hands at creating my own design; finishing Rob's scarf for Christmas; cross stitch for Dad; Kumihimo example dictionary for Mom; bead necklace for GA Shoppe; working on Dog & Cat hexie quilt; working on flower hexie quilt, and now also exploring options to do things with blown eggs.

Yesterday I played with my dremal  and found the egg is a lot stronger than I imagine and I was able to scribble on the egg and cut precise pieces out.

Still Organizing

Originally posted on wordpress.com 2/1/2014

So I have my quilt UFOs organized, and I am beginning to post so that I create a Quilt Log Book. today I turned to organizing my books, and wow I have a lot of books that I can listen to. So I think it might be good idea to participate in the 2014 Reader's challenge.  Also added widget to blog so that you can see what I am reading. Right now it is mostly how-to books trying to get ideas for Crazy Quilt.

Gathering thoughts on career

Originally posted on wordpress.com 1/27/2014

So it's Monday morning so what better time than to mediate on my career - so here are a few quotes I found that speak to me.

Sometimes if want the fruit, you have to crawl out of the branch to get it" - unknown

Find joy in everything you choose to do. Every job, relationship, home ... it's your responsibility to love it, or change it. - Chuck Pelehnuik

I think the person who takes a job in order to live - that is to say, for the money - has turned himself into a slave. - Joseph Campbell

Oh how I agree with the quote above, too many times have I worked where this is exactly how it felt.

Pleasure in the job puts perfection in the work. - Aristole

If you think it's expensive to hire a professional to do the job, wait until you hire an amateur. - Red Adair

The biggest mistake that you can make is to believe that you are working for someone else. Job security is gone. The driving force of a career must come from the individual. Remember: Jobs are owned by the company, you own your career.  - Earl Nightingale

Also very true, although when I am in the weeds I tend to forget this. For so much of my life I have let the job define who I was, and for that I don't have a great deal to show. I need to work on letting my whole life define me.  So I guess I need to figure out a game plan to do just that. I am starting by getting more involved with the outside world with my crafts - joined a quilt guild and took on a Board position. Also re-opened eBay and Etsy stores to sell handmade items, right now it is just dog bandanas but I will also add scarves soon.