I broke through!

I did it! I broke through!

For the past few days, I wrapped my head around my website, figured out stuff, explored, played and got things done.

This morning, me and web developer Andy Bottman have had some e-mail correspondence in which I gave him my feedback and together we are going to make it happen.

We still have to get down to the nitty-gritty, and you know how the devil is in the detail, but I stepped away from the preconceived notion that everything has to be perfect.

I feel so relieved and free now… the only one that keeps you from doing great things, is yourself, so I have noticed.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR ENCOURAGEMENT!!!

You know, all the encouraging comments I have received over the past few days were so needed to pick me up and give me a push in the back.

Sometimes, when something bothers you, it is good to speak up and put it in words.

It is almost as if you break a binding spell by doing that. You set it free and let it go.

This also made me realize that it is okay to ask for help. And you all have been so generous to provide for such encouraging words. I needed that, and I am so incredibly grateful for you…

So… what’s next?

First of all, I feel so liberated, all I want to do is be happy and celebrate that I overcame this strange hurdle.

I truly feel like a flower has blossomed in my heart and I want to enjoy that feeling as much as I can today. Thank you my dear friend for helping me feel this way.

Next, I am going to dive in some more website things, which I am not going to bother you with. Unless you get excited about me talking about “Categories”, “Tags” and “Taxonomy”?

In the next couple of days, Andy Bottman will give me feedback and then it will be my turn again to take action.

I will report to you here what is going on so you can hold me accountable and keep me from slacking!

I am really really really so excited to show you what we worked on… see, my website is going to be an inspirational vehicle and I cannot wait for you to jump on with me.

Cannot wait for us all to buckle up, because it going to be a FUN RIDE.

Thanks for reading and until the next entry. Enjoy your Sunday!

Procrastination..? What is that?

I have been very productive over the past month. Very productive.

I finished 3 shawls:

Next up was the Hilde hat, and then several Nettie hats:

Aside from the knitting, I have been blogging regularly and even published two patterns with picture tutorials.

If you think I am taking it easy now, you are mistaken. Over the past few days I have been working on another hat pattern of which I have finished two prototypes, and a third prototype is laying flat to dry as I type this.

When it comes to knitting, designing and writing patterns, I am highly productive. I have no explanation how come.

Am I fully focussed, my goal is to finish a project as quickly as possible and move on to the next project without missing a beat.

Procrastination..? What the hell is that???

What is holding me back?

As productive as I am in knitting, there is one area where I am procrastinating like there is no tomorrow.

Not a day goes by and I am thinking about it.

Not a day goes by and I am asking myself why I didn’t work on it yet again.

And that my dear knitter is a project I have been stalling for the past 4 months: my website “gettingpurlywithit.com“.

Web designers and web developers have been working on my website and now I have to take action. But I haven’t been taking action at all.

AND I DON”T KNOW WHY!!!

Reasons for my procrastination

Am I afraid that you all won’t like it?
Am I setting the bar too high for myself?
Am I too much of a perfectionist?
Am I afraid to fail?

Oh, Lordy… I need your help on this one, my dear friends…

As from today, I need to work on my website so that it finally can be launched.

By coming Sunday, I must at least have given my web developer something to work on. Please, please, please hold me accountable for that.

I really need your encouragement in this one.

There. I asked for your encouragement. See, I am not perfect.

I have insecurities that plague me, and I am afraid of failing.

But didn’t I promise that I would reach for my highest potential?

I can reach it, I know it. But sometimes, I too need just a little bit of help and encouragement…

Thanks for reading and until the next entry! Wish me luck, I need it!

How I celebrate

A few days ago, when I was strolling down 18th in the Castro district in San Francisco on my way to Imagiknits, it suddenly occurred to me that I started this blog 3 years ago.

I also realized that I had never celebrated any blog anniversary!

While any excuse to buy yarn is a good one, a third year celebration is a pretty legitimate one too… So I got me some Madeline Tosh in Scarlet, and to stay in color, I treated myself on some delicious strawberries.

Happy 3rd anniversary to Getting Purly With It, and here’s to many more years!

A learning experience

When I started “Getting Purly With It” back in April 2007, the sole purpose was to write about yarn and knitting simply because I could not shut up about it.

Being a fairly newbie knitter at that time, I could not stop thinking about knitting and desperately needed an outlet to get it out of my system. Otherwise, my head would explode.

Soon enough, I had the urge to not only write about yarn and knitting but to also produce picture tutorials and issue free patterns.

This pushed me into digital photography and I wanted to be a better photographer. I went from working with a point and shoot camera, to exploring an entry level DSLR.

Then in 2008 I decided to work with models to showcase my knitted items, and although it was quite scary to me at the time, I did it.

Finally, I had enough confidence to publish patterns for sale!

Step by step, little by little, I have learned so much from blogging. It has been such a great learning experience for me, and I am very curious what more knowledge I can obtain, and how to broaden my horizon.

The purpose of this blog

Back then, the purpose of this blog was only to write about my knitting progress and that was basically it.

Nowadays I define the purpose of this blog differently:

The purpose of this blog is to inspire, encourage and to help everybody who is interested in knitting. With my passion for knitting and the fire that I feel in my heart and soul, I hope to reach out to you and inspire you to knit.

This wonderful thing that we knitters do, with just two sticks and some strand, still grips me with much wonderment and I am in awe of the capacity that we have to create.

Knowing that there are knitters out there who have made items from my patterns and who have gifted these items to loved ones, fills my being with warmth and gratitude.

Knowing that there are newbie knitters out there that felt encouraged to take their knitting to the next level by choosing one of my patterns with picture tutorials, gives me infinite joy.

This little light of mine…

I would like to thank you personally for reading this knitting blog of mine.

I am having lots of fun around here and I hope you do too!

Ever since April 2007 I have gotten over 110,000 views and I am very grateful for that…

Thank you for letting me shine my light!

Our Ability to Inspire

Last Saturday, my friend Chris Tolomei took me on an East Bay yarnshop tour. We had a wonderful day, with lots of yarn fondling, good lunch, a photo shoot of the Miss Jenni Shawl, and lots of conversation.

After our day together, I was filled with new blogpost ideas about photography and specifically photography with models.

A few days later, I had an energetic telephone conversation with my new friend Jennifer Iannolo, the woman behind Foodphilisophy“and CEO/Chief editor of Culinary Media Network.

We talked about all kinds of inspiring topics; new media, social media, following your passion, socializing with like-minded people, giving each other a helping hand and what not.

After our conversation, my head was simply spinning and lots of ideas swirled and swirled around me.

Encounters like these excite me to no end. I love how we have the ability to touch each other and give each other new ideas and new visions.

Our ability to inspire

Today, I would like to make you aware of your ability to inspire.

Sometimes, without even knowing it, you inspired somebody.

Maybe it is something you said, something you wrote,  something you made, something you wore,  or a helping hand that you offered. Or maybe it is because you were just simply kind.

Also, if you are inspired by somebody, let them know! It will put a smile upon their face, I promise!

As for knitting

Yesterday I went to yarn shop Imagiknit to get me some yarn for two projects: the upcoming Nettie Hat and Hilde Hat.

For the Nettie Hat I purchased a silk/merino blend by Malabrigo and I did a quick test knit. I like how it came out:

I did not come to knitting this hat if it wasn’t for Wanett Clyde. She is the one who inspired me with her Felicity Hat!

At this moment I am working on a lovely project called Hilde Hat by designer Kristin Alexandra from the blog Voolenvineknits. I found Kristin through a knitter named Telma from the blog Knittyornice.

So far I am loving the progress of my Hilde Hat and I am using a silk/bamboo blend by Classic Elite. Perfect for summer wear!

Thank you Chris, Jennifer, Wanett, Kristin, Telma and oh so many others out there for your spark of inspiration.

Keep on sharing, because your spark gives me plenty of ideas to share in return.

We are all interlinked and we are all in this wonderful thing together!

Thank you for reading and until the next entry…

Reaching for my Highest Potential

Today, very suddenly, I got completely overwhelmed by gratitude.

I completed a red pair of “Sally Gloves” and had just finished a hat made out of golden thread, when it hit me hard.

Here I am in San Francisco, so happy to be with my husband, and doing the things that I am so very passionate about: knitting, designing and blogging.

I don’t need to worry about work, I don’t need to worry about health issues, I got a roof over my head, plenty of food, and a whole lot of loving from my man.

Dear reader, I thank the Universe on my bare knees for this wonderful situation.

What great opportunity!

Not only am I in a wonderful situation, I also have all the tools and materials at my very fingertips to execute my passions.

I got my laptop, my camera, a whole suitcase of yarn, all kinds of needles, stacks of books and last but not least my most important tool: myself.

See what is happening here? I am given a great opportunity to reach for my highest potential. And I should handle this with much respect and much gratitude!

I pledge to reach for my highest potential

I pledge to:

1. Reach for my highest potential
2. Be focussed on designing
3. Write patterns and share them
4. Produce picture tutorials
5. Work with beautiful yarns
6. Inspire and help other knitters
7. Bring forth beauty, grace and elegance
8. Blog at least 3 times a week

I am so jumping up and down of excitement right now! YES!
You better hold on to your seats for the next several months…

As for knitting

Over the past couple of days I made a pair of red Sally Gloves and also a golden color mercerized cotton hat.

For the Sally gloves I used a ball of dk alpaca, given to me by my friend Elizabeth, and I used the cutest buttons ever: vintage style pin up girls!

I love the girls! They are so cute. Look, one of them is on the phone… with Santa perhaps?

Next up is a hat made out of golden mercerized cotton. I took the Felicity Hat pattern, designed by the talented Wanett Clyde from Brooklyn, and heavily modified it.

Today, I contacted Wanett to ask her permission to publish this heavy modified Felicity pattern for free on my blog.

I am so happy to report to you that she agreed to it! So in the next few weeks, this hat pattern will be released here on Getting Purly With It.

Wanett’s Ravelry name is Nettie… so guess how this soon to be released hat pattern is going to be named..?

Lots of exciting things are going to happen around here… I simply cannot wait to share it all with you!

Thanks for reading and until the next entry…