Friday Randomly Sharing

The books I just took our of the library (been reserved for a while so excited) and Nessa knitted in Fyberspates

• This week I loved this article... 

Science tells you how to make the most of your strong will. It totally makes sense now why that chocolate bar (yes all of it, looks SO good in the evening!)

• I have been travelling with work quite a bit, and was wondering whether...

I could be sleeping in a replicate of Van Gogh's bedroom (in Chicago)?

I am just wondering whether my work will pay for me to stay in Central London in this Tree House Room/Hotel if I have a late night at work (because it would totally make these extra hours worth it!)

• I will be reading... 

Harry Potter no 8 due out this summer!!!!! OMG! I may actually be pre-ordering it now!

• I will be sewing

A similar version of this version of the Magellan top. 

How cute is the mini-Briar? Not sure it is Baby MiH's style though...

The Fold Line January sewing pattern round up - I love the Tulip skirt

• Not a lot of new knitting patterns, but ...

I love hand knitted hats - and Tanis'collection is beautiful! 

Jog-less when knitting in the round trick - oh yes!

• Cooking... 

Oh this vegan creamy soup would be ideal, for like: right now... It is so cold, I just want to be at home all the time, and drink soup all day. 

A new cookbook totally up my street (due out in May though...)

• A trick for quilting.. 

I love quilting with triangles - but technique sucks - here is a how to that will help me (and you!)

• Last minute V-Day stuff... 

I have done nothing for V-Day! But I might be able to sneak in a couple of these crochet hearts around the house (free pattern of course)... 

The Way I Blog :: Grace and Favour ::

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are all having a great weekend! Christmas has totally crept up on me, and it feels like there is no time for anything. I cannot wait for January for life to slow down a bit and being able to enjoy some quiet times. Although I have not blogged as regularly as I would like to lately (mostly due to a lack of finished project), I made plans to be more present in 2016, and I am still trying to find the right balance between crafting, blogging and of course my life. I have also often questioned the way I am/was blogging. And as always when it comes to learning, I ask people I admire to tell me more about their experience. Although I do not quilt as much as I did (I may have done only this pillow this year) it is still an interest of mine, and I follow a lot of quilting blogs. Carla will kindly be sharing 'the way she blogs' today. She quilts, knits, talks about her children and grandchildren - I love how you get to know more about her through her projects. Her article is really instructive, and there are definitely points I will take on board for my own blog, like how short a post could/should be! 
Thanks so much Carla!

Hello everyone! Thanks for inviting me over! I'm really happy to be here and to chat to you all about blogging!

Several years ago I hosted a Moda club in the quilt shop where I work. Pre-cuts were becoming popular so we started a club where I would feature a particular pre-cut and have a sample quilt made. My blog started as a result of that. It was a way of keeping the interest for the club going by providing sneak peeks of what I was working on. Then it grew. I started getting comments from all over the place and realized just how big the blogosphere was!  That was about 5 years ago and although I no longer host the club, my blog remains a big part of my quilting life. I’m unable to post as often as I used to, but I still aim for once a week.

I do like the modern quilts, and I guess I consider myself a more modern quilter rather than the traditional quilter I started out as.  I used to think all my quilts would be hand pieced and hand quilted. Ya right.

I try to take pictures that are clear and well lit.  I don’t have an expensive camera so daylight is my best friend.  I don’t say a lot on my blog posts because I know people are busy and want to stop by for a quick visit and some inspiration.

Carla's amazing piecing arrows tutorial is here

I seem to have too many things on the go these days, but I blog about my finishes, bee blocks, and a little knitting which is another passion.  I was a knitter before I was a quilter.

This past year we had two new baby boys added to our family so my time is spread even thinner.  They are both the cutest little things and I love snuggling with them.  My motivation comes from my family.  We have six grown children and now four grand children.  I am always thinking of what I can make someone next.  My family appreciates all I do and love the hand made items I give them.. Nothing gives me a greater sense of accomplishment than when I see them using what I have made.

 Thanks so much Nat for asking me to be part of this!

The Way I Blog :: Truly Myrtle ::

* Don't forget to enter my current giveaway here*

Happy Sunday everyone! I hope you are all having a great weekend! As you can see I decided to blog regularly from now on, but I am still trying to find the right balance between crafting, blogging and of course my life. I have also often questioned the way I am/was blogging, and interact here. And as always when it comes to learning, I ask people I admire to tell me more about their experience. Libby will kindly be sharing 'the way she blogs' today (she also has a newsletter, a podcast, very active IG and facebook accounts... and 4 children - I mean whoah!). It is really instructive, and there are definitely points I will take on board for my own blog! Thanks so much Libby!

Hello everyone! Thanks for inviting me over Nat! I'm really happy to be here and to chat to you all about blogging.

WHO'S TRULY MYRTLE?

I'm Libby aka Truly Myrtle. These days I design knitting patterns and chat about my patterns on my blog but for a long time Truly Myrtle was an on-line space where I simply enjoyed sharing all my creative adventures. I chatted about knitting, sewing and spinning and generally had a ball.

Truly Myrtle started in 2012, a couple of years after I started following a bunch of craft and knitting bloggers. I felt so inspired reading about other people's projects and over time found myself wanting to take part and start a blog of my own. I was terribly nervous writing those first posts. Would anyone read them? Did I really have anything interesting to say? I tried not to let nerves stop me though - I grabbed my little digital camera and dove straight in taking lots of photos and putting together posts for my imaginary readers! I tried to tell a story or teach a lesson in most of my posts and that wasn't too hard because I am always trying new things and learning new stuff. For a long time my husband checked all my spelling and grammar before I pushed "publish" (he still checks my newsletters!) It's amazing the little mistakes that are easily missed and an error free post is much nicer to read.

I can't believe I've been blogging for nearly four years, it's been super exciting to see Truly Myrtle evolve into something. I didn't anticipate how a blog would connect me with so many fabulous people and I love the community that's grown around Truly Myrtle. I never imagined how much I'd learn (like how to write basic computer code!) and my creativity has been pushed and stretched, which has been super exciting.

I haven't ever had a hard and fast rule about how often to blog although mostly I have tried to post at least once a week. In general the frequency of my posts has tended to vary depending on what else is going on in my life. I've had times when I've had so much to say that I've posted three or more times in a week and others where weeks have gone by without a peep. A couple of times I've played with the idea of using just photographs for posts - once when we were having a "staycation" and again when we moved from the UK to live in New Zealand. I do make sure I label each of my posts so that it's quick to find them again. For example, I tag each of my podcast posts "podcast" so that I can link to them easily in my menu.

MY PROCESS

Photos are the foundation of all my posts. Over the last couple of years I've become more and more interested in photography so that now I can't really begin writing until I've taken some photos. A year or so in I decided that I wanted to shoot better photos so bought a DSLR and took a photography night class. Both really helped (along with a whole lot of practice).

The process of gathering my bits and pieces to illustrate my post, styling them and taking pictures sets my imagination whirling and it's during that time I get a feel of exactly what I want to write and where my post is going. When I'm writing a longer article (I publish a monthly "mini-mag" newsletter) I spend a bit of time researching - but then it's still always photographs before words!

All of Libby's patterns are available here

I wish I could tell you that I am a master at editing my photos but quite frankly I'm not. I import all my photos onto my Mac Laptop and use the very basic software in the photo programme to crop and adjust them. I try to take photos that need very little editing so that I'm not stuck later. For buttons and photos including text I use the free service PicMonkey. It's super easy to manage and does everything I need it to.

I'm very conscious these days of readers being overwhelmed with information and you hear a lot that blogs are dying in favour of short, quippy media like Facebook and Instagram. I've always tried to keep my posts a reasonable length. Partly, because I have only a limited amount of time available to write them and also because I know people are busy. Having said that my posts do vary depending on my mood and what I'm sharing! I don't have a particular format that I follow when I'm writing but usually I pop a picture in first.

BLOGGING GOODIES

I've learnt a lot through blogging - a lot about the process of blogging but also a lot about me.

Here are my top tips for getting started and writing a blog:

• Just start. Don't think about it too hard, just dive in and post something. It doesn't have to be perfect! It takes a while to find your "voice" so it's good to experiment and take risks.
• Be you. I can't stress this enough. It'll be easier to keep blogging if you are true to yourself and not second-guessing what people might want. People often tell me when I meet them that I'm just the same in real life. It's true! I can only be me.
• Don't worry too hard about what to write about. Look around you, the best topics are often right under your nose. Keep it simple and narrow your focus. I find it works best when I limit my posts to just one or two ideas.
• Tell a story. I love a good story and so will your readers. Especially a story that develops over several posts. I think you can turn almost anything into a good story. Remember the details, elaborate with pictures and enjoy yourself.
• Talk to your readers - both in your posts and in real life. Reply to them, ask them questions. Get to know them. It's exciting watching a community grow around you.
• Don't look at the numbers. Most likely they'll only depress you! I've only just installed google analytics - don't fret over how many people are reading your blog. Celebrate engaged readers that never miss a post and leave you lots of great feedback rather than getting thousands of readers that only dip in once.
• Meet other bloggers. This is super fun. Once you start blogging you're already part of a great community and people are mostly really friendly and welcoming. Visit other blogs and leave comments. You know how good that feels! If you want to collaborate with someone, take a risk and email them. You'll be surprised how many people you'll end up calling friends even though you've never met.

BALANCE

I've been doing a lot of knitwear design over the last year and the way I blog has changed a little as I've gotten busier. I tend to schedule posts in advance and pre-plan posts, especially when I'm releasing a new pattern for example. I've been thinking a lot lately about how my blog will evolve as my business grows and what's the best way to promote Truly Myrtle Designs. While I have started a podcast and a newsletter and those are going well, I'm also working on some exciting plans for my blog for the next year. There are so many interesting topics that grow out of knitting design - yarn choices, caring for knitted garments, sourcing great yarn, talking to other people in the industry, know how and tutorials. But many of my readers have been with me since the beginning and they enjoy hearing about the sewing, spinning and jewellery making I do, so I intend to make space for them too.

The thing I really love about blogging is that I'm the boss. Truly Myrtle is my space on the internet and I can experiment and play around there as much as I like. It's very fun.

Libby is wearing one of her latest designs - the Koru hat - which I intend to knit very soon.

Libby aka Truly Myrtle, is a knitting pattern designer living in rural New Zealand with her husband, four children, a big vege garden, a gaggle of chickens, a flock of sheep and a puppy.
She designs modern knitting patterns that are clear & easy to follow and a pleasure to knit and wear.
Join in the fun and explore the Truly Myrtle blog at www.trulymyrtle.com to find out about Libby's patterns, free tutorials, knit alongs and more crafty fun! 

Friday Randomly Sharing

Happy Friday everyone! It is Friday, can you believe it! When I resumed blogging, I knew I really wanted to have a corner where I would share what has caught my eye recently - but where you could also share what was interest to you - so please make full use of the comment box! 

- Let's start by Hungry for Change - a documentary which looks at diet, weight loss and what food industries don't want you to know about deceptive strategies designed to keep you coming back for more. This documentary changed my life, honestly. I have not drank a single soda since, and made so many changes to my diet, and that of the kids. It is totally worth your time.

- Blocking mittens is made easy with this tutorial by Melody.

- Have you seen Libby's latest beanie hat design: Koru? I love it - that lace and cable panel is gorgeous - and it is the perfect project to destash as well! (And there is currently a 15% discount). 

- Talking about latest designs, I am a bit taken by the Sidney jacket by Tessuti Fabrics - it looks like my sort of pattern - instant gratification guaranteed. I love how their patterns are written as there are so many pictures, and that really speaks to my photographic mind. I need to find an ethical fabric option - maybe a second-hand remnant or something - any idea?  

- Moral Fibres has got a great tip about twitter and tagging people. I had no idea... and made the mistake she mentions every time, and limited my audience in the process. So totally worth checking out if your blogging strategy includes twitter. 

- I have just come across a new ethical brand - des petits hauts. I could probably buy the whole collection, but I know that I really need a blouse Habi  in my life.  

- Eggplant QD not a new veg but an epic knit - OMG, just check it out on Ravelry, it is unbelievable (and there are beads)!!

- Yesterday I was invited to an event at Fabrications in Hackney. If you are in the area and looking for some ethical/second-hand craft materials it is totally worth checking out. 

Here is my random list, what is yours?