I have several knitting and crochet patterns that I've written over the years, a lot more ideas in my head, and when I googled "how to write a knitting pattern" all I wanted was a list of the elements the pattern needed to contain, and so after dissecting patterns on several sites here's the list I compiled:
1. Photo
2. Title
3. Size
4. Corrections
5. Materials
6. Gauge
7. Stitches Used
8. Pattern
9. Finishing
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Customers
One of the things I have struggled with this week is customers. Not a lack of them, but figuring out who is my customer. Last weekend I was so frustrated with the majority of people who shop our local farmers market that I took a weekend off. Instead I focused on developing my Etsy shop. I returned to the market yesterday morning and for the first four hours I only made $6 from selling some soft set jam as syrup at cost. I planned on leaving at 11am because of the heat, but I decided to wait until noon like I have in the past and I am glad I did. I didn't sell a lot, but I did sell more syrup, half my dog biscuits and a bag. In addition I got orders for a couple more bags to have ready next weekend and a couple of Texas Longhorn knit hand towels I designed.
From 7am to 11am, locals walked by my table. They would either glance at me and walk quickly by, not even look at the table and make excuses not to stop, or they would stop and balk at my prices (which I have been informed by many outside the county that I have my items priced too low). There were several people who came out with their dogs and I met them with one of my homemade peanut butter dog biscuits. The dogs were so overwhelmed by all the people around them that they didn't instantly take the biscuit, but after a moment would devour it and start looking for more. The dog owners though were quick to dismiss me and tell me their dogs don't like my product. One lady told me her dog is spoiled by Ol' Roy brand (I fought laughter) and another walked away and threw the biscuit in the garbage. By 11am I was fighting tears. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.
I realize now that I'm not doing anything wrong. My products just aren't for everyone. The chapter I read tonight in "The Boss of You" discussed identifying your customer. My customer is going to be someone who cares about and values quality. They are going to care about handmade, made in the USA with quality USA originated materials. They want to support their local economy and help promote local jobs. They don't want something knit or crochet that was made by an exploited child in a third world country. If they buy from a third world country they will prefer that it be something sustainable and fair trade. My customer is going to care about what kind of food they give their pets and appreciate the high quality ingredients I use in my dog biscuits, not something that could potentially be poisonous from China.
So when people walk by my table and criticize me I will simply know that they don't appreciate taste and quality and aren't the kind of person who would take care of something I make. I want my items to be cherished, not tossed aside because it was cheap and disposable. They are not my customer.
From 7am to 11am, locals walked by my table. They would either glance at me and walk quickly by, not even look at the table and make excuses not to stop, or they would stop and balk at my prices (which I have been informed by many outside the county that I have my items priced too low). There were several people who came out with their dogs and I met them with one of my homemade peanut butter dog biscuits. The dogs were so overwhelmed by all the people around them that they didn't instantly take the biscuit, but after a moment would devour it and start looking for more. The dog owners though were quick to dismiss me and tell me their dogs don't like my product. One lady told me her dog is spoiled by Ol' Roy brand (I fought laughter) and another walked away and threw the biscuit in the garbage. By 11am I was fighting tears. I couldn't figure out what I was doing wrong.
I realize now that I'm not doing anything wrong. My products just aren't for everyone. The chapter I read tonight in "The Boss of You" discussed identifying your customer. My customer is going to be someone who cares about and values quality. They are going to care about handmade, made in the USA with quality USA originated materials. They want to support their local economy and help promote local jobs. They don't want something knit or crochet that was made by an exploited child in a third world country. If they buy from a third world country they will prefer that it be something sustainable and fair trade. My customer is going to care about what kind of food they give their pets and appreciate the high quality ingredients I use in my dog biscuits, not something that could potentially be poisonous from China.
So when people walk by my table and criticize me I will simply know that they don't appreciate taste and quality and aren't the kind of person who would take care of something I make. I want my items to be cherished, not tossed aside because it was cheap and disposable. They are not my customer.
Sunday, July 25, 2010
New Directions and Goals
In May I was asked if I would be interested in creating items for a local farmers market that was starting the first weekend of June. I figured I could whip up some shopping bags and see what happened. Since then I have been selling some local produce, crochet shopping bags, homemade jam, trail mix, and dog biscuits. I've posted updates on Facebook for my family and friends as well as photos of what I have been creating. I've received several orders just through Facebook and after being told by several people that they were disappointed that I didn't have anything posted in my Etsy store, today I posted my first item - All Natural Peanut Butter Dog Biscuts - and I pulled out a book, "The Boss of You" by Lauren Bacon and Emira Mears, that has been sitting on my bookshelf for probably the past year.
This evening I started reading and one of the first things I am to do is a little writing and I thought I would include that here.
The first exercise is to write out my business goals. I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure what I want out of it yet, but I do have a few ideas in mind.
1. I'd like to save up enough money to buy a digital SLR camera so I can do more photography work.
2. I'd like to save up money to travel and see friends and family I haven't seen in many years.
3. I'd like to add to our savings account.
4. I'd like to make enough money to help supplement our income when Tony's hours are slow at his job.
5. I'd like to make enough to pay for medical insurance.
6. I'd like to build greenhouses to grow herbs and other vegetables to sell and make products from.
7. I'd like to be able to do more for the dogs and cats we rescue like paying for extra medical treatments other than just providing them with shelter, food and vaccinations.
I've also had the idea recently of teaching others how to be more self-sufficient and not rely on others, especially the government, to provide for them. It's a journey I'm on to learn for myself and I want to share it as I learn various lessons.
Some of the goals I have for personal measures of success are:
1. The day I can buy the digital camera.
2. When I can buy a plane ticket to Pittsburgh in August, New York at Christmas, or Los Angeles to see family.
3. When I can pay all the bills and not delay paying anything on the months when Tony doesn't have many hours at work.
4. When we can get stuff accomplished on our cabin in Oklahoma.
5. When I have my first greenhouse (and each subsequent greenhouse) built.
6. When I reach certain goals in our savings account.
7. When I can get all our animals on flea and tick treatments.
As for my strengths and weaknesses:
1. I love coming up with new product ideas.
2. I need to work on developing the confidence and self-discipline to execute all the ideas.
3. I generally have a good eye for detail and like to add small touches to make things special.
4. Overcoming anxiety and pushing through to show myself I can do anything I set my mind to.
5. I create high quality items that are worthy of being charged what they are worth.
6. I need to learn more about budgeting and taxes as well as marketing.
7. I can do anything I put my mind to!!!
This evening I started reading and one of the first things I am to do is a little writing and I thought I would include that here.
The first exercise is to write out my business goals. I'll be honest, I'm not 100% sure what I want out of it yet, but I do have a few ideas in mind.
1. I'd like to save up enough money to buy a digital SLR camera so I can do more photography work.
2. I'd like to save up money to travel and see friends and family I haven't seen in many years.
3. I'd like to add to our savings account.
4. I'd like to make enough money to help supplement our income when Tony's hours are slow at his job.
5. I'd like to make enough to pay for medical insurance.
6. I'd like to build greenhouses to grow herbs and other vegetables to sell and make products from.
7. I'd like to be able to do more for the dogs and cats we rescue like paying for extra medical treatments other than just providing them with shelter, food and vaccinations.
I've also had the idea recently of teaching others how to be more self-sufficient and not rely on others, especially the government, to provide for them. It's a journey I'm on to learn for myself and I want to share it as I learn various lessons.
Some of the goals I have for personal measures of success are:
1. The day I can buy the digital camera.
2. When I can buy a plane ticket to Pittsburgh in August, New York at Christmas, or Los Angeles to see family.
3. When I can pay all the bills and not delay paying anything on the months when Tony doesn't have many hours at work.
4. When we can get stuff accomplished on our cabin in Oklahoma.
5. When I have my first greenhouse (and each subsequent greenhouse) built.
6. When I reach certain goals in our savings account.
7. When I can get all our animals on flea and tick treatments.
As for my strengths and weaknesses:
1. I love coming up with new product ideas.
2. I need to work on developing the confidence and self-discipline to execute all the ideas.
3. I generally have a good eye for detail and like to add small touches to make things special.
4. Overcoming anxiety and pushing through to show myself I can do anything I set my mind to.
5. I create high quality items that are worthy of being charged what they are worth.
6. I need to learn more about budgeting and taxes as well as marketing.
7. I can do anything I put my mind to!!!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Tips for Saving Money
These days many of us are struggling to make ends meet. My husband and I have had our fair share of these difficult times over the years when he's been laid off from IT jobs or as work fluctuates now that he's a truck driver. When we made the decision for me to stay home back in 2006 I made my primary job figuring out how to keep our bills as low as possible.
This sounds difficult, but it's a simple as anytime I pulled out my debit card to buy something at the store or pay a bill, I asked myself, "How can I make this amount smaller or can it be eliminated all together?"
When it comes to groceries, I check the weekly circular online for the store I will be shopping at and plan my meals around what is cheapest. I stopped buying processed or prepared foods and only buy meat, produce, dairy, rice, pasta, beans, canned tomato items, various condiments and baking supplies. I view shopping trips as buying staples instead of groceries. From this small list the possibilities for what can be made are endless. Both of us have noticed our blood sugar levels are more stable (we're both hypoglycemic - low blood sugar) and we've lost weight. I don't clip coupons because the items that the coupons are for are generally processed food and other items that I can find a cheaper alternative for. I also go in with a budget and keep a tally of what I'm spending. If I find I'm going over, then I put back what I can live without.
*I have a dry erase board that I write things down on as I run out of them. Then before going to the store I edit the list for anything I don't really need.
*My cleaning supplies I have pared down to one bottle of all-purpose concentrated detergent that I dilute into a spray bottle of water, add to the toilet, use full strength as a degreaser, etc.
*I make my own laundry detergent and there is a recipe in my blog archives.
*When I'm at the store I don't buy anything that isn't on my list, and then I often don't get everything on my list because I don't always need it. I only get what I will need during the next 2 week period between shopping trips.
*When we do have larger paychecks then I buy an extra cut of meat, couple bags of pasta, etc., when they are on sale. Then when a particularly lean paycheck comes along we have enough food to get us through until the next check so I can focus that paycheck on bills and gas.
*When I'm cooking, I sometimes skim a little meat, veggies, rice, etc., and stow away in the freezer. Then when I'm wanting a cheap and easy meal for dinner because I'm not feeling well I'll mix them in with eggs for a frittata, omeletes or fried rice.
*I've also started using meat as a flavoring ingredient instead of the main ingredient, and every Monday I made vegetarian dishes.
*This year I also started a garden which takes significantly less time to manage than I expected. I'm using the square foot gardening method for anyone interested in learning more.
With bills I have looked at each one to figure out how to reduce them.
*TV: reduce or eliminate service
*Insurance: shop around for lower rates
*Electric: find ways to reduce usage and shop around for a lower rate
*Phone: shop around for a lower rate, eliminate services not needed
*Mortgage: shop around for a lower insurance rate, apply for homestead to reduce taxes, and if possible reapply for a lower mortgage rate; also if you move try to find a cheaper place to live but make sure the cost of gas doesn't offset what you are saving.
*Water: eliminate leaks and find ways to reduce consumption
*Entertainment: get books on half.com or paperbackswap.com versus bookstores; instead of going out every week we started playing games together at home both board games and games online like World of Warcraft which even though it's $30/mo for the two of us together, it's cheaper than going out one night. We also look for free events to attend. For movies and tv shows we use Netflix, Hulu and other online sources.
*Pets: We used to buy the cheapest food available, but we've since found out that the more expensive foods are more nutritious and the animals eat 1/6 of what they ate with the cheap food which is all filler, so their health is better plus we're saving money by buying less. We have also started using raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar for fleas. We're still testing it out, but with the kittens we have it seems to be helping. We add a little to their drinking water and bathe them with it and they have significantly fewer fleas than before.
I am constantly reevaluating everything we spend money on and trying to figure out how to save money. Many times I have something at home that will fulfill a need, it's just a matter of taking a moment to see what we have and getting out of the habit of running to the store at every whim. We've also learned to invest money into fewer quality items that will last longer than just automatically buying what is cheapest. One of the biggest lessons is to use what we already have and not go out and buy something else when we have an item that will do what we want done.
This sounds difficult, but it's a simple as anytime I pulled out my debit card to buy something at the store or pay a bill, I asked myself, "How can I make this amount smaller or can it be eliminated all together?"
When it comes to groceries, I check the weekly circular online for the store I will be shopping at and plan my meals around what is cheapest. I stopped buying processed or prepared foods and only buy meat, produce, dairy, rice, pasta, beans, canned tomato items, various condiments and baking supplies. I view shopping trips as buying staples instead of groceries. From this small list the possibilities for what can be made are endless. Both of us have noticed our blood sugar levels are more stable (we're both hypoglycemic - low blood sugar) and we've lost weight. I don't clip coupons because the items that the coupons are for are generally processed food and other items that I can find a cheaper alternative for. I also go in with a budget and keep a tally of what I'm spending. If I find I'm going over, then I put back what I can live without.
*I have a dry erase board that I write things down on as I run out of them. Then before going to the store I edit the list for anything I don't really need.
*My cleaning supplies I have pared down to one bottle of all-purpose concentrated detergent that I dilute into a spray bottle of water, add to the toilet, use full strength as a degreaser, etc.
*I make my own laundry detergent and there is a recipe in my blog archives.
*When I'm at the store I don't buy anything that isn't on my list, and then I often don't get everything on my list because I don't always need it. I only get what I will need during the next 2 week period between shopping trips.
*When we do have larger paychecks then I buy an extra cut of meat, couple bags of pasta, etc., when they are on sale. Then when a particularly lean paycheck comes along we have enough food to get us through until the next check so I can focus that paycheck on bills and gas.
*When I'm cooking, I sometimes skim a little meat, veggies, rice, etc., and stow away in the freezer. Then when I'm wanting a cheap and easy meal for dinner because I'm not feeling well I'll mix them in with eggs for a frittata, omeletes or fried rice.
*I've also started using meat as a flavoring ingredient instead of the main ingredient, and every Monday I made vegetarian dishes.
*This year I also started a garden which takes significantly less time to manage than I expected. I'm using the square foot gardening method for anyone interested in learning more.
With bills I have looked at each one to figure out how to reduce them.
*TV: reduce or eliminate service
*Insurance: shop around for lower rates
*Electric: find ways to reduce usage and shop around for a lower rate
*Phone: shop around for a lower rate, eliminate services not needed
*Mortgage: shop around for a lower insurance rate, apply for homestead to reduce taxes, and if possible reapply for a lower mortgage rate; also if you move try to find a cheaper place to live but make sure the cost of gas doesn't offset what you are saving.
*Water: eliminate leaks and find ways to reduce consumption
*Entertainment: get books on half.com or paperbackswap.com versus bookstores; instead of going out every week we started playing games together at home both board games and games online like World of Warcraft which even though it's $30/mo for the two of us together, it's cheaper than going out one night. We also look for free events to attend. For movies and tv shows we use Netflix, Hulu and other online sources.
*Pets: We used to buy the cheapest food available, but we've since found out that the more expensive foods are more nutritious and the animals eat 1/6 of what they ate with the cheap food which is all filler, so their health is better plus we're saving money by buying less. We have also started using raw, unfiltered apple cider vinegar for fleas. We're still testing it out, but with the kittens we have it seems to be helping. We add a little to their drinking water and bathe them with it and they have significantly fewer fleas than before.
I am constantly reevaluating everything we spend money on and trying to figure out how to save money. Many times I have something at home that will fulfill a need, it's just a matter of taking a moment to see what we have and getting out of the habit of running to the store at every whim. We've also learned to invest money into fewer quality items that will last longer than just automatically buying what is cheapest. One of the biggest lessons is to use what we already have and not go out and buy something else when we have an item that will do what we want done.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Plum Wine
A friend suggested I make plum wine since I have such and abundance of plums this year and I thought it's a great idea. Here is the link she sent me for a recipe: http://www.bukisa.com/articles/45021_how-to-make-homemade-plum-wine
I bought 11 gallons of distilled water today thinking the lack of impurities would make for a better wine but it turns out that tap or spring water are better because the yeast needs the minerals and other impurities to ferment more effectively.
For containers I bought a couple of 5 gallon plastic water bottles. I would love to use glass but they are near impossible to obtain before the plums would spoil. My freezer is already packed full of frozen plums that I plan on using for jam and salsa. A lot of the wine supply stores I check out online carry plastic so I'm assuming it's fine and hopefully won't alter the flavor too much.
I would love to take photos of the process but I can't find the charger for my camera and I left my cell phone at a Walmart 35 miles away this morning, so I'll just have to describe it all.
I have a 2 gallon stock pot I'm boiling the plums in now with a little water. It keeps boiling over just a little which makes my whole house smell like wonderful plums and my cook top is hot pink. To strain I put a knee high stocking over a pitcher and I'll ladle the plums into it and strain them, then I can easily pour the liquid into the water jug. Once the liquid is in the jug I'll add the sugar and yeast. Then I'll cover the opening with some cheese cloth to let it breathe, although I might look into how other people store their fermenting wine mix and see what other options there are.
I bought 11 gallons of distilled water today thinking the lack of impurities would make for a better wine but it turns out that tap or spring water are better because the yeast needs the minerals and other impurities to ferment more effectively.
For containers I bought a couple of 5 gallon plastic water bottles. I would love to use glass but they are near impossible to obtain before the plums would spoil. My freezer is already packed full of frozen plums that I plan on using for jam and salsa. A lot of the wine supply stores I check out online carry plastic so I'm assuming it's fine and hopefully won't alter the flavor too much.
I would love to take photos of the process but I can't find the charger for my camera and I left my cell phone at a Walmart 35 miles away this morning, so I'll just have to describe it all.
I have a 2 gallon stock pot I'm boiling the plums in now with a little water. It keeps boiling over just a little which makes my whole house smell like wonderful plums and my cook top is hot pink. To strain I put a knee high stocking over a pitcher and I'll ladle the plums into it and strain them, then I can easily pour the liquid into the water jug. Once the liquid is in the jug I'll add the sugar and yeast. Then I'll cover the opening with some cheese cloth to let it breathe, although I might look into how other people store their fermenting wine mix and see what other options there are.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Plum Salsa
I have been a little absent from here lately but it's only because I have been so busy with all the plums we have to harvest right now and making things for the farmers market I am selling at on Saturday mornings. Every evening I'm gathering anywhere from 10 to 20 pounds of plums just from the lower branches that I can reach. I have so many things I want to make with them including jam, wine, stir-fry sauce, and tonight I made a salsa! I gave it a quick taste and it might need an extra pinch of sugar, but I want to let it set overnight and let all those flavors come together before I do anything else to it.
Ingredients:
12 small-medium plums chopped
1 medium jalapeno finely diced
1/4 medium red onion finely diced
splash of lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of sugar
I'd like to try the recipe again adding cilantro but I don't have any on hand at the moment.
Ingredients:
12 small-medium plums chopped
1 medium jalapeno finely diced
1/4 medium red onion finely diced
splash of lime juice
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of sugar
I'd like to try the recipe again adding cilantro but I don't have any on hand at the moment.
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