Tag: photography

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Bring Up the Phone

I gave thought to taking a photo of the EDS to show the progress of the front and thought that there wasn’t much progress to report so a photo wouldn’t do much. Then I compared the last photo with where it is now and thought there was a difference. But I didn’t have the camera and thought there wasn’t so much progress that it was worth going downstairs to get it. So, I thought the next time I will bring up the phone to take a photo.

Then I laughed myself silly at that notion. Bring up the phone to take a picture. That’s something that no one in the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, 80’s or  most of the 90’s said to themselves. Ever. The first commercial camera phone didn’t show up until 1999. Life, as we know it, was changed.

I can remember back in the 70’s watching General Hospital and  Robert Scorpio was talking on a wireless phone about the size of a deck of cards and I thought, how can anyone hear him talking with that so far from his mouth. That ain’t gonna be a thing. It’s a thing.

Taking pics is so much more convenient than before (except when you leave the camera/phone downstairs and don’t want to go get it.) But I imagine just as there are people who know how to knit and knitters, there are people who take pictures with their camera phones and photographers. I believe photographers can take awesome pictures with their camera phones and then there are folks like me. I used to be more of a photographer but that hobby gave way to knitting. If I had only known where knitting would lead me, I would have kept a toe in.

I have to find a place with lots of light to do my photography and videos inside in the winter. As it is, no matter how cold it gets in Chicago – and it does get cold – I take my photos outside because the light is best. It’s not like it gets sooooo bad. Except when there are polar vortexes. Cold enough so that even the snow says it doesn’t want to be outside. We had that last year and I still managed to take photos when I needed to. For me, it’s December, January and February that cause me grief. At the end of November, I start telling myself it’s just twelve more weeks before reasonable seasonable weather will be here. It works for me.

I any case, tomorrow works for a picture. I am working on the EDS and unless knit math decides to play with me, there will be even more length to show you. So it works out for everyone.

I am also on my third go round in the hat I am designing. It was called the slip stitch beanie then the checkmates beanie. I think I will stick with that name though I will be using the slip stitch. Not as many floats to deal with. Mr. Honey brought me some chocolate covered raisins. They are keeping me sane while I go through this. I will show you a pic in progress when I decide on the final design method. I just have to bring up the phone.

 

 

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Administration Mode

These are the items from my second collection, Deuces Wild. They were waiting to be photographed so they could be placed in the shop and on the website. There is a similar pile of the items from my newest collection, Feels. They are downstairs waiting for their time in the spotlight.

I am entering administration mode. I have two processes in owning a shop: the first is the creative mode when I get to do all that knitting and crocheting. Once that happens, I go into admin mode. That time behind the scenes doing what it takes to get all those items into the public view.

Goes something like this: photograph items, make videos, edit photos, bag and tag items to store in the cedar chest, inventory items, prepare website pages, prepare newsletter release to private/mailing list, prepare social media posts,format patterns, prepare Etsy listings, do yarn reviews (if needed). Not necessarily in that order. But all that has to happen and it goes relatively quick. Ad mode will last maybe a couple of days. It is a necessity of business but it also has a spiritual need for me. It gives me knitting down time.

I won’t be in front of the television during this time and I won’t have needles or hooks in hand. My focus will change from one thing to another thing and that means part of my brain gets a rest. Though I won’t be knitting or crocheting, I am already getting excited because this down time includes picking the yarns for my next collection. This is a part of the business I don’t get to enjoy that much. Before, when I did this just for fun, I could relish the selecting of a yarn. But now, yarn is sometimes selected because an order has been placed and there’s no choice. At this stage, I can select what I think will work. I will be working with two yarns I haven’t knit with before. That makes me smile.

By the time administration mode is done, I’ll be ready to knit again. I will want to get out of this part of my head. So it all works out for the best. Which is a good thing. I love the knitting thing too much to allow it to be a burden. It is still the work of my soul.