√ June = Green For Project Spectrum

√ Welcome to June! I'm excited about the color green this month because it is the color of choice for Project Spectrum! I've got tons of green yarn and ideas to go with them, now if I could just find the time! Here are some of the green projects I've worked on in the past few months! Come again soon and see what develops especially for project spectrum!

√ Behind The Scenes Of My New Photos

√ For the past few days I've been working on "re-shooting" all my pieces with a white background. I've fought against the same background for a long time, but I'm finally giving in because I think it will get more exposure for the items. So I read a few articles, looked at a few photos, studied my camera and found the best place in the house to "create" my studio.

At first I wasn't sure I could pull it off with two kids around needing my attention. However, I soon realized that my son could entertain himself most of the time, and my daughter could sit in her high-chair and watch me while working to grab, hold and put her pacifier in her mouth, essentially entertaining herself as well.

Setting up was the hardest part of the photo shoot because I had to find items to help reflect light as well as create a backdrop high enough to shoot from various angles creating an illusion of calm within the image.

Here are some "set shots":

I needed to put up a white board to reflect the light back onto the subject.

I pushed the table as close to the window as possible still leaving space for me to maneuver

The boxes aligned in the back needed to give enough height for a good backdrop

Of course, an ironed white sheet created the base and reflective surface to work on.

Here are the resulting photos:

Not too bad, huh?

I'm happy with them, but as with everything I can see where they can be improved. . . all in due time! In case you're wondering, I got some great information from Handmadeology, Etsy Blog, and by looking at a lot of photos!

Coming next. . . new items and patterns!!!

√ Yarn Obsession Is Broadcasting On Youtube!

√

Ever since I opened my Etsy Shop I've wanted to work in video information. I can always write out instructions, but I'm a visual learner and wanted to help my fellow "visuals" with video. The time, place etc. were never right so I put it off for a few years. Recently I've realized that unless I make the time or place and all the other elements right, things aren't going to fall into place.

So, I pulled together my first video last week and I plan on continuing to put videos together as the inspiration comes to me. I love to play with yarn! Passing that along is worthy of the effort. Besides, everyone goes to YouTube to find out "how" to do anything these days, so why not be found?!

So without further excuses here is the "Sedruola Maruska's Yarn Obsession" YouTube Channel! Bookmark it, share it and use it. I plan on adding as much as possible whenever possible!

My first video is a quick one on the basic tools for crochet!

Oh my, this is too much fun!!

√ Some Of My Favorite Things On Etsy!

√ Happy Friday all! I have a few items in the works, but I need to catch up on the contest as well as getting some things photographed and put into the shop! New stuff is always on it's way. . . in the meantime, enjoy some of my favorite items on Etsy! Eye candy to start your weekend off right. Enjoy!

√ Crochet Basket - New Work!

√

Happy New Year! I'm starting the year with new work and I'm so excited! When I was pregnant with my son, I found it very difficult to concentrate on anything! I thought I'd be able to knit and crochet some great things and it all went bust because I just couldn't focus. This pregnancy (yes, we're expecting our second child in April) I find that although I can't focus on a good novel, I can digest information in parts, so I've been able to creat some new, fun patterns and it's a blast!

This really cute little utility basket is crochet in a pattern that allows for imagination to take over! You can make it as big or as small as you'd like and use it for whatever you see fit. I personally love the washcloths and soap idea. It's one of many new patterns coming to my shop on Etsy and one step closer to my bucket list goal (take a look at the bottom of the bucket list to see what I'm referring to.

If you're looking for a fun crochet project to help push your skills forward, look no further!

√ Write A Guest Post For Yarn Obsession

√

Yarn Obsession is currently accepting guest bloggers! It’s a great way to get your name in front of potential customers and expanding your business base. We ask that all guest post submissions be original and not already published anywhere else online.

Please Read the requirements and guidelines below before you submit a guest post.

Important Note: The publishing of a guest post is at Sedruola Maruska’s sole discretion. Posts that are found to be for the primary purpose of generating SEO backlinks for specific keywords or keyword phrases will not be published. Make sure to follow the rules below if you want your guest post to be published.

If you’ve got a great idea for a post and would like to generate added exposure for yourself, your website, blog or shop, then feel free to submit your guest post. The only requirement is to promote your guest post on your own blog or website with a link back to Yarn Obsession. We expect that your post will be a great post useful and helpful to those in the yarn crafts, learning the yarn crafts or just interested in yarn. Guest posts should not be self-promotional although a link to your blog/website is allowed in a brief bio at the end of your guest post.

Guest posts that are flagged as potential spam, self-promotional only, and lacking the quality necessary for publication will not be published. This includes writing quality, content, and proofreading. Submission does not guarantee publication.

You will be notified if your guest post is accepted by Yarn Obsession and the date of publication will be provided in order for you to promote your guest post.

To have your guest post considered please send a word (.doc) document attached to an email sent to smaruska34 [at] gmail [dot] com. Please include the following in your document:
- Name
- Website address
- Email
- Post Title
- Article Body
Feel free to also forward any photo or video links associated with your post.

√ Nesting. . .

√ As many of you may know, I'm 8 months pregnant and waiting to have my baby girl any day now. Why do I tell you that? Because usually at this stage there is a "nesting" process that happens. Mom's want things to be clean and tidy and ready for their coming bundles of joy! I want the same thing too, but because my body has it's "sensitivities" I have to spend more time taking it easy than cleaning. That brings me to my nesting activities, creating my yummy patterns and items in an effort to relax and go through my stash!

So far, things have been going well. No, most items, actually no items are for the baby. I find it difficult to make items for the baby right now, but I have been a busy girl!

I'm lovin' the fun projects I'm working on and these are just a few! In the coming weeks there'll be a lot more. . . of course after the baby comes mostly since I am in the "any-day-now" realm. But come by often and see what's new! I'll be selling the patterns as well as the prototypes so send your friends to the Etsy Shop you never know what they'll fall in love with! Oh yeah, and more contest will be coming!

√ Crochet Tag!

√


This weekend I was browsing through YouTube and came across a crochet tag on Marcelle's channel(One Virtuous Woman). I decided it would be fun to do a tag and let you know a little bit more about my crochet journey so here it is. My video response to the crochet tag on YouTube.

Consider yourself tagged, you can do a video response or a blog response, but let me know by leaving me a comment so I can go by your channel or blog and take a look. Have a fantastic day!

√ New Crochet Project. . . Details To Be Released Soon!

√

Ah ha! That's the moment the lightbulb over your head lights up and others can practically see it! That's the type of moment which inspired this new project. It's a pattern, but it's a bit different than my other patterns because this one is meant for those who want to learn how to crochet or the beginner who wants an opportunity to practice the basic stitches of crochet.

It's gonna be a full booklet with photos, definitions and practice exercises that will then culminate in the creation of a final "project". Not only will you be excited to work with the booklet, but you'll love your results! I'm hoping that in the next two days I can have it available in my Etsy Shop for all you aspiring crochet artists!

√ Mission: Declutter / Destash

√ Most yarn enthusiasts (myself included) will always talk about their "stash". We go out to yarn stores, find deals, think of the projects we'll make with the treasures we've found and purchase them. However, what inevitably happens is that the very yummy yarn we've just purchased gets put away with all the other yummy yarns we were enticed to purchase, never to be seen again. . . and so the "stash". This year, I've decided that one of my goals is to reduce my stash by any means necessary. Whether I create projects for sale, to give away to charity, to give to friends or sell it, I'm going to reduce my stash by 80%! Why? Because I don't want to feel that pang of guilt when I go to the yarn store and want to purchase a yarn, knowing I have so much at home.

I know we like to call it a stash, but in reality it's clutter and hoarding (sorry yarn folks) and it's the only thing in my house that I hoard. It's precious to me and I need to realize it does me no good to simply have it in a box or plastic bin or closet if it's yummy goodness never gets to be seen. . . .

My mission, that I've chosen to accept, is to "de-stash" and be merry in the process!

√ Mystery Red Project

√

As you will recall, a few months ago I decided to submit a pattern to a magazine and it got accepted! So, I've decided to work on a few more patterns for magazines to see what happens.

It's May and I'm participating in project spectrum so I decided to choose red as the color for my prototype . . . it helps that it was also one of the suggested colors for the publication. Although I can't show you the project here, I thought I'd give you a quick glimpse and submit it as a "work in progress" for project spectrum. . . Oh my, this is just too much fun!

Stay tuned for the results!!!

√ Customer Photos!

√

A few weeks ago Sara contacted me via convo at my Etsy Shop because she was having a bit of trouble with my hat pattern. I know sometimes the wording in a pattern can be confusing, which is why I always work on answering pattern questions quickly. Nothing like being in the middle of a pattern and not knowing what you did wrong or where to go from there. But I digress. . . I responded to her inquiry as soon as I could and told her not to worry, she'd surely get it done right.

Well, not that long afterwards I got another convo from her stating that she had indeed completed the hat and that her daughter loved it! Not only that, she improvised and added a strap with buttons to embellish the brim. She also let me know she was going to make a bunch more to sell at her daughter's school for a craft fair!

As you can see, she did an amazing job and it excites me to see her loving the pattern so much she wants to continue to work it over and over again!

If you've worked up one of my patterns, whether it's a free one from the blog or one that you've purchased, I'd love to see photos of your finished project! It's eye candy and everyone would love to see what personal touches you put on the project. Just email me, or contact me via Etsy and I'll take it from there.

Congratulations Sara on getting the project done over and over again! I'm so happy it worked out for you and I hope the craft fair is a huge success!!!

√ Contest Winner!

√ Running a contest is always so much fun! Not only do I get a bit of exposure, but I get to meet some really nice people who have at least the same love of yarn that I do! The "Show Yourself Some Love" contest was no different! I was hoping to get more people to know about the Facebook Page and the Yarn Obsession Shop as well as this blog and I think the mission was accomplished! I also wanted to have a reason to work on another project and that too was accomplished because we have a winner!

Congratulations to Amber Gintare who stopped by and let me know that she loves the Frill Edge Crochet Wrist Warmers

I'm not sure if that will be the item she chooses, but she has the opportunity to get a custom made item of her choice from the shop!

Thank you to everyone that stopped by and left a message. . . don't be discouraged, I'm gonna be running a few more contests cause I'm having such a great time with them! That means more opportunities to win more items!

As we look to Spring, expect to see some really cool Spring patterns as well as custom items hitting the shop in the coming weeks. . . of coures, I'll have to take a few weeks off soon to have my baby girl, but after that, we'll be having lots of fun!

√ They Talked About Yarn Obsession - A Memory Walk

√ For some reason I have been going back in my blog and seeing the various posts I've written as well as taking a look at the various posts that have been written about me. It's fun and enlightening because when you look back you can see how far you've come and it helps re-focus your goal.

Just like any shop owner, when a fellow artist asks to profile your shop because they like what you do, it's flattering and all at once humbling. Below are some of the crafters who have taken the time from their schedules to talk about me.

What I found? The look of my shop may change, but the goal has remained the same.

Crickets Creations talks about Yarn Obsession - In May of 2008 I'd been at my first job after having my son in September of 2006 and leaving CA for MA. I started playing with yarn again because I now had time on my train commute to work up patterns and get them ready for the Etsy Shop. Cricket was one of the first to randomly speak of my shop. As you can see, it is not an interview, it is simply a glowing endorsement. I was ever so grateful.

Etsy Artists of Color talk about Yarn Obsession - I became part of the Etsy Artists of Color team sometime in 2008 when I had the opportunity to re-open my Etsy shop and create items to populate it. In October of that year I was asked to do an interview for the team blog.

Le Miel et Le Bonbon (aka Kalicat) talks about Yarn Obsession - This interview was done in March of 2009. At that time I had been laid off for 3 months and focusing solely on getting a job and yarn. Three months later we purchased our first house and I began working as a Real Estate Agent, curtailing my yarn work for a bit.

Gloria's Jewelry Box talks about Yarn Obsession (Sedruola) - Most recently I had the opportunity to complete an interview for Gloria's Jewelry Box. Because this interview was done on my birthday this year, it is the most recent snapshot of what's going on with Yarn Obsession. On that day I turned 43, I now have two children aged 5 and 6 months, I'm working a new job and my yarn is going in a direction I couldn't have imagined just 4 years ago.

Like I said, seeing how far you've come, helps to keep the goal in mind. I hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me. . . I'm looking forward to more interviews and more memories!

√ A Few Of My Favorite Items From Etsy!

√ It's Friday! That means I get to share a new handmade shop with you. . . problem is, I had a hard time picking just one shop this week, so I decided to share a few of my favorites!

Aren't these items lovely??

Click on the images to be taken directly to each shop. . . no doubt you'll find something wonderful for yourself or as a gift that will be unforgettable!

Have fun shopping!

√ Google Gonna Rule The World?

√

So, I got an invitation to Google+ this week, accepted and started exploring. It’s a great new way to socialize and although I have a lot of learning to go, I think I’m going to like it.

Is it possible that Google is trying to take over the world? My Droid is on the Google Android system, my main email is a gmail account, I'm getting ready to use Google Docs etc. as my main processing center and now Google+. . . not to mention my blog is on Blogger (Google owned) therefore I have a Picasa account (Google owned) and I have a YouTube channel . . . is that Google too??


Well, whatever the case, Google+ is fun and interactive, a lot like Facebook, but for now, both are useful. However, stay tuned, you never know what can happen. . . remember MySpace? ;-)

BTW - Here's a great article about what Google+ offers from an "opinion" point of view

√ Learn To Crochet - The Chain

√ Here's a video available at the new YouTube Channel on creating the crochet chain. A crochet chain is the base for most crochet projects, and as your chain goes, so does your project. It's important to master the chain before moving on to creating any projects because a good chain will get you on the right path to an even project.



Feel free to contact me, or leave a comment here or on the video if you have questions!

√ Free Crochet Scarf Pattern - 2014 Special Olympics Usa Scarf Project

√

Thank you for your interest in the Free Crochet Scarf Pattern made specially for the 2014 Special Olympics. The post has been moved to the new Yarn Obsession home on the web.  Follow the link below directly to the Free Pattern post. . . 

Yarn Obsession

√ Celebrating Black History Month

√ February is already here and that means it's Black History Month! Here at Yarn Obsession we'll be celebrating in a few ways!

- Purchase anything from my etsy shop this month and get 11% off by using this coupon code when checking out "BHM0111". Feel free to share with your friends



- We will showcase as many "Artisans of Color" as we can fit into one month and let you know how to contact them and show support to their artistry.

- We'll also be posting new and exciting items, both patterns and completed wares, that can be purchased for all the special occaisions coming up in your life.

There'll be something new almost every day so come by the blog, the shop or the facebook page to keep up!

Let's celebrate!

√ Custom Knit & Crochet Items. . . Coming Soon!

√ When I first opened my Etsy Shop it was made up of completed items that were "Ready to Ship". Eventually I moved to the area of creating patterns because I realized my audience was made up of knitter's and crocheters. However, I've gotten a few requests for custom items so starting this week there will be a "Make Mine Custom" section in the shop where you'll be able to order some of the items you love, in your favorite colors or the perfect color for that special gift!

So now, whether you knit, crochet or just love yarny stuff, you'll find something in the shop to suit you! Below are a few of the items that will be soon offered in the "Make Mine Custom" section of Yarn Obsession... Oh, and don't forget, there are also new patterns in the works that I think you'll love, so visit often to see what's new!