A Trip To Whale Centre

A few weeks ago, Mitch took me to Whale Centre at Victor Harbor.

I finally got to experience how big a whale can be and had a pleasure of meeting a cute turtle named "SOUP"! Who wants some turtle soup?... Didn't that sound quite wrong?

All the cute souvenirs. Aren't the whales so cute?

Beautiful sea creatures silver jewelries

More beautiful glass souvenirs. Couldn't help myself but take photos to share with you.

That fish was just staring into my soul...

All the beautiful corals

Meet SOUP! (:

Beautiful turtle...

Mitch next to a whale skull. It is massive!

Friday Musings

Took a nice walk with my boys. Did he really have to close his eyes at me?

Of course, I did some crocheting and made those blossoms.

I came up with the pattern yesterday and I'm so glad it works out nicely.

I made a yellow one yesterday and already turned it into earrings. I will be listing them pretty soon. 

I'm so excited! (:
So, how are you spending your Friday?

Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

Photo Credit

It is such a simple concept that we tend to forget so easily.
"Rome wasn't built in a day."Since I started selling on Etsy, I have been reading discussion posts between the sellers.
A lot of them are just frustrated how come they aren't getting any views for their products, let alone making any sale.

I used to wonder too. How come I am not getting as many views and hearts?
Surely, there are sellers with hundreds or even thousands of admirers/fans for their shop.

And then it hit me. You can't just put about 10 items and expect people to discover you somehow and make a sale. As dumb as it sounds, that was want I used to do. And I get so discouraged when I am not getting a single view, let alone making sales. Well, I did make a few sales, all right. But I am really certain, they are just lucky ones. They must just really like that particular item and they do not intend to coming back, since I did not much to offer to them anyway.

Since I finished my first year of study in May, I have been working my butt off for the shop. At first, I thought, what am I doing wrong?! I am not getting any view... I watched every single video that applies to me on Etsy Online Lab. Most of the times, they are just like a broken record.
1) Great photos, preferably taken against white background.
2) Enticing descriptions.
3) Make it sounds personal, since people are coming to Etsy to make that personal connection. (Boy, don't I hear that way too many times.)
and etc...

But, of course, it don't stop me from watching the videos. I love the Etsy admins and they do remind me of the important things about running a shop, over and over again. I love watching the Online Lab videos especially when I am crocheting alone, since the admins and guests are so entertaining.

That being said, I realise that, sometimes, you are not doing anything wrong at all. I am not saying you are doing everything so perfectly. Of course not. You always have room for improvement. Sometimes, you are already on the right track.

But, most importantly, things just take TIME. "Rome wasn't built in a day." You can't just work your butt off for a month and get discouraged, because you aren't seeing the results. You have to be consistent. Work on it everyday, bit by bit. Do not expect to see the results so soon.

I used to get like 10 views for my shop everyday. I feel like such a loser. (:
But you know what, things are looking better now. I get hundreds of views these days, and I realize that if I had given up, I wouldn't have even made it here. I did consider giving up so many times.

If you have just started your Etsy shop, my advice to you is, work towards your goal steadily. Unless you already have an experience of running a shop, things will happen slow for you. But you will get there and boy, when you get there, it will be all worth it. I am still waiting for that day too. I am hanging on as long as it takes. I hope you do too.

Oh, and HERE is my new favorite song.
Duh, what else do you expect?
I think Mitch is pretty sick of hearing that song so many times, poor thing. (:

Crochet Rain Clouds

I had been looking for a really cute, whimsical crochet pattern for clouds, but couldn't find any.
So I thought, well, since I REALLY REALLY want to make a cute rain cloud necklace, I just have to try and come up with one.
And I did!
It took me a few tries, and several hours, but I think it was totally worth it! I am in love with it. (:
I made the clouds in 2 colors so far - white and pale blue.
I think I will make one in pink sorbet.
Here they are.

Out and About

Me and Mitch took long walk around Unley Road.
It is packed with a lot of boutiques, and I wonder if Mitch regretted taking me there :P

Small fountain outside a church

Beautiful Posies

A Day at the Park

It was last Wednesday.
Adelaide finally got some sunshine and we decided to go to Adelaide Botanic Gardens.
I love autumn - I think it is the most beautiful season.
This is probably my first autumn in a long time, since Singapore does not have season.
The garden was so beautiful with autumn leaves everywhere.
We had way too much fun taking pics and just walking around the park.

I took some photos of the sceneries. Here you go. (:

Autumn <3

There were so many bees in that beautiful bush..ekk!

Water lily - so beautiful.

Love the lights in this pic. Sweet Mitch had to take so many shots to get it 'perfect'.

And this gotta be my favorite photo of the day! (:

And I ended up with way too many leaves on my dress and leggings. :P

Hope this post makes you wanna go out there and enjoy the nature and sunshine! (:
Go for a walk or a run! It'll be fun.
Have a lovely day! Weekend is coming too (:

xoxo

Cute, Snuggly Beret - Free Pattern

Yep, I finally made a cute head wear that I'm happy with! (:

If you read my previous post, I mentioned that I'll be making a hat of some sort with my alpaca wool.
They are the bestest kind - I absolutely love it and enjoy crocheting with it!
So soft, cozy and warm...I know I must stock up on those!
They are from Patons (Inca) - alpaca wool, which is actually a nice blend of wool, acrylic and alpaca wool.

I have adapted the pattern from this amazing youtube tutorial to suit my yarn. It comes out cute and fits me snuggly.

Here are the photos. Thanks sweet Mitch for taking them for me. I always wanted to take pics outdoor, but didn't really have anyone to help me with it back in Singapore.

Side view

Front view

The back view

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Here is the pattern for this cute beret. It is in American terms.

Yarn Gauge: 10 cm x 10 cm = 18 rows x 13 stitches using recommended needle 7.00mm

Crochet Needles: 6.50mm, 5.50mm (for last round only)

Note: When you crochet, make sure you don't pull the yarn too tight. Crochet it loosely.

Start with slip knot, ch 3

Round 1:

11 dc in the 3rd ch from the hook, ss into the 1st dc to complete the round.

Round 2:

ch 3 (count as 1 dc) , 1 dc in the same stitch ch 1 

*2 dc, ch 1* repeat 10 times 

ss into the 3rd ch to complete the round.

Round 3:

ch 3 (count as 1 dc), 2 dc, ch 2, skip the ch-1 space 

*1 dc, 2 dc, ch 2, skip the ch-1 space* repeat 10 times 

ss into the 3rd ch to complete the round.

Round 4:

ch 3 (count as 1 dc), 1 dc, 2 dc, ch 2, skip the ch-2 space 

*1 dc, 1 dc, 2 dc, ch 2, skip the ch-2 space* repeat 10 times

ss into the 3rd ch to complete the round.

Round 5:

ch 3 (count as 1 dc), 1 dc, 1 dc, 2 dc, ch 2, skip the ch-2 space

*1 dc, 1 dc, 1 dc, 2 dc, ch 2, skip the ch-2 space* repeat 10 times

ss into the 3rd ch to complete the round.

Round 6 and 7:

ch 3 (count as 1 dc), 1 dc in each of the next 4 stitches, ch 2, skip the ch-2 space

*1 dc in each stitches (total of 5 dc), ch 2, skip the ch-2 space* repeat 10 times

ss into the 3rd ch to complete the round.

Round 8:

ch 2 (count as 1 sc), 1 sc in each of the next 4 stithces, 1 sc in each in 2 ch

*1 sc in each of the next 5 stitches, 1 sc in each in 2 ch* repeat 10 times

 ss into the 2nd ch to complete the round. 

Round 9:

ch 2 (count as 1 sc)

*skip 1 sc, sc in the next stitch* repeat till round is completed

ss in the 2nd ch to complete the round.

Round 10 and 11:

ch 2 (count as 1 sc)

1 sc in each stitch till round is completed

ss in the 2nd ch to complete the round.

Round 12 (using 5.50mm crochet needle):

Repeat the previous round.

Bind off and weave the end in.

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Okay, so that was my version of patched/pyramid beret. (:

I edited some rounds from the original version to fit nicely.

Hope you like it! (:

If you spot any error in the pattern, just let me know. I hope there aren't any typos. 

Hope you guys have a great day and see you next time!