Baby Vest...

It was later than usual that I woke up today. I guess I'll change my waking hour till fasting ends, because waking up in the middle of the night nad trying to sleep back again effects one's daily life more than we realize so such a change is necessary. In the morning I went to the post office to dispatch the baby items I've sold yesterday. The weather was hoy even at that early hour of the day so I rushed back home and spent all day on my couch and bed working on web and crocheting my new blanket. I should start to knit the baby cardigans and hoodie to renew the lists on my shop, but I only have the yarn for the orange one and it's really hot to go and buy the yarn for the others till my blody gets used to fasting. I hope I can do this in a few days. To be at home all day has some benefits also; I can spare time to make the charts and write the explanations of my items to post on my blog :) Today I want to share a baby vest which I've knitted as a combo to a baby cardigan. It's of pink and dark blue yarn which is a variant of the dark blue cardigan with pink figures. I hope you all will like it...

Purple tote bag

Yesterday, I was so so busy working on 'teams' on Etsy so I was really late on writing my blog post. Every issue we complain about comes with a lesson we'll call 'experience' later. From what I've learned yesterday; I thought I should write my blog earlier and then work on promoting my shop. I do things more efficiently I guess, because I see the relevancy of my items gets higher as time goes by and every new website I work on seems to add more visitors and followers to my blog and shop. I see this on the statistics both here on google + and Etsy so I guess at the end I saw the light at the end of the tunnel :) There's another proof of this even the ales on my shop hasn't get steady yet. I don't get sales that I can call 'regular', but for the first time since I've opened this online shop I've got 4 sales in a day and all from the same person. Sure everyone running an online shop understands how it feels and makes one's day. I feel things will get better and I hope this will be the same for anyone spending their precious time on their business. Today I've started to translate the notes of how I knit my items and make charts and when I start to knit the one's sold today, I'll take photos from the first stitch till the end so I can put them here on my blog. Today I have many things to do till we break our fast including the packing of the items I'll send to my customer in New Zealand so will just post a few photos of a tote bag I've knitted for my shop. It's of purple yarn and has white flowers on where the handles adjoins the body. I hope you all will like it...

Feel the heat...

This was what I thought I'd use as the title as todays blog post; 'Feel the Heat', because the signs of the weather was telling that the Sun will keep scorching the land, but just as we started to fast, the clouds appeared, a little rain dropped last night and the weather turned into warm instead of the expected high temperature. This proves one thing; God has plans that nobody can change :) So the first day fasting was easier than it would have been if the Sun was a s cruel as it was lately. Sure one feels weaker while not drinking a drop and eating a crumb, but at least weather gave us a break :) I woke up later than usual, because we wake up around 3 am. for breakfast which will keep us on a full stomach until it's 9 pm. when we break our fast. To spend some time, I played a few games on net, crocheted a few parts for the colorful blanket I'll put to my shop, read some and then worked on 'teams' on Etsy, made a treasury list and at last after dinner it was time for 'communities' on google +, but then I realized it has passed midnight so wanted to write this blog post first. Tonight I want to share the last treasury I made on Etsy on which I've had the pleasure to use awesome items frm 16 fellow shops. All the items included are of warm colors so they gave me the chance to my title to be used even not for what I assumed for :) I know you all will like these lovely items and I hope you all will the treasury also...

Handknit clothing collection by Woolopia...

The heat was not much different than yesterday and we started to think on how it will be to fast on such a hot month (never had any prejudice against any belief so I don't feel that I need to explain that what you see on tvs has nothing to do with my religion and no religion needs to be defended by anyone :)). Here at this end of the world we fast for a month, everyday from a definite time before the sunrise and till the sunset. There are thousands of reasons for this being done and one is I guess we need to emphasis; to understand how poor that have barely a morsel to eat. Sure not only to understand, but to help them after spending most of the day hungry. I know it look really hard for somebody who had never done this, but in a few days one gets used to :) So the day passed with cleaning and tidying last few parts of the house and last minute shopping. It was evening when I could sit on my couch and work on web to promote my shop and just a few minutes before I started to write this post that I could make another collage of some more items from my shop. These are the hand knitted clothing; most of them are for women (who definitely make more shopping than the rest of the family :)) and a cardigan for men which will be a chic combo with all casual clothes in winter. I hope you all will like them ...

Shawl collection by Woolopia...

Today was a day that we can literally call 'summer day' :) It was 37 degrees celsius and the heat felt was definitely higher than that while the Sun shone brighter than ever in the sky like it was trying to scorch the city. News on media were warning people not to go out; saying it would be extremely dangerous for old people and children. This is how we humans are; we long for something for so long and then when we get it we start to complain. I remember friends begging for the days to pass faster to bring the Summer right away and they were the ones that were listing their complaints one by one on phone today :) I had a few housework to do so I did them before I could proceed on my daily search on net. I found a few beautiful items on web that inspired me to knit some new goods for my shop; sure with some changes on the samples I se on websites, because I want all my items to be unique. Actually I've never knitted or crocheted according to charts or patterns, but try to make things of my own and just copy the beautiful items of my mom :) as time passes by one sees that she has a concept of her own unintentionally and this was what happened to me after I've started to run an online shop. I guess the last three posts here give enough an idea on what I mean so I'll share a collage also today. I hope you all will like it...

Most precious collection by Woolopia...

I don't know why, but these days something happened and laziness captured me and I can'y concentrate on to the items I've started to knit and crochet. There are too many awaiting and my hands don't move to their corner to grab one and continue :) but I give myself some break, because I know if I force myself to complete them before the time they are destined to be it will bring no good. I still have some more time for the new season so I guess a little rest won't be a big problem. Sure I'll go back to work soon and will be ready with my new items before the holiday season. I said I've been lazing, but this isn't an absolute one, I keep on searching on web for new models for all ages and the new face of my shop will be more chic than it is now; sure if Etsy lets me to manage my shop as I want, because lately they keep playing with the layout and on such occasions when admin play with settings, it hardly ends good . On a day I spent chatting with neighbors and feeling tired and lazy, I wanted to share the items that are really hard to crochet so the post will be encouragement for me as well as it will be a post to remember and share for my lovely followers. It's a collage again; of my crocheted items and as usual I hope you all will like it...

Scarves Collection by Woolopia...

I have to admit; I liked to make photo collage on 'Picasa' and made a new try tonight. The day started with a quiet breakfast with even Sugar on the table and asking from all that we were eating. He got used to doing this and yells from his cage like a King ordering to their subjects from his throne and keeps screaming till someone takes and brings him to join and grace our meal :) After the breakfast I've started to tidy one of the balconies of our house that I haven't on the Spring cleaning :) It was already afternoon when all were done so I could go oyt for a walk and buy some yarn. I've picked two tones of blue and one tone of green yarn for the blanket I've been crocheting for a while. With these last three colors the main parts of the blanket will be ready and I know they will wait for me to crochet them together and list it in my shop for the future owner they will wrap and warm to be able to buy it :) but sure I'll do my best to complete it as soon as possible. In the evening when all facebook, twitter and pinterest work were done, I could sign in google + for communities that I love to reply the comments for the items I share daily. When it was time for my blog, I decided to continue the collage thingy which I think is a good way to end the first step of blogging; sharing my items' photos before I start the tutorials. So I guess in a few days I can start what I've aimed on the first day :) Today I want to share the collage of some scarves in my shop. I hope you all will like it...

Baby Collection by Woolopia...

Tonight I'm a bir late in writing my blog; it's 3 minutes to midnight and I just could start my first sentence, because it was the day to clean the house as usual as being Monday. I do the cleaning and tidying the house on the first day so I can spare the rest of the week on my knitting and crocheting work. Sure there are too many to organize and from the comment of my lovely friend on google + running the shop Miss Val's Creations (you'd better check her shop and blog; I'm sure you'll find great handmade items there :)) I've learned it will take some more time for all to get back in their tracks. I guess I need to take all slowly and patiently both on my shop and blog. Time to time it gets frustrating to ctach up on all, but with the support of such lovely friends one feels much stronger. I know I take the advantage of being so new on blogging and fudge the post with a few sentences and photos knowing that I'll be tolerated by a few lovely readers of mine. I really wish for the day that I'll start to write a few posts for my blog besides doing all the promoting for my shop. Just before I signed in 'blogger' I've made a collage of most of my baby items listed in my shop to learn how things work on 'Picasa' (something I should have done months ago :)); I did the most of what I wanted, but had to edit the edges of the images on 'paint' but at least I've started somewhere and took the first step of having better photos in the future. I guess to see them in one frame will give you a better idea of my collection there. I hope you all will like them...

Coffee table cloth...

Don't take this as a complaint and I know I've repeated this a few times on my previous posts, but I just want to let anyone know whom plan to start a blog; having one is like having a child. The demands and needs never end; even on one like mine that's so new and have a few followers. I don't remember any times I've looked and searched this much even for myself. I keep thinking on what I can share on my blog today and make plans for the future :) Sure there are many things I have to post here but I want all to be relevant so try to keep them in the borders of handmade, travel and food andf sure all that I've seen and tasted. It's the easiest thing to make treasuries everyday and put them here so share items from 16 different shops, but the route I've drawn for this blog on the first day wasn't this so I try to complete posting all items I have in my shop here and from fellow shops time to time before I start to give instructions and receipts. I want to remind this to my generous and kind readers, because I still need some more patience till this blog be more interesting. Today after some walk and shopping I've checked which of the items listed in my shop weren't shared on my blog and thank God, not much left. In a few days I'll be able to start sharing the process of the items instead of showing the completed form of them. Today I want to share a crochet coffee-table cloth. Here in Turkey people use these in daily life as decoration and there are some masterpieces among them :) The one I've listed in my shop has flowers and leaves all around. I hope you all will like it...

Colors of Paradise...

It's been a relaxing day, because it was the time for our monthly tea party with relatives. Such gatherings are always fun even we see eachother often and talk on phone, because the crowd makes the chat more enjoyable and making fun with cousins is priceless. The weather tries to decide whether it should rain or not; meteorologists say this will last for a few weeks more. It was half past 6 when I came home with mom, knitted some as dad and brother had dinner and thought what I would share here on my blog. On weekends I know we all try to keep our eyes away from computer screens so I thought I'd make a treasury and share it here since it's been quite a while after the last one I've posted. This is another 'thank you treasury' for the fellows that had included my items to their lovely treasuries. I try to do this as often as I can, but trust me I need to make a few more treasuries to catch up. I want to thank them all for their kindness and tolerance for this lazy friend :) I've given the name; 'Colors of Paradise' to this last treasury of mine. I know you'll like the items selected...

Better late than never :)

It's half past eleven and I just could login back to 'blogger' to write this post. I was feeling happy to be able to complete all the chores and work on web early; right after dinner and was about to finish promoting my items on 'communities' on google+ that net failed. I tried to fix it as much as I can, restarted the computer, rebooted to net, turned the modem off and than on again and as you can imagine did all the things inexperienced user would :) It was an hour after the net issues started, I called the provider; the representative in the customer service directed me to do a few more things; some were I tried, some I didn't know, but none of them worked so she recorded my complaint and it was an hour later the problem was solved. This is the second time I've experienced some issues and they solved it prompt again in spite of all the comments I've heard and read. Maybe I was lucky on both (touch wood) :) This proved once again in these modern ages we are all captives of technology :) Whiel I still have the connection; I want to share a scarf from my shop. It's made of cotton fabric in brown color with flower prints in various colors. Such scarves are called 'yemeni' here in Turkey and dyed and printed in a traditional way for hundreds of years. They are embellished with handmade crochet; called 'oya' or beading. I hope you all will like it...

Pompons...

I think it's not only us that lost the balance, but the nature itself is also. We see incredible things happen all around the globe everyday, too much evil human kind commits every single second and we still hope to be forgiven by God. All the nonsense we do seems to prove that we just believe while we preach, but not much hearts and souls seems to have faith and conscience deep inside. I've started the post by these sentences that represent how I feel about all that happens lately in the world, because I guess earth keeps warning us by showing its harsh face. Without a day's interval we hear news about earthquakes, floods, deluges, storms and etc. Sure these are all caused by our actions that destroy and ruin the planet. I know I've wrote on such issues on Earth Day, but I believe we need to focus on environmental problems more often. The real reason I write on this today is the rain outside that started in the evening, got heavier as hours passed and turned into hail time to time which is so bad for the fruit trees and vegetables at this time of the year while all living things expect to see Sun shining bright in the sky shooing the clouds :) Once again I wish all of us to consider and find the right path we'll walk that will take us to a happier life. As it's said; every new baby that opens his/her eyes to our world is a new hope. This is why I love to knit for newborn and toddlers and tonight I want to share another sample of the baby cardigans I've listed in my shop. It's of blue yarn and with the pompons on the collar it looks so sweet. As usual; I hope you all will like it...

Summer in cotton...

I guess just because I keep thinking of what kind of new things I can put to my shop for the upcoming seasons, I visit the yarn stores more often. This Autumn and especially winter will be a first for me; don't know on which one I'll be ready, but one of them will be the first season I'll be prepared with new lists. I'd love to do this earlier, but I was really unexperienced on running an online shop on last holiday season on which I saw people normally buy more than they do on whole year :) I just learned to crawl on 'The Online Shopping World' :) till now and it was a bit late, because everyone's making of holiday plans instead of spending their time surfing the web to purchase their needs and gifts for their loved ones. This is good in a way; I'll have enough time to make my items ready for Christmas and new year and time to learn how to promote online. I read on this constantly, trying some of what I read, but sure I still need more to learn and will be thankful for every help on this :) I guess my sales will increase gradually as a handmade crafts seller, but I have to support my items with things that will take less of my time to complete so I can sell more :) because selling items and getting beautiful reviews on them is what really makes a shop owner happy. I'm determined to achieve this goal and I hope I can have a running business soon. Today I want to share another strapless blouse listed in my shop which I believe is great for Summer. I've knitted it of light yellow cotton yarn which is called 'magic stripe'. I hope you all will like it...

Was my first sale :)

It was early in the morning that I was woken by mom. She was up earlier than usual as she always do when we invite neighbors. I've heard familiar sounds from the kitchen of her mixing things together for the things she'll bake :) I've got out of bed and washed up before I set the breakfast table as awesome smells were coming from the kitchen. I sure will share a few on following days, but today I don't want to break the series of sharing baby items; actually I try to finish sharing all items from my shop so I can start to share more from friends' shops, description of the motif I used on the item; maybe some tutorials and receipts of paty and cookies which I know will help this blog to be more interesting. Sure I'll present the new items I complete here which I really enjoy to and here one of the baby cardigans I've listed in my shop. This one's really special for me so I've waited until most of the items are shared on my blog, because this is the cardigan I've sold first after opening my little shop. Then I had about twenty items listed there and was turning the laptop with excitement to check if anything was sold :) I've knitted this cardigan of grey yarn and used some pink for the motifs that I think gives the cardigan a stylish look. The smiling buttons of the same color suited better than I thought it would. I hope you all will like it...

Green Yellow Twist

I guess the Monday Syndrome is something that shows its face with intervals and hides somewhere to catch you on the msot unexpected moment :) It gives you enough time for you to forget how harsh it can be and hit you in the face at the right moment. Thank God it's wandering somewhere away from me lately and I start to the week with high energy and cheer. Today was the same also. I woke up around 8 o'clock and prepared the breakfast, had it with my family, did the dishes and go for a search in the house for the big boxes I keep the items listed in my shop to find the baby cardigan I've sold lately. Took the cardigan and the gift I send with out of its box and placed them in the cloth bag that pack my deliveries before I place them in the bubble envelope. The cloth bag is made of cotton and I recommend my customers to wash the item in it. I went to the post office, dispatched it to Australia and then went to purchase some yarn to knit one from the same cardigan to renew the list. Sure besides that I've bought a few more balls of yarn to knit other things. Time to time I go to the yarn shops and find some yarn in different colors and they inspire me for new projects and the yarn I've knitted the baby hoodie I'll share today was one of them. It's yellow and green twisted and right at the moment I saw it, I've thought I could knit it in a pattern that we call 'cube sugar' here in Turkey. The patterns end with cubes alined in two different levels and I guess it looks beautiful and chic. I hope you all will like it...

Pink or Blue ?

It's been a quiet Sunday. I woke up on an early hour for weekend and after breakfast I found a few things to do even I've completed all that had to be done yesterday :) I've turned the laptop on and signed in Etsy to work on 'favorites' and saw I've had onemore sale which is a baby cardigan that sold most since I've opened my shop. Around noon, brother woke up and we gave our presents to dad for Father's Day. He was so pleased as he'd always been when we gave him gifts; just like any father on earth. They are always happy to be remembered and the gift itself doesn't have any other meaning for them than representing their kids' love. In the afternoon when mom and brother came back from their little walk we surfed on net for finding a few ideas for Christmas gifts and my brother who's my greatest helper and support was fixing my sewing machine as he was telling to me check this and that website :) I guess I have a few ideas on my mind for the holiday season :) and I guess you all will like them when they are completed and listed. Today I want to share the baby cardigan I've sold today. Actually you've seen different colors of this cardigan on my previous posts, but the first one of it was knit in blue for boys and pink for girls. I hope you all will like it...

Brown baby Cardigan...

I guess I'm doing something wrong :) Normally I should complete all the work on weekdays and spare more time for my search on net and myself on the weekends, but it's like some work's always hidden behind the door and waiting to show up on the first hours of Saturday :) In the morning mom came with a few things to be adjusted on the sewing machine and it took a few hours to complete all and hang the laundry to dry in the balcony. I guess she sneaked for a few minutes and started the machine while I was busy sewing. Afterwards I've opened the yarn catalog to choose a few colors of yarn I'll use on the blanket I crochet for the last few weeks :) I've decided on the colors and all were done so I could let Sugar out of his cage so he can fly from here to there in the house as he keep chit chatting away. Nearly an hour passed as he jumped from one head to other of the family members and talking on every shoulder as if we understand what the story is (sure there are around 60 words and around 10 sentences and idioms he can say, but the funniest times are when he starts to tell stories looking at one's face in his birdish language :)). To be able to spare all tomorrow for search for the upcoming seasons on web; I've completed most of the work on net so after writing this post I can proceed to Etsy and work on 'teams' and end the night earlier for being well rested tomorrow. Today I want to share a baby cardigan here again. I've knitted the body of it in brown yarn and the collar and sleeves in creme. The cable knit on the front gives it a chic and cute look. I hope you all will like it...

Orange satin...

It's been a hot day here. After rainy days following one after the other, the Sun has shown its hot face and started to scorch the city. I went out for a walk and shopping before noon that was a bit cooler than the Sun raised up in the sky, bought some wooden beads for the scarves I'll embellish for cousins and some yarn for the blanket I crochet. On our walk with mom we passed through Covered Bazaar and saw how the municipality chnaged the ground tiles and spoiled (sure you know which word I'd use here :)) the historical bazaar saying its 'renovation'. This shows clearly what happens when you elect people with brains of 'stone age' to go administrate the city :) Anyway; I'm sure the ones that come afterwards will change all the shit they did swearing in every step :) what can be said; tolerance of citizens of this land led accepting all kinds of people, but punished them sooner or later which will not be much different for the idiots I've mentioned. These would change heaven into hell if you let them :) This is what happens when people worship money, but nothing else. I hope we'll have administrators working for their people instead of transfering state's money to their own bank accounts by fraud. Enough of these boring issues :) In spite of all the attempts to take the city in dark ages, industry and trade still could flourish; especially textile as I've mentioned my older posts and tonight I'll share a satin scarf woven on weaving looms of my city. It's orange and I've embellished ,t with handmade crochet and tassels in three different colors. I hope you all will like it...

Bursa; my city...

I've realized lately that I've been mentioning the name on my posts, but haven't told much about Bursa; the city I live in. Sure a blogger would write on anything that's related to the blog's main topic, anything that effects his/her life or time to time may even make comments on the current events, but sure this exists for experienced ones that have many readers daily. For a blog like mine I call 'infant' still :), haven't even learned to crawl properly there's always one direction which is to keep the post in their tracks. I've tried to do this as much as I can even I know writing spontaneous makes the posts more sincere and friendly. Just on times I need to react against something I've written on daily life. Writing on Bursa is relevant to my main topic actually, because my city is famous for her textile industry which gives me opportunity to find various fabrics I can use when I sew. Actually it's a city where history, nature and industry intermix. The earliest settlement at the location was in ancient Greek times with the name Cius. It was granted to Prusias; the king of Bithynia by Philip V. of Macedon in 202 BC. Prusias rebuilt the city and Bithynian rule lasted till Nicomedes IV. bequeathed the entire kingdom to Roman Empire in 74 BC. Time passed; I know history isn't much interesting when you don't see the relics by your own eyes, Ottomans captured the city from the Byzantines in 1326 and made it the capital of the empire giving the name 'Hüdavendigar'; meaning God's gift. Sure trade and manufacture flourished of being on the joint of all the roads merchants use. The city became world famous with its silk production which triggered the progress in textile and apparel industry as well as trade. Today the city is Turkey's 4th. most populous city and one of the most industrialized metropolitan centers in the country. Sure The city is over populated, more polluted, noisy and people in a rat race in the streets or in traffic jam, but still too much to see for a tourist. Will share a few photos here today; some from the city, some of Uludağ; the mountain that the city is built beside which was an active volcano once, one of the crater lake, one of a town on the seaside and one of one of the lakes where you'll see the remains of an old church under water. I hope you all will like them...

Evil eye charms...

Today I was busy in kitchen, but not for cooking; I've cleaned it thoroughly and I was really tired before it was noon. Kitchen has too many things to be cleaned in, seems like millions of things to be washed, wiped or placed in their drawers of cabinets. After all were done I sank to a couch and rested some as I read the news and replied to b-day messages remaining from yesterday. Thank you all so so so much for all those warm and lovely posts that I loved. When I felt a bit rested I signed in the websites I promote my shop, because just for a day's interval, relevancy statistics drop; I guess this is something such online markets like ebay, etsy, etc. do deliberately so that a shop owner will need their apps that he has to pay quite an amount every month. As a shop owner who pays monthly fees and listing fees, I think these should be enough for them and instead of paying additional money I try to work as much as I can where I can promote my shop; sure I try to find new webpages to this and search the net when I have enough time. I'll appreciate every idea on this :) I was still a bit tired after dinner, I couldn't check any shops of friends to promote their items so tonight I'll share a scarf from my shop. It's of dark blue cotton yarn with colorful flower prints, folded into two and passed both ends through evil eye beads that are used as charms here in Turkey. I hope you all will like it...