Do what you know makes you happy

When we approach the end of the year and a new one rolls in I like to set goals for myself for the new year (even though the real goal-setting part of the year for me is in September, but it's Ok to have more than one moment in the year to sit down and make plans).
Many of my resolutions seem to be the same every year. I could either look at this and think I am a complete failure at accomplishing what I set my mind to, or have a more positive outlook and tell myself I am a work in progress and need to be reminded every once in a while about what I need to strive for.
But aside from these repeat-goals, this year I have introduced a new one, which is doing what I know makes me happy while overcoming mental laziness.
Let me explain... often I get so tired and stressed out during the year that all I feel like doing is mindlessly surf the internet and then going to sleep. I want to challenge myself to overcome that kind of laziness and do things that are more productive like reading books or weekly magazines, watching good movies or documentaries, staying informed on current events and so on. All these things take slightly more effort but I know from experience that they make me feel way more accomplished at the end of the day. Doing this keeps me more aware of what is going on in the world and in general makes me feel better because it keeps my mind active and my curiosity alive. This also applies to other areas of my life, for instance at work, putting more effort in what I do rather than just getting the task done, or in my free time, exploring new places, doing new things, challenging myself to be more aware of my surroundings etc.
While laziness is comfort I want to really challenge myself this year to overcome it and be more engaged in the world around me because I know from experience that it is worth the effort.
With this in mind, I wish everyone a happy new year, have fun tonight and see you in 2016!

Knitting for the wearer

I find that some knitwear designers mainly keep the knitter in mind when designing their projects, but tend to think less about the person who will actually wear the garment.
They use beautiful, complicated and challenging stitches, complex pattern designs and interesting construction elements so that the item will be entertaining and challenging for the knitter to create, but when you look at the final product, sometimes something is slightly off, maybe the fit isn't perfect, the combination of color and stitch type make it a little grandma-like, or simply the item doesn't look or feel like something you would choose to buy to add to you wardrobe.
And then, then there is Joji Locatelli.
Joji Locatelli, of Joji Knits, is a knitwear designer from Buenos Aires, Argentina who has the pretty much astounding ability to create designs that are absolutely beautiful both from a knitter's perspective and for who will wear them. The patterns are interesting, with clever design details and beautiful stitches and cables placed in strategic positions, and the finished items are classic yet modern, flattering and very chic.
Her new book "The authentic collection", recently came out, so if you are a knitter, or even just if you like looking at really good design in general, go take a look on her website or on Ravelry!

All images from.

Happy Halloween!

Fall is here

I will soon have some new fall/winter products for the shop, they are almost finished and ready to be photographed. I am starting off with a few accessories this season, and I already have a few ideas for some sweaters that will be coming up next...so expect updates soon!

Fall is for knitters

Fall is basically the perfect season for knitters.
It's when you switch from cotton to wool and you start dreaming up big ideas for sweaters and scarves and accessories in chunky yarn, or soft mohair, or luxurious alpaca... It's the season for inspiration and ideas that will be then carried out through winter, it's all about the potential now!
I for one, have started gathering inspiration from Kim Hargreave's new book Embrace, just take a look for yourself at the pure beauty of all this...

All images from. 

My first fall/winter project is coming along pretty quickly, and I am trying to be more monogamous with my knitting and not start fifty different projects at the same time. I decided to stick to not more than three at a time (which is not exactly monogamy, but closer to it). I have so many ideas right now so it's a bit challenging but I will try!

Timeless elegance

When I was about 12, I would always say I wanted to be an interior deisgner when asked what I wanted to be when I grew up. While I ended up doing something entirely different, the art of creating beautiful, inviting and warm interior spaces that people will live in and call home continues to intrigue me.
That's why, when I discovered California based interior designer Heather Hilliard's website while perusing the internet this week, I was absolutely in awe.
While the homes shown on her website are probably far beyond anything we normal people will ever be able to afford, we can still gather inspiration for creating indoor spaces that are sophisticated, uncluttered, extremely refined, and that exude a timeless elegance while remaining warm and soothing at the same time. I dream of curling up on one of those couches with a book or tucking into one of those beautiful beds in the evening.
You can visit her beautiful website here or read her impressive bio here.
All images are from her website.

End of summer

The summer vacations are over, I'm back at the office and the end of summer is aproaching, a part of the year that always makes me slightly sad, even though I do enjoy fall once I get into the groove of it.
Here is a small collection of photos from my summer travels...we decided to travel through Italy for a change, including parts of Italy that I had never been to before, specifically the Marche region, which I found beautiful and quite peaceful as mass tourism doesn't really seem to have discovered this area yet.
It is an incredible country I live in, wherever you go there is so much beauty to explore that a whole lifetime would not be enough to enjoy it completely...

(If you are wondering where any one of these pictures was taken just let me know in the comments!)