Tutorial Failure

Tutorial Failure

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Recently I created my first tutorial for the crochet channel. I filmed it numerous times and it was a total nightmare for me. I would spot every mistake and start again, I would call the stitch by the wrong name, or forget how to properly even perform the stitch and have to start all over.

Truth is if I watch my videos too closely when editing I will edit it to death and just about have nothing left to ever put up. I tend to be very hard on myself so hard that it is a wonder I ever upload anything. This tutorial was giving me trouble and I finally decided to just sit down again and reshoot it for the 3rd time and whatever comes out to go with it.

As you can imagine I made all kinds of mistakes, but I just rolled with it. At the end I felt that I did produce something that someone could follow and actually crochet along to. I had to edit the whole video in about an hour because the deadline I had set for myself was approaching and I didn’t want Jeff to have to help too much with this video because I know he is tired after working all day.

To be honest as soon as I watched the video the very first shot I noticed my nails looked rough. I had hurriedly taken my nail polish off and the result was residue nail polish and just muck under my nails. I wanted to trash the whole video and just not put up a video at all. I mean if something is worth doing it is worth doing correctly. Paying attention to details and having a video that looks and sounds professional is important to me.

So this morning I had a choice; upload a video that is full of mistakes, sloppy crocheting, and nails not looking good or don’t upload it. I could go back, reshoot it and make everything appear as perfect as possible or give myself some grace. Everyone starts somewhere. While it is true I am a little old to be running around with messy nails, it is also the truth of how you will find me if you dropped by my house.

I need lots of GRACE as I am a very imperfect person. My husband says I am funny, and adorable and I should let others see my real self more often. I’m learning to relax and to be real, and admit I don’t live in a perfect little craft room where everything is organized and in place. Truth is I had just fed the goats, tried to stop my 3 dogs from chasing a rabbit and walked in, sat down and started filming. That’s my real life.

Accepting your real self and giving your real self some grace is a great first step. So today I have given myself a tutorial on accepting grace for yourself. I believe once we fully learn something ourselves then we can teach others and freely give it to others. I’m embracing grace for myself and I am on the lookout for areas where I can give grace to others.

Tutorial fail might just be the best lesson I have learned yet!

Do You Know Your Value?

Do You Know Your Value?

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Do you know your value? The biggest joy I have in my life is knowing how much God cares for me. With all the hurts, the violence, the tragedies, the fears, the lost, and the pain in this world, my Father in Heaven still has time for me. He cares for me in a way that no one has ever loved me or ever will. Jesus is my friend, my comforter, my encourager, my leader, my strength, my everything I could ever need and want. He never says He doesn’t have time for me or that my needs and wants are not as important to Him as others are.

I know my value to Christ. I know that if I was the one lost sheep He would leave the 99 found sheep to come and find me. It is the same for you. Know your value. Others can see it, others already know it. Dear Friend, allow your value to Christ to seep down into the inner most hurt place within you. Let that love that continues to seek you out to heal your darkest places. It is the only love that can.

In today’s video I try to encourage new crafters to know their value when charging for their hand made items. As Christians we too need to understand our value to Christ. He pursues us, because we are valuable to Him. Reach out and accept that love, that acceptance. Jesus is not just our hiding place, He is also the rock we stand on when it is time to step out and let others see who Jesus has made you to be and what He has put in you to do.

I know my value. I bask in the amazing truth that I am the 1, He left the 99 for and Jesus has work for me to do. Do you know your value?

Just Keep Gathering

Just Keep Gathering

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Some days it seems that giving up is just the thing to do. It can appear that everyone is moving on or moving forward in their lives, families, careers, etc while you are just struggling to stay afloat. Well that is how I have been feeling anyway.

I wanted to encourage newbies in crochet and realized that the same encouragement that I could tell them was the same encouragement I needed in my own crochet, and even in my own YouTube journey. Truth is we all need some encouragement in our lives every once in a while.

When I feel the most discouraged and not motivated I like to read the Book of Ruth in the Bible. I think about Ruth. There she was out in the field, gathering grain, with no idea where her life was going to lead to or what impact her devotion to the Lord and to the tasks before her would have. Yet she just kept gathering, she just kept obeying, and she just kept worshiping.

In this video I offer 5 tips for when things get hard in crocheting. My hope is that as a newbie you will not allow the difficult stiches to deter you from the ultimate joy of learning how to crochet. I remind everyone of a great quote by Maya Angelou that says “…..when you know better, you do better.” I hope this video helps you continue to learn the craft of crochet and apply the tips to all areas of your life.