Inked

I’ve always toyed with the idea of getting a tattoo since the hardest part is deciding what to get inked on my body.  It’s difficult to find an image or symbol that can represent my passions, regardless of whether those dreams are long term.  Tattoos are reminders of the energy and focus I had or currently have towards goals/dreams/moments and that in turn, embraces the value of life and how I choose to live mine.

The interesting thing is, about six months ago I suddenly felt such a strong determination to get a tattoo of some sort by the end of the year.  That feeling lasted a grand total of 48 hours.  But in that time span, I was able to really narrow it down to which motifs I would have chosen, if I were to get inked at all.  It came down to the two dreams that tugged the most at my heart.  I decided that I wanted a minimal line-based Manhattan skyline and a pair of knitting needles (ball of yarn optional).

While I still fluctuate about placing permanent art on my body, here are a few tattoos of inspiration and sources of major tat envy!

Love the tiny heart at the end!

Unexpected and awesome placement

Great detail and shading

Nice graphic quality – bold, yet simple

Playing with typography

I always love hearing tattoo stories, so please share yours (if you have any) below!  Or if you fluctuate on whether to get inked or not, and why?

And…just for laughs, here’s an interesting article where tattoo artists are asked about which are the “worst popular tattoos” they’re sick of doing.

I would love to hear about any readers’ tattoo stories!

Mission Statement

Initially, I was planning a post on why I blog, as a continuation in my attempt to re-re-introduce myself to the blogging community.  Instead, I decided to tackle the small but significant task of creating a mission statement, after I saw this article.

Here was my process:

Step 1: “Write It Out” – Jot down everything you are currently blogging about, all categories considered.

My List: NYC places of interest, city musings, shop items, shop updates, blogging, knit inspirations, art/artists, personal randoms, crafter interviews, knit tutorials, knits in fashion, design inspiration

Step 2: “Cross It Off” – Edit the list by eliminating topics you don’t feel passionate about

My Eliminations: knit tutorials, art/artists (unless they are related to knitting), possibly crafter interviews

Step 3: “Combine Things” – Combine topics that could work well together in the same post

My Pairings: shop items + shop updates, knit + design inspirations

Step 4: “Find Consistency” – Try to spot topics that stand out from the revised list and re-evaluate it

My thoughts:  Personal randoms can be a broad topic.  I would love to write about certain lifestyle points on the blog, but I am not sure how personal they will be.  Should I only write about personal elements when they correlate with another blog topic?

Step 5: “Find Direction” – Ask yourself questions about your blog’s intentions and write one sentence to sum up your blog

My questions: What would make this blog unique so it stands out from others?  How to make a craft-inspired blog appeal to non-crafters?  How to make my life in NYC an inspiration to others?  Will readers be interested in both aspects of Ita Vero NY even though the posts might be separate?

My Sentence: I want to create a space to share my knitting projects and knitwear store, and how living in NYC constantly inspires how I work and approach my life.  It has always been a dream of mine to live in New York, and while I have worked hard to make this possible, I am still fortunate to call this place home.  It would be funny to reminisce on my favorite places and memories of living in such an eclectic environment in one place. 

Okay, so that was more of a paragraph, but I’m getting there! I could also never imagine my life without knitting and creativity; I started the blog as an outlet to be creative and exercise other passions I would not be able to pursue in my day job.  The blogging world is over-saturated by ego bloggers and personal style blogs.  It would be nice to be a part of a written community that inspires the pursuit of dreams and experiences rather than shopping hauls and selfies.

Readers, any thoughts on how you have fine-tuned your blogs?  Anyone else interested in trying this exercise?

Boyfriend Style

Last weekend, I crocheted a hat for the first time, for my boyfriend!

I’m always a bit surprised at how quickly crocheting goes, this little accessory was completed in just one afternoon.  It’s a simple and basic hat pattern, but I’m hoping he’ll be able to wear it on chilly evenings on his walk home from work.

This is opens up many possibilities for a men’s section in the shop!  In the meantime, here are some menswear knit style inspirations.

Current Goals: November

Things in life rarely go according to plan but I do believe it’s important to make goals for yourself.  However little or grand, short term or long term, they bring a certain sense of perspective and motivation.

Here are a few on my mind:

Read through my promotions emails/newsletters  

Ever since Gmail started to automatically separate emails by category, I feel like there’s a serious chunk of emails (10,147 to be exact) I’m missing out on.  There are so many great websites out there that offer valuable advice and guidelines on various projects I’m trying to start.  Whether it’s tricks to maximize SEO tags, cute packaging ideas, or blogger burnout woes, there is a wealth of information I have been ignoring.

Seriously stop buying yarn

Danger Zone

 

I need to keep walking when I see that cute holiday display and plush merino on sale.  In fact, it is best to RUN!

 One new post every week

This might seem like ages in the blogging world, but I juggle a full-time 10hr-ish job, grocery shopping, a social life, and now this blog!  Setting small goals that are more reachable and realistic create clearer focus and a calmer mind.

 

What are some small and not-so-small goals that you are focused on right now?