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This special Mother’s Day eBook is also available for download via PDF file <Click HERE> and on iBookstore shortly. So please enjoy the download or read the entire eBook below via your web browser. -Crochet Savvy Magazine

Savvy Moms: who got creative through the trials and blessings of motherhood to inspire us through hooks & yarn

Copyright © 2013 for Crochet Savvy Magazine & Blog | The knitFABulous Brand, created by LaTonya “Keturah Ariel” Malinconico. The Savvy Moms Project is a special fundraising project for 2013 under Crochet Savvy Magazine. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the following address:

Crochet Savvy Magazine, c/o LaTonya Malinconico,  125 Neptune Drive #1604 , Toronto, CA M6A 1X3

 www.crochetsavvy.com

 This special Mother’s Day edition of Savvy Moms will be available for digital download for free until the end of summer 2013 when we will begin editing the final and complete version of the book.

Printed in the United States of America, Canada

1. The main category of the book —Biography. 2. Another subject category —Motherhood. 3. More categories —Crocheting and Knitting.

First Edition- Special Edition: Mother’s Day FREE Version

This special and free eBook is dedicated to all of the hard working mothers out there who choose to take out her free time and love for yarn into building a business foundation in the world of fiber crafting.

Also dedicated to my grandmother who taught me that people should always have a hobby, craft or business…working for other people may not always last but having your own will benefit you in the long run.

Thank you mom for showing me a good example of a hardworking wife, mom, and friend.

Perfect Harmony

Motherhood

Love is in the air. Blissfully planning your future, your life, jobs, new house, and new way of living, the news arrives. You are expecting. Then comes the doctor visits, baby shower and the gifts that leads to the delivery room. You are so excited! A little person then emerges to greet you; so special, so small and so cute. You have just entered motherhood…

But what is it about being a mother that allows us to truly put up with life in a way that people without children would never understand? It’s the constant crying, the mess on the floor, the kissing of boo boo’s and driving the car pool that almost literally makes us Super Woman. Add that with an outside job or being a single mother and you instantly have more stressors. However, everyone needs an outlet to these stressors.

The women in this book have children and have found that outlet through yarn and hook, blogging about their crafts as well as owning their own businesses. In honor of Mother’s Day, Crochet Savvy Magazine & Blog wanted to produce a special eBook that serves to give us hope when we have a bad day trying to balance work-life-motherhood-craft and offers us great advice from people who been through it and from those living it now.

This eBook is for you…the Mommie Blogger, Businesswoman, and soon-to-be moms. Enjoy!

-LaTonya “Keturah Ariel” Malinconico

Founder/Editor-in-Chief, Crochet Savvy Magazine

Chapter 1

Lorene

Lorene Eppolite, Hubert, NC, USA

Blogger, author, crocheter

CROCHET RESUME:

vMay 2013- article published in Inspired Crochet

vHat pattern to be published in Entwined Magazine, August 2013

vMy Bridal Bouquet and Boutonniere will be featured on the Green Bride Guide’s DIY Wedding Guide as will be my Bridal Garter.

I am a wife and mother to a quirky but brilliant 13 year old boy and a 2 year old extremely willful, but sweet little girl. I’ve known my husband for 20years but we’ve only been married for nearly four.

Finding the right balance between being a wife, mom, crafter and blogger was difficult. I cook a healthy dinner every night and that is a number one priority but I did learn that having a perfectly clean house was not the most important thing. As long as my kids are happy and my husband and children eat healthy meals, I am satisfied.

We start our day fairly late, around 7:30-8:00am. After feeding my youngest her breakfast I start a load of laundry or some other domestic chore, clean up the kitchen from the night before and get started on my daily schedule. I typically work from around 9am until 4pm. I take breaks for snacks and lunch and to put my little one down for a nap. Work consists of answering emails, fb messages and comments left on the blog, networking with other craft bloggers and momtrepreneurs, as well as coming up with new designs, crocheting and creating patterns. Each blog post entails detailed tutorials and lots of pictures.

I also spend some time each day honing my crafting and blogging skills. Whether it be learning how to improve my photography or learning a new crochet stitch, I am always finding ways to grow and become a better artist and businesswoman.

Another daily task is updating my blog. It is a forever changing beast that needs constant attention. I’m constantly working to bring it to the final product I see in my head.

I have had to make a conscious effort to put everything away by 4 or 5pm. I try to keep nights and weekends to myself and my family. I do spend some time crocheting here and there, but I don’t spend time blogging or let myself get lost in the world of networking during “off” hours.

My history with yarn

I began crocheting at a young age. My grandmother taught me how to crochet a basic chain when I was a little girl. Over the years I picked up a hook here and there and managed to cobble together scarves and crooked baby blankets. In 2010 my best friend was expecting her first child. I wanted to make her something for the baby that she could treasure for the rest of her life, something that would become a family keepsake. I picked up the hook and haven’t put it down since. I taught myself how to crochet everything. My first attempts at hats looked great at the time, but looking back I can see how horrible they really were. I have since honed my skills and I began reading patterns just last year. As soon as I learned how to read a pattern I began to design my own. My learning days will never be over, I learn something new every day.

I began my blog in June of 2012 but I wasn’t really motivated and didn’t do much with it. My mother passed away in September and it propelled me to follow my dreams and gave me the final push I needed to truly commit to my blog. I posted seriously for the first time in mid-October. It has since become my full time job and foremost means of income. I still sell some crochet in retail boutiques but I really focus more on writing free patterns for my blog.

Using business as a bridge builder

My business motto is “Join the Hookin’ Fun” because that is what this should be… fun! Yes crochet is my business but I love it. Making new creations and blogging about them is my passion, so it never feels like work.

I began selling my art in 2011 and blogging in 2012. I focus more on blogging now but I do still sell in a few retail boutiques. I have kept my Etsy shop open but I haven’t posted a new item in really long time. Selling is the lowest priority right now, maybe some day in the future I will pursue it more vigorously.

My blog is all about sharing… sharing free patterns, helpful hints and tips and any knowledge that I have. I also love to share with fellow bloggers. I do a weekly guest post spot that is designed to bring more attention to other blogs that my fans may not have already known about. I also share any blogging or business information that I come across with my fellow bloggers and crafters in the many fb groups I belong to. I do not ever feel the need to keep information to myself. I want everyone to be successful… there’s plenty to go around… everyone can have their piece of the pie.

I love to network and spend a lot of my time doing so. I have created an affiliate program that allows me to provide ad space to fellow crafters and artisans without them having to spend any money out of pocket. It also benefits my fans since I do many giveaways to thank them for their support. Many of those gifts come from compensation received from the affiliate partners on my blog.

My family is and will always be number one but my blog is a very close second. It is like my third child… it needs to be loved and nurtured every step of the way. Balancing the two is not always easy and sometimes I fall behind on either or, but my husband helps balance me and is always supportive of my work.

I will soon be starting a new blog and have plans in the works for another after that. My first launch will be a general crafting blog that will also have lots of cooking and baking recipes, many handed down from generations. The next launch will be on my natural living and parenting blog. Clean, healthy living is very important to me and my family as is parenting as naturally, as possible in this crazy world.

The best advice I could give anyone starting off is to remember that this won’t be easy and success won’t happen overnight. It requires a LOT of time, energy and patience. Never stop growing, and don’t become stagnant. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else… the only person you should ever be in competition with is yourself. Never compromise your integrity and beliefs to get ahead, you’ll only end up further away from where you want to be. Treat everyone the same, whether someone is just starting out or has been in the business for years, whether they get 100 views a day on their blog or 10,000. Be kind, courteous and respectful to everyone you meet. Be genuine… don’t do something for someone just to get something in return. And most of all be yourself. If you are true to who you are and your inner spirit all things positive will come to you in time.

Finding inspiration

I’ve never felt like giving up but I have found in necessary to take a step back occasionally. I have gotten discouraged and needed to rebuild my confidence. If I ever get down in the dumps I remind myself of how far I’ve come and remember that everything I want will come in time. I refuse to lower my standards to get ahead. I want to look back and know my success was earned with honesty and integrity. Sometimes the hardest way and the right way are the same.

What I have going on now…

I have a lot of exciting things going on right now. So many in fact, that my head is often spinning. I have an article being published in the May issue of Inspired Crochet as well as a pattern for a Man’s hat, in the August Entwined issue. My Bridal Bouquet and Boutonniere will be featured on the Green Bride Guide’s DIY Wedding Guide as will be my Bridal Garter. Both will also be posted on their blog as well.

 http://cre8tioncrochet.com/2013/03/crochet-bridal-flowers-bridal-bouquet-and-boutonniere

 http://www.greenbrideguide.com/home5?utm_expid=32949923-2

http://cre8tioncrochet.com/2013/04/bridal-garter-free-crochet-pattern/

http://www.greenbrideguide.com/blog

In addition to this, I also plan on going to the Crochet Guild of America’s semi -annual conference in October that is being held in my home state of NC and look forward to networking with leaders in the industry. My facebook page will be hosting a giveaway when we reach 1500 fans (almost there) that will include prizes such as, handspun yarn from Spinning Wheel Studio, a handcrafted wooden hook from Craftwich Creations (who was previously featured in the Winter Issue of Crochet Savvy), a handthrown clay yarn bowl from MudCrush Pottery and free patterns from Mamachee Desgins as well as other fantastic prizes from friends of mine in the industry.

Furthermore, I am in the process of getting my new blogs ready to be launched and I am renaming and reopening my Etsy storefront. The name I will be selling my crochet work under is Dharma For One. I have teamed up with a professional photographer who will be doing all my images and a friend Debi at Dearest Debi will be doing all my graphics http://dearestdebi.com and I’m always doing guest blogging posts and articles for other blogs as well as always keeping my eyes opened for new and exciting opportunities. I spend a lot of my time networking. I truly believe that getting to know people in this industry has helped my success tremendously, and I love meeting new people. Crochet Savvy and I have teamed up on previous occasions and have both brought each other traffic. There’s nothing like the feeling of mutually benefiting yourself and others.

You can find me on…

Blog http://www.cre8tioncrochet.com/

New blogs http://www.cre8tioncrafts.com/

http://cre8tiveliving.com/

FB https://www.facebook.com/CrochetedCre8tions

Ravelry http://www.ravelry.com/people/cre8tioncrochet

Pinterest http://pinterest.com/crochetcre8tion/

Chapter 2

Sedruola

Sedruola Noel Maruska, Lancaster, MA, USA

Blogger, author, business coach, crocheter

CROCHET RESUME:

vWas featured in Crochet Savvy Magazine’s Spring 2013 Issue

vSponsored a yarn give-away with www.posse.com as a promo for their launch

vWrote the book “Pricing Crochet Fairly for Maximum Profit” available at Amazon

vCrochet instructor at The Knitting Knook in Keene, NH

vWill soon be featuring tutorial videos on www.curious.com

I was happily single until I was 34 which is when I became happily married to a wonderful partner for life. We’ve been married for 10 years and have two great kids. My son is 6 years old and almost as tall as I am, which isn’t saying much since I’m only 5 feet, but he thinks it’s great! He’s too much fun! My daughter is 2 years old and wants to do anything and everything by herself. She’s quite a determined little girl and I have no problem with that. Women have come a long way, but she’s still going to need that determination to take her through life. We don’t have any pets right now, but once we move into a house where we are able to have pets, my son will be pushing for a dog as he has been for quite some time.

As you can imagine our lives are hectic and full, especially with me working two jobs from home and having my daughter with me. We seem to manage pretty well, but we are thinking she may need to go to daycare at least twice a week in the Fall in order to get interaction with other children and to help mommy get work done during the days. Time is always a challenge, however, I’ve found that putting first things first usually means I can keep it all in line. Early in the morning I work then I prepare dinner, feed my daughter and run errands. When she naps, I work, then I pick up my son, feed them both and spend time completing dinner and playing. Then after they go to bed, I work again. On the weekend I make sure to take one full day off and only work part of the other day. That gives me time with my whole family and for fun. It’s not easy, but it’s the best lifestyle for my family and I plan on making it work for as long as possible.

My history with yarn

My crochet story began about 11 years ago when I met my husband’s grandmother. I had always loved crafts, but had never adopted one fully. When I met this lovely lady she was 77 and not only did she crochet but she knit, quilted, sewed, painted and made paper beads. I decided then that if she could do all those things I could certainly do one. So, I went to a bookstore and purchased a book on how to crochet. Then I went to a local craft shop and picked up some hooks and yarn. That day I started making my husband (then my Fiance) a scarf that we still have to this day. Although I cringe whenever I look at that scarf, it’s wonderful to have that reminder of when I started and how far I’ve come.

The main reason I keep creating and growing in my crochet is because I can see so many possibilities! I love playing with the yarn, but I also love meeting others who play with yarn as well. I also love being able to help them reach their potential as artists. I know it is part of my calling so I will continue to do it until I can’t do it anymore.

Obsessed with yarn

My business mission is to help crochet artists who want to create a business with their craft achieve their potential. I moved to that model in mid-2012 when it dawned on me that there were always questions out there that I could answer to help someone reach their goals. I started my business in 2006 by selling completed items, then I started designing pieces of my own and selling patterns. I think where I am has just been a natural evolution because of the interaction I’ve been able to get on my online social media platforms. By changing to the new mentoring model in 2012 I’ve been able to be more open for my audience. I’m working on a series of on-demand courses that people can access when they need to while I continue to deliver podcasts, patterns and mentoring. My business is about helping people grow in their skills and businesses. I’m so excited about the opportunities and possibilities opening up as I move forward.

Process of learning

I’m certainly always learning, but here are some of the things I do to keep on track with my family life and business: 1) Plan things out. I create a plan on Sunday evenings of what’s to make for dinner and make sure my weekly calendar reflects most of what needs to be done; 2) Editorial calendar. I have certain things that need to happen every week consistently. Consistency is very important to what I do so I make sure to plan those things as far in advance as possible; 3) Write lists. I write a lot of “to do” lists. I can’t say that I always am able to keep up or on track, but I do keep up 85% of the time and once I’m able to hire the assistant I want later in the summer, I think things will really begin to rock & roll!

My inspiration…

I have thought of quitting many times! I’ve thought it would be easier to get a job where the check was consistent and guaranteed. I’ve thought it would be easier to just work on my own stuff and not worry about what or how others are doing. I’ve thought of completely changing my work or focus etc. But what makes me keep going is I always, no matter what, get a message in one way or another that says “keep going, you’re almost there.” So I push through and breakthrough. Every time I feel I’m almost there, I get a breakthrough. I can’t stop, it’s too much fun to watch the growth of others and myself as we move forward!

Where I am today…

I was featured in Crochet Savvy’ Magazine’s Spring 2013 Issue. In addition to this, I am also doing guest feature articles in the future on business. I am a crochet instructor at The Knitting Knook in Keene, NH and will soon be featuring tutorial videos on www.curious.com for free and for a fee. I also sponsored a yarn give-away with www.posse.com as a promo for their launch as well as wrote the book “Pricing Crochet Fairly for Maximum Profit”, which is available at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Pricing-Crochet-Fairly-Maximum-ebook/dp/B00BAZHS3G/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368366998&sr=8-1&keywords=Pricing+Crochet+Fairly+for+Maximum+Profit

You can find me on…

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/yarnobsession

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sedruola

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/sediesells

Website: http://www.yarnobsession.com

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/YarnObsession

Ravelry: http://www.ravelry.com/people/sedruola

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100829120755871866152/posts

Rebelmouse: https://www.rebelmouse.com/sedruola/

Chapter 3

The Plan

Having a proper plan set in place when running your own mommie business is crucial to its success. However, most of us can plan but when the kids are running and yelling, those plans quickly fade away.

There have been many times when I actually wrote on my whiteboard all of my “to-do’s” for the day:

vFinish pattern

vWrite blog article

vUpdate social networks

vCheck emails

vStart project A

However, on most days, I can only check emails… One day I searched online for a work-life-balance plan…

Balance

TIPS FOR MOMS

vKeep your area YOU!

vMake time for your craft or business when the kiddos are sleep or doing their own mess-free, scream free activities that DO NOT require YOU

vWake up before the kids to take care of the house before things get out of hand during the day, this way YOU are free to craft or work on your business when YOU actually have time too.

vTeach your kids that mommie has her OWN things, crafts and special time so that they learn to respect YOUR time away from them. In return, give your kids their own special crafts and space so they fill like big kids.

Keep your Area YOU!

Studies show that when you separate space, each person has their own place to grow and nourish. Toys and children books do not need to be in your craft area. Neither does sippy cups need to be next to the computer. Visually, human beings need to see in order to operate and if you come home to a messy area with toys everywhere, you will not feel like crafting or blogging. But you will get to cleaning and next thing you know, you have started to clean more areas of your home and forgot about your business plans or crafting. This has happened to the best of us.

Use time wisely Keep your Area YOU!

Wake up early…

It is easier to wake up earlier to start your day on the right foot. Take the time to wake up, handle your spiritual needs, prayer, etc. and eat a good breakfast. Then clean and tidy the house before the kids wake up. Oftentimes I would sleep in because I was crafting late into 2am in the morning. When we all wake up at the same time, I find it hard to clean because my kids dirty and drop toys as I am trying to clean!

Not only is is wise to wake up before the kids, but it is healthy. You can get your sunlight and best vitamins when the sun is first coming into the day. In addition, you will not feel rushed and slacking if you start your day on time. When we are rushed, we send this message to our children and it makes them fill uncomfortable. Worst- it shows them to live a rushed and busy life, which no one needs to live.

Everyone has their own craft…

Teach your kids that mommie has her own craft time. They will learn to respect your space and time. Give them big kid activities to do that do not require you to supervise. Take them to the craft store and ask them to pick something that they would like to try or enjoy. Many children grow up watching grandmothers knit or crochet and ask to learn. Take this time to prepare your children for life. We learn respect at home. Teaching them to respect each other’s time and space will help them in school to respect the teachers and classmates. It will also prepare them socially so they do not grow up infringing on other people.

Kid free zones

Create kid free zones and remove eye clutter. Go to places like Ikea or Walmart (even the Dollar Store) and grab nifty storage containers, wicker baskets and bins to keep things tidy. Ottomans that open up to a storage area is a great place to keep toys out of sight or extra blankets and pillows from the living room.

Try to keep the children’s things in their room and teach them the importance of picking up after themselves. I am an advocate of teaching man to catch many fish instead of giving him fish all of the time. With children, they learn as they see. If mommie has clutter and horde things, they will also.

Take a break

Take a break from crafting or blogging and spend time outside with your family. Make special dates with your husband and sent the kids to grandmas. Value every moment you have with your family. Never work to hard. Work will always be there but with graduations, children growing up, spouses passing away- each moment in life is always special because tomorrow is not promised to us.

Practice self-discipline

Build a work schedule as if you were at work for a company outside of your house. Don’t make goals and then get distracted by television or cleaning the house.

Participant Advertisements

For more tips, we will be updating this article/ eBook all summer long to produce the final product this Fall. If you are a Savvy Mom and would like to have your profile featured in our fundraiser, please email us at info@crochetsavvy.com as well as download the interview packet and compensation info from our website at www.crochetsavvy.com

The Savvy Moms Project fundraiser, when complete- will raise money for Crochet Savvy Magazine & Blog to continue its professional endeavors within the crochet community.

Please promote and share the book cover as well. For an interview on the book, please email us.

eBook Synopsis: The women in this book have children and have found an outlet through yarn and hook, blogging about their crafts as well as owning their own businesses. In honor of Mother’s Day, Crochet Savvy Magazine & Blog wanted to produce a special eBook that serves to give us hope when we have a bad day trying to balance work-life-motherhood-craft and offers us great advice from people who been through it and from those living it now. This eBook is for you…the Mommie Blogger, Businesswoman, and so-to-be moms.

This special eBook is FREE for download and will be available on Mother’s Day via our website and iBookstore on Apple products. We will also try to get it on web browsers and Android by Summer.

Thanks for your support and if you would like to be a part of the final eBook this Fall continue reading the rest of the page below for the packet to download.

If you would like to interview us about our special eBook and fundraiser project, please contact us at info@crochetsavvy.com.

Thanks.
- Crochet Savvy Magazine & Blog

The SAVVY MOMS Project 2013

Welcome and thanks for participating. The Savvy Moms Project is a special publication featuring only moms who crochet and incorporate knitting or yarn spinning with blogging and or/running your own business from doing it.

The first part of the special project will be available for FREE download for Mother’s Day in May 2013. This will be a special preview eBook version as well as featured in article form on our website/blog and promoted on all of our social networks. The download will be free UNTIL we finish our final project this Fall 2013, thus releasing the entire project in an actual book sized to either 7.5×7.5 or 8×10 in size format.

At that point, it will be self-published through LULU.com and made available on both Apple iBookstore and Lulu.com for ebook purchase download or hardcopy purchase mailed from Lulu.com, the top self-publishing company website.

Moms who are participating need to know that the initial deadline for Mother’s Day has passed.

The Second and final Deadline is June 1^st, 2013 for any mom that was not able to submit their stories for the Mother’s Day version but would like to be included in the final project.

Click here to download the packet and requirements to be included in the book.

Click here for the consent form. (You must have both the packet and the form.) -updated

-Crochet Savvy Magazine Staff