Craft ni Kim Shop Now Open at Little Majlis

My tiny online shop in the Middle East is now open! I am glad to finally have been able to list a few of my crochet creations at the Little Majlis which is like Etsy but in a more refined manner since they review the products and only makers from the GCC countries are allowed to sell.

So hurray to my first online store! Come on over and give me a pat on the shoulder. To visit, click the image below or the word "SHOP" from my site menu. This journey is definitely interesting so don't get left behind.

A new logo and paper tags

Finally I have a new site logo which I have been meaning to work on since time immemorial. I did some handlettering and photoshopping until I arrived with the "stamped" look. A real rubber stamp is not available yet and for now the printer can do the work. Logo tags sounded great and would be beautiful to include with my handmade items such as this crochet purse which I am gifting to a friend.

Yes I am back in my artistic groove. And there is a lot to talk about.

Meeting the Knitting Amiras and some crochet talk

I am reposting a picture from my Instagram account which doesn't make sense but simply because I want to attach a memory to it. I met with the Knitting Amiras which is a group of Dubai-based fiber artists - knitters, crocheters, indie yarn dyers. Getting there was a long story which I decided to talk about in my other personal blog.

Nonetheless, I got to listen to them talk about knit patterns and designers. My craft is crochet which is a slightly different art though both can be combined together beautifully. I've knitted a few times before but only succeeded at basic stitches such as knit and purl. For now crochet will be my language and I am loving it more than ever.

Crocheting runs in the family. Some of my cousins crochet too or at least interested to learn further. Some old clothes of my mom's and aunts' were handmade by them. I still do not have that kind of patience though I have finished a bolero before. Crochet is quite common where I am from and there is a slight disadvantage to that because people now tend to ignore it and think it is a grandma's craft. When I was younger, it was taught in the schools to provide skill and help small communities have a way of living. Nowadays, handicraft skills are replaced by computer skills in schools which can come in handy but not in all cases.

The dream to revive the love for crochet in my community is still melting in the hot pot. And I share that with at least one friend who has the same passion as mine. But for now, I find myself thousand of miles away from home though I have a good feeling that the love for this craft will flourish eventually.

On another note, my blog URL is so eccentric. The blog title "Craft ni Kim" is a Filipino phrase that simply translates to "Kim's craft." Yes, it does sound eccentric but I simply just want to talk about my love for fiber, the arts and other crafty things. Changing my social media handle can be a challenge so I want to keep it this way for now. Probably, a few network icons will make it livelier and friendly.