Featured MISI Crafter - Minerva

Our talented MISI maker today is Minerva with her shop DemeCrafts:

What is your shop's name and how did you decide on it?

My shop’s name is DemeCrafts.  The word ‘crafts’ is quite common and at first I didn’t want to use it, but I went for it as I can knit, cross stitch and crochet.  I spend more time knitting nowadays, but I might be adding cross stitch and crochet in my shop in the future.  So ‘crafts’ would capture all three forms.  As for ‘Deme’ is short for a word I like and is relevant to my work.


How did you get started in your particular craft and how long have you been doing it?

My grandmother taught me knitting, cross stitching and crocheting at a very young age.  I’m pretty sure I was about 6 years old when I did my first cross stitch, which I still have.  I have spent about 30 years cross stitching (on and off) and still do when time permits. 

Even though I hadn’t knitted for several years, I still remembered the basics and got into it again in 2005.  Apart from a couple of lace knitting stitches a nice lady showed me, I learned everything else on my own through countless mistakes and hours of practicing.  I’ll never forget unravelling entire scarves, which had already taken me many hours to make, to reknit them better.

As for crochet, it’s something I would like to improve in the future when I get a chance.

Are there any negative aspects to doing your craft and if there are how do you work around them?

What I would call a negative aspect of doing crafts, knitting in particular, is when others copy your work.  We are in a creative business and we all need to create from our own imagination and try to make our work as unique as possible to appeal to our buyers, our target market. 

Those who copy do not give themselves a chance to discover where their own imagination can take them and how unique and talented they can be. I do believe fortune favours the brave, so I try to focus on myself and my work and create patterns from ideas that come to me even at the oddest times, like when I wake up in the morning or when I’m grocery shopping.  However, as my original patterns are copyrighted, if need may be, I will not hesitate to take the necessary action to protect my work.

What tips would you give to anyone thinking of starting your craft?

If you start it as a hobby, then it would be to just have fun with it.  Being involved in crafts, such as knitting, has a lot of benefits, even therapeutic benefits.  It’s great for relaxation of the mind, like yoga, and as a creative outlet.

If you are starting this as full-time job, be prepared for the amount of time and effort you need to put in.  It’s like any other full-time job.  I actually work longer hours now than I did in my previous office job, but I enjoy every minute of it.  And keep on top of the finance/business part of the job too!

How did you find Misi?

I found out about Misi from literature I was given at my local Business Gateway office.

What is your favourite item in your own Misi shop?

So far, if I can call one item my ‘favourite’, it would be my Fashionable scarf, mohair and silk neck accessory.

The yarn is the finest yarn I have ever worked with.  It’s challenging to knit with but at the same time so luxurious and the end result so rewarding. It also happens to be the yarn I used to try lace knitting for the very first time.  


What is your favourite shop on Misi (besides your own)?

I am back to my Misi shop after a few months of break so I haven’t had the chance to have a proper look around yet.  However, there is one shop that has caught my attention, called CaractacusPots.  Pottery always catches my eye, especially small and useful things for the home.  They remind me of my grandmother’s small ceramics in the kitchen.  I also like the blue color in pottery and Caractacus Pots has lots of that.

 

Random Facts about you:

What is your favourite season and why?

It would have to be the summer since the weather is warmer and swimming in the sea is irresistible.  However, I like all seasons for the charm each one has.  Autumn: for the gorgeous warm colors everywhere.  Winter: for the snow and the cosy days in.  Spring: for the green and life that starts to appear.

What is your favourite food?
My favourite dish is spaghetti with meat sauce, similar to bolognese but different recipe.

How many DVDs do you have?
Oh many!  I love watching movies, especially witty comedies.

What is your favourite animal?             

A ladybird

What actor/actress would you NOT kick out of bed? 
My favourite actor/actress are:  Robert De Niro, Jack Nicholson, Dustin Hoffman and Meryl  Streep.

I would let them sleep on my couch, but I’m too selfish when it comes to my bed!

Thank you for chatting with us, Minerva. 

Stop by her shop on MISI for more gorgeous items.

xxx