Yulia Pashkovich - artisan, creating her own cozy soft toys using the "amigurumi" technique, shared with the portal www.robimrazam.by about your start, creative process, what difficulties did you face, as well as plans for the future.

AT 2018 year Julia completed an express course of the Workshop "Local Economy", which was held with the support of the project "Academy of Enhancing Entrepreneurship in Rural Areas", co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland under the Polish Development Cooperation Program.

In the course of the project, on the basis of the business incubator CJSC "MAP CJSC" Minsk region, a creative workshop "Tuteyshaya gaspadarka" was created for teaching the craft, entrepreneurship, exchange of experiences and ideas.

Link to project information: https://robimrazam.by/akademija-aktivizacii-predprinimatelstva-v-selskoj-mestnosti/

The local economy (TG): Yulia, You have completed the express course in 2018 of the year Workshop "Local economy". This was the impetus for creativity or did you do it earlier?

Julia Pashkovich (ЮП): Initially, I couldn't even think about it, that I will ever become an artisan. For the first time she took a hook in her hands on the express-course Meisterni "Tuteyshaya Gaspadarka". Accidentally stumbled upon information on the Internet, what is the recruitment, and really wanted to get. I'm lucky. There was an empty seat and they took me.

Interest in such creativity and the desire to study it appeared after, like in some shop I saw a knitted heart, then knitted toys. Learned, that all this is called "amigurumi" ("Amigurumi" - the Japanese art of knitting or crocheting small soft toys). I wanted to tie this beauty.

In practice, not everything turned out so smoothly.. On the courses I was very worn out with the crochet. All the students quickly grasped everything, I lagged behind everyone. But I didn't despair. After the course, I did not quit what I started.. I took a hook and thread and tried, and tried to knit at least some toy. I wanted it so much, but I still couldn't do it.

In the end everything worked out. I learned how to crochet an amigurumi ring. Any toy begins with it.. I don’t remember how I tried, my first knitted bunny appeared.

When I found out, that the festival "Tuteyshaya Gaspadarka" will be held in Kolodischi, then I decided to participate in it. Time was short. You had to go to the festival with something, but I have none of the toys, and I only know how to knit hares. Time before the festival - a month. This is where it all started. Zaychikov imposed, took shape as a craftsman and took part in the festival.

Following the results of competition "Local economy", carried out within the framework of the project, I became a laureate in the category "Crochet and Knitting". I knitted a big plush rabbit. It was very nice. This also played a role. I did not stop at hares and began to knit different toys. Tied even a few carpets.

TG: What difficulties did you face?

ЮП: The most difficult thing for me then was where to sell my products.. I didn't know yet, that there are shops, who collaborate with artisans, did not know about regular exhibitions, in which you can take part. And the second is the need to constantly update your page on social networks with new high-quality photos..

TG: Where to look for ideas? Is there a favorite image in your work? What is your, as they say, "chip"?

ЮП: I take ideas on the Internet. What is my trick, I don't know myself yet, but I can say a few facts about myself. for example, I never knit in a bad mood and without inspiration. When selling my toys, I will always honestly tell the buyer, which toy is suitable, and which one is not suitable for small children. The buyer does not always like it., but I cannot but say about some nuances. I only use new yarn in my toys., and as a filler I always buy only holofiber of the first grade. It often happens, what people, when will they know, what am I knitting, offer me their threads. I refuse to knit from them.

TG: Yulia, how long do you knit one toy?

ЮП: It depends on the complexity of the toy. There are solid knitted. There are a lot of sewn-on parts. All this affects the production time.. On average, the process takes one to four days.

TG: Who is your buyer? How do you find "your" client?

ЮП: I never persuade or insist, to buy a toy from me. In my opinion, the buyer should have his own craving for a certain handmade item. It's some kind of more soulful process inside, than just buying or selling.

TG: Yulia, how your customers will know about you? Instagram, social networks help you?

ЮП: Word of mouth works more often. Social media definitely needs to be used. But you need to do this regularly., qualitatively. While I'm learning to take good photos. I really miss this for the development of my page..

TG: Who do you see yourself in five years? Share your plans.

ЮП: I really want to go from the status of a craftsman to the status of an individual entrepreneur, without changing your occupation. But this requires a lot of work in the other direction.. I want to create my own toys, their master classes.

TG: What advice would you give to aspiring artisans (-cam)?

ЮП: No need to be afraid to go to your goal and dream! This is your dream, whatever they tell you!

Thank you for the interesting conversation., Yulia! I wish you success!

Photo provided by Yulia Pashkovich

Interviewed by Yulia Koroleva, CJSC "MAP CJSC" Minsk district