Since 2015, Demetria Katsanos has served as the director of operations for Home & Escape Designs in New York City, where she determines and approves staffing levels for different divisions and coordinates education and training programs. In her leisure time, Demetria Katsanos enjoys knitting.Knitting is a wonderful hobby that not only results in handcrafted, one-of-a-kind items, but it is also a peaceful activity that many find to be relaxing. With that said, there are some typical mistakes that beginners tend to make. Here are two of the most common errors.Somewhere along the way in one’s knitting journey, dropped stitches will occur. The tell-tale sign of a dropped stitch is a tear in the fabric, as well as an extra stitch on the bottom. The best way to fix this is with a garter stitch or a stockinette stitch, which will effectively hide the dropped stitch.Beginners are sometimes so concerned about losing their stitches that they grip the needles too tightly. The resulting stitches don’t allow much room for the needles to move, however. It’s important to relax and make sure the stitches don’t come together too tightly, so that the needles can easily be maneuvered throughout the knitting process. So relax!
As director of operations at a New York-based design company, Demetria Katsanos determines and approves staffing levels, oversees budgeting, and handles human resource management. Holding a bachelor’s in business management from Boston College, Demetria Katanos nonetheless maintains a strong interest in home design, particularly interior design.Many individuals face the challenge of decorating a small space without making it feel cramped. While this may seem difficult, there are several things you can do. Following are just a few ways to make your small space seem bigger:- Space things out: it may seem counterintuitive to set up furniture slightly away from the walls when space is limited, but doing so creates more breathing room around the space. Even simple things such as placing a skinny console behind a sofa opens up the room more.- Rely on nature: spaces with large windows can benefit greatly from the natural light that shines in. Rather than blocking the light with heavy curtains, use it to give a room more character. Plus, try matching the interior of a room to the outside world to create a unified, more expansive look.- Use large-scale pieces: oversized bookcases or artwork accentuates the height and width of a space and makes it feel larger. Having a gallery wall of smaller art or shelves may seem like a better use of the limited room, but it creates a sense of clutter that easily shrinks a space.- Paint with light colors: although there are several design benefits to painting the walls a dark color, they are not well-suited for small spaces because they make a room feel smaller. Instead, using only pale colors, or even white, creates a light feel that opens up a room.
Demetria Katsanos oversees all operational aspects - from building partnerships to approving staffing levels - of a New York-based design company in her position as director of operations. When she’s not busy with her professional responsibilities, Demetria Katsanos enjoys knitting. She often makes socks and blankets, which can be time-consuming for slow knitters.Although speed is certainly not necessary for knitting, many individuals prefer increasing their speed over time. This often starts with a knitter's choice of needle. Finding the right needles is a highly individualized process. For some, bamboo needles allow for faster knitting despite being less slippery than metal ones. Others might find that the reverse is true. Once knitters have the right needles, they should learn to knit without looking at their hands in order to streamline the process. Basic stitches, such as ribbing and the garter stitch, are easy enough that experienced knitters are able to knit without looking down. When beginners learn the feel of knitting, they are able to knit faster without thinking about each movement when making a stitch.Experimenting with different materials and techniques may also improve knitting speed. Larger yarns result in quicker projects because they require less stitches, but they do not always create the look knitters want. For thinner yarns, knitters can try finding materials that move on their needles more smoothly or are less likely to split.In terms of technique, knitters can choose a right- or left-handed method. This has less to do with the dominant hand of a knitter and more with what makes them feel most comfortable.Finally, knitters can hasten the speed at which they get projects done by simply knitting everywhere, whether it’s on a bus or watching television at home. This also helps with basic practice, which naturally improves speed, as well.
