Using Gmail

Back when I was corporate I quite liked Outlook but these days I use only Gmail. In this post I will describe my setup and how I use it.

The browser
Prism – a distraction free browser – is great for Gmail as my mailbox is separated from all the browser windows and tabs that seem to open as by magic during my work day… Does it happen to you too?

You’ve got mail!
I have no email alerts. I only check new mail when I’m not busy doing other stuff. I even have an icon for Offline Mail on my desktop, if I need to access information while working – without getting sidetracked by new mail.

Inbox Zero
Inbox zero is what keeps me sane. It’s not very complicated – whenever I check my inbox I will read (or skim) the emails it and for each email I will decide wether to delete it or label it, archive it or do some action.
Small tasks I do at once, other tasks may need more time or more information so they have to be postponed.
If this is the case I will label the email, add a star, archive it and forget about it for the time being.

Labs
Gmail really isn’t worth using without Labs. Go try it!

Stars & Superstars
A normal, boring, yellow star marks a work task.
A red star is marks lovely things; an invitation, a dinner date
A green star marks voluntary work tasks
A blue star marks….
All these coloured Superstars can be found via Labs.

Multiple Inboxes
Another Labs feature. I have 2 inboxes.
The first is my empty inbox – Inbox Zero.
The second is my all stars inbox where all the emails I have starred are listed. A kind of to-do-list.

Labels
Using labels is like tagging. I label almost every email I receive.
Labels are listed alphabetically but I’ve added another layer by labelling my emails with 1 – xxxx for private stuff, 2 – yyyy for email lists, 3 – zzzz for work projects and so on.
Work stuff is low on the list so I can check my private emails at weekends without getting sidetracked by work.
Out of sight is out of mind!

Filters
Email from mailings lists are filtered, labelled, archived and in some cases even marked as read.
Email from clients are filtered, labelled, starred and archived so they do not appear in my first inbox, but my second inbox.
Newsletter emails are filtered, labelled and archived and will only be read if I have the time.
I often add new filters as it really helps me organise my email.

Multiple email accounts
I have 5 email accounts and I access all via gmail.
Emails are always answered from the same email account.

Offline access
This is really smart! Sometimes my laptop and I find ourselves in a space without wifi, but I can still access all my email and even compose new mails while offline. I also like having a copy on my own computer and not only in the big google cloud in the sky.

Shortcuts
There is a long list of gmail shortcuts. I started by learning a few and then adding a few more every other week. Shortcuts helps to prevent RSI. These are my favourites:
c – Compose
e – Archive
l – Label
? – show keyboard shorcuts help
g then a – takes you to ‘All mail’
g then i – returns you to the inbox

Signature
Every emailer should have a signature with contact details, website url, twitter name and other important stuff!

Out of office-message
is not relevant as I do not work in an office, but I do use the Vacation Time feature when I’m offline for more than a day or two.

Other tweaks:
Mark as read
Go-to label
Send and archive
Hide unread counts – no need to get stressed over the huge amount of unread emails, eh?
Navbar drag and drop – I just love costumising!
Flickr previews
Google docs previews

Yeah, and sometimes when I’m bored I look at ‘All mail’ and let myself be overwhelmed…

Yarn Diet

The Nerdy Knitter is now officially on a yarn diet. I did just buy som more Faroese Sirri wool to finish a tunic for myself…

1-ply sirritogv from www.sirri.fo

Getting organised. Or should I say: Staying organised?

I try hard, I try very hard to stay organised.

The Problem
I hate being told what to do and when to do it. I hate clutter.
I also procrastinate. And I collect.

Web Apps or Paper & Pen?
I love webapps – Tadalist, Remember The Milk, Fogbugz, Delicious, Flickr, 23, Tumblr, Posterous.
I also love writing lists in gorgeous notebooks.

Getting Organised
I love decluttering and organising. Categorising and tagging. Boxing stuff. I can spend weeks getting organised.

Avoiding the Subject
As I said before I hate being told what to do. Even if it is a web app kindly reminding me to… Have you ever decluttered your entire bedroom because your self-created todo-list told you to go buy a present for your friend’s birthday? I have!

Failing
The cycle then reaches the point where I realise that I’ve started ignoring the To-Do-List Web App Of The Month and as a result getting absolutely nothing done. I then start organising my kitchen cupboards even though the problem is the clutter on my desk.

Starting Over
I hate clutter. I can’t work when my desk, my mind, my computer, my life is cluttered. So I try out new solutions. Spend weeks putting everything into a new fancy system. In short, procrastinating instead of getting things done.

A Solution?
I think I’ve finally found what works for me.

• To Do List: Teux Deux. It’s so very simple, but does excactly what I want it to do. Looks pretty too.
• Memory & Links: Evernote. After loading links to Delicious for years but never being able to find them again I really enjoy Evernote because saving pictures with links makes it much easier for me to use.
• Email, To Do List & Archive: Gmail with Labs features (Flickr preview, Multiple Inboxes, Superstars, Send & Archive)
• Memory, Planning, Brainstorming: Mind42. I make lots of mind maps.
• Using my pretty coloured pencils and my lovely notebooks.
• Documenting cool stuff with my camera.

And finally: Just doing it.

PS – P52 is what helped me write this post!

Advent Calendar

Do it yourself: Christmas Knitting Calendar.

I’m using Kauni Lace and needle size 3½mm.

Honest Scrap

Thanks to Néné I now have to tell you 10 secrets about myself…

a. ‘The Honest Scrap Blogger Award’ must be shared.
Check
b. The recipient has to tell 10 (true) things about themselves that no one else knows.
See below
c. The recipient has to pass on the award to 10 more bloggers.
Mairuru, Shopping Losts, Laylock, TechKnitter, Sandra Juto, La Beet, Swiss Miss, Pixel Diva, Notes from Abbey Road, Needled
If you feel left out, please don’t! I love you all.
d. Those 10 bloggers should link back to the blog that awarded them.
If you like.
10 (true) things about me that no one else knows
Disclaimer: I don’t believe in secrecy so a number of people probably know this already.

I collect things.

I am fascinated by old cars.

This cat sleeps in my bed at night.

I like street art.

I like repetitions.

I like metaphotography.

I like drinks. Even red wine with ice and coca cola.

I like old things.

I like bright lights, big cities.

I’ve visited Rome once and I didn’t really like it.

Tweetowrimo

Nanowrimo for me? Not so much… But I do like Twitter, so I’m doing the Tweetowrimo – and so should you. It’s fun!

London – the day before FOWD

Well, who’d've thunk… this was a quiet night at I Knit London. Gorgeous selection of knitting books, needles, hooks, knitting gadgets galore, and of course yarn. Plus a license and strawberry cider. New friends and old friends. What more can a nerdy knitter ask for?

My little corner

What happened? I am now officially a lifehacker? I uploaded this photo to flickr and added it to the Lifehacker Workspace Show and Tell (Pool)…

I work as a freelance webdesigner and webdeveloper.

My workspace is in our living room. When I’m not working I’m crafting, and I like to keep my sewing and knitting stuff handy.

From my space I can see my two cats sleeping (or sometimes yawning), I can see Istedgade, Copenhagen, Denmark outside my windows and the kettle is in the kitchen a few steps from me.

I can also see and smile to my best friend when he’s sitting in his space in the opposite corner of the room!

Do check out the other workspaces featured on Lifehacker!

Proximidade!

I was the lucky winner of the Proximidade Award, it was given to me weeks ago but I have just not had the time nor the head space to actually pass it on. When you read the background to this award you will realize why this task cannot be taken lightly…
Thank you Irene!

This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY – nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award.

I pay the tribute forward to:

Birgit – who is crafty and creative and open to friendship. And makes me believe that I too can learn to speak Spanish.
Brenda – for setting up Artemis Adornments and inviting others to play!
Evelien – for letting us all be a part of her art and (knit)wit
Liselotte – for being so very friendly and open. I don’t follow her blog regularly (she blogs too often!) but her creative craftiness is very inspiring and I do enjoy popping in once in a while.
Irene – for turning a virtual cyber-friendship into IRL friendship and for doing stuff instead of just fiddling with the ideas
Pilar for sharing so much with me!
Henriette for being a true web-avantgardista.
Julia for being so lovely and creative and because she’s kalak!

The Santa Brigida Bee

Would you believe me when I tell you I had a lovely day in the company of 5 women speaking a language I don’t understand AND seaming, seaming, seaming? I who excell in seamless knitting?

Well I did! Thank you so much to the lovely ladies for letting me come to their Great Canarian Afghan Bee.

Bonus: links to Grafting on the needles and I Knit London.