2012: The Year of the Sewing Machine
I didn't do much of anything for New Years this year, and so have been up for a few hours already on this crisp New Years Day. Happy 2013 everyone!
As I go through by RSS reader backlog and read many a "what I did in 2012" roundup post, I can't help but think about what I did in 2012. And you know what? It wasn't knit. At least not much.
Ravelry tells me that I completed exactly 7 projects in 2012. SEVEN. That is pathetic. That number isn't correct actually, because I made a bunch of other samples of my Loreley Scarf Pattern to send to shops that are stocking my kits, but really. Those hardly count as projects either.
SEVEN projects.
Pitiful.
Although . . . they were all original designs, and two of them were even published in major knitting publications (my Pixel Hat & Mittens in Twist, my Professor Jackson's Scarf in Interweave). So they count more, right?
There are two main reasons I didn't knit much in 2012:
1 - Because I learned to quilt.
In 2012 I finished at least 5 quilts and many more small sewn things like bags and tank tops. I guess 2012 really was the year of the sewing machine for me. I even got a fancy new Bernina in 2012! And set up a quilting site under my new brand, Rose Smoke, and started selling finished sewn items and quilting kits. I even did 3 shows this year to show and sell my sewn items . . . . So yeah, the sewing took over.
2 - Much of my knitting time this year has been spent making kits and Koigu Minis.
Making the minis for my Koigu Minis Club takes a long time. So does making kits for my website and for my retailers. If I had been knitting during those hours instead, I would definitely have more FO's, and probably more knitting patterns too!
Looking forward
As I look on to 2013, I have lots of plans, as usual. After spending the majority of 2012 freelancing and structureless, I've realized yet again that I can't do it all. At least, I can't do it all well. I have way more ideas and interests than I have time, and I'm sick of having so many half-finished projects (and not just UFO's, I'm talking half-finished websites, patterns, businesses, etc).
In 2013 I'm going to take my dad's favorite word of advice to heart and I'm going to focus.
I already started this morning by NOT sending an email to someone suggesting a new website I could build for her.
And you know what else I've been doing with the first few hours of 2013?
Garter stitch + cashmere feels good.
Dear Koigu Minis: I <3 you
In an effort to move on from The November That Wasn't, I've decided to just pick up and leave all the forgotten stuff behind.
It's the beginning of the month, so you know what that means for me: it's Koigu Minis time! (if you don't know what I'm talking about, I run a monthly Koigu Mini Skeins Club, and yes, signups are open!)
My Koigu shipment arrived on Tuesday and because I'm now working full-time again (ugh, another thing I never told you! I got a "real job" as of two weeks ago, and it's really great!), I'm not able to turn them around as fast as I once would. But this month's shipment will definitely go out this weekend. I'm itching to get my hands on some minis! In the meantime, I've been looking at pictures from the past few month's shipments . . .
Here's a table-full of in-progress shipments, from the September 2012 shipment:
And a pretty picture of June's shipment:
This month's shipment will again be all-new colors and some of these are colors I haven't seen from Koigu in YEARS. I went through their color card online and tried to pick unusual (for me) colors . . . I think you'll love them!
After the shipment goes out I promise to post photos so you can drool over them the way I am =)
Signups are open!
To join the clubs, click here and choose your shipping option. Slots are filling up fast so don't wait if you think you might want to join!
Introducing the first-ever Chiagu club: Koigu minis!
I've been hard at work planning for my first-ever club, and it's now ready to be announced! The Chiagu Koigu Mini-Skeins Club starts shipping next month, and signups open tomorrow, April 19th.
Basic club details:
Receive 6 mini-skeins of Koigu KPPPM in your mailbox automatically each month!
Each skein is approx 25 yards, so 6 skeins is almost as much yarn as one full skein of Koigu . . . but 6 times more fun!
The club is a monthly, with payments automatically through PayPal each month. So you can cancel anytime! And yes, international customers are welcome.
That's the basic premise of the club, and all the details are in the club FAQ page, please check it out!
I'm so excited to hear what you think of my first club!
UPDATE:
