Is it already that time again?
Of course I know it is; I somehow survived the Christmas rush, even though I didn’t get nearly as much gift knitting done as I’d hoped, and I kind of fell off the face of the earth in terms of all the chatter and socializing I planned to do in the Indie Gift-Along and Fasten Off Yarn-Along. I pushed myself hard this year to build up Red Earth Designs, and to be honest I’m tuckered out. But it’s been a good year.
2022 has been the first full year in which Red Earth Designs felt stable. Every pattern release still makes me nervous, and every opportunity I take or pass up on feels like a leap of faith; but there’s been a level of security in the past 12 months that was never there before. I’ve released 17 patterns this year, 15 indie and 2 third-party, and somehow didn’t lose money on any of them (and if you’ve tried knitwear/crochet design, you know how rare that is). Not only that, but there were some home runs in there. I stepped into garment design this year, and despite still trying to find my sea legs, I see a world of difference between my first garment (Downstream Tee in 2021) and my most recent (Hoa Sen Pullover, my 50th published pattern), both in the process and in the final product. Many, many hours have been spent doing math…
This year has made me even more thankful for the fiber community than I was before. As complex as it is, as much drama as we can generate, there are so many wonderful people in it. I’m grateful beyond words for every person who joined my newsletter (which has grown beyond my wildest expectations), shared my patterns, offered help or advice, reached out to collaborate, or sent an email or dm to encourage me. You all—my customers, colleagues and cheerleaders—are what keep me motivated to create and excel when things get hard, and I can’t imagine my life without you.
My biggest takeaway from this year? Small things can become big things. This little business that I pretty much started on a whim 4 years ago is now paying bills (definitely not all of them, but some really important ones). Chance interactions on social media have become collaborations. Email chains with customers have become solid test knitter relationships; and if you know me, you know my established test knitters are some of my favorite industry people. A single pattern, Nuit d’etoiles, has not only been my rainmaker—my bestseller that still goes viral from time to time despite being 2 years old—but resulted in a long-term business relationship that produced Cluaran Cowl, another top 10 seller, and my fall 2022 collection Dancing Knits; several of the patterns in that collection are also top sellers. This is due to everyone I mentioned above—the community of friends, colleagues, and customers that have supported me and built up Red Earth Designs into what it is now.
So what’s next? 2023 will be a slower year, I think. I’m proud of everything accomplished in 2022, but that pace isn’t sustainable or healthy. Lord willing and the creek don’t rise, the impact of this year’s work will have a ripple effect for next year. I’ll still be producing patterns; however, I am looking forward to pivoting into some other nooks and crannies of the yarn industry that I’ve long wanted to branch into but didn’t have the name recognition or credibility for. I can’t wait to share with you all in the coming months.
But for now, thank you for being here. And may you enjoy all the best in the coming year!
