I have a little essay over at Rock + Purl, if you’d like to read it. The assignment was choose one favorite possession and write about why it was important. Let me know what you think!

Okay, the winner* of the [...]]]> Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are mothers—or who have ever had a mother! Hope you’ve all had a lovely day. Here, we had beautiful weather, plus cake and flowers, and I wasn’t allowed to do any housework. Really, I don’t think it gets much better than that.

Okay, the winner* of the Market Yourself giveaway is…Steph from The Silly Pearl! Congratulations, Steph. I hope you enjoy it. The publisher will e-mail you soon with a link to download the book.

Many thanks to everyone else who entered!

*Chosen by random.org.

PRINT + DIGITAL
$26.95 plus shipping

DIGITAL (PDF and ereader)
$16.95

“…if you make something delightful but don’t have the people (or enough of them), then this book is for you.”

I was very excited last week when Cooperative Press sent me a review [...]]]> [This Giveaway is now closed]

PRINT + DIGITAL
$26.95 plus shipping

DIGITAL (PDF and ereader)
$16.95

“…if you make something delightful but don’t have the people (or enough of them), then this book is for you.”

I was very excited last week when Cooperative Press sent me a review copy of Tara Swiger’s new book, Market Yourself. Not long ago, I took an on-line class with Tara and Diane Gilleland. Tara not only knows her stuff but is generous with ideas and encouragement. I’d made a note to look into her book when it became available—then there it was!

Market Yourself is oriented toward people who make and sell handmade objects (including, ahem, knitting patterns) but could be just as easily applied to boutique service companies or pro-bloggers looking for the right audience; pretty much any business with a small-to-non-existant marketing budget will find invaluable tips here.

Tara’s theme essentially is that your marketing should feel authentic to you and your business. Trying to force a marketing model on yourself that you aren’t comfortable with means that a) you probably won’t follow through with it and b) it probably won’t work all that well anyway. In her book she guides readers through the steps of understanding and describing what you sell, finding the “right people” for that product, then creating a business that reflects your brand in everything—from your website to your packaging—that you do. Each chapter comes with several worksheets designed to help you pinpoint your product descriptions and your perfect customers, eventually creating a real, live marketing plan that is tailored perfectly to your business.

The book is great—but it won’t work by itself. One thing—and I know this from personal experience—you have to actually fill out the work sheets. It’s not enough to skim them and answer the questions in your head. Print them out and find a pen; you’ll be surprised at how the answers may be more or less obvious than you thought and how the physical act of writing can lead to ideas that weren’t there before. (And this is one of the advantages to getting the book as a PDF— you can print out whichever pages you want whenever you want them.)

Then of course, you have to apply everything you’ve learned to your business and do it consistently. Marketing is not one of those things that you do once; it will continue to change and grow with your business. And Tara’s book will guide you every step of the way.

And yay! Thanks to Cooperative Press, I’m able to give away one PDF copy of the book.

To enter: Market yourself! Leave a comment below giving a little shout out to the business you have or would like to have. Enter before midnight (PST) on Saturday, May 12 and I’ll announce the winner on Sunday.

If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, I’ve been working on a project sponsored by Daily Worth (which, if you’re not familiar, is a fab site devoted [...]]]> If you’re coming here from the Daily Worth site, thank you and welcome! Have a look around and let me know if you have any questions.

If you’ve no idea what I’m talking about, I’ve been working on a project sponsored by Daily Worth (which, if you’re not familiar, is a fab site devoted to helping women do more with their money). I was chosen for their Livin’ the Dream Series as the “Seeker,” the one who, um, doesn’t know what she wants to do when she grows up.

I got to have a half-hour consultation with Ramit Seethi of I Will Teach You to Be Rich (Ramit’s really nice on the phone—I have a total fan-girl crush on him now). Now I have to follow through with his advice and write about it for Daily Worth.

My first post went live today and I’m working on following though with Ramit’s advice so that I have something to write for the second. Have a read and let me know what you think!

I sliced up an old cardboard box for inserts, added T-shirts [...]]]>
We celebrated Middle Child’s birthday this afternoon with a T-shirt painting party. We had one a couple of years ago for Big Kid’s birthday. Middle Child remembered it being fun and wanted one of her own.

I sliced up an old cardboard box for inserts, added T-shirts (on sale!) from Walmart, a mix of acrylic and fabric paints from Joann’s, a handful of paintbrushes scraped from various art boxes, and we were good to go. Fortunately, the weather was perfect. The back-up plan was to do the same thing at the dining room table but outdoors in the driveway was much better.

The kids had a great time. The only issue was that they all loved to glob on the paint as thickly as they could so it may be days before everything dries. Last time we did this, I ironed the shirts from the back once they were dry and they’ve been safe for the washing machine ever since.

I think they did a great job, don’t you?

But I’m back today with the first of a series of interviews with designers!

Katherine Vaughan, KTLV [...]]]> Well, things have been a bit slow around here lately. The blog was down for several days thanks to an attack on my host’s server  and I’ve been trying to crawl out from book-related work (deadlines approach!).

But I’m back today with the first of a series of interviews with designers!

Katherine Vaughan, KTLV on Ravelry, was nice enough to answer a bunch of questions about her designs, the creative process, what she loves and hates about designing and, of course, The Princess Bride. If you want to get to know her even better and see more of her designs, you can visit her website at www.ktlvdesigns.com (she’s also a much-in-demand tech editor).

"Inconceivable!" shawl

You’re KTLV on Ravelry and design under the name Katherine Vaughan. Do you like to go by KT or Katherine?
In general in the knitting world I go by Katherine, but I’ve had the nickname KT for so long that it’s hard to break (and so I hardly bother).  In my other career (academia) I find that the gender-ambiguous name “KT” can be very useful in what is still a male-dominated world.  In knitting, however, I feel like having a female identity is equally useful—so I go by my full name of Katherine.  It’s also a handy way to separate the two sides of my working life, kind of like having a secret identity!

Pearl

I don’t really know that I have a particular style.  I tend to avoid anything dealing with colorwork, except maybe for simple stripes and occasionally a bit of mosaic work, but I also dislike stockinette, so I suppose you could say that I specialize in texture and form – focusing on accessories and, surprisingly, baby blankets.  In North Carolina we don’t have much call for heavy woolens, so I also tend to gravitate to either non-wool yarns or to smaller accessories (or both).

Ocean Park Hat

My bus ride!  Seriously, my favorite place to look for ideas is just going out in public and seeing what people are wearing or what they are doing – not just the knitwear but also colors, textures, pattern. I also love looking at submission calls for inspiration, even if I don’t often submit things for them. 

Jayne Hat

Windowpane Baby Blanket

Have any questions for KT? Feel free to ask here!

But that’s not what this post is about.

I have a LOT of work to do for this book. I have 23 other designers contributing a total of 27 designs, in addition [...]]]> So if you didn’t know by now, I’ve been working on a book. And let me tell you, it’s going to be great.

But that’s not what this post is about.

I have a LOT of work to do for this book. I have 23 other designers contributing a total of 27 designs, in addition to the ones I’m working on. There are contracts to be sent, e-mails to be answered, patterns to be reviewed and funneled on to tech editors, charts to be revised, copy to be written, and notes about props, sizes, and colors to prepare for the photographer. And, oh yeah—I have to knit up and write patterns for my own three designs.

A few weeks ago I hit a wall. I buzzed uselessly from the computer to my knitting project and back again. I stared at the computer screen for long minutes on end. I checked in on Facebook to see if other people were living more productively. I ate a lot of cookies. I thought really hard about all the things I had to do, but I was increasingly, desperately aware that I wasn’t really doing anything.

Last night I was finally able to bind off the last stitches of my first design and block it.  The pattern is mostly written and just needs some tweaking and the jacket itself (I can tell you it’s a jacket but I can’t reveal anything else) doesn’t look too bad. I’ve already made decent progress on my next design. And I’m slowly making inroads on the paperwork; I even feel caught up enough that I can spare a few minutes to write a blog post(!).

I have a lot of late nights ahead of me over the next five weeks but I’m increasingly confident that it will actually all get done. I’m no expert on getting past slumps and blocks, but here are a few things I’ve found helpful in getting past the procrastination and on with the work:

• Step AWAY from the computer. If you’re a click-through junkie like me, simply turning off your internet connection for a few hours might help you focus. But there’s something about a computer screen that encourages mind-drift and unhealthy perfectionism. It’s too easy to caught up on refining a single sentence when there are still pages left to write or to fuss for hours getting just the right shade of violet in a colorwork chart. To the extent that it’s possible, turn the computer off and work it out with pen and paper first, or work on the physical side of things—like the actual knitting.

• Write it down. I have a million ideas flitting through my mind. Things I have to do, things I should do, things I might do if I can get everything else done. Each thought is a separate distraction and I no sooner get started on one thing when I’m reminded of something else and begin working on that instead. A list helps me stay focused. I can add things so I don’t have to worry about forgetting them and the crossing items off gives me a sense of accomplishment.

• Screw the housework. I find myself constantly distracted by the never-ending chores that need to be done around here so I’ve made the decision to let most of it go for now. I’ll maintain some basic standards of hygiene but otherwise I’m on strike for the next few weeks. If my husband wants the bed made he can make it himself, my oldest child is quite capable of getting her own after-school snack, and Kraft Mac & Cheese once in a while won’t kill anyone. I hope.

• De-clutter something. This sounds contradictory to the point I just made, but a focused de-cluttering is different from the ongoing drudgery of housework. Choose something SMALL, like a single drawer—this is not the time to tackle the attic. I set aside 20 minutes to go through the inbox that sits on my desk and accumulates everything from contracts to bills to children’s homework. Clearing up the space made a practical difference: it helped me get organized and put my hands on things I needed. Just as importantly, it made a mental difference: having a clear, clean workspace has helped me feel calmer and more relaxed.

• Get out of the house (or office). When there’s a deadline looming, the last thing you feel like you can justify is a trip to the zoo with your kids or coffee with a friend. But I think it’s important to take a break not just from the work you have to do but from the physical environment where you do it. Moving around and literally breathing some fresh air helps put things in perspective and gives you renewed energy to tackle the your work.

• Delegate. Unfortunately, I don’t actually have anyone I can delegate any of my book work to, but if I did, I would. I can ask my family to kick in with more help around the house and less whining about slapdash dinners and ask my husband to take the kids out of my hair for a few hours here and there. And if anyone offers to help me out with anything, you’d better believe I’m going to take them up on it!

• Good enough is good enough. I want this book to be perfect. I’m working with a lot a dedicated people who are relying on my to do my absolute best on their behalf. But I’ve realized that I can’t do everything perfectly. I will focus instead on make the work that really needs to shine be as close to perfect as possible and not drive myself crazy about the rest.

Got any procrastination busters to share?

This post is part of Blogelina‘s 100 Comment Blog Event.

Have fun!

PS Whoops! Looks like this expired sooner than it should have because I set it for the wrong time zone (duh).

I’ve reset it and extended it until midnight tonight (Pacific time, February 17). [...]]]> Use coupon code Twitter100 to get 50% off any of these patterns until noon (Pacific Time) February 17.

Have fun!

PS Whoops! Looks like this expired sooner than it should have because I set it for the wrong time zone (duh).

I’ve reset it and extended it until midnight tonight (Pacific time, February 17). The code should work whether you buy here or on Ravelry but if for some reason it doesn’t, just e-mail me before midnight and I’ll refund you 50%.

I’ve been on a real cowl thing lately, if you hadn’t noticed. They’re quick to knit and super-practical, especially if you live in the Pacific Northwest—yet for some reason have a wardrobe full of scoop-necked T-shirts.

I actually made Single Malts as Christmas presents for both my husband and my step-dad but it [...]]]>

I’ve been on a real cowl thing lately, if you hadn’t noticed. They’re quick to knit and super-practical, especially if you live in the Pacific Northwest—yet for some reason have a wardrobe full of scoop-necked T-shirts.

I actually made Single Malts as Christmas presents for both my husband and my step-dad but it would work just as well for a woman (just make it pink or something). And it’s fast. If I can make two of these in the weeks before Christmas, knitters who aren’t ADD shouldn’t have any problem turning one out in a weekend.

Bear in mind these aren’t super-professional instructions. I haven’t had this tested or tech edited or anything useful like that. But it’s free, so there you go.

Single Malt Cowl
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Baby Alpaca Grande Paint100 gr/110 yds. Color: 8822.
Finished size: 17″ around at top, 9″ long at front.
Gauge: 13 sts x 22 rows = 4″ (10 cm). (Gauge isn’t absolutely vital, but you do want to be sure this fits over the recipient’s head.)
Needles: US 10.5 dpns or 16″ circulars
Notions: Marker; tapestry needle for weaving in ends.

CO 48 sts, place marker and join, being careful not to twist sts.. Work 6 rnds in garter stitch.
Rnd 1: k1, m1L, k to 1 st before marker, m1R, k1.
Rnd 2: Knit around

Rep Rnds 1 & 2 until cowl measures 8.25″ (or until it looks like you’ll run out of yarn soon).
Work Rnd 1 again.
Next Rnd: purl around.

Rep these last 2 rnds 2 more times. Bind off loosely (or use something like Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy BO because you really don’t want this part to be too tight). Weave in ends. Block.

Enjoy!

Works well on a ski trip, too.