Back on Blogger!

     After a yearlong absence, I'm back in the blogosphere!  During the break I focused on developing my work and figuring out exactly what direction I want to go, taking things one step at a time.  If you've stumbled into this blog, you are probably a family member aware that I'm trying to break into the knitwear design community.  I can feel the momentum building in my life and I just know that 2013 is going to be my best year yet!

My first two orders of business this year were:

     1.  Enter Franklin Habit's Templeton Design Contest on Knitty!

     2.  Apply to be one of the 12 contestants for Skacel's online reality show The Fiber Factor!

     How did these first two "steps" work out for me?  Not exactly how I was hoping, but I do see glimmers of hope.  Although I didn't win the Templeton Design Contest, the project page for my contest entry (Poinsettia) saw a sudden surge of attention on Ravelry about three weeks ago.  The number of hearts and requests for the pattern from fellow Ravelers warms my heart and definitely feels like a major win to me!  As for The Fiber Factor, I gave my application an honest assessment, found its weak points, and I'm confident that I can send in a more convincing application next year.  In the meantime, I'm thrilled that they've invited "watchers" like me to participate in the challenges.  They are posting project photos on thefiberfactor.com, and even awarding prizes.  The way I see it, this is still a huge opportunity to gain exposure in the knitting community.  I'm not sure if my budget will allow me to participate in all seven challenges, but like I said...one step at a time.