A New Year
Hey, it’s 2022 now. I haven’t written a blog post in ages, so I thought I’d begin the year with one.
Lots of stuff will be happening this year for Expertly Dyed. First, I’m going to talk about the kinds of content I’m planning to distribute on a regular basis. Second, I’ll describe what I mean by ‘regular basis’. Third, I’ll share with you some big project ideas I have in mind that are in pre-development (i.e., they’re just aspirations at this point).
To recap 2021. I know that I finished my PhD last year and passed my viva and resubmitted the final edits. I really only had a ‘soft relaunch’ of my normal scheduling, like I had in pre-2016. Why? Well, it mainly had to due with an overeager person who can’t say no. Seriously, I also presented 9 conference papers, helped organize 2 conferences, and conducted a conference session on my own. I was glad when one invited talk fell through and another one was postponed until the end of January this year. When I wasn’t working on PhD and professional pursuits, I was also looking for a job (no, it’s not as an archaeologist—that’s a very long story). I am currently teaching people about the history and process of making chocolate, as well as guiding them through making their own. It’s actually a very cool job. The one downside is the pandemic—without going into too much detail, I can only work hours when we have enough people to book a session. This makes Expertly Dyed a very important source of income for me. So, if you’ve been a fan of my work for any length of time, I would very much appreciate any support you can offer: sharing my info is free (I get more traffic to my site), subscribing to my content is free (I get ad revenue), but you can also buy directly from my webshop (see links above!) and make a one time donation (in case you aren’t crafty but like to pay it forward).
First, I will be resuming all of my popular video series. I have several new Fiber Talk episodes that are spun and ready to film. For example, I will finally review Shetland wool. Second, I have a surprisingly large list of tutorials that I have time to make now. These will include, but aren’t limited to: batt making and spinning, dyeing, and working with plant fibers. Third, I will be continuing with my Iron Age textiles series by describing how to setup an experiment and how to interpret your conclusions. As well, I will be continuing on my (perhaps poorly named) Daily Vlogs because they give me a useful platform to discuss my personal growth in crafting and so I can review other material. Late 2021, I teamed up with Evie from JillianEve and had a fun Zoom interview, which turned out to be fun and well-received. I will be scheduling more regular sessions with her since we have similar goals with presenting information and creating a welcoming fiber community.
I’ll be using these two journal calendars to help me stay organized and on track each week.
As far as non-video updates, I will be trying to get one new blog post added each week. I have no clue whether it will be on a specific day of the week—don’t be surprised if I rush to get it up by Sunday—but I think blog writing helps me keep everyone updated on the behind-the-scenes stuff. I think this will keep everyone in the loop about events I’m planning (see below), when I get behind on my schedule, and to drum up anticipation about upcoming videos. A few months ago, I started making a short blog post whenever I posted to Instagram and found that it gave me space to elaborate on whatever I was posting. So, Instagram will likely be the condensed version and the blog will be the extended version. The different format will also be nice for those who don’t use/like Instagram.
The holiday season was very successful for me so the in-between times will be spent making new products for the shop. You’ll be seeing loads of new batts, a few new dyed braids, and a few skeins of yarn. These will be available on Etsy as well. I am adding new items though too! You’ll be seeing hand knits and hand wovens in the form of hats (already started!), mittens, fingerless gloves, and scarves. Because I easily get annoyed with Etsy and pricing, I will only be listing my finished goods for sale on expertlydyed.com.
This is a simple broken rib hat made from hand dyed merino yarn. I’ll be posting it in the shop once I’ve had a chance to wash it and photograph it properly!
Second, by ‘regular basis’ I mean ‘look for weekly updates’. Videos take a while to prep, film, edit, and upload. I am not a full time youtuber so I can’t keep up with anything more than once a week at best. I dye everything* in my shop, and since I don’t have a studio, I have to coordinate my dyeing with my need to cook dinner. I’ll get at least a handful of new items added each week but I can’t promise I’ll always add 10 new batts each time. My PhD has sapped my will to write anything so I haven’t been inspired to write for my blog. Like I said, I’ll try to write about something that’s been on my mind about once a week, and if I have more to say about an Instagram post, I may write an extended post too.
Third, I have one big project in mind set for some time in 2022. As I write, I’m also worried that I picked a time too soon (February) so I’ll have to reconsider the start date for it. However, I can tell you the title: You Do You. It was very much inspired by my need to do everything for everyone else and nothing for me. I need to change this. I have a stash of wool I hardly ever spin because I’m busy making stuff for the shop or for videos or for experiments I’d like to publish. The premise of the theme is to set aside personal time for YOU where you can just be yourself and do things for YOU. As well, if you spend lots of time working on projects for yourself and want to break out and share with others, well, You Do You. That means, if you’d rather focus on spending time making something for someone else, then feel free to do that instead. This is a highly customizable theme that gives you flexibility to adapt the idea to your way of doing. By doing it along with someone else, me, you can be motivated to join in and share your experience. I will endeavour to get this big project set and advertised early enough so you can get your stash organized in advance of the project. Look for it in March or April.
Last, I will be posting a video (hopefully this week!) where I describe my craft-related 2022 resolutions and tell you why I think this is important.
