Blue sock February 1, 2008
Illusions
It’s interesting, with all that sandy tan color in the yarn how, to me anyway, this is a blue sock. The yarn is Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Sand Ridge. The color is absolutely perfect with my light blue jeans, which is perfect, because I absolutely live in those pants. I stopped knitting last night to do some toe math. I’ll knit up the toe and start the second sock this afternoon. The way the pattern moves while you look at it reminds me of something that M. C. Escher might have drawn, hence the pattern name “Illusions.”
After knitting the cuff and heel flap of the Mingus pattern, I’m desperately afraid that they’re too tight, and I won’t be happy unless I go up a needle size. Moan. This is so frustrating. I mean, when I knit Pomatomus—also by Cookie A, also incorporating an all-over twisted rib stitch—I had to go down two full needle sizes (we won’t talk about the number of times I started those socks only to rip them out again), from the recommended size 2s to 0s. So, when this pattern recommended size 1 needles, I automatically went down a size, again to 0s. I usually have to go down a needle size to get gauge in just about everything, so I thought I was safe. Kristie, if I don’t tear the whole thing out by then, I’ll bring what I have on Monday so you can see. Criminy.
I’ve been tagged!
Kim tagged me! I am to open a book I am currently reading to page 161, and copy the fifth sentence on the page. This is from Take a Thief by Mercedes Lackey:
This isn’t home—
Well, um, it’s the book I was reading yesterday when I wrote that part of this post. I also finished that book yesterday, and started a new one, Brightly Burning, also by Mercedes Lackey.
Edited to add: I totally forgot to tag anyone! Doh. Well, if you want to play, too, consider yourself tagged.
Sales and selling
I don’t know how many of you realize it, but I’ve been selling cross stitch and knitting patterns on eBay for about a million years. Maybe not actually that long. “Was” being the operative word. Though 2007 started out just fine, by March sales were pretty dismal. By summer they were pretty bad. Then, in November and December when sales usually soar again for the holidays, they sank to an all-time low. Honestly, the first year I was selling I did better in December than I did in 2007. It was pathetic. When you add up the amount I spent for product, the service I use, the monthly fee for the eBay store, the listing cost, the closing costs for those few items I sold, and then added in the PayPal fees, I lost a ton of money.
Even with all that it took a while to decide. But when the year’s numbers were so pathetic, and things got increasingly bad instead of improving, the decision was basically made for me. I contacted all the wholesalers and designers whose auto-ship programs I belong to, and told them not to send me anything else. I ran a sale on everything I had throughout January, unloading as much inventory as I could, then closed my eBay store. Closed it. It’s done. Gone. Piff. For the first time in nine years I have absolutely nothing listed for sale on eBay. Nada. Zip. Zilch.
It’s surreal.
I can’t really tell you how odd it is to not need to go over to eBay to check on something, answer a question, deal with things.
The current plan is to get rid of as much inventory as I can this month from the web site I’ve been using to host my Laura’s Books stuff, then I’ll close that store down, too. If you want anything in my old store, don’t wait. It may be gone soon, and I won’t be reordering.
As you may already know, I’ve been searching for shopping cart software that does what I want, that Dave also approves of. Whatever inventory that’s left at that point will get itself moved to the new store under the Fiber Dreams name, along with the patterns that I’ve come up with myself.
That’s what’s been going on here. Now you know.
~Kristie February 1
Illusions is the perfect name. That sock color is *perfect* for your jeans!
If you think they’ll be too tight.. they probably will be. I can’t believe you didn’t need to go down a needle size. I wonder if it also has something to do with the yarn?
Maybe the ebay sales dropped because you’re not supposed to be doing that anymore. You’re starting to make a name for yourself as a designer, and maybe that’s where your focus is supposed to be. I have this notion that “everything happens for a reason”. Sometimes we know immediately why things happen, and other times we just have to wait and see. I’m sure it was a difficult choice and I’m sorry for that.
Denise February 1
Laura, Your sock pattern is lovely and the colorway reminds me of beach sand & sky. I was thinking about what you said about it being a perfect match for your jeans… I can’t tell you how many times that my entire outfit has been determined based on which handknit socks I plan to wear that day. Of course no knitters would find that in the least bit strange : )
- Denise
(-wave- to Kristie!)
Ria February 2
I finished reading Take a Thief and Brightly Burning earlier this month too.
I’m on a big Lackey kick right now, and am alternately reading through Magic’s Pawn (for the umpteenth time) and Owlflight (for the third time). I think once I devour those trilogies I’m going to read th Winds and Storms books again, too. I can’t seem to get my head out of Valdemar lately!
KeanaLee February 4
You inspire me toknit more socks! They are so pretty.
Robin February 5
I love that pattern with that colorway. It looks great. I agree with Kristie in that your ebay store isn’t doing well for a reason and maybe you should focus on your designing, you are so, so wonderful at it. There is always a reason for everything, imho.