2012 was a tumultuous year for me and my family.  I started it as a grad student and finished my Master’s degree (Library Science, what what!) halfway through, bought a house with my husband in March, went through 3 different part time jobs and internships galore, and got married in August.  It was a fantastic year, but an exhausting one, too!

So where does FuzzbeeYarns fit into the tumultuous 2012?  I started selling on Etsy in September 2012 and quickly honed in on what I wanted to be its core: one of a kind natural dyed yarns, both handspun and millspun, that had a personal touch and an environmental conscience.  Since September I’ve gotten more into yarn selling than I thought I would have in such a short time, and it’s truly become a passion.  So, amid all the fantastic busy-ness and chaos that was 2012, delicious new yarns were an undercurrent that provided a little fun, a little playfulness, and a little income.

Where to go from here?  I know I want to develop a greater vision for FuzzbeeYarns in 2013.  I want to write a business plan (because even a tiny business on the side is a business!), grow my audience and educate the public about why I do yarn the way I do it.  I also want to connect with local groups more and get myself involved in my local community of yarn makers and fiber artists.

One way I’ll be doing this is maintaining my Twitter presence and being better about updating this blog.  Another way is by reaching out to other fiber artists, getting reviews and doing collaborative projects (do you have an idea for a collaborative project? Tweet me or fill out the contact form!).  I’ll be creating a line of yarns for a local Minneapolis shop to get a local in-person foothold outside of fairs.  I’ve got two classes scheduled through the Weaver’s Guild of Minnesota that highlight natural dyeing and handspinning.  Lastly, I’ll get involved in fairs and in-person selling events that I didn’t do last year, and talk up everyone I can.

So my hope is that, while 2012 was the year of frenetic change, staggeringly soaring heights, and serious life challenges, 2013 can be a year of incremental change and even-keeled growth and learning.

May 2013 be a happy and healthy year for you all.