Setting goals for 2021 is hard because I really don’t know what this year will look like. There’s a possibility I’m back to commuting to work, traveling on weekends or continuing to stay home. However, I’m setting goals now assuming life is as it currently is and if I need to change them during the year, then that’s what I’ll do! Are you setting 2021 goals or just going with the flow?
Knitting
In previous years, I’ve set goals for the number of projects I’d like to complete that year. It’s usually based on what I have planned for the year. This year, I will not be doing that. I have no clue how much knitting time I will have this year and I don’t want any pressure to complete anything at all. I won’t even set goals for knitting x times per week or x minutes a day because I really can’t say anything to it. Right now, I knit about 1x per week and we’ll see how that changes this year.
Of course if I want to knit, I will absolutely allow myself to do so.
I do wish to complete the Radvent throw this year using the 2020 advent calendar. If you’ve been following along, I failed miserably at completing an advent pattern this year. So I’m trying again!
I also want to up my charity game this year and continue to use scraps in my stash towards charity items.
Spinning
Ha! If I’m not setting any knitting goals, I certainly will not set any spinning ones either. Last year, I wanted to hit my goal of 3x per week and maybe increase it. This year, I just have the goal of spinning the Loop batt I purchased at Rhinebeck in 2019. I have not yet started it.
Business
My business, agirlandherwool, is definitely where I have the most goals as it is what I’m most actively working on these days. While I do have metrics for a lot of these, I’m going to keep them pretty general. My goals are the following:
- Vend at festivals if it is allowed and they are safe. Technically, this is just a waiting game as I have already signed up to vend at two of them. This can change. It’s not really a goal as it won’t be up to me if it is achieved, but I think when I look back on 2021 and if I had vended, I’d like to mark that off as a big win and step for my business.
- Have more collaborations with other makers. Any designers out there who want to collaborate, let me know! This also includes sponsorships, working with other crafters or really anyone! I’d like to keep working with others in the community.
- I want to start looking into having sample knitters for my shop. I need to research how this will work logistically and legally, but if you are interested in knitting samples for me out of my yarn, feel free to contact me.
- I plan to offer limited series clubs on the quarters. The 2nd quarter club will be a rainbow themed club.
- I want to offer more pattern based kits in my shop. I love setting these up, especially in alignment with my shop’s any size skein theme. Kits always seem to do well and I’d love to offer more. If you have some favorite patterns either new or old that you would love to see kits for, definitely let me know. I try to find ones that use lots of colors, but I’m open to anything!
- One main goal is to be more ahead. I always feel one step behind and like I can’t always release products as I want to. This year, I didn’t offer up holiday yarn because I didn’t have my act together in time. I’ve already started pre-planning colors for spring and so I think this will start to work out better. I’m actually a few Dye with Me vlogs ahead right now and will be dyeing new February colorways starting next week.
- In conjunction with 6, I plan to have one personal dye day per week. This means that one day per week, I will not dye orders. As a dye to order shop, it’s easy to just keep up with orders. The downside is it doesn’t leave you time to dye up anything new. By setting aside one day a week, I’ll be able to stay ahead and continue to offer more in my shop.
- I’m currently working with a really great routine that has allowed for more efficiencies in my shop without as much burn out. Essentially, I’m doing a little dyeing, a little yarn prep and a little packaging each day. This is opposed to long dye sessions on the weekends, late at night and then entire days devoted to packaging or late nights of prepping yarn. Overall, it’s been working out better and I’ve been consistent in getting orders out within 3-4 business days without feeling behind or stressed. This routine will have to change once my commute is added back in, but I will cross that bridge when I get there.
YouTube
Once again, I have metrics I would like to meet throughout this year (please subscribe!) but here are some general goals.
- Stick to my current 2x per week schedule. Consistency has been really great for having more interactions with viewers on my channel. I also may add in random content if I want to and feel like I have more to say!
- I would like to go into more livestreams this year. I’m not sure if they will be live dyeing as I prefer to keep my mask on while dyeing, but it’s something I may try out. I also would do live “package orders with me” where we could chat, answer questions and craft! I’m thinking of setting a goal of 1x per quarter for now.
Blog
Consistency with my blog is certainly something I struggle with. It’s often the first to go. I think in order to consistently post, I’m going to aim for 2x per week (vs 3) and keep them aligned with my vlogs on YouTube. I haven’t been knitting and so I do have knitting progress weekly, I’ll go back to posting that on Wednesdays, but for now, the topics of my YouTube vlogs are good!
Theme
My overall theme for this year will be growth and contentment. Those might sound opposing, but I truly do wish to grow my business this year and also remain content with where I’m at in the moment. It’s okay if I’m not a huge well known dyer, but I can certainly work towards growth. I want to be content with the products I do put out and not worry about the things I wish to do but just simply don’t have time for. I can’t wait to become more comfortable with the day to day of owning this business so that I can continue to bring more to the crafting community.
Until then…
You can see me chat about my 2021 goals on Youtube here…
Ideas – 1) I keep asking Twice Sheered Sheep to think about partnering with yarn and accessory makers for her advent calendar. I don’t want an all yarn or an all accessory calendar. The more it can be varied up with yarn, accessories, candies, and teas the better in my mind. I created advent calendars for my knitting friends using these items. 2) So I’d like to see more “advent” calendars during the year – a lent calendar, a Christmas in July calendar, a “spoil yourself” calendar, etc. 3) I’m still hoping you do a quarterly subscription (versus signing up/cancel/sign up/cancel etc.)
Yes I have a 2021 knitting plan. I certainly agree with your reasons not to have one this year but as a retiree, I have a lot of free time. For me, my plan simply reflects my thoughts at the beginning of the year and I am in no way obligated to complete it. It’s fun for me to see how I change my mind on what patterns to knit, what items to knit, and when I’ll knit them. Life happens and it’s okay.
A once a week blog seems okay to me but I can appreciate as a business you have to get your message out more frequently. Updates on the trials and tribulations of growing your business seems interesting to me.
I love those ideas for advents. I’ve never been big into some of the knitting accessories myself, which is why I did all yarn. I definitely understand the appeal of varying it up to have more fun surprises and honestly, less yarn to work on throughout December.
I added the quarterly subscriptions for the yarn of the month! You can opt in and it will automatically renew every 3 months instead of 1 month. Thanks for the reminder!
For your plan, that’s how I saw it too. It’s always nice to plan future projects, but there’s no really nothing holding us to it. For this year, I didn’t even want to think about it.
Have a great 2021!