Birthday sale!

Oh, blog, I owe you so many posts.  I owe you posts on about seven designs (Stria! Harpswell! Rekaviður! Triangulate! Marlena! Mariella! And today, In August, Away!), two amazing past trips, (Iceland! Medomak!), two amazing upcoming trips (Portland and Seattle! Kniteast [still spots open in a couple classes--come join us]!), Stock(inette) Market (an amazing six-month retrospective coming soon!), and the general everydayness of my life.  I think at some point I need to declare blog bankruptcy and just move forward (and don't even get me started on how many of you I owe comment replies to.  That keeps me up at night).  But for today--big news! If you enter the coupon code "28on28" at checkout on Ravelry, you'll get 28% off almost all of my patterns (ones not for sale on Ravelry, Twist Collective, and Brooklyn Tweed patterns excluded)! Why 28? Because a week from now, I'll be turning 28 on the 28th--a true golden birthday.  I'm just starting the celebration a week early! The sale will run until the 31st.  Thanks for helping me celebrate!

The Stock(inette) Market: June 18th-July 14th

Would you look at that--I think we're actually caught up on the Stock(inette) Market! There were some amazing publications this past month, with some interesting and unexpected results in the numbers.  Let's take a look!

One note on last time's Average Percentage: I had mistakenly based the chart on only those categories that had averaged more than 1 appearance per data collection, rather than factoring in an "other" for the remaining categories.  It's been amended to reflect this; the dominoes in this fell most on neck accessories, dropping them from 51% to 47%.  While they still dominate this month, they have a slightly smaller percentage at 46%.  Cardigans have crept up from 14 to 15%, due to a heavy presence in many of the publications this month.  There were also more categories represented this time around, with men's patterns making the cut-off for the first time due to the release of Brooklyn Tweed's Men's collection and Martin Storey's book with Rowan, Pioneer.

Neck accessories had some major peaks throughout the month, corresponding both to the release of several publications (in the beginning of the month, Grace Anna Farrow and Kelbourne Woolen's collaboration on their new lace-weight yarn Meadow, Allium; and at the end of June and beginning of July, the release of the latest patterns in Romi Hill's Seven Small Shawls, Year 3) and organically (the spike on June 27th).  There were also small organic spikes near the end of the month as well.  One of these occurred due to Maylin's decision to turn Wingspan into a for-sale pattern instead of a free download; it and many of its descendants (and a few copycats) climbed back to the first page.

Cardigans and pullovers also had a few major spikes, occurring with the release of Knitscene's Fall 2013 preview and the spate of Rowan releases the first week in July (Rowan 54, Summer Selects Online Collection, Autumn Knits, and Pioneer), all of which were heavily geared towards garments.  BT Men's was also geared towards garments, and caused the obvious spike in men's garments seen around July 10th.  While both cardigans and pullovers were well represented throughout the month, the former rose as time went on, while the latter fell.  All other categories remained relatively steady.

 

Yarn type remained consistent with what we've seen in the past; semi-solids dominated, with a big spike in late June helped along by the release of Amy Miller's collaboration with the Plucky Knitter, The Little Collection.  There were also smaller organic spikes throughout the month, tied to Knitscene and Romi Hill's new collection.  Solids had a large spike with Rowan's Summer Selects and a smaller one with Carol Feller's new collection, Among Stones, but otherwise dropped over the month.  There was a small spike of tweed during the BT Men's collection, and two- and three-color projects had prominence as stranded colorwork in the Rowan releases and as stripes in Amy Miller's collection.  Variegated yarns were not present in large numbers at all this month.

The modeled categories remained steady, with modeled garments seeing a large spike due to Knitscene at the end of June and the Rowan releases around the 4th of July.  They had a sharp organic drop at the end of the time period, however, corresponding with a rise in dressforms.

 Fabric type was wildly variable this time around, with no clear winner.  While lace has been continually and clearly dominant in the past, this time there were major spikes in texture (Autumn Knits, Pioneer, and BT Men's), colorwork (Rowan 54 and Summer Selects), and stockinette (The Little Collection, BT Men's).  There were lace spikes to correspond with Knitscene Fall and Romi Hill's release, and an organic spike at the very end of the time period, but lace fell overall.  There was also a slight drop in colorwork once the Rowan patterns made their way off the front page.  Cables rose steadily, with spikes occurring for Knitscene and BT Men's; as we're seeing the first of the fall publications, we can surmise that these may be rising to fit seasonal trends.

Colors again were incredibly variable, with major spikes in reds (organic), greys (Rowan and BT Men's), and blues (BT Men's).  Red did drop sharply after its major spike at the end of June, but rose again organically at the very end of the month.  Green, white, yellow, and black rose slightly, and purple, brown, and orange stayed constant. 

Overall, a very volatile month--we had what seems to be the tail end of the light, lacy spring patterns and the very first of the textural and cabled fall patterns.  It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next month!

Stock(inette) Market: May 20th to June 17th

Hello again! Thank you for your patience as I get back in the saddle after my trip to Iceland! You're in for an awesome version of the Stock(inette) Market today as we work through a whole month's worth of data.  This marks the beginning of my transition to monthly posts; this will help us see the data in a larger picture, and also give me a little bit of a breather between posts.  We've got a little more catching up to do after this one, so there'll be one more post in a couple weeks, and then it'll be every month from then on out!

Before we start, I have to send a special shout out to Annika Barranti and Dianna Walla for their help in my absence; these awesome ladies made sure that all the data was recorded so there wouldn't be a huge gap in statistics.  Please join me in thanking them! (Pssst--Annika's got a sale going on one of her adorable patterns (coupon code: POSY50) and Dianna just put out a gorgeous tee.  Just saying.)

Neck accessories continue to be popular over this month, capturing 47% of the Hot Right Now real estate. There was a bit of a shakeup in the other categories--surprisingly, given an assumption that they'd be popular in the Northern hemisphere summer, vests have been replaced by toys.  Cowls and socks also took a larger percentage of the average than previously.  Cardigans and pullovers remain about the same.

There were some wild variations throughout the month in garment type, but most items remained steady overall. The beginning of the month saw mostly organic interest in patterns, with few major publications or sales.  While the few promotions during that time period (a sale from Thea Colman's BabyCocktails and a promotion by Brenda Burrell) bumped pullovers and cardigans, and shawls respectively, the biggest swing occurred at the end of May with the publication of Ashore with Friends, a collection by Cecily Glowik MacDonald that featured a number of sweaters.  This caused a spike in cardigans and a drop in neck accessories.  There was a further spike in sweaters and cowls in the first week in June due to the anniversary celebration of The Plucky Knitter, which featured sales and collections showcasing her yarns.  The end of the month saw a tick back up in neck accessories, which was a bit contrary to the big publication of the time, Knitty First Fall 2013, which only had three neck accessories this time around.  Other notable spikes include a kid's spike around June 7th due to the presence of many patterns by Elena Nodel, and a small spike in cardigans when Knitty debuted.

Solids and semi-solids continued to dominate, with semi-solids the clear winner this time around.  Semi-solids were present in Ashore with Friends, patterns associated with the Plucky Knitter, and in Knitty, so this dominance is unsurprising.  There was a small decline in 3+ color projects, a slight rise in 2 color projects and variegated at the end of the month, and stability in tweeds and self-striping yarns.

Model types also remained relatively constant, with a sharp dip in modeled garment coinciding with a rise in flat garments around the 10th of June. This doesn't seem to be attached to any publication or promotion, nor does it follow our hypothesis of lower modeled counts on the weekend.  There was also a drop in modeled/rise in flat at the end of the session.  Dressforms had a small spike around the 12th, also organically.

Fabric type saw a continued rise in lace over the month, even though there were several sharp organic drops throughout the time.  It had a steady presence both organically and in the publications of the time period.  There was also a slight rise in colorwork with several spikes towards the end.  Cables, though continuing to maintain a low profile during the summer months, had a slight rise.  Colorwork remained steady and stockinette, after starting high and with a big presence in Ashore with Friends, dropped slightly over the month. 

Color was as widely variable as ever during this time, but was relatively constant overall.  There were major spikes in blue, red, and green during Knitty First Fall, and blue continued to be a major player throughout.  Red and green both rose over the month, as did yellow and purple.  Grey and white fell, and black, though remaining low, did climb slightly.  This does raise the question of whether we do indeed favor bright colors during the summer months, or whether instead those colors are already pre-selected by the mood board and yarn support process of larger publications. 

Overall, while there were some large publications that debuted during this time, quite a lot of the changes that occurred were the result of organic searches and results.  It will be interesting to see if there is a marked difference between the two sources of traffic over time.  What do you think will occur?

Iceland: A Very Quick Tour

Hello! I am back from Iceland and still getting acclimatized to normal life.  I hope to write up a proper series of blog posts on my trip, which was amazing beyond belief, but in the meantime, wanted to direct you to my Flickr set of the best photos from the trip.  I promise to fill in the remaining details soon!

Stock(inette) Market: Quick Hiatus!

Hello all! I know there's supposed to be a scheduled Stock(inette) Market post this coming Monday, but there's a slight hitch: I'll be traveling in Iceland! I'll be back with a super-sized edition next time around.  In the meantime, have a wonderful couple weeks, and we'll get down to nerdy knitting talk when I get back!

A Wake for a Creative Giant

I had hoped my first post with content other that the Stock(inette) Market would be a happy one, but, as you've probably heard, there was some tragic news in the creative community this past week.  Kathreen Ricketson, the incredible mind behind WhipUp, and her husband, Rob Shugg, died tragically in the midst of their once in a lifetime roadtrip around Australia.  They left behind their 10 and 13 year old children, Orlando and Otilija.  It's impossible to fathom the grief surrounding those kids, and I can't even begin to express my sadness at their loss and the loss felt by Kathreen and Rob's community at large.  I've been holding everyone I love tight this past week, and I hope you've been doing the same.

I came across Kathreen's blog relatively late in the game, when she ran a series of blog posts from knitting designers last year.  It was an unparalleled opportunity to peek in the minds of some of the best and most creative designers on the planet, and I gobbled it up.  Since then, I've continually been struck with how comprehensive and vital WhipUp has been to those working in creative industries; she not only approached her work and her art with joy and energy, but with an understanding of how to survive, build, and thrive in creative fields.  The recent guest series by Destri of Mother Huddle is a perfect example--a wealth of information, presented wonderfully and joyfully.  WhipUp has been a godsend for me as I work to make my way in the knitting industry, and I don't know what I'll do without Kathreen's invaluable words.

I'm babbling.  This is hard.  It's hard to explain to people that you're grieving for the loss of someone you've never spoken to.  But Kathreen's impact on the creative community was enormous, and I am privileged to have been able to follow her for at least a small part of her journey.  If you feel even a modicum of the same way, a fund has been set up for Orlando and Otilija's education costs; you can donate via PayPal to the address otilijaandorlando [at] gmail [dot] com.  And give everyone you love an extra big hug.

The Stock(inette Market): May 6th-19th

Hello all! An interesting couple of weeks in the knitting world! We had some major industry publications: the continued presence of the Interweave Knits Summer 2013 preview I mentioned in the last edition; the 5th collection of Wool People, Brooklyn Tweed's guest designer series; Hannah Fettig and Quince & Co.'s collaboration on a Sparrow collection, Knitbot Linen; the debut of Melissa Wehrle's new book, Metropolitan Knits; and the preview for Knitscene's annual Accessories issue.  In addition, there were several notable trends caused by independent designers or searches.  Colorwork mittens had a continued presence through the first week due to Drunk Girl Design's subversive patterns (warning: strong language behind the link); Marisa Hernandez's shawls had a spike midway through the fortnight due to a Mother's Day promotion; and a variety of pineapple crochet patterns made an unexpected appearance on the morning of May 14th. Let's see what effect all of this activity had!

 

One clear trend from all of the above publications was the presence of many, many neck accessories.  Of the 16 items in Wool People 5, 9 were shawls or scarves, and Knitscene Accessories had 10 out of the 33 patterns in its pages.  Add to that a continued organic interest in them and the well-timed promotion from Marisa Hernandez, and neck accessories dominated with 55% of the market.  Cardigans also did well, as they were well represented in Interweave Knits and Knitbot Linen, and pullovers had a strong showing in Interweave.  Vests also made a comeback this fortnight, due to both organic presence and some popular examples from Interweave and Knitbot Linen.  Of note is the fact that hats, kids' garments, and toys fell off the list this week; the former was present in Knitbot Linen and Knitscene, but otherwise didn't make a huge impact, and the latter two were present in self-publications but not in great numbers.

 

Though neck accessories were present in large numbers, there wasn't a huge spike or uptick in their numbers over the weeks.  There was a small spike on May 7th when Wool People 5 debuted, then a larger one on May 9th that combined organic results and the continued presence of Wool People 5, and again another over Mother's Day weekend during Marisa Hernandez's promotion, but they remained otherwise fairly steady.  Pullovers started the session strong due to their heavy presence in Interweave, and cardigans rose in the end due to Knitbot Linen and Melissa Wehrle's Metropolitan Knits.  All others remained relatively steady, with a slight organic peak in cowls over the Mother's Day weekend and a combination organic and Interweave-based spike in vests around the 15th.

This is the first time we've seen a third figure really come into play on the yarn front to rival solids and semi-solids.  It's no surprise that tweed yarns would spike strongly with the release of Wool People 5, but what's also interesting is that other patterns featuring tweed or heathered yarns gained prominence around that same time as well, such as Jon, the Market Shawl, and the Salt and Pepper Cowl.  However, after about a week, things settled back down to normal, with solids and semi-solids again trading for prominence.  Both had strong presences in Interweave and Knitscene, with semi-solids leading slightly.  Solids rose a bit more in the first half of the second week due to Knitbot Linen, as well.  There were also some interesting spikes in 2-color projects throughout the weeks, both organically and due to industry publications.

Modeled garments started off the session strong, with the highest number on record (39/48) coming on May 9th, due to Wool People 5 and Interweave Knits.  However, this dropped off sharply as the period went on, with only a small spike for Knitbot Linen and Interweave.  Pictures with the item shown flat spiked organically over the 14th and 15th, and there was a small dressform spike on the 12th that matches Marisa Hernandez's promotion, as she shoots most of her shawls on a dressform.

Fabric type continues relatively steady, with almost no change in the continued dominance of lace.  There was an organic spike in stockinette on May 10th, and various small spikes of stockinette, texture, and colorwork throughout the remainder.  Cables started strong with a few garments in Wool People 5 utilizing them, but then dropped off throughout the rest of the weeks.  

 Color was again incredibly variable; blue started the weeks strong with a large presence in Interweave and a few popular garments in Wool People 5, and then spiked at the end of the session both organically and with Knitbot Linen.  Red climbed throughout, with a sharp organic spike between the 14th and 16th.  Grey spiked with Marisa Hernandez's promotion, as many of her shawls present were knit in that color, and green, orange, and white also climbed throughout the weeks.  Black, purple, yellow, and brown fell slightly. 

A very interesting couple of weeks, in all; industry publications brought many neck accessories and sweaters to the table, but these were also shored up by organic results.  We saw a continued dominance of lace, modeled garments, and blue and grey, with red rising again.  What do you think the next couple weeks will bring?