WOW! I have no words, really guys! EB Knits made it to one year and it’s truly just the beginning. It’s ALL because of your support! I am so thankful and grateful ~ honestly I’ve had such a fun time this year. At the very beginning I didn’t know what I was doing, and I still don’t know all that much, but even creating a direction of my business was a mystery. But somewhere this past year I found myself and confirmed to myself that EB Knits will be around a long time because I truly love working on it! From working with you guys on custom orders and designs to learning new aspects of small business to hammering out shipping strategies to upping my social media game to advancing my knitting knowledge, this business has taught me so much. And not just these points I just laid out, but it’s taught me that I can DO IT. Don’t know how to knit a sleeve or a collar? I’ll figure it out! Don’t know how to start a newsletter? I’ll figure it out! I’m still working on my social media growth, but eventually, yes, I’ll figure it out! And this extends to my confidence in myself even beyond the business - insurance, bills, how to cook lol whatever it may be, I’ll figure it out. YouTube and Google really are the best resources sometimes.

In the past year, knitting has become such a refuge for me. At the end of the day, picking up my needles brings me peace and a sense of calm. But even more than that, I LOVE designing and creating this business. I feel like it’s my baby, shaping and crafting it as I change and grow.

A year ago when I started this journey I really felt like I was just selling my hats, but now I’ve become extremely passionate about EB Knits and turning it into a profitable business! I’ve gone from printing out makeshift business cards on card stock and cutting it in the curviest of lines to designing my first set of business cards from Greenerprinter - to go along with my eco-friendly business model. I’ve finally found a direction in my brand, and I really think it’s all about just starting then experimenting with every aspect of your business and learning as you go. It’s still a lot of trial and error on my end - for example, I still can’t decide exactly what to include in each package - some items like hang tags and thank you cards seem wasteful based on watching previous customers open their packages, but I also want everyone to realize how grateful I am for choosing EB Knits so it’s still a work in progress. Something else I’ve learned - buying in bulk and taking advantage of sales are good opportunities to save money, but don’t purchase so many supplies that you’ll have a ton of excess - buy small quantities while you’re experimenting with brands and fibers and colors. Anyway…. let’s take a look back at where I was a year ago today.

November 15, 2018:

A year ago today I debuted nine custom styles of hats and headbands. Since then I’ve listened to you guys and your OBSESSION with neutral colors. I’m still a fan of color, but have incorporated more neutrals into the shop and now have a whole bunch of neutrals in stock! I’ve also paired down the original color options and streamlined my website for a (hopefully) better and simpler customer experience. Back then, I truly just threw up all of my available yarn up in a picture for all of you to choose from (probably 20+ colors). But I didn’t have several skeins of each color, I mainly just bought limited skeins of yarn in pretty colors - note for any small business owner: simpler is better, don’t give so many options, keep a back stock of your available colors and limit those to a certain amount so your customers aren’t overwhelmed! Sometimes what we as makers see as super accommodating can backfire and actually cause more confusion and overwhelm.

A look ahead:

• Going luxury! Once I near the end of my acrylic yarn stash, I’m going luxury and diving into working with natural fibers. I’ve experimented some already and in my opinion it looks so much more elegant - the stitches really stand out and it is also better for the environment!

• Going eco-friendly: I’ve also already begun to transition my shipping supplies to products that are friendlier for the environment. This has become one of my top priorities in my life overall this year.

• Adding more styles to the shops: I’m always going to love my beanies and the countless different patterns and designs, but I hear you guys and I’ll continue to add scarves, try some mitten designs, home decor and more!

Here’s to an even better and more exciting 2nd year full of growth!