Hello! Yes, I know - I'm not keeping up with my blogging! I always pledge to do better, but then things get crazy and I wait too long. But I'm back!

Anyway, I mostly wanted to give a little update on the Virtual Knitter .  First of all, I still have to do the drawing for the free ball of yarn - thanks to all of your who gave great suggestions for the content of my site.  I'll get that drawing done in the next few days and notify the lucky winner. But now for the update...

I'm still a long ways off from coming up with a concrete plan - or a site design for that matter. I had envisioned using this as a vehicle for learning more HTML skills and building the site from scratch. Well, I decided to put that idea aside for the time being in order to start working on some of the content first and worrying about that later.  So I signed up for Go Daddy's Website Tonight service in order to use a site template that's pretty customizable yet allows me to publish things much more quickly. At some time in the future I'll likely transition over to a more homegrown design as that's much more versatile in the long run, but for now, this allows me to concentrate on other aspect of the site.

Based on suggestions and my own desires, I have decided that one of the fist elements I want to concentrate on is creating a database of LYS and other fiber arts suppliers and resources. The lack of a really good place to go on the net and find geographic lists of LYS has really frustrated me over the years. So, I've pieced created a secure online form where LYS owners can submit their information in order to be included. Now I've just got to get the word out that it's there.  It can be accessed by visiting my site at www.VirtualKnitter.com and navigating to the "LYS Database Form" or directly here:  Virtual Knitter LYS Database Submission Form.  Please pass this on to anyone you know who operates either a brick & mortar LYS or an online store. I'd love to get their info as soon as possible. Creating this database will be an ambitious project so don't expect to see it posted right away.  However, I'll try to keep people who submit their information updated on the timing as best as I can.

You'll notice when you visit my site that it's still the same old ugly header that I threw up there to get started.  I have some concepts in mind for what I want the final design to look like. I feel that rather than make something that's a little better than what I've got now, and then replacing it again when I decide on a final look, that it's more important to keep things consistent so people recognize that they're back at the same site until I introduce the real deal. You'll also notice on the form page, I've got a security icon down that the bottom of the page. Since I'm asking people to submit their contact information to me, I went ahead and purchased a security certificate for my site. You can be assured that your data is safely encrypted and I'm the only one able to access it once you submit it to me.

Well, that's all for now. Please submit your information if you're a shop owner.  Or if not, please pass the link on to anyone you know who is, and request that they submit their information.  Thanks!