ways to build community in this space

as we're about to enter into December, traditionally the busiest month for most folks, i wanted to take some time out to share a little secret with you ... i've got big plans for 2012 that i'm going to be announcing at the beginning of December! these plans include a challenge to knitters everywhere, and in order to get the largest number of knitters involved, i need your help.

simply put, i'm hoping we can grow this community between now and the first of the year by leaps and bounds ... maybe even doubling it!

to do so, i'm calling on all you regular readers to help me out! there's some super simple ways to do this without taking up tons of your time - can i share them with you?

1. comment!
simply stated, blogs with comments on every post tend to make new readers think "hey, if everyone else thinks what she has to say is interesting, i bet i would too!" now, i'm not asking you to comment randomly, or say stuff you don't really mean just to help me build numbers, but sharing what you thought of what i had to say helps me know what's on your mind, and where what i'm sharing is resonating.

for my part, i'm going to try to remember to ask a question at the end of each post, something for you to respond to and to discuss.

2. follow in a feed reader (google reader, bloglovin', etc). 
i've added a handy-dandy tracker in the left-hand sidebar (see it over there?!) which lets me and everyone else know just how many folks are subscribers. if you've already got a feed reader, this makes it super easy to keep updated on the blog - it automatically streams what i'm posting to your reader, along with any other blog you follow, helping save you time. no more hunting around from website to website to see what your favorite bloggers have to say, it's all in one spot!

if you don't already read blogs in a feed reader (i use google reader), maybe now is the time to consider it?

3. join me on google plus!
are you a fan of all things Google? i tend to be a Google fan-girl the way some folks are Apple fan-girls. one of their newest free offerings is Google Plus - a way to connect with other folks, share stuff you love on the internet and so much more. it combines Facebook, Twitter, and blog feed readers. it allows you to "plus one" just about anything on the internet so that you can share it with like-minded folks. and i'm on board!

i share blog posts from this blog on my Google Plus account, as well as other blog posts i love. if you're on Google Plus i'd love to connect with you - i love reading the posts, comments and thoughts of the folks there!

4. like the Minimalist Knitter Facebook page!
while i've gone back and for the about Facebook for several years, i finally got around to creating a page for Minimalist Knitter, and i'm finally able to say i'm digging what Facebook has to offer! not only do i post to the page each time i post to the blog, i'm also gearing up to host giveaways, coupon codes and more exclusive stuff there in 2012!

liking the Facebook Page is a great way to follow what's happening on the blog without having to head to the blog page every day - when you log onto Facebook the newest happenings will show up in your news feed.

5. join the ravelry group.
KALs, discussions of minimalism and knitting, and so much more! and with the big 2012 plans taking shape, there will be even more discussion, pattern sneak peeks and more coming!