How many times do bloggers apologize for lack of posting, relevant content or plain laziness? This is not an apology post but instead an evaluative process of what I get from knitting and if the parts of this craft that I enjoy the most are blog-worthy?
I should have gone into research because I love the process. I love finding out everything there is to know about something but so often, the actual something is far less interesting. That's how I am with knitting sometimes. The low productive periods are filled with the research, practice and controlled play. Then if I'm still interested and everything is in alignment, I can really enjoy the knitting.
Case in point, the Teddy Bear. I came upon this book at the Spring Retreat and loved the idea of knitting a Teddy Bear -- a three dimensional, sculptured knitted item. It was basically all knit stitches so there wasn't much to learn in that regard but plenty to research in terms of the perfect yarn and finishing techniques. I had a blast. I started this project at the Fall Retreat and when I got home, immediately abandoned it. I started to notice holes from the increases and fearing the filling was going to leak through, I lost my oomph for the knitting but not for the project. I can't tell you how many swatches I made to test various increases and even tried to create a few new ones. The "knitguyla left leaning increase that's invisible, perfect and sure to change the face of knitting"....well that didn't happen but I did learn a lot about increases. I knew all of the increases but never really thought about them in terms of which would work best or in what circumstances. I just followed the pattern, isn't that what everyone does? On the finishing end, I learned that I do indeed hate finishing. It's tedious and when you suck at it as I do, makes a handmade project homemade which is why I will surely contract out the finishing. As for the yarn, the limited selection of Florida yarns had me baffled and in the end, I left it to my LYS owner in L.A. to pick the perfect yarns and she did. With so little accomplished on my own, I found little to blog about so the project and the process entered the abyss of unfinished items.
Maybe I'm just your garden-variety hobbyist and with that don't have enough to blog about that's of interest to the greater community. QueerJoe and Knitterguy plan knitting retreats and blog about finished projects with the regularity that I wear shoes, YarnHarlot created and executed Sock Summit, WonderMike blogs at Fiberbeat (video included), Franklin writes hysterical books and finds time to split his time with an equally funny alter-ego (hell, I can't even spell panopti-who), YarnHarlot writes books (did I mention her already?), BrooklynTweed he writes books too and Dave spins and weaves with such expertise I nearly cry every time I visit The Weaving Studio!
I don't finish projects and occasionally write about it.
insert long pause If there's a blog police I'm in real trouble.
On a side note, I'm a little disappointed ::sniffle:: that no one commented on my staggeringly brilliant photography skills in my last post. My hunched-over reflection in the center ornament was a triumph for someone with so little skill behind the camera. It's too late, don't bother...unless you feel you must.
And welcome Shihtzuma to the followers. She's a knitter from NJ (that where my peeps live) and that's all I know about her. She lives in the land of knitters, I think I'll friend her and get to know her a little better. Welcome Donna! See, I learned something about her already...her name's Donna, just in case you didn't get that from the "welcome Donna" shout out! ;-)
4 comments:
It's a tough call. I know what you mean about blogging. I come to the crossroads more often lately. There are readers but the comments are so rare. And usually from the same folks, and they are the same folks I read, so it's reciprocal. But, is it personally fulfilling to you to put so much effort into it? I ask myself this question a lot. I HAVE been scaling back my online presence lately, too.
Sometimes, you've just got to LIVE life and stop blogging/tweeting/facebooking about it.
That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.
Oh, I would have commented on your cool ornament shot had I seen it before. It IS cool, and you know I would have commented on the decor or something. :)
I agree with you guys, I have really cut back on my web activity. Most of the knitters I know and talk to are on Ravelry so it seems kind of pointless to post projects there and a blog.
BTW Joe...great shot of the reflection.
Thanks for the props, Joe. Yes, being on Ravelry/Twitter/Facebook *and* doing the podcast/vidcast leaves precious little time to blog, much less do some actual knitting and spinning. Jeez, where do my days go???
Love the deconstructed Teddy Bear shot. Very po-mo!
This makes me feel sooooo much better. Give me small things to do, otherwise I lose interest - hate sewing up seams at the end...Get bored very easily, so like projects to be finished almost before they have started! Yes, understand completely about "should have gone into research"...I love researching the process, and seeing how that tricky thing works, but the whole, in general, is usually less satisfying than the exploration. I am trying to work out my next career step, and I think this is the crux of the whole of me...:-(
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