Fearful Knitting and Blogging
The batteries on my camera died, making now an excellent time to pose some questions/theories I have about both knitting and blogging, since I can't update in the regular way.
Fearful Knitting
As I have said many times, both in the cyberworld and in the real world, knitting is easier than it seems.
Very rarely do I attempt to knit something for the first time and find out that I can't (well, except maybe the simple act of making yarn overs).
But I still fear certain techniques/projects. My fears include
1) raglan sweaters
2) changing sweater patterns to work in the round
3) fair isle
4) that, no matter how hard I try, I will never graft as well as I wish.
5) that all of my knitting looks like hell and everyone is just too polite to say so,
So I ask of you, first, can you alleviate any of the first three fears (don't bother with the last two; I just won't believe you). I also would like to hear the fears of others, partly so I can alleviate your fears, and partly because I want to know I am even a little normal.
Fearful Blogging
In case I haven't made it painfully clear yet, I tend to be pretty insecure. The insecurity drives me to second guess what should be fairly simple concepts and actions. As a newcomer to the blogging world, blog etiquette falls very decidedly in the category of "things Beth questions."
Some blog etiquette questions
1) If someone comments on your blog, do you comment back on theirs, even if they have a very busy blog and you are certain that they read 39303824348 comments a day?
2) How much do bloggers welcome comments?
3) Will everyone think I am a weirdo if I comment on a stranger's blog?
4) Does everyone think I am a weirdo after reading this post?
Fearful Knitting
As I have said many times, both in the cyberworld and in the real world, knitting is easier than it seems.
Very rarely do I attempt to knit something for the first time and find out that I can't (well, except maybe the simple act of making yarn overs).
But I still fear certain techniques/projects. My fears include
1) raglan sweaters
2) changing sweater patterns to work in the round
3) fair isle
4) that, no matter how hard I try, I will never graft as well as I wish.
5) that all of my knitting looks like hell and everyone is just too polite to say so,
So I ask of you, first, can you alleviate any of the first three fears (don't bother with the last two; I just won't believe you). I also would like to hear the fears of others, partly so I can alleviate your fears, and partly because I want to know I am even a little normal.
Fearful Blogging
In case I haven't made it painfully clear yet, I tend to be pretty insecure. The insecurity drives me to second guess what should be fairly simple concepts and actions. As a newcomer to the blogging world, blog etiquette falls very decidedly in the category of "things Beth questions."
Some blog etiquette questions
1) If someone comments on your blog, do you comment back on theirs, even if they have a very busy blog and you are certain that they read 39303824348 comments a day?
2) How much do bloggers welcome comments?
3) Will everyone think I am a weirdo if I comment on a stranger's blog?
4) Does everyone think I am a weirdo after reading this post?
Oh I can teach you to change sweater patterns to the round its super easy...just bring thhe next one you want to do to knitting.
As for blogging. I find I'm more likely to read the blogs of people who read & comment on mine. Some people respond to my comments with emails though I haven't figured out how to do that yet with blogger. As for commenting on other people's blogs...I comment when there is something I want to say about thhe post or the blog. Bloggers love comments! Most people who comment on blogs are strangers but you can actually meet some cool new people that way...
Posted by
kat |
8:29 AM
Thanks, Kat. This leads me to another question...how does one reply to comments? I've seen it done (and done it) on your own blog, and on others' blogs. What is most effective?
Posted by
Bethro |
10:45 AM
Okay...so since we're confessing...I'm scared of hail in san francisco...and most color work (fair-isle, intarsia, whatever). i get sad when people dont leave me comments. i like reading comments on other blogs (i don't think its weird...in fact, i seldomly ever know if they're friends or not). sweaters scare me (although i think there might be medication available for that). and i genuinely like your completed knitted items, they don't look like hell to me. i dont know my times table, being caught without a calculator is a fear of mine. although that doesnt relate to knitting or blogger, it's still a real fear. so there. how many Hail Mary's do I owe?
Posted by
Cristina |
1:43 PM
Okay, you're clearly a weirdo. ;-)
No really, I wondered the same thing when I first started blogging. I get all kinds of excited when someone I don't know comments on my blog (which doesn't happen all that often). Responding to comments: if you have the ability to, I think the best way is to email them back. But either responding in your own comments (garners further discussion by others who actually read your comments) or commenting on their blog seems okay. The plus to commenting on their blog is people sometimes will follow your link back to you and will find you this way if you're interested in upping your readership.
As for your knitting fears... just try it and see if it really is all that scary! Raglans are great because you usually don't have to sew in your sleeves afterwards only to find that your sleeve cap doesn't fit into your armscye. I don't think it's ever REALLY possible to convert a sweater from flat to entirely in the round, but you can at least just go round and round up to the armhole shaping and then divide and knit back and forth as you would if it were in pieces. Can't help you with fair isle... haven't really done more than just a swatch yet...
Posted by
Jen |
8:49 PM