February 08, 2005
oh me oh my
this whole broken finger thing has REALLY set me back. remind me never to do that again, kay? thanks.
you know, i read lovely wonderful entries from bloggers like the boogie, colette, jenn, greta, rachael, cate, and rabbitch (just to name a few, dont feel bad if you're excluded, i'm tired!) and i wonder why i cant be as cool and interesting as them... i dont care if YOU girls think your lives are boring, your writing styles make me WANT to read about your mundane and knitting lives alike. so why cant i be one of them?
that's my new goal in life, when people think about INTERESTING bloggers, i want to be one of them :) when you say things like the boogie, or Harlot, people KNOW who you're talking about. cause they read those blogs too! c'mon, you know you all do.
so what's a gal got to do to get on that list? i'm open to suggestions :)
ok enough of that, back to the broken finger. for the past week... ish, i've only been able to knit the most rediculously simple of items. things involving large needles, and straight knitting or purling. actually, i couldnt even PURL for most of that. so i've been doing silly things like rolled brim hats and boring scarves. but i managed to FINISH (yes finish. pics? is that an iceberg in hell? not yet! hah) clapotis two days ago. and i was able to pick up and work on a small-gague glove on DPN's today without it hurting like hell. so i think i may be JUST about ready to jump back into the swing of things. by swing i mean all of the more hand-and-brain-consuming things like the following list.
now that my finger's feeling better i must get off my butt and:
1. make flowers for my flower buddy! i mean, i'm organizing the exchange, so it would be pretty terrible if i slacked on that one.
2. pick a pattern and get in gear for the sockapalooza! that's one i'm really excited about, and to get you must also give so i MUST GIVE.
3. pick and start on a secret project for my secret pal. i've decided that knitters make the best recipients of knit gifts, and my pal i'm sure is no exception! so she's going to get something special :)
4. spoil my secret pal in other sundry ways as well. i'm going to be one hell of a secret pal, i've decided. i dont have a lot of $, but there are DEFINATLY ways to spoil someone without busting the bank.
so that's not TOO much, right? i'm a naturally deadline-rebelious person, i learned that in school. but i think for the sake of the other knitters involved in the above endeavors, i owe it to them and myself to make this all happen.
so what am i still doing typing!? ack! i'm outa here :)
you know, i read lovely wonderful entries from bloggers like the boogie, colette, jenn, greta, rachael, cate, and rabbitch (just to name a few, dont feel bad if you're excluded, i'm tired!) and i wonder why i cant be as cool and interesting as them... i dont care if YOU girls think your lives are boring, your writing styles make me WANT to read about your mundane and knitting lives alike. so why cant i be one of them?
that's my new goal in life, when people think about INTERESTING bloggers, i want to be one of them :) when you say things like the boogie, or Harlot, people KNOW who you're talking about. cause they read those blogs too! c'mon, you know you all do.
so what's a gal got to do to get on that list? i'm open to suggestions :)
ok enough of that, back to the broken finger. for the past week... ish, i've only been able to knit the most rediculously simple of items. things involving large needles, and straight knitting or purling. actually, i couldnt even PURL for most of that. so i've been doing silly things like rolled brim hats and boring scarves. but i managed to FINISH (yes finish. pics? is that an iceberg in hell? not yet! hah) clapotis two days ago. and i was able to pick up and work on a small-gague glove on DPN's today without it hurting like hell. so i think i may be JUST about ready to jump back into the swing of things. by swing i mean all of the more hand-and-brain-consuming things like the following list.
now that my finger's feeling better i must get off my butt and:
1. make flowers for my flower buddy! i mean, i'm organizing the exchange, so it would be pretty terrible if i slacked on that one.
2. pick a pattern and get in gear for the sockapalooza! that's one i'm really excited about, and to get you must also give so i MUST GIVE.
3. pick and start on a secret project for my secret pal. i've decided that knitters make the best recipients of knit gifts, and my pal i'm sure is no exception! so she's going to get something special :)
4. spoil my secret pal in other sundry ways as well. i'm going to be one hell of a secret pal, i've decided. i dont have a lot of $, but there are DEFINATLY ways to spoil someone without busting the bank.
so that's not TOO much, right? i'm a naturally deadline-rebelious person, i learned that in school. but i think for the sake of the other knitters involved in the above endeavors, i owe it to them and myself to make this all happen.
so what am i still doing typing!? ack! i'm outa here :)
Comments:
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Hey! How incredibly flattering to be on that list! I'm not sure I'm worthy. :) Anyway, I have thought a little bit about what makes a successful blog, and although I am certainly not doing the vast majority of these things, this is what I think it takes, beyond the obvious criterion of good writing (my first challenge, lol). I analyze stuff like this for work, so here is my take.
1. Consistency. It seems like the most popular bloggers are absolutely reliable in posting every day or nearly. I think regular posting encourages people to check regularly, and also fosters a sense of familiarity and investment in the blogger's life/world/etc.
2. For knitblogs (not necessary for non-knitting blogs, but helpful), ample use of photos and illustrations. This is a lot of extra work from my perspective, but I think it adds a lot to a blog and helps people feel invested in your projects.
3. A commitment to reading and commenting widely. Again, this is a challenge, but I've found that some of the most popular bloggers read and comment all over the place. They are active in the blogosphere, in knit-alongs, in rings, etc.
4. A great deal of attention to commenters. I've been really impressed that when I comment on top blogs that sometimes get upwards of 100 comments a day, the bloggers often write me back, acknowledging my comment and just saying something nice (and sometimes they even come to my blog and comment, making me feel like I just got invited to sit at the cool table). I think this really encourages people to a) keep reading, b) keep commenting, and c) feel like a part of a community, which in the end, a good blog provides.
finally,
5. I think many good/popular (not necessarily synonymous!) bloggers let you in to their lives and chat with you like their talking to a friend. They give you a sense of who they are, their quirks, their failings, their mistakes. They make fun of themselves, and let you laugh along at the ways you're like that too.
That's my analysis. I am not doing a lot of these things, as many of them are very time-consuming and I just can't, but if, for example, I decided to use my blog as a marketing tool for, say, launching a writing career (ever check out the zero boss?), I'd commit the time to do these things. And I think my blog would grow if I did them.
All that said, I want to be Stephanie/Harlot when I grow up. ;)
Hugs. Hope your finger gets better fast. What a wicked drag.
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1. Consistency. It seems like the most popular bloggers are absolutely reliable in posting every day or nearly. I think regular posting encourages people to check regularly, and also fosters a sense of familiarity and investment in the blogger's life/world/etc.
2. For knitblogs (not necessary for non-knitting blogs, but helpful), ample use of photos and illustrations. This is a lot of extra work from my perspective, but I think it adds a lot to a blog and helps people feel invested in your projects.
3. A commitment to reading and commenting widely. Again, this is a challenge, but I've found that some of the most popular bloggers read and comment all over the place. They are active in the blogosphere, in knit-alongs, in rings, etc.
4. A great deal of attention to commenters. I've been really impressed that when I comment on top blogs that sometimes get upwards of 100 comments a day, the bloggers often write me back, acknowledging my comment and just saying something nice (and sometimes they even come to my blog and comment, making me feel like I just got invited to sit at the cool table). I think this really encourages people to a) keep reading, b) keep commenting, and c) feel like a part of a community, which in the end, a good blog provides.
finally,
5. I think many good/popular (not necessarily synonymous!) bloggers let you in to their lives and chat with you like their talking to a friend. They give you a sense of who they are, their quirks, their failings, their mistakes. They make fun of themselves, and let you laugh along at the ways you're like that too.
That's my analysis. I am not doing a lot of these things, as many of them are very time-consuming and I just can't, but if, for example, I decided to use my blog as a marketing tool for, say, launching a writing career (ever check out the zero boss?), I'd commit the time to do these things. And I think my blog would grow if I did them.
All that said, I want to be Stephanie/Harlot when I grow up. ;)
Hugs. Hope your finger gets better fast. What a wicked drag.
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