Knitting Zeal

It's my blog-iversary!

So back in August of 2004, I decided to jump in head first and figure out this blogging thing on typepad.  I had been using several other blog formats before, but decided to try to do something that looked nicer.  I was childless back then, so my blog focused on knitting primarily.  Fast forward seven years and my focus has changed to parenting and food!  I still knit, but post that stuff on Ravelry. 

It's been a great experience blogging for this long and I love having a record of my life for the past seven years, expecially with photos.  In a way it is a scrapbook/journal for me to have of my life and hopefully my son will enjoy reading through it when he is older.  

Once, at least five years ago, I had my blog printed and bound in a book.  Someday I'll have to do that again to keep a printed version of those later years too. 

Blogging has given me lots of opportunities to meet people online and in real life.  It started with knitting and has increased to parenting now too.  Through it I've been able to take on other writing assignments, such as being a contributing writer on Mama's Little Helper and Montco Moms Blog, as well as write for Examiner.com.  I enjoy writing and hope that as I have more time to focus for more than ten minute intervals, I'll be able to increase my writing and be more creative.  

I've also enjoyed participating in different groups, such as BlogHer's book club, writing reviews of fun products companies have sent me, linking up to menu plan Monday and Project Spectrum, and making connections with companies who produce products I really believe in and enjoy using, such as 360 Cookware.  Blogging has been a great way to try new things and share my experiences with others.

I'd love to redesign my blog, but that involves learning coding and other techy stuff.  I'm still trying to master my dslr camera.  One thing at a time!    

So, thanks for reading my little piece on the interwebs.  I hope it's amusing at least some of the time!

Blogoversary #6: Reflections on blogging.

So it's been six years since I first started this blog.  I had been using other blog formats prior, but this is the blog I've maintained for the longest period of time.  That first post was rather measly but one must start somewhere!  I am reminded by those first posts that I started blogging when I was participating in a knitting swap/exchange.  Since then my blog has grown from a purely knitting blog to a more diary/journal of my life (well, at least what I am willing to share with the internets...)  Now my blog is more about parenting and food than knitting and crafts, but I suspect that it will change again in the future as my life changes.  

I spent some time reading my posts from over the years.  When I started blogging, Ravelry did not exist, so this was my way of keep track of projects, getting advice from other knitters, and "meeting" other knitters online.  I learned so much about knitting from joining various blog knitting rings and discovering other knitting blogs.  I still follow many of those blogs, who like me have evolved over the years.  I've been updating some of my blog lists in the sidebar lately to include the blogs I still read regularly, although I do tend to read many of them on bloglines.  I realized that some of the knitting rings I was in no longer exist, so I just deleted them from my site.  Now that I've entered the world of parenting, my blogs to read list includes many mom blogs.  I honestly tend to read more food and knitting blogs than parenting ones, but there are some great local mom bloggers that I follow.  It is interesting to see how blogging has evolved over the years.  I have added ads to my site to help offset the cost of my blog.  There is even a Blogher conference this week in NYC.  I know a few bloggers attending it and it sounds like a lot of fun, but not something that I can fit into my life at the moment. 

Blogging has been a positive and creative outlet in my life.  It is my online scrapbook of my experiences in this crazy world!  I am grateful for all of the other bloggers I've "met" over the years and plan to keep up with this for as long as I am inspired!  

Pillow review!

Please check out my review blog for my most recent review of my new pillow!

Blogaversary

Wow, I just realized that my blog has existed in it's Typepad state for three years now!  I started this blog on 8/5/04 as a means to properly participate in Secret Pal 2!  I had been using live journal, but was not entirely happy with it.  In three years I have met so many creative and wonderful bloggers and have kept in touch with most of my Secret Pals since then.  I haven't been a great blogger this past year, but I have no intention of stopping.  Hopefully I'll get back into more regular postings.  This is my 271st post and I've had 456 comments to date.  Thanks for reading and sticking by me even when the posts have been infrequent! 

Blog Anniversary

I have officially completed a whole year of blogging on this site.  I am amazed at how blogging has impacted my life.  Besides keeping track of my life through an online journal, I feel that I have actually completed more projects because of wanting to post photos of completed objects.  I also have met many great knitters online who have certainly helped me get through struggles with projects or life.  I really have enjoyed this format and surprised myself that I kept up with it--I have a hard time keeping a hand written journal.  So thanks to anyone who reads this!  I appreciate it!

This past week was exhausting--the heat wave along with the humidity--was oppressive.  It left me zapped of energy or much desire to knit.  I did go to the S&B on Tuesday night.  I got a bit of my sleeve done on the pink sweater, but I am not close to finishing it.  I won't have much time this weekend either, as I throwing a birthday Bar-B-Que for my mom on Sunday.  I have been working on the OSW and am up to the seed stitch sleeve borders.  Nothing worth a photo, though!

I took the kids at work to the University of Pennsylvania Archeology Museum this week.  Overall it went well, despite the heat.  Most of the museum was not air conditioned, we think because the building is so old.  The kids liked the mummy section the best, along with the actual bones/skeletons of deceased ancient people.  There was also a bit of excitement going on in the area of the museum and across the street at Franklin Field.  Apparently a Disney movie was being filmed--something about football.  There were movie trailers everywhere and traffic was crazy.  No actor sightings this week!  Afterwards, the staff and I went to a Mexican restaurant for margaritas and dinner.  It was fun.

Have a great weekend!

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