Blogs: Have You Ever Thought About Having One?

I read countless blogs (not all of them knitting related), and I've been toying with the idea of setting up a knitting-related one myself. Actually, I've had the domain name for about a year and the server has been hosting a 'Temporarily Unavailable' placeholder for about the same length of time.

I got as far as setting up Movable Type on the server a couple of weeks ago and playing around with the templates. However, I do like to retain a certain anonymity, which rather goes against the ethos of blogging. I suppose I could fill the space with photos of the knitting and the cats (both of which are far more interesting than me anyway ) .

Movable Type looks to be a very powerful piece of software; great for tinkerers and perfectionists like me who like to control every last little bit of how a page looks. Sadly, my knowledge of html and css etc is more than a little rusty, and my state of busy-ness is such of late that I'm not sure I'll have the time to devote to its upkeep.

Blogging: A useful way of sharing your interests with others or merely an exercise in ego inflation?

Blogging: A useful way of sharing your interests with others or merely an exercise in ego inflation?

Purely on a personal basis, I am sometimes uncomfortable reading what appears to be other peoples innermost thoughts. For example The boy who knits "being" was disturbing to me. No doubt there will be student of Freud who would put a "slant" on that:)

But I am very much a live and let live person. So if it feels good go for it - within reason.

I have recently started a knitting blog and I enjoy it. What I don't like in some knitting blogs in when they become filled with the bloggers personal life, but that's my thoughts on them.

I must admit that I do become intrigued with others' lives and experiences once I've been reading a blog for a while. I don't mean the minutiae of their everyday life, but their thoughts, inspirations and ideas. The major life events can be fascinating too. For example, I've been reading Kari's blog (Dogs Steal Yarn) for 18 months or so. She's a writer, as well as a knitter, who's just about to have her first child. As I've got to know a little about her over the last months, I've found myself being vicariously excited for her.

I don't think it's possible to blog without something of the blogger's personality starting to shine through. If you like the person, you'll want to learn more about them too. That's how it works for me, anyway.

I must admit though, that I wouldn't feel comfortable about sharing all with any potential readers my fledgling blog might have. Besides, my life just isn't that interesting. I'm attracted to the idea of sharing ideas, inspiration and the like, not to what I bought from Tesco during last night's shopping trip or what shampoo I use.

As long as the knitting content is the primary focus then some personal life is fine. I think Grumperina has a great blog - it is virtually all knitting content, but written in such a way that her personality shines through without going into detail about her personal life.

...For example The boy who knits "being" was disturbing to me...

I do see your point about this; I felt a little like a voyeur reading that too. It's often been mentioned though that some bloggers see their blogs as a sort of confessional, more so than if they were simply writing in a diary. The fact that what the blogger writes is out there for all to see, yet s/he is sat in the comfort of their study/bedroom/wherever - effectively isolated from the readers - can be quite comforting. How they deal with the comments is another matter. Intensely personal revelations would probably inspire troll-like behaviour in some.

However, I should imagine that it's a different matter when you know that friends and colleagues read your blog, as well as the anonymous masses. That would definitely restrict how forthcoming I'd be in what I write. But then again, I'm fairly reserved anyway.

As long as the knitting content is the primary focus then some personal life is fine. I think Grumperina has a great blog - it is virtually all knitting content, but written in such a way that her personality shines through without going into detail about her personal life.

Absolutely agree about Grumperina. I'd also class Yarn Harlot and Kate Gilbert's blog (Needles on Fire) in the same category.

And wendyknits. I think Wendy's blog is marvellous.

And wendyknits. I think Wendy's blog is marvellous.

Yes, I've recently started reading that one too. She was featured on one of the early episodes of Knitcast.