Comments on: On Knitting and Blogging

By: Amy in StL

Amy in StL — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:24:48 +0000

I hate to be the only one to disagree but for a lot of folks, Ravelry has meant the demise of their blog. About half the knitting blogs I used to read have not had a post since they’ve joined Ravelry. Or their post is concise and consists of links to their work on Ravelry.
I don’t belong to Ravelry because I don’t have the time for that kind of timesuck. You can’t see inside unless you are a member and they don’t seem inclined to open it up anytime soon. They don’t have to because “everyone” is joining.
When I started to knit, I was encouraged by all the blogs I found online. I find less inspiration online now and it seems to stem from Ravelry. It’s just sad that newbies coming in won’t have the same rich tapestry of choices when looking for inspiring projects or yarn ideas.

By: Lolly

Lolly — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 10:55:43 +0000

Such a great and timely post, Jody. Ahhh, I love your blog I think that there is a balance to these three associated mediums. Like you mentioned, I love the instant”ness” of Flickr, and the ways to meet new people in that forum. Ravelry also has a special place in my heart, as I am part of some nice forums. I love the Friends page too… there are so many great patterns and it is a great way to see the activities and inspirations of your friends.
… and then the dear old blog… it came first in the sequence (for me) so I definitely won’t be giving it up. I love blogging, and I love reading other blogs. I doubt that that will ever change.
Thanks for the post – it was great! and thoughtful comments too. A really good way to start a discussion = the power of the blog!

By: Emilee

Emilee — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 17:41:15 +0000

I agree. Ravelry, Flickr and blogging are all great for different reasons. Ravelry is perfect for FO galleries, and for deciding whether or not to knit something based on other people’s experiences. Blogging is great for describing specific stages and aspects of a particular project. Blogging is also great for discussions like this one regarding the craft generall its relation to the internet.
If anything Ravelry had made me more interested in blogging by “introducing” me to the work of many more people.

By: scoutj

scoutj — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 16:23:47 +0000

For me I have really enjoyed getting more into photography so Flickr has taken up more of my time than anything. Raverly hasn’t made a difference for me when it comes to my blog because I don’t spend time there really. I don’t do the forums really at all and simply go and look at patterns when I am trying to find something. I still try and keep up with my blog since it’s connected to my shop and just use it more for what I want and try not to get down on myself for not knitting a ton.
Does any of this make sense? lol

By: Mintyfresh

Mintyfresh — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 20:34:34 +0000

I think you make a good point about why Ravelry and Flickr might have taken over for others if blogging wasn’t just right for them. Still, I think I’m a blogger–but tonight, ONLY because Flickr is down, I got through 300 blog posts. I comment on my friends’ photos on flickr and then the blog seems almost moot! But I’m rededicating myself to blogging this year, because I do love it.

By: diana

diana — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 14:28:57 +0000

I agree! I love to have so many places to visit for inspiration!

By: gleek

gleek — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:36:52 +0000

ha, i was just saying the other day that if i only posted FOs then i would post like 4 times a year at this rate! for people like me who were blogging before knitting, blogging is a way of life and i could never be without it. i agree with everything you’ve said about ravelry and flickr.

By: sue

sue — Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:44:13 +0000

Interesting post and comments. The earliest blog post in which I saw a discussion about blogs gravitation towards showing only FOs and not WIPs was Kim’s of The Woolen Rabbint on Nov 16, 2007. Here:
http://thewoolenrabbit.typepad.com/thewoolenrabbit/2007/11/index.html

By: Julia

Julia — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 22:42:04 +0000

Yep! For me, Ravelry or Flickr and blogging aren’t interchangeable, but supplement each other. I definitely agree about people closing their blogs because they found something that actually fits what they wanted in the first place. For me, I just love blogging for many different reasons. And I love reading about the lives and personalities of other knitters…it’s just a really interesting (and craft oriented!) peek into someone else’s life.
I love feeling like I’m contributing to this online tome of knitting information and inspiration that anyone can google. Ravelry is great for information as well, but I definitely feel that reading a blog, or even searching for information and then finding it on a blog, provides more in-depth info…for example the tutorials you mentioned.
And actually, I’ve gotten a bit more foot traffic and comments on my blog lately from people finding me through Ravelry or “friending” me and then looking at my blog.

By: connie

connie — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 19:11:02 +0000

Very eloquently put, Jody. So, you’re a math and science geek too? I guess I gravitate (no pun intended) towards bloggers who are science and/or tech oriented. And thanks for those Flickr links. That’s one arena I haven’t explored yet.