However, I have been very busy reading and researching about knitting and blogging!
First of all: I got one of Wendy Johnson's (author of www.wendyknits.net ) books called Wendy Knits as a birthday gift months ago, but I have been re-reading it. It's a great book, calling itself a memoir, that feels like Wendy herself has sat down with me to talk about everything from her favorite yarns and knitting techniques to her own knitting blunders she experienced as a kid. It's really great, beautifully written, and has a bunch of cool patterns in it, too! She is one of my main influences when it comes to blogging. When I think about what I want my knitting blog to be like, I think about hers! (it's a really great blog - y'all should go check it out!) But she also has a great philosophy about knitting. It's supposed to be a fun, creative outlet, and if the sweater don't fit, just smile, nod, and give it to a different-sized friend like you meant to all along!
Reading wendy's blog, and watching Julie and Julia (a GREAT movie! have I mentioned that?) are what got me to finally sit down and blog regularly.
Which brings me to my next point.
Now that I'm more serious about this whole blogging business, I gotta get myself some readers! How do I go about doing that, you ask? Well, I could ask my friends, but very few of them knit, so very few of them would be interested in reading. I have tried signing up for a few blog rings (Knitting Blogs on RingSurf!) and am looking into submitting my blog to some blog directories. (they keep talking about RSS, but I can't figure out what an RSS is, or how I can get one! O.O) I've also heard it suggested that I should set up a twitter, and expand my readership that way. Which could be cool but I don't know what I'd say! "Good morning. I've blogged again today. Check it out!" or "oh look, I'm knitting again!" O.o
What I should do is start commenting on other knitting blogs. I already read a bunch of knitting blogs, but I never comment cuz I never really know what to say. But! I should comment on their blogs and drop hints that I have my own blog etc. etc. etc. Who knows? I could be a world-famous knitting blogger someday! :-)
Another thing I've noticed is that a lot of these knitting bloggers seem to spend a fortune on knitting! They have raffles, with prizes that they buy and donate themselves, then mail to the recipients, they have huge stashes of luxury yarn, they are constantly starting gorgeous new projects with gorgeous new (expensive) yarn, and they go to knitting retreats and stuff. All of this must cost tons! Or, at least, it feels like tons to me. But that could be just because I am a starving college student with no job. *sigh*
So it seems that the lack-of-readership and the lack-of-funds will be obstacles that I'll just have to deal with as I continue on my adventures! I mean, lets face it, if it wasn't hard, it wouldn't be an adventure, right?
Finally, since no post should be without at least one fun picture:
This is my dog Luke, bravely guarding a blanket I crocheted a couple summers ago. <3
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ReplyDeleteI've gotten a few readers through commenting. I do recommend that you make you web address into an actual link. To do that you need to do a little HTML
ReplyDeleteSo to display the link Hammer & Thread I have to type in <a href="http://hammerandthread.blogspot.com/ ">Hammer & Thread</a>
Basically, <a href="Your web address ">text to be linked</a>
People are much more likely to visit your site if they don't have to copy and paste in the address bar.
Another way to get some readers would be to make up your own pattern and post it on Ravelry. Which is what I did here.
ReplyDeleteMake sure to have a good photo if you do this. My original subscribers came from that post through ravely. Plus now I'm a ravelry designer. 121 hits on that link so far!
Now that you know the basic method of sock knitting you could try and do one yourself. Just be sure to write it down as you go. Writing a pattern is a interesting process (which could be a cool blog post as well) Hats are simple too. Or figure out how to do a cool knit (or crochet) toy.
Or what if you did something like a swatch a day for a year and then join them together into a big blanket at the end of the year. You could get a stitch treasury and learn so interesting techniques. (you could also give yourself a little headstart before you actually post. and then just use the schedule feature to space your posting out.
I'm interest to see where this blog is going to take you.
As far as RSS feeds go I don't know how that all works but I've been getting your Feed since you started through Google reader. (and am happy to see you posting more)