I realized the other day, when DH commented on my blog, that I do spend a fair bit of my free time on-line. And in reality, it's mostly knitting blog related, i.e. visiting the one chat room I "hang out" in, skimming &/or commenting on blogs of my "homies".....checking my midwifeknits@yahoo.com email...those are the daylies...or almost dayly reads. Then once or twice weekly scanning on line discount yarn places I've heard about from other folks. Once a week or every other week I'll run throught the Pacific Northwest Fiber Bloggers webring, and then check out what Carrieoke is up to....and skim through her links. I'm a pretty regular reader of about 10 or 12 blogs on that linklist.
Recently I read somewhere (and I apologize for not being able to remember so if this is from your blog..chime up and take credit)...that some bloggers were disappointed and puzzled because they didn't get a lot of blog traffic and/or comments. The reply to that was suggestions to 1) jazz up and /or simplify the site for easier/more interesting reading....AND...leaving pertinent comments on other people's blogs. Leaving a comment allows the receiving blogger to link back to you.....sometimes there's an interest/connection....and wham....there you go....another regular visitor.
I was very slow to this whole blog thing. I lurked in a couple of knitting chatroooms for a couple of years. Then started commenting on one, infrequently at first....then found myself more and more comfortable. After a bit, I noticed that some of those chatters were setting up blogs. So I googled "knitting blogs" and Holy Cow found reading material to eat up a lot of spare time. But it was so much fun sometimes, so interesting at others, and man...the tips, techniques etc. I have learned and continue to learn about fiber,yarn and knitting. So about six months ago, I entered blogland myself. I had no idea at the time how habit forming it would become. I like it for a variety of reasons, but primarily because it has led me into a sense of community and "virtual friendships" with several delightful individuals. Now, of course, because it is blogland....they may in reality be obese hairy men in dingy underwear sitting in recliners smoking cigars and drinking cheap beer....no disrespect intended......but not likely. I enjoy the interchange of ideas, the planning of surprizes for this small community of "virtual friends". I love the level of giving to their home communities as well as to many international projects. It's contagious...and it spreads vital information about health and social welfare issues that we all need to pay attention to. I feel privileged to be a part of this. OK, enough mushy stuff.
So....I was thinking....wouldn't it be fun if we all shared a list of the top 5 blogs we read regularly....that are not already linked in the sidebars. If any. If not, then why?
And just so this doesn't come off sounding too pathetic...I really honestly do have "live friends" in my life with whom I interact, however, not on as regular of a basis due to all those other concerns that take up life..you know..family, work, exercise, knitting, eating, sleeping, sex, stuff like that. (NOT NECESSARILY IN THAT ORDER! NO COMMENT FROM YOU DH!)
as I'm sure you all do. This is just my little "sit down, have a cup of coffee/tea/beer whatever, me time" to check in with the folks who support my fiber habit and are my Knitbuds and developing friends. I'm really looking forward to meeting some of you this year.
8 comments:
Great idea Lisa, over the weekend I will blog about my 5. The Elannites are my tea and sympathy group and most are linked, definitely ringed! I remember the days when there were more friends then time and trying so hard to see them all, but a move and poor health makes the extent of my friendships cyber at this time in my life, thank God for them
I should do that being that I'm a lurker. I'm trying the blogging thing but I'm not always sure what to say and how to make it interesting enough for others to read. I guess it gets easier with time. And maybe I should give reference to the ones I read too.
Happy Knitting!
I've lucked into some wonderful blogs, one way or the other. I don't always go back regularly, but I'm struck over and over by the similarities of women who knit and share their lives in what seem like genuine relationships, just different than the other way of doing relationships.
Now I have to go and wash my dingey undershirt. Buuuuurp!
Good idea. And I need to update my sidebar list as well.
Cate
I read so many more blogs that I haven't linked to, it's incredible. I think the only reason I haven't linked them is because I don't want to have real messy sidebars. I do subscribe to those, though, via Bloglines feeds.
Lisa, we are living parallel blog lives (come visit my today post). I read many more than I have linked - don't want my sidebar to get "messy" or unreadable. I like bloglines for that. I hate feeling like it's a popularity contest - I comment when I have something to say, not just for the sake of commenting. I love to have comments on my posts, but I also understand that people (including me) have lives. I want to have fun with this, not fret about who's reading or not and who likes me or doesn't. Hey Jayne! Pass the detergent :)!
I'm just really excited that your Geekiness got the button pasted in the sidebar properly. Tell your DH that all your imaginary friends say hi!!
Bets
This was a wonderful read. I definitely have more knitting blogs I want to read than I have time for. And for those I do actually find time to read, I don't always get to post a comment when I want to because M doesn't like it when I use the computer, so I usually try to steal few minutes on the computer now and then during the day but it's not long enough to sit down and type something. I have way more blogs bookmarked than I have linked in my sidebar. I've been meaning to update my sidebar, but like everything else in my life, it is a work in progress...
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