Monday, August 14, 2006

A year and a day . . .


Yesterday was my 1st Blogiversary!!! I really wanted to post on my actual Blogiversary . . . but our weekend was very, very busy. (It was good though . . . more on that later in the week.) It's just like me to be running a little late anyway, so I figured I'd reflect on the past year today!!

Gosh, I don't even know where to begin. It may sound corny to say that my blog has somewhat changed my life, but I really think it's true. Over a year ago, I was desperately trying to teach myself to knit. I started reading Stitch 'n Bitch, and when I got to the section about knitting blogs I was intrigued. I didn't even know what a blog was. So I took her suggestion and Googled "knitting blogs" and the journey began. The more I read, the more hooked I was. Soon I started to think "Hey, I could do this too." And on August 13, 2005 my first post was written and I was an official blogger.

Of course, most posts back then had no comments and at times I wondered if anyone was out there. But soon, I made my very first blog friends, Chrissy, Jill, Chris and Jen. Little by little, I got to "meet" more and more of you. I could never have imagined the wonderful people who would come into my life, from all over the world. If I tried to list each and every one of you, I'd never get this post uploaded . . . but a look over at the scrolling "Blogs I Read" section in the sidebar will give you a good idea. (And of course, I have to give a special mention to my long lost twin!!!) Some of you I have been lucky enough to meet. Some of you I'll be meeting in the near future. If I had my way, I'd meet you all some day.

Another thing I ponder is the question "Would I still be knitting if I didn't have a knitting blog?". Quite honestly, I have to say the answer would probably be no. I'm notorious for finding a "hobby" and throwing myself full force into it . . . only to push it aside a few months later. (I have a dozen half-done counted cross-stitch canvases to prove it!!) Through knitting blogs I learned about the "good" yarns, the importance of yarn crawls to LYS, the millions of wonderful patterns on-line. I learned the correct way to increase and decrease. I learned what a provisional cast-on was and how to do it. I learned that one pair of socks should always be on the needles. And so much more. But most importantly, I learned what it was like to be part of a knitting community. To share your triumphs and your failures - knowing someone is out there rooting for you. To share the triumphs and failures of others, to admire their wonderful works, and to root them on when a project goes wrong. I never could have imagined you could share so much with people who feel like family . . . yet most of whom you have never met or spoken to. I came to realize that for me, knitting in not just a "hobby". I have to say, without the information I learned on knitting blogs I don't think I would have ever stuck with knitting long enough to find that out.

All of this is all well and good . . . . but is it really life-changing? No, probably not. However, a year ago, when I started my blog, I had no idea what HTML was. I didn't ever click on the "Edit HTML" tab on my Blogger page because everything in there looked too scary. It took me several days to figure out how to add a web-link. I spent many aggravated hours trying to figure out what the heck I was doing. But the more I fiddled, the more fun I had. I found some HTML tutorials . . . . I did a lot by trial and error . . . . but somehow I started to learn how it all worked.

A year later, I have finally quit that job that was sucking the life out of me. There were a lot of different factors that made it the right time to go. But one important thing that always held me back was the question "What would I do next?". I never had an answer. Frankly, I still don't, but thanks to blogging I am a little closer. The girl who had no idea what HTML was and didn't know how to use Paint Shop found that she really loved working with them both. I not only reformatted my own blog template, but I do banners and blog templates for others too. I love it, I've never been happier, and I feel like I'm on the right path.

I didn't intend for this post to be so long and wordy . . . but it's so hard to express how much blogging over the past year has meant to me. If you have stuck around and read this whole post, I want to give you a special thank you for being such a faithful friend and reader. And I want to thank all of the readers who couldn't quite focus through this long rambling post too - I hope they know I appreciate the time they took to stop by.

32 comments:

sheep#100 said...

Happy Blog Day.

Scoutj said...

Happy Happy!

Carole Knits said...

Happy Blog Anniversary! I enjoyed reading your reflection the previous year.

Dave said...

Happy Blogiversary + 1 !!

Nancy said...

Happy Blogiversary!

Anonymous said...

Happy blogiversary!! I am very much the same way - full force into a hobby only to drop it a while later (quilting, sewing, cross-stitch, woodwork, painting, sculpting - all have had their moment) but with knitting (and the added back-up of blogging) I have stuck with it. I think it is because you kind of become accountable to something other than yourself.....the updates to the blog on your progress etc - it is what keeps me in line so to speak!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on your anniversary! I, too, have found the knitting community in blogland to be especially wonderful. Yay!

Noey D. said...

Happy, happy blogiversary! I am so happy to have met you through blogging. I'm hoping you'll come to California some day so we can meet "in person"!!

amandazen said...

Happy blogiversary! When I saw that you mentioned it was your 1 year blogiversary I looked at my archives and to my great surprise next month I will have been blogging for two years! I was very much like you I had no idea what html was or what a blog was. Crazy isn't?!

Amanda :)

Joanne M said...

Happy Blogiversary (and belated congratulations on dropping the soul-sucking job)!

Jillio said...

aww yeaaahhh!!! woot! craziness in just one year, yes? who knew? i'm so happy you're here :) funny how you went from a yuck job to web graphic design...knit blogging did that to you! life-changing, if you ask me :) and your stash size has increased significantly, i bet. hehehee....
happy happy blog-iversary!

MissyJoon said...

Hooray for you! I know you will have many more happy days of designing, blogging, and knitting! xoxo

Lynda said...

Happy BlogDay! You've made amazing strides in the last year - can't wait to watch what this year brings! You Go!

kathy b said...

Happy One Year Karen. I am so glad to have met you in cyberworld. My button is so fun. I am going to have some time off in Sept and put YOUR button on my blog. I think blogging does add so much to our knitting

Sonya said...

Happy blogiversary, Karen! You've come a long way with your knitting! I never cease to be amazed at the wealth of information and friendship in the knit blog world.

Elizabeth said...

Wow - what a life-changing year you have had, with just a little knitting thrown in! It seems very appropriate that we have a celebratory yarn crawl - you need blogaversary yarn.

Anonymous said...

Karen, I just read your Nov 22nd 2005 post, wow what an amazing life story! We are the same exact age, by the way! I am so glad that you took a different direction in your life and made a positive change for yourself. Life is too short to work yourself to death!

Cathy said...

Happpy Blogaversary! I'm very happy you blogged and that we are blog friends :)

Zonda said...

Happy Blogaversary! I too had no clue about HTML!! Quite the year for you! Take care! :)

Anonymous said...

Happy Blogiversary!!! Big one! Hope you have many many more!

Katt

Jen said...

Happy Blogiversary to you! I just realized we are about a day apart, so maybe that explains the cosmic connection!

Anonymous said...

Happy Blogiversary!

knitannie said...

Bon Blogiversary. You'll probably look back at this post in fondness in a few years. I can see from your sidebar that you are also a joiner. Not a bad collection of buttons after only a year.

Melissa said...

Happy Happy Blogiversary!! :)
Here's to another great year!

Anonymous said...

Happy Anniversary - and thanks for sharing your most interesting reflections!

Anonymous said...

Why did I write "Anniversary" when I intended to write "Blogiversary"? Argh and sorry!!! ;)

Anonymous said...

Hi Karen, It is always so enjoyable reading your post. So far, I agree with everything you are saying. I guess I am where you were a little over a year ago..not quite a blogger but definitely reading, learning and lurking! :)
Congrats and thanks for sharing your life, your thoughts with us all. (BTW, I read through the whole post!)

Sourire11 said...

happy blogiversary!

Ragan said...

Wow! That was a really nice post! I really enjoyed reading it! :) Happy blogversary! Hurray for knitting! Here's hoping that this next year of blogging brings you much more joy!

AmyArtisan said...

Happy Blog +1 Day! :) What a great post about the "whys" of knit & blog for you as well as what it has meant to you in the past year.

Heide said...

Happy one year bloggiversary! I feel like I know from my daily visits to your blog. Someday I hope to meet my on-line friends for real! Happy knitting.

Nathalie said...

happy blog-i-versary! !! It's been great to kno you for just a fe wshort months so far. Looking forward to the next 12 months! hugs, Nat

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