Old Skool Blogging

Back in ye olden days, circa 2008, when I started blogging, blogs were more like personal journals that you shared with cyberspace. These days there seems to be more focus, both in terms of writing (clearly, most people are not posting their first drafts) and in terms of the content shared (yay for all those picture tutorials). Also, I don't remember more than a handful of bloggers making money off of their blogs and now there are professional bloggers with sponsors. (Good for you! If I could pull it off, I totally would.)

I was reading how when you start blogging as a paying endeavor (full-time or not), you have to be more mindful of more than just what you want to write. Does your sponsor require that you make a project with one of their products? Or at least mention them regularly? Did you remember to disclose affiliated links? (As an aside, does anyone really care? I mean if I'm reading your blog and you link to something that I want to buy and you make some money off the transaction I don't see what the big deal is unless that item somehow costs me more because you are getting a commission. But I digress...) Do you feel pressured to post tutorials as soon as you figure out how to make something? (Again, total sidebar, I read one blogger who was concerned that this pressure has led to some bloggers posting tutorials for techniques that they barely know, thereby possibly leading others down the wrong path.)

I feel like I'm still stuck in the old skool paradigm but everything has shifted. Ironically enough, at work I'm considered the most tech-savvy. I like computers and I usually understand the logic of how everything works so when we get error messages I can figure out what's wrong. However, I never really got into social media (I'm talking about Friendster and the inital incarnations of MySpace and Facebook). Now there are so many outlets, the big ones being FB, Pinterest, Flickr (making a comeback), MySpace (also making a comeback by specializing a little more), Instagram, Google+ and SnapChat. I can't keep up with them all and I'm feeling a little lost in terms of which really fit my need to find an online community (since I haven't found one IRL) and in which I can realistically participate.

How cute from www.peachpops.com

Dude, I don't even know what some of those icons are for...

How do you decide which ones you want to participate in? How do you keep up when you have a job, kids, and never seem to have enough time for non-essentials? (Seriously, I have yet to figure out how to get more than 6 hours total of sleep and that doesn't include the days I just say f* it and stay up to do something just for me.)

Project Monogamy

After my initial post back in May, I did finish a couple of projects:

The baby blanket, Seedling, I initially made for Bunny:

and I wove in the ends of a Wool Leaves blanket I started years ago:

I got them done in fairly short order and then started casting about for what else I could finish.

Going through my stash, I found quite a few knitting UFOs and really wanted to finish my Niome shawlette but have found that it requires more attention than I can spare. I'm up to the lovely beaded lace edging and beads + toddler & small baby = no good. I need to go back to my UFO bag and see if there is something more simple that is easier to pick up and put back down. These days, I'm lucky to get a whole 30 minutes to work on any one thing--its more like 10 minutes here, another 10 minutes there.

I did find a couple of things that need finishing but nothing is really calling to me. I have a ton of random sock yarn skeins and would love to have them turn into shawlettes but after my various fiascos, I'm a little hesitant to start a new one. I may just start another baby blanket to use up a yarn pack of Rowan's All Season Cotton that is languishing in my storage bin. I enjoy blankets and I can probably pick a pattern that doesn't require uninterrupted concentration. We'll see.

New Directions

Well, I'd made this great decision to start blogging again and then proceeded to fall of the blogosphere again. This time, it is due to my limited tech options. See, these days I almost exclusively surf the net on my smartphone. I read my blog feeds on my phone, take pics and even check Ravelry forums online. However, responding to a forum post is different from trying to compose a blog post. So, I'm giving this another go from my old laptop. I've got it rigged so that the power cord is held against the computer by a water bottle. Because even when the battery icon says that the computer is charged, it spontaneously dies. oy.

I originally started this blog when I was knitting rather regularly and Ravelry didn't exist yet so it was the best way to share with the crafting community and get to know others. I was never very prolific so I didn't post regularly.

Fast forward several years, I now have two very adorable daughters, 3 year old Pie and 6 month old Bunny. We moved away from family and friends almost 9 years ago and I have yet to find my place IRL. I have friends but none of them are crafty and I work with most of them so it limits some of the conversations we have because I can't be candid about work issues. (Really not interested in my bad day at the office turning into a discussion with HR.) However, the internet continues to provide the greatest source of support for me these days. I read lots of blogs but rarely comment (a major problem with using Feedly on my phone-if you know how to comment on blogs through Feedly, please enlighten me). 

Through these blogs and a good friend, Bobby, I have decided to try to get back in touch with my creative side. Bobby and I knew each other as kids and as adults our lives have intersected every so often. I really admire how he always pursued his dreams no matter how tough it was for him. Always finding a way to reach his goal no matter what the job was. (Seriously, go check out his site, so talented!) One thing he said to me the last time we saw each other in person (many years ago now), I told him that I didn't draw anymore and didn't think I had it anymore. He responded that creativity never goes away, that we just have to spend time rediscovering it. He probably never realized how those words would stay with me.

When we were kids, I dreamt of becoming an artist. In high school, I had a falling out with the head of our art program and never again took art classes. Maybe I wasn't driven enough? I know I was intimidated when I went to college and didn't think I was good enough to get into the art classes as a non-art major. Would it still have been my dream if I had tried? I don't know but I do know that I feel the need to create and I'm trying to figure out what that means to me and how I will go about it.

That brings me back to the blog. I'm hoping to share my journey with you and maybe, just maybe find that creativity that used to come so easily.

Because a post with no pictures is no fun, here's some gratuitous cuteness:

Who can resist cute baby toes?

Non-Crafty Quickie

Life is crazy. I made a new friend almost a month ago. She mentioned that there was a position opening in her office and I should apply. I blew it off because I just met her and it seemed odd that she was pushing for me to apply, and I do like where I work. (Of course, I don't like being commission only and driving 1.5 hrs each way 3 times a week. The other two days I work from home.) As you know, I went out of town and was hanging out with friends, this opportunity didn't even register. Well, when I came back I talked with her again and she, again, mentioned the opportunity. At the same time, the owner of the doggie daycare asked if I had any interest in coming back and I got an email from the local college saying they might need instructors for the spring. It felt to me like there were some serious "signs" (karma, destiny, God--whatever you happen to believe) that I needed to look at other opportunities. Anyway, I submitted my resume on Wed., they called Thurs., and I had my interview on Fri. The guy offered me the job on the spot. I was completely unprepared.

After a weekend of heavy deliberation, I decided to go for it. I gave notice at my current job and officially accepted the new job. The best part, the office is less than 5 miles from my house. If I get lucky and get mostly green lights, I can be at the office in about 10 mins. door-to-door. The second best part, its a salaried position with a national company (future possibilities of moving within the company).

Because that isn't wild enough, I found out yesterday that a good friend was killed on Fri. I'll be going back home to see everyone next week so I'll miss my last few days at my current job. Its not like they can fire me, right?

Craziness.

Sidelined

I finished the thumb on the Endpaper Mitts (pic to follow at some later date) and am almost done with the pattern repeats on the palm section. Although I'm excited to be in the home stretch, I can't knit. I don't know what I did but the ganglion cyst on my left hand is acting up. Its a problem I frequently had in college but it hasn't bothered me in years. My dad has the same condition and when I was little I used to ask why he had a big lump on the back of his hand and he would say that I bit him when I was little. He eventually had to have surgery to remove the cyst.

Even typing this hurts so holding needles is out of the question. For those who are not squeamish: when I curve my fingers as with typing or holding needles, I can feel the tendons slide over the ganglion cyst and it causes some pain. I'm not sure if the cyst is causing pressure on the tendon or vice versa. Some ibuprofen and rest should help, but it may be a few more days before any progress can happen. meh.

Life update

Just a little FYI to let you guys know that the doggy daycare gig is over. I'm a little sad to not be spending time with the dogs but sometimes they were more than I could take. Friday was my last day. About an hour before closing, one of the dogs got my thigh while trying to get at the dog on my other side. The big welt kept me from getting too sad about my last day.

Why? Because I have a new job. Its a marketing/relationship building type of job in the financial consulting field. I'm working with a semi-virtual office so I will mostly work from home and commute to Orlando 1-2 times a week. My only real concern is that there is no base salary so if this doesn't pan out, it could be a real drag on our personal finances. Although, if this company does well, I'm getting in on the ground floor with potential for earnings more in line with what I was making before we moved here. (I have been warned that earnings will be slow at the beginning until I get a good feel for the process. This could mean a couple of years before I would earn my "ideal" income.) Its technically a new company but its essentially this one guy going from working solo to starting a firm with some other like-minded people. I also get a fancy title that starts with "Director".

Keep your fingers crossed for us. Of course, this means on slow days there might actually be some knitting progress which is what really counts, right?