September 6th, 2007

I'm grumpy. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrumpy.

Despite the heroic efforts of Hazel to set up Wordpress for me, I've decided that life is Too Short. One of the main reasons I wanted it was to organise old posts, but I cannot figure out how to import all my old posts into it, because of course, the main blog was just a html blog, and the rss feed is hosted on a blogspot blog, and oh hell, it just doesn't work. And I could kick every car on the street, I'm so frustrated by it, and who ever said that Wordpress was easy??

So, in celebration of today being Crabby Day, here are some other things that I hate. If you're celebrating Crabby Day too, feel free to add to the list.

I think I'd better stop there, I'm getting too carried away! Nice cheerful yarn pictures tomorrow.

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September 5th, 2007

Do you know, there was a time when I had no hobbies. Unless reading counts as a hobby. I spent the largest part of my twenties bored, discontented, and searching for something, I didn't know what. Then I discovered knitting, and the deep, ancient satisfaction of making something with my hands. Knitting was soon joined by quilting, embroidering, and now drawing.

I haven't got anywhere near enough time to spend on my hobbies now, and have to be content with snatched minutes here and there. I could scream when I think of all those lost years, when I had all the time in the world and nothing to fill it with. But alas, time is like my 24-inch wedding day waistline - I'm never gonna get it back.

Still, one of the nice things about knitting is that a few rows done in the car (don't worry, I'm the passenger!), a few more done while waiting for the pasta to cook, and even the odd stitch done while I'm on hold during a phone call, all add up. You'd be amazed how fast a sock progresses - even at my snail's pace - if you knit on it every time you travel in the car. Especially if you live 10 miles from town, like we do!

Drawing is the same. Every spare minute snatched can be productive. I find fast sketches some of the most interesting, in fact I was looking at some yesterday done at a life class where the model held a pose for just 60 seconds. The resulting sketches were full of energy and personality. Sometimes, having no time to think about what you are drawing is the best way. Painting is a little trickier. This page from my journal took me a couple of days to complete, because the painting work was quite intricate and detailed, and I knew I would have to commit a chunk of time to it:

I think the time was worth it though. I'm still incredibly new to watercolour, and this was a great exercise in working in the medium. Joy of joys, I find the colour mixing a breeze after mixing dye shades for so long, but there is so much more to watercolour than that! I would love to get hold of some good technique books, for watercolour, and pen & ink, but they all seem so stuffy and old-fashioned. I'm sure that doesn't mean that the techniques taught won't be good, but I'm just being fussy.

Mind you, I've probably spent enough for this month on art books. I've bought Living Out Loud, Moonlight Chronicles, Everyday Matters, How to Make a Journal of Your Life, and The Creative License. What a good job last Sunday's sale was such a big one. Your support of Posh Yarn is currently funding my own personal art scholarship!!

I'm still hating this scanner though - I followed all the suggestions you gave me, but I'm still very dissatisfied with the results. Maybe my little laptop just isn't capable of managing such large file sizes, because every time I tried to turn the resolution up, it nearly had a fit on me.

PS. The toe up sock pattern I'm using is On Your Toes from Interweave Summer 2007, by Ann Budd. Its a great place to start for those new to the techniques involved - the toe is especially clever (albeit rather fiddly!).

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September 4th, 2007

Thank you for the lovely comments you left on yesterday's post; I'm glad you all think that I've got the balance right between personal and business content. It was especially nice to hear from some new commenters - the blog averages about 200 readers a day, but only a small number actually comment, which is a real shame, because reading my comments is one of the highlights of my day. I don't have the time to reply to comments individually, but please know that they mean a lot to me even if I don't respond in person.

Maybe it's just wishful thinking, but I'm sure there's an autumn tang in the air today. It's almost cool enough to justify lighting the woodstove.....but not quite. But I'm beginning to get all excited about my knitting projects again, a sure sign that the season is changing.

I've got two main projects on the go at the moment - the toe up knee socks in Emily Downpour, and Tony's Fair Isle sweater in Donegal Tweed. Progress is pretty good (by my slow standards) on both - I've turned the heel on the first sock, and am creeping up the leg:

By the way, I know some of you dislike toe up socks because the heel doesn't fit you well, but when I tried this sock on, it suited my foot perfectly, so I think this is going to be my default sock pattern from now on. Long socks = Dee heaven!

Progress on the sleeve of Tony's sweater is gratifyingly quick, because the yarn is so chunky. I do love Fair Isle. I want to knit myself a Fair Isle tank top sometime, probably in Laura, the new cashmerino yarn. But since this is supposed to be an anniversary present, and that will be on me before I know where I am, I'd better not think about new projects, but keep plugging away at this one.

So what about you? What are the autumn projects that you are currently getting excited about?

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September 3rd, 2007

Another month, another new blog page. Those archives are piling up alarmingly! I'm actually thinking of switching to Movable Type, to make the blog more manageable. That way I can organise posts by theme, making it easier for anyone who wants to look through old posts for something specific.

Which brings me to something I have been pondering lately. How much of my life should be going into this blog? It is, after all, the Posh Yarn blog. Should I only be talking about yarn and knitting topics? Is it inappropriate, boring even, for me to talk about myself, my thoughts, my life? If I should be blogging about personal things at all, should I do so on a separate blog, rather than on this one?

It's safe to say that the vast majority - if not all - of the visitors to the blog are knitters; that's why you come to Posh Yarn. So do your interests lie only in what we are dyeing, what I am knitting, where the business is going? Is it egotistical of me to assume that you want to hear about my day to day life, look at my sketches, hear me moan when I'm having a black hole day? Some of you have requested more photos of our cats; here's one I took last week, but dithered over posting, for this very reason:

You see, I always judge my own behaviour based on what I expect of other people. This has been exceedingly successful when it comes to business, because it seems that what I'm looking for, others are looking for, and the standards I expect from a business, are the same standards you expect. So I've applied the same rule to the blog. Personally, I love to burrow into someone else's life through their blog, and the more varied and intimate (in a PG sense) it is, the better. I like to feel I'm part of their inner circle, and if that means listening to the occasional moan, I will, and if it means rejoicing with them over some achievement, I'm delighted to. When blogs are attached to businesses, and the blogger only discusses products and business topics, I get bored. I feel (and this is just a feeling, not necessarily right or wrong) that the blog is just another selling tool.

And that's where another side of this issue lies. When I started this blog, it was more of a selling tool than a personal journal. But as things progressed, my intentions changed and the blog along with them. My sister-in-law, who doesn't read the blog but has heard me mention it, is horrified at the thought that I put my thoughts out there into the public, and 'expose myself' and my life to complete strangers. But then, I don't think of you as strangers. I've come to know so many of you over the last couple of years, and at times, your support and encouragement have been invaluable. So really, what I want to know, is what you think? Is there a balance to be struck between 'work' blogging and personal blogging? And if so, which am I falling towards? It's over to you.

(If this blog was set up on Movable Type already, I would be tagging this post 'Navel Gazing'....)

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