Monday, November 05, 2007

Now it’s time to say goodbye to all our family

Shawl_Finished5Last spring I made the decision to give up this blog. I thought I would time my departure to coincide with either the public opening of Raverly or the completion of Morrigan—which ever came last. Well, both took longer than I imagined they would. I don’t want to wait around for Raverly to open up at this point. And ending the blog with Morrigan is a ending on a great high note. (Considering this blog began about the time I started work on the Reversible Rib Shawl, it’s only fitting that I should end with a similarly beautiful piece.)

RachelAndMe.jpgI have had this blog for nearly three years now and I love some parts of being a blogger. For example, I love the way that my blog has connected me with people from around the world. I have “met” many other bloggers who I consider my friends even though I haven’t actually seen them in person. And some of my old friends have re-connected with me after finding my blog. I also loved receiving comments. I truly appreciate every comment that I have gotten on this blog. So a big “Thank you!” to everyone who has ever left a comment here (except for the spammers, I’m not thanking the spammers).

But what I didn’t like about keeping a blog was the pressure. All bloggers are under pressure to produce: “Be witty!” “Be informative!” “Be consistent!” “Be interesting!” As a blogger, I know that to maintain readership, I have to give in to those pressures.

ScoutDragonOf course, the pressures have a different level for me as a knit blogger. I have chosen to include very little about my personal life on this blog. So in order for me to have blog material, I have to KNIT something. For the first 2.5 years of this blog’s life, I happily produced knitted object after knitted object for my enjoyment and as well as for blog fodder. But things have changed. Thanks to repetitive stress injury in my left hand, I can’t knit as much as I used to. The injury is making knitting less enjoyable and the added pressure of the blog makes knitting more of a chore these days. So I’m slowing down on the knitting, and giving up this blog.

But I am not giving up knitting OR blogging completely! If you want to keep up with what’s going on in my knitting life, you have several options.

Raverly, for those of you who are Ravelry enabled. (My Ravelry name is MiniLaura):
http://www.ravelry.com/people/MiniLaura

Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/minilaura/

And a new blog:
http://www.houseofwoolrepute.com/

ScoutReidThe House of Wool Repute is my new online home. It is a group blog and the “group” factor will hopefully reduce the pressures on me. The wonderful women contributing to the blog are all knitters, but most of the others dabble in other crafts. You can expect to see knitting, spinning, and dyeing on a regular basis and there will probably be many cute animal photos (Scout!) and some foodie talk. Please come visit us! We’re just getting started up, so please stay tuned! It should be fun and entertaining to read.

Oh, and I’m not going to delete this blog. I’ll leave it up and I will answer any questions that you have, so feel free to email me or leave a comment!

And with that, dear friends, I am signing off. Thank you so much for reading and for coming into my life!

NewEngland.jpg

32 comments:

LaBean said...

Thank you for 3 years of beautiful knitting, great yarn pr0n, and witty insightful posts. See ya on the flip side!

Amy said...

I'll have to catch you at Ravelry. I always enjoyed your blog. I have a hard time keeping up with mine and finding the right words.
Best,
Amy

Pumpkinmama said...

Best wishes, thanks for sharing with us. I'll still be visiting via Flickr and Ravelry (and the new blog)

Be well!

Octopus Knits said...

I've really enjoyed your blog, but I understand your reasons for giving it up. I hope your hand improves and you have fun knitting when you feel like it. I'll check you out on Ravelry and the group blog. Thanks!

Jennifer said...

I'm sorry to see the end of your blog, but I certainly understand why you feel the need to retire it. I know I'll keep up with you on Ravelry!

Christina said...

I'm sorry to see this blog end...I love your writing style, your highly analytic (and highly entertaining) knitting and of course, Scout. See you at House of Wool!

mikomiao said...

what a great farewell post! although i will miss this blog, i know i'll see you over at our new playhouse! :-)

amylovie said...

See you on Ravelry Laura!

Amy

turtlegirl76 said...

So sad to see you go, but glad to know there's still a place to go for my Scout fix and to keep up with your knitting. Well done, you've had a great 3 years.

Jeanne said...

Having left my previous blog, for my newer less prolific one I understand! I will see you on your new venture and at breakfast I hope:-)

Anonymous said...

Bye, and all the best!

Jacque said...

Sad to see the end of your blog which has been very inspiring to many other knitters out there, but thrilled that you are happy with the decision. I'll see you at Ravelry!

GURO said...

Mental image: Laura jumps off the roof of her blog, but instead of crashing to the ground flies around like Peter Pan together with all her internet friends.

You wrote a great post. I know you're not gone but I still got a small lump in my throat.

Peri said...

I too will miss your blog but do understand the reasoning behind your decision.

Will see you on Ravelry.

Peri

mel said...

I've enjoyed your blog immensely, Thanks for all the time and energy that you've put into sharing your projects and your words and pictures. I am glad you aren't going away altogether, and hope the new group blog will be the perfect balance for you! Take care of your knitting hands so they can keep on knitting!

Triona said...

Yay! I too decided to get rid of my blog when Ravelry came out (although I didn't have anything like three years under my belt). Yours was one of the first blogs I found and I just want to say thank you for being an excellent introduction to the knitting blog universe. Have fun with your new group blog!

Anonymous said...

Bye! See ya on Ravelry!

Aimee said...

Thanks for keeping your blog going for so long! I learned a lot about knitting and gained a lot of inspiration reading your blog. Best of luck to your future online knittingness!

Lynn said...

Ah, yes, I know that pressure, although luckily (sort of) I have fewer readers, hence less pressure. Have fun in your new life!

Anonymous said...

Everyone is being so gracious. Allow me to take a different approach:

HOW DARE YOU LEAVE US??? WITHOUT A SINGLE THOUGHT FOR OUR ABANDONMENT ISSUES OR PERSONAL GRIEF! NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SUFFER THE MENTAL ANGUISH OF SETTLING FOR OTHER BLOGGERS' INFERIOR KNITTING AND CATS BUT NO, YOU GO ON AND DO WHATEVER MAKES _YOU_ HAPPY. DON'T WORRY ABOUT US -- OH, WAIT, YOU ALREADY WEREN'T WORRYING ABOUT US. HAVE A NICE LIFE.

And that was my gentle version. I softened it up a bit because I was touched that you included a photo of me in the farewell tour post.

Amy said...

Thank *you* so much for sharing your knitting journey with us! I'll see you in the new places. :)

complainr said...

I'll miss your blogging, sorry to see it cease. See you on Ravelry!

Anonymous said...

I for one am VERY THANKFUL that I met you through the blog, as you've saved my butt numerous times. Sad to see it go, but completely understand the reasoning! I'm barely hanging on as a knitblogger, myself.

knitseashore said...

I am sorry to see the end of your posts. I always look forward to reading them and seeing Scout modeling your creations. But, I understand completely. I often find myself wondering if I want to knit or blog and don't have enough time to do either.

I will look for you on the new blog and on Ravelry too. I hope that your wrist improves too. Please keep in touch! I think you have my email address?

Meredith said...

Sorry to see you go--I think yours was one of the first blogs I started reading! But I'll look forward to reading the new group blog.

Amanda said...

Like everyone else I'm sorry to see you go but I'll continue to stalk you through Ravelry. ;)

Anonymous said...

Yikes, I hope your hand heals up! That's scary news to any knitter.

I hope that there will be lots of Scout photos on your flickr stream. I can loan you handknits for future Scout photoshoots, if you need...

Smokey said...

Well, I want to whine at you, but seeing as how I don't have a blog (for many of the sorts of reasons you itemized for why you're closing yours), I guess I shouldn't.

I'll be keeping up with you at Ravelry!

Smokehy

Kristina B said...

Hi Laura: thanks for the great writing - I've been checking in over the past six months or so and like your style. Glad to hear you'll be continuing blogging in a different way.

Any vacancies at the House of Wool Repute? Now that I've decided definitively that the Morrigan is not for me, I've got some extra time on my hands - and having only blogged for a year or so, I'm still in manic blogger/crafter mode. So, if you'd like another author over there, let me know! :-)

Have you ever thought of doing mosaic art? I love it and I should think it wouldn't pose as much of an issue respecting the RSI.

Cheers and a very happy December to you.

Kristina

monkeemaven-fruitcakeknits said...

Maybe you should come to Dallas more often and see the yarn-ey haunts up there! I could give you a day-long DART tour of the yarn shops.

Or take a couple of hours to drive to all the shops. That works too.

Anonymous said...

You came in with an honorable mention for my contest, I was going to pick your if nobody came close but one lady did. E-mail me & I will let you in on your prize.

Knitty Chris said...

I have just become a follower of your blog, being that someone put a link on CafeMom to show one of your projects they have done. I just love your model, wish one of my 4 would let me, LOL
I hope to see alittle more of your posts, since you said you are just slowing.