Saturday, November 17, 2007

First Blogiversary

It's my first blogiversary today. I can't believe it, how time flies, yadda yadda yadda. Let's run the numbers, shall we?

Since November 17th, 2006, I've posted 93 times (not including this one), for an average of one post every 3.92 days. I've had 264 comments, for an average of 2.83 comments per post (although some of these were mine). My record number of comments (9) was for my April Fool's post about knitted loquat cozies. I had only 9 posts without any comments. So much for the quantitative part.

Qualitatively, I've gotten a big kick out of doing this. I started this blog mostly as a more techie-fun way of keeping track of my knitting, and not primarily as a way of sharing my angst/progress/successes with other knitters. But I've found that I really like this aspect. Thanks to everyone for reading and commenting.


I've thought about whether I'll continue doing this after Ravelry is opened up to the great unwashed, and I still haven't made up my mind. I'm leaning toward keeping this up -- but we'll see.

In the meantime, I've been working on my TOFUtsies 732 socks, which languished while I worked on my Branching Aran Guernsey. I've one complaint with this ball of sock yarn, though. So far I've had eight (8!) knots -- and I can already see another coming down the pike. What's up with that? Did they take all the scrap pieces from the factory floor and wad them together to make this thing? I've half a mind to write a letter to SWTC and give them a piece of the aforementioned mind. But then I'm afraid their business would go into a tailspin from all the bad publicity and they'd have to fire Vicki Howell, and I don't want that to happen. So I'll keep my temper in check for now.


In other news, Jeff and I went grocery shopping today and I saw that the Clementine oranges were in. Can you smell them? One of my friends Sharon and Janelle's son Eli's first words was "ka-tine." He loves him the ka-tines. Me too, Eli. My fingers smell all orangey. If you expect this orange to sprout daisy-petal-shaped eyelashes and launch into The Habanera from Carmen, I know about how old you are.

I took the picture of this ka-tine with a new homemade lightbox that I devised with some online instructions sent to me by my buddy Martin at work. It's basically a cut-out cardboard box (mine is 12"x12") with white paper taped around it. Then I got a couple of cheap ($5) clip-on shop lights and some 100 watt fluorescent bulbs from the local home/building supply store (the blue one, not the orange one), and I was in business. I'm not quite sure I have everything down correctly. I think the results are too dull -- the background is more brown than white. I need to learn more about how to monkey with my digital camera's settings to get better results.


Also, be still my heart, I'm going to be starting a new sweater soon. In the past, I've felt like I've forced knitwear on my significant other. Living in Texas, we don't get to wear that woolly stuff all that often and Jeff is one of those practical people who likes to be comfortable, temperature-wise. Just last week we were still wearing shorts. But a few days ago, Jeff was leafing through The Knitting Man(ual) which he gave me for my birthday, pointed to a pattern, and said, "I think I might like that." I was online shopping for yarn faster than you can say "Peter Piper purled a pile of pink alpaca."

So, in a few days, I'm going to start making this. It's going to present some challenges, including a body made completely of stranded knitting, and sleeves picked up and knitted downward from the shoulders, which I've never done. The raspberry part is going to be more ginger-orangey (but not quite ka-tine orange). I'll put pictures up when the yarn arrives.

Here's to a new year.

9 comments:

  1. Happy blogiversary!

    That looks like it will be a very impressive sweater.

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  2. Happy Blogiversary!

    I love the ka-tines, too, but can never eat an entire box myself. Why do they only sell them in those boxes?

    And there must be some sort of stranded-knitting virus going around....

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  3. "Peter Piper purled a peck of pink alpaca."

    Hah - Too funny!

    I recently bookmarked that same tutorial for a lightbox. Cool to see it in use.

    And, I'm so excited that you're going to do this sweater - I can't wait to watch! I've never done stranded word, but I want to make Eunny Jang's Enpaper Mitts, which look a lot like the body of that sweater. Maybe if I ask nicely, you'll help me once I get started? :-)

    Happy Blogiversary!

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  4. HAPPY blogiversary!
    Iam really happy for your! You made it!

    Socks coming along GREAT!
    Also I'm so excited that you're doing that sweater - I have a copy of that book... there is so much project to knit!

    ALSO CAN I ASK YOUR FLOAVOR!
    Visit my knitting blog.. see what you think and comment me!

    Thanks~~
    Charles

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  5. Happy Blogiversary, Steven!

    I'm toasting you with my coffee...

    :)

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  6. Mmmm, ka-tines. Right now he's into peaches (canned, local).

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  7. Yay for your blogiversary! I hope that you continue your blog because it's a highlight of my day when I can see what you've been up to. :)

    Also, the only thing you might want to try to make your photo results better is to adjust your camera's white-balance.

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  8. Happy Blogiversary!! I made a cheapo light box too, but it is limited to nothing bigger than skeins of yarn, I need to upgrade. I love that sweater - you are brave - I am scared of colorwork. And you are so funny you, peter piper indeed.

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  9. Happy Blogiversary!

    You had me laughing so hard at your "Peter Piper purled a pile of pink alpaca."

    I love reading your blog -- keep it going and keep on knitting!

    Thanks,
    Clara

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