meme +

caption: Best Friend's new living room in Vermont. Check out all that rich textile activity on the walls, floor, and bottom right, on the coffee table? My handspun, being knit into an afghan by my best friend!

Now, Donna tagged me for an interesting meme, but it's taken a while for me to do it. Thanks for thinking of me, Donna, these are interesting questions!
1. How long have you been blogging?
My blog turned 2 years old on November 30th. I forgot that was it was a blogiversary! Sorry now that I missed the chance to celebrate something…but yes, two years.

2. What inspired you to start a blog and who are your mentors?
My big city brother-in-law Ben and a family friend, Sandy, suggested I start a blog years ago. Of course, in Manhattan, they always know about this stuff first. I stalled, because I wasn’t sure if I wanted to keep a “public” journal, but I thought it might be worthwhile. I kept a daily journal from age 13-25 and mostly stopped when I got married. I missed that writing routine, and this blog offers something similar. Plus, I get lots of positive interaction with others.

Mentors? I am inspired by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Annie Modesitt, Kristin Nicholas, and Deb Robson, but these folks inspire me—with or without their blogs! There are lots of blogs that inspire without knowing the writers personally, too.

3. Are you trying to make money online, or just doing it for fun?
In a sense, freelance writing and knitwear design are both personality-driven businesses. So indirectly, yes, I’d like to make money from my work, and maybe the blog helps. I occasionally mention my designs, articles, and other excitements on the blog, but I doubt that is lucrative. I don’t run any ads on the blog, and according to an internet marketing consulting I met on an airplane, with only 50 visitors a day, it might not be worth it.

My original concept was to tell stories, (yarn spinner, get it?) with lots of fiber arts content. I think that has only partially succeeded, because it turns out that I can't post about a lot of the projects I do for magazines, yarn companies, publishers, etc. so I don’t look nearly as productive as a knitter or spinner as some other blogs, but it's fun anyway. I get a lot out of posting and reflecting on stories and issues that concern me. I love the comments people offer me, too.

4. What 3 things do you struggle with online?
1)Public versus Private persona. What do I want to tell the whole world?
2)Weird or scary emails, phone calls, and letters, which I get occasionally..not because of my blog, but because of my online presence.
3) Walking the line between writing interesting posts and being overly self-absorbed or pushy about my work life, which is largely dependent on the ‘net.

5. What 3 things do you love about being online?
1) It reduces my isolation—I’m lucky to have made many friends online.
2) It’s instant gratification. I can talk to the world quickly, and in return, folks might talk back.
3)In some small way, it may help my career, and I’m grateful for any boost I get in that way.


caption: These closets (and slate floor) are right outside my best friend's bedroom. My first thought? Look at all that knitting and sweater storage!

Would you like to do this meme? I'd be interested in what Terri, Denise, and Alison H. think, but I'm not forcing you to do it, or anything, OK?!