Seven year Stitch – Happy Anniversary

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I always, always miss the date! Yesterday was my seven year blog anniversary. I can’t quite believe it. I still love this little space and I will keep going for another year – allowing my ramblings to float into the ether. In the past seven years blog popularity has ebbed and flowed. I think the media industry would say that visual platforms like Instagram are now the more popular and immediate way to share ideas. But for another year I will keep posting and sharing here.

Over the years I have had periods of tweaking and improving the blog. I have watched visitor stats. I have been disciplined in my scheduling. I have edited my posts and thought about my writing style. But I have never really wanted to monetize this space. I just haven’t had the time or the desire to do it. Don’t get me wrong, I do admire those who have developed their brand and their blog to evolve a career. It is just not a goal that fits into our life at the moment.

The blog has been an excellent place to develop ideas with you. When people ask me about my books, I always credit the blog as being key to that development. Posting here has provided me with opportunities to meet and connect with creative people I would not have otherwise met. But the blog is not the engine, not the source of ideas – the crochet, the knitting, the garden comes first. I don’t dream about the blog last thing at night, it is the colours, the patterns, the toys that inhabit my sleepy thoughts.

chevron-blanket-emma-varnamThe Stats

Do I get a lot of readers? I do Ok – thank you. In the blogging world that is a bit like asking someone their dress size. Brands and companies who want to connect with you to promote products certainly know how to get hold of your statistics, so it is not a secret to those who need to know. I think I have a faithful core of readers who pop in and read from across the world. In all honesty, a giveaway or free pattern will make those numbers jump incredibly high, but when that promotion is finished the readership will drop down to its normal comfortable level.

The ideas

This year has been quite hard to ensure regular posts. In a crazy world when my ‘real’ job has changed got a bit more serious, I have written two books. None of the content, the secret stitching can ever been shown to you prior to publication. So that means I need to work on and share creative projects that sit outside of that activity. Often you will notice that during an intensive crochet design time, I tend to revert to knitting as the hobby. But then looking back I realise that this year I have been expanding my skill levels and learning new techniques. I have enjoyed learning and practicing fairisle knitting and having a go at Tunisian crochet. Both have been fun, but I have yet to incorporate these techniques into my design work.

So what is on the hook and needle at the moment. Well I need to share with you my adventures making a Granny Square Jacket – I look quite mad in it, but the very fact I am wearing the jacket tells you that my idea for the design did work. I have also been making quite a few beanie hats, so I promise to share those with you too. This week I have been on a lovely sock making course with Arne and Carlos. I have never really made socks before. I have made one pair, never worn them. How rude! Well  this week I learnt a technique which means I can make the sock fitted to the foot. Could be revolutionary. So there you go, a number of new posts planned. I hope you will join me on another year. Happy Anniversary!

3 thoughts on “Seven year Stitch – Happy Anniversary”

  1. Emma, love your blog and don’t know how you find the time in your crazy busy world to do everything, you really are a super woman!

  2. Pingback: Seven year Stitch – Happy Anniversary + MORE – Crochet Portal

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