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From the intro of the new book “The Colette Sewing Handbook” by Sarai Mitnick:

              “But I’ve found there is a dark side to fashion. While it can be an amazing creative outlet, it can also fuel an almost endless desire to consume, to buy more things and to buy them less thoughtfully. With the advent of  “fast fashion” in recent years, this is only getting worse as stores turn over stock and bring in new fashion every few weeks rather than months. Advertisements inundate us with the message that we need newer, trendier items, and more of them. Soon, we’re not sure what our own taste is anymore, or how much we really want to own. We have closets full of stuff and nothing to wear. Worse, our clothes feel like commodities, with no real relationship to who we are.”

I had just read the intro to this book when I was off to the Mall of America* to exchange a toaster over that didn’t want to fit under my 1924 kitchen cabinets. I’m not a mall person. The few clothes I do buy these days come from catalogs and vintage/consignment shops. But as  I walked through the mall I was hit with the same feeling I have whenever I’m there: that I need to buy a lot of stuff. Stuff I don’t even want, or really need,  that isn’t me, or just simply doesn’t work with my I-had-three-babies body anymore.

Then this quote came to mind and the more I really thought about it, the more thankful I was for having the skills to not even need to go to the mall. I can sew or knit something beautiful that I really love, something that says who I am and not what some store says I need to be. I can keep my closet and budget** under control. By making and not just buying, I can create a little more balance in my life. An these days I love balance!!

I’m giving myself the freedom to stop worrying about what else I see around that I think I should have and just wear what I love.

And I’m staying out of that dumb mall.

*Math Boy read a series of books this summer in which the entrance to Hades was in the Mall of America. I find that rather amusing.

**We will just not talk about how much a yard of double gauze runs these days, okay?

Well, hello there! Are you still here? Thank you for sticking around as I took a completely unannounced hiatus. I’ve thought quite a bit about blogging in the last few months, just not actually writing. But suddenly this morning, the house is tidy, the boys are quiet and I feel like writing again. It’s a new year, time to think and reflect, make some plans and look ahead. So here I am, wishing you all a very happy New Year’s Eve (or New Year’s Day, if you’re on the other side of the globe) and taking a few moments to ponder…

Now, this could actually be two posts since I’ve got two big things on my mind. Do I start with blogging? Or 2012 goals? Since I’ve been lapse in my blogging, I’ll start with that. So if you’re into the status of the blogosphere, read on here. If you just want to get to some good sewing and knitting, you can skip ahead through the bullets and get to fabric and yarn…

Blogging has been on my mind a lot lately. Why am I not blogging anymore? Why don’t I even feel like blogging? Why am I not reading blogs as much as I used to? And I’ve reached some conclusions about my temporary demise:

• Facebook. My number one problem. First of all, I have limited computer time. I tend to pop on for a few minutes while the onions are frying or my brain needs a break from whatever I’m doing. And somehow I shifted those little breaks into checking into my Facebook page rather than my Feedly page. Along with that, Facebook has sort of stolen my blogging voice. Many of my posts came from a thought or idea that I had. I’d think about it, it would grow, and by the end of the day it would be a blog post. Now, I have a thought, the boys do something funny, I read something interesting and I throw it on Facebook. But then it’s out there, so I stop thinking about it.
• The state of the blog: Blogging has changed so much from when I first started, over six years ago. Back then it was such a small community. Everyone left comments, because you had time to leave comments. There were only a handful of blogs around and you felt as if you really knew those people And I loved to write because I loved the dialog about what I was writing. The reason I never kept a journal was because it was boring….I was just talking to myself. I loved blogging because it was a conversation. These days there are so many blogs, It’s impossible to keep up and I often find myself just clicking through them, rather than staying awhile, reading and leaving my own thoughts. It’s interesting…I know I still have a few hundred people who still visit this blog on a regular basis (or I did, when I posted!). But I’m guessing you’re all like me, buzzing in and out rather than staying awhile and saying what you think.  When I do read, I rarely leave comments these days. And blogging is business now. I love all the blogs of the designers and authors, the “professionals.” But reading them is more like reading a magazine than having a conversation. And so many of the little bloggers like myself have just up and disappeared. I guess what I’m saying is I miss that community. Now I only “know” a handful of my readers. And maybe that’s okay, perhaps that’s the direction it’s had to go. OR maybe we can still have that. What do you think?
• My camera sucks, and good blog photography is important. But that’s an easy one to fix. The Skeptic and I received some cash for Christmas which will be going to a new camera (Incidentally, do you know of one that is under $250 but will also take nice pictures of both yarn and jumping boys?)

Okay, enough of that. Let’s get to the important stuff…(Jump in here if you wanted to skip all the blogidty-wogity thinking!)

So, 2012. What will I do in 2012? 2011 was busy. Probably the busiest I have ever felt in my life, and while I feel like I did get a decent amount of stuff done, I don’t feel like I really tackled anything new or challenging. I mostly had a “hurry up and make it” philosophy, probably because it’s so hard to squeeze in any time. I made things I knew. So for this year, I want a new challenge. And because this is a blog, of course I need to give it a name and promise to report back to you on it. So I’m calling it Monthly Apparel.  It’s my pledge to go beyond pajama pants and simple knit skirts and actually make some clothing for myself. I would LOVE it if I had people join me. It will keep me focused on my goal (since I typically have mid-year burn out when I do this stuff) and it will keep my blogging.

Think about it, and I’ll have a new post up in a few days (really, I will). I’d love to see people setting a monthly goal in the beginning of the month, then reporting back on the last day. And although I’ll be trying to get myself into some more difficult stuff, maybe this is a chance for you to start with even the most basic sewing. I’ll even tell you how to make a skirt out of old t-shirts, it’s easy (See picture below) I do hope you’ll join me!

And surely,  I need to share some knitting. All this sewing  does not mean the knitting or spinning will stop around here. I actually finished this vest last last spring, if you can believe it, and finally sewed the buttons on this fall. It it by far the most lovely and practical thing I have ever knit. The pattern is Redhook from my favorite, Brooklyn Tweed. Raveled here.

I also have a beautiful cowl I’ll be sharing soon (along with a free pattern). But let’s just leave it at Noro Silk Garden for now…..

Have a Happy New Year everyone!! I’m looking forward to renewing a sense of blogging community this year and trying some new things. Hope to see you around!!

Apparently, WordPress wanted to remind me that I have a blog and people actually do read it. They sent me this nice little report, which reminded me that I have sort of forgot about the poor blog in the craziness of the last few months. I think this might be the longest break between posts that I’ve ever had, at least in an unannounced-fall-off-the-planet sort of way.

Last year, despite what WordPress says, I was a bit lame in my blogging skills and have struggled quite a bit trying to figure out just what to do and what to write. Blogging has changed a lot in the five years I’ve been at this. This has gone from a purely project based knitting blog to a blog about my life.  I never intended it to be that way, but it’s made me remember how much I like to write and how much I enjoy sharing my writing with others. And I’m always amazed that so many of you keep coming back to read, whether it’s because you like what I’m making or you like what ridiculous thing my boys have done lately. Perhaps both?

Then there is the whole time factor thing. I seem to have fewer and fewer hours in the day, and more and more that I want to do.  And I will guiltily admit that Facebook keeps stealing my blog posts; funny stories with pictures meant to be blogged turn into quick, one sentence musings while the onions fry on the stove and a little boy screams “Mooommmmm!!!” Not enough hours in a day, and so much that I want to do.

Which brings me to the point of this post. Last year I often thought that I should just hang it up, call it a good five years and be done with it this blog. But, I still like writing it and I still have readers. And just like all the other things I love to do, I’d rather dip my toes into a bit of everything right now than give something up. So this will be the year of random accomplishments for me. I’ll sew when I feel like sewing, knit when I want to knit, spin when I want to spin and blog when I want to blog. That means I’m not going to worry so much that I don’t post every week anymore. If I show up here once a month, that’s fine. If it’s more, that’s fine too. I’ll keep sharing what I’m making as well as what the boys are breaking. (The coffee table this week, in case you’re wondering!)

Thanks for reading and happy 2011!! I do have lots of FO to show off from the last two months, but I’ll save that for the next post. In the meantime, enjoy the wacky WordPress stats, and if anyone can tell me what astrakhan.nigella is I’d be much obliged, as it doesn’t ring a bell.

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The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads Wow.

Crunchy numbers

A Boeing 747-400 passenger jet can hold 416 passengers. This blog was viewed about 9,000 times in 2010. That’s about 22 full 747s.

In 2010, there were 38 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 395 posts. There were 16 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 4mb. That’s about a picture per month.

The busiest day of the year was January 6th with 368 views. The most popular post that day was Twelve Years.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were Google Reader, ravelry.com, bloglines.com, candcphoto.blogspot.com, and facebook.com.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for knittymama, loop fiber, astrakhan.nigella, toddler pants pattern, and soaker pattern.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

Twelve Years November 2009
11 comments

Because this is still a knitting blog…. September 2010
7 comments

A simple contest August 2010
23 comments

The Egg March 2010
21 comments

And…. it’s done. November 2010
14 comments

Thanks for the good times, but I’m no longer sad to see you go. I found Feedly and it kicks your butt. RIP.