Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogging. Show all posts

Friday, 16 December 2022

Back to Blogging?

I'd like to explain why my blog has been neglected for almost two years now. I lost my blog writing mojo due to a combination of covid-restriction-induced malaise plus a major life change. Don't worry, it was a good change.

I retired in July of 2021 from an office job where I sat at a desk all day. After so many years of sitting, I decided to change things up exploring other interests. I took a break from both crocheting and blogging which eventually morphed into a long hiatus.

My husband and I have been catching up with projects in and around our house, traveling, biking, hiking, rock climbing and relaxing. I love retirement for the freedom it provides. 

Retirement rocks!!!
This fall, I gradually started crocheting again. I joined a weekly knitting and crochet group at a local library with a friend making simple crochet dishcloths while I chat with like-minded people. It's fun and inspires me to create more at home on my own. 

Creating Caroline's photobook was a total joy. The idea had been bubbling up in my mind for months just waiting for the right time. This week was the week. I spent Monday and Tuesday searching through my daughter's shared photos, selecting and downloading what I wanted for the story. On Wednesday, I sat down with my laptop and didn't get up for ten hours straight (except to go to the bathroom and let the dog out) until the book was done.

Wow! I never sit like that these days!! Like I said, writing that book was a joy and I loved every minute of getting my creative mind flowing. That book inspired me to make a post. I also have a few projects to share. Some are old and some are new. 

Am I back to blogging? Christmas is a busy time of year plus we have exciting travel plans for January and February. I am inspired but also realistic. In retirement, I am much easier on myself so no promises. I choose to be happy and see where it leads.

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Tuesday, 30 December 2014

2014 in Review

I came up with a blog name "meo my crochet" in 2012 and created a profile of sorts but did not finish the layout or start posting until January of this year. It was my daughter's new website and blog Sweet Maple Photography that inspired me. If she could set up a business website and blog while pregnant and taking care of a busy toddler then I should be able to figure out Blogger. 

As it turned out, getting started was the hardest part. Once I created a colourful blog banner using PicMonkey (free) and configured a simple layout, the ideas started to flow. Writing takes time and lots of tweaking yet I love the whole process. 

I set myself a goal of writing one post per week. That seemed manageable considering I work full time. I am absolutely amazed to see I surpassed it. This year I have written 63 posts and have almost 17,000 views. Blogger stats are cool, I'm just not sure how I feel about them. I'm trying to look at it as a positive form of feedback without falling into the trap of comparing my numbers to more popular sites. 

I blog because I enjoy writing so will carry on posting in 2015. Over time I have added a few cool features: "SEARCH THIS BLOG", "FOLLOW BY EMAIL" and "TRANSLATE". In 2015 I might experiment with adding pages. I think it would be nice to list all my favourite pattern links on a separate page where they are easy to find. 

Check out this series of collages providing a visual overview of 2014 at meo my crochet. As you can see it was a busy and productive year. 

 January (getting started)

February (Boulder trip with my Mom, lots of baby crochet)

March Break Boulder trip, meet granddaughter, more baby crochet

April (Easter crochet and blog business cards)

 May (Mother's Day and more crochet)

June (synchronicity, divine intervention, son's high-school graduation) 

July (biking to work and summer crochet)

August (motivation month, 2 guest posts, son moves into residence)

September (my grade 8 grad reunion, weekend trip away and crochet)

October (family visit for Thanksgiving)

November (ripple crochet, faery door and more)

December (Christmas and crochet)

I was struggling with how to create these collages and spent a few hours working on various methods until I found a post by blogger Nicole at The Pixel Boutique. Her instructions were clear and easy to follow. It still took many more hours to go back over my posts and decide what to include but was worth the effort as it's exactly what I had pictured when I first decided to write "2014 in Review". 

I hope it brightens your day to read about my adventures in crochet and in life. All the best to you and your families in 2015. 



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