I’ve had this question posed to me via email many many times since I started blogging.

And several times this past weekend.

I don’t have time to launch into an email discourse on blogging for everyone who asks, so I’m responding here.

First stop: Google.

You knew I was going to say that didn’t you? Type “How do I start a blog?” in the search window and that’ll get you started.

I use Moveable Type and I like it. I started out using Blogger, then switched to hand-coding one day when Blogger pissed me off with yet another outage, then eventually I registered a new domain name and installed Moveable Type. There are many, many more blog tools out there, all of which are completely unfamiliar to me. So I can’t recommend one.

But I will give you my two cents worth on what I like/don’t like to see on blogs.

1. I love photos. Photos, photos, photos.

2. I love frequent updates.

3. I love updates that have content, not ones that say “I haven’t blogged for a while and I have nothing to say.”

4. I love humor, and well-written entries.

5. I hate meaningless quizzes, like “What kind of knitting needle am I?” Particularly when the quiz result constitutes the entire blog entry. Granted, I’m guilty of having posted quiz results myself in the past. But they quickly grew tiresome and I don’t anymore.

6. I hate light text on a dark background. Take pity on older eyes! Make your blogs easy to read.

7. In the “I didn’t but I do now” department. I hate tagboards! Now that they have added pop-ups, they are the devil’s spawn. Yes, I have a pop-up blocker. But I hate them on principal.

8. I hate when I remove a blog from my blogroll and the blog owner emails me to ask me why. I don’t answer these emails. The answer is often “Hello. Your blog doesn’t interest me any more” and I don’t want to come out and say that to someone. I’d rather be passive-aggressive. I’ll often blogroll new blogs to try ‘em out for a while, and then find that I don’t enjoy them, for whatever reason. So I remove them. My blog, my choice.

All of the above is simply my oh-so-humble opinion only.

Cha-cha-changes

You might have noticed that I cleared out my blog sidebar. Quite severely.

My list of blogs I read and links to knit-alongs are now on their own page. There is a link to that page in my sidebar under . . . uh . . . “Links.”

The sidebar has been annoying me for a while, looking too cluttered, so I got out my pruning shears and trimmed it back. I left a few knit-alongs here on the front page. Subject to change at my whim. Why? Because I am the Queen of this blog, that’s why.

Sorry . . . Lucy is the Queen of this blog.

Knitting Pattern-a-Day Calendar

I apologize for not mentioning where to buy this yesterday. Ann Marie found it by Googling and I confirm: the only online outlet I’ve found so far is here. Mine was purchased in a B. Dalton bookstore, which is part of Barnes & Noble (yet Barnes & Noble is not showing it in their online store as of this writing). A couple of commenters mentioned seeing it in Barnes & Noble stores.

Yes, We Have Actual Knitting Content

I’ve got the Alchemy Synchronicity Scarf completed. Here she is with the accompanying hat. Ain’t she purty?

The scarf took two skeins and is about 6 feet long. This is how much yarn I had left over:

And I’ve got the back of Liam completed. Ain’t he handsome?

Crystal Palace Needles

I’m sorta glad (but not really, if you know what I mean) to see that I’m not the only one who has problems with Crystal Palace needles. Oh, and for the record, I find the join to be particularly annoying too.

Whenever possible I stick with my Addi Naturas and Clover bamboos. I’m finding I like wooden needles more and more over Addi Turbos. Though the Addi Turbos have their place! Like on cabled designs. And on AbFab throws — “sticky” yarns need smooth needles.

What is up with them?

Last week I pulled a brand-spanking new set of Crystal Palace dpns outta the package (when finishing up my bucket hat) and the very first time I inserted needles into yarn, two long splinters came off one of the needles.

Then on Friday, a splinter came off the tip of a new Crystal Palace bamboo circular that I had been using (and carefully storing) for five whole days. Huh?

I have some Clover bamboos that I’ve been using, oh, forever. No problems.

I’ve fixed the point of the circular with judicious use of an emery board. The dpn splinters came off the shaft of the needle, not the tip, so they don’t affect the knitting. So I won’t bother to return them. But the damned needle has a groove in the shaft now and looks bizarr-o.

Crystal Palace, you have gotten on my last available nerve.

AbFab News

I finished my second throw, this one in the sideways stripes pattern. I’m quite pleased with it!

This was my own made-up colorway. Some Velvet Bilberry and some Monet Colinette yarns, and some non-Colinette mohair (Plymouth Outback).

The fringe seemed to take forever!

I matched the fringe yarns to the stripes rather than use the fringe yarns randomly and I think it looks really nice. The finished size of the throw is approximately 45″ by 60″.

So now, I’ve returned to the Liam pullover for a while. I’m tired of seeing it in my list of WIPs. hopwfully I can make some progress, though I’m not very far along on it.

Knitting Calendar

I picked this up over the weekend.

Lots of fun little patterns in there. My toe-up sock pattern is in there as well. On the first weekend in April, 2005.

Critter Knitters Update

Liz worked overtime this weekend and updated the blankets received page. Wow! I know what a huge undertaking this was. Go check out all the very cool blankets!

Klaralund-Along News

The lovely and talented Froggy (yes, she is both, and apart from that, she has the biggest-ass knitting bag I’ve ever seen — tee hee hee!) has made a Yahoo Group for the Klaralund-Along! Go here to sign up for the group.

Lucy Sez . . .

Happy Monday!

Can you guess what I bought at Knit Happens Wednesday night? Can you?

If you guessed “more Alchemy yarn” you would be correct. Ding! Ding! Ding!

Remember, if you will, that I purchased the fun bright green Alchemy Resevoir on Saturday.

So I bought the matching Alchemy Synchronicity to make a matching scarf for the hat that it will become.

And for good measure, I bought both Resevoir and Synchronicity in a pretty blue colorway.

And I believe I enabled at least one poor soul into an Alchemy purchase. Phyl-Phyl? Didja buy the red? Huh? Didja?

Speaking of Alchemy, here’s the state of the scarf as of lunchtime yesterday. I’m just starting the second skein, and got about 26 inches worth of scarf from the first skein, so it’ll be nice and long.

Here’s what was going on down the street while I was photographing the scarf. Some sort of emergency . . .

ABFab, You Are Fabulous, Dahling

And the state of the AbFab:

Yum!

I repeat, YUM!

Are You Sick of my Office Toys Yet?

Too bad.

Lucy Sez:

Stre-e-e-etch!

And if you haven’t already, run, don’t walk, over to see what Becky just made. It’s too cute!

Happy Friday!

Spent my Wednesday night at Knit Happens, as per usual.

I worked on my AbFab throw while I was there. I’m sorta hooked on it now and am really enjoying the pattern. It’s funny — I’m not a huge fan of mohair by itself, but I love it in these throws. Those of you who have never fondled an AbFab in person — I recommend you do so. You’ll be hooked. They are just so cuddly.

Like a certain little supermodel kitty I know.

Pix of AbFab tomorrow. Too tired when I got home to deal with it. And pix of my stash enhancement. Why, of course. I enhanced my stash. But I also enabled others into enhancing their stashes too. Heh heh heh.

Japanese Lantern Scarf

A question in the comments yesterday about how many stitches I cast on. I made a page for the scarf that includes the pattern (such as it is). Ain’t I special? Go here!

Office Toys

Along with my many many office toys, I also have stickers. Spongebob stickers, to be exact. Most of them came off foil wrapped chocolate coins we had at Christmas time last year.

Kindly do not ask what happened to the chocolate coins. I am a much better person now.

But anyhow, I brought stickers to work and stuck them on my monitor. Like this:

I also stuck a couple on monitors of my team members. One of the guys on my team — we’ll call him Fred (because that’s his name) — had no idea who Spongebob was (because Fred is a real adult). When confronted with the sticker on his monitor, he responded, “Uh, thank you?” (Feeling the need to be polite, you understand, because I am the Team Leader. Almighty. All-Powerful.)

Well, his monitor died and had to be replaced. When the cute little girl who takes care of these issues replaced it, she carefully peeled the Spongebob sticker off the old monitor and stuck it on the new one. She told Fred “I saved your Spongebob sticker because I knew you didn’t want to lose that!”

You shoulda seen the look on his face. It’s always a bonus when you can humiliate someone on your team. Hee hee hee.

As pointed out in my comments yesterday, the star of my office toys is indeed Shaun the Sheep, of Wallace and Gromit fame.

Here, for The Gibster, a close-up of my prized Gromit figurine.

Oooh! Oooh! And here’s my window washer Gromit!

No, I’m not trying to taunt you with my Gromit wealth. Honest. These precious little guys were purchased in the U.K., by the way. I dunno if they’re available here.

Yes, Bonne Marie, It Is 90 Degrees in Virginia

Yet I’m knitting felted bucket hats and AbFab throws. Hey Mom, does insanity run in our family?

I heart air conditioning.

Synchronicity Scarf Progress

Coming along!

Thanks, Secret Pal!

Secret Pal prezzies were awaiting me at Knit Happens last night! Lookie here:

Two very alluring sock yarns, and adorable kitty bookmark (which is going to work with me today to be placed in my book-in-progress), and postcards with some hints on them as to the whereabouts of my Secret Pal. What fun!

Thank you, Secret Pal, for making my day!

Lucy News

Apparently, this is what Lucy does online all day while I’m at work.

This!

It’s the new CD from Share’s band, Bubble: “Rock n Roll Hell.” And it totally rocks!

You can buy your own copy here. Go on, now. You don’t want me thinking I’m better than you because I own it and you don’t, do you?

Alchemy Hat

I finished my Bottoms-Up Bucket hat in the Alchemy Resevoir yesterday. Here it is, in its pre-felted state.

And here it is, after felting, before blocking.

And here it is, blocked.

I am beyond happy with this hat — it’s the best felted bucket I’ve made. It fits me better than any of my previous attempts. This is great yarn for felting! It took about one and a half cycles in the washer to get it down to the proper size for me.

And just for grins, I started my matching scarf in the Alchemy Synchronicity.

Oh my gosh and golly. Is this yarn ever great to knit! It’s 50/50 wool/silk and it is heaven on needles. Fer shure!

Lara-Along Group
Kristine has created a Yahoo Group for the Lara-Along. Go here to join!

I’m a Bag Ho

For Suzanne, here is a photo of my suede Coach business tote. I love bags, purses and totes of all kinds. Can’t get enough of them.

I’m an Office Toy Ho

Lest you think Spongebob is the only personage who graces my cubicle.

AbFab Update

I’m a little further along!

The Japanese Lantern Scarf, She Is Finished!

Being modeled by my lamp. She’s purty, ain’t she?

Knitted from just one skein of Alchemy Japanese Lantern, she’s over 66″ long, not including the fringe.

Lucy just wanted to try her on before she goes to live at Knit Happens.