I was nominated to participate in this blog hop thing by Raphaelle over at Deux Souriceaux (thank you, Raphaelle!). She paid me the nicest compliment I could’ve wished for which is that she said I’m “smart and fun”. How did she know that those are way up there on the list of how I’d like people to perceive me? Awesome. Anyway, the way this blog hop is *supposed* to work is that highly organized people manage to respond to their nominations within a week and post their response to a set of questions on their blog the following Monday. Ha. In my world it works like this:

1. Be flattered and excited that someone wanted to nominate me to talk about my blog and think “for sure, I can TOTALLY write a response for next Monday!”

2. #RealizeImAnIdiot

Right. So here is my post, late as it may be, and definitely on the wrong day….

“Why Do I Write?”

A very good question. Truth is, I’m not sure. In trying to answer this question I asked myself whether I actually like to write. I’m not sure I do. I know I like to write when what I’ve written turns out to be interesting and funny, but that doesn’t happen all the time. Maybe I write because I am a little obsessed with collecting, categorizing, and cataloging…when I make something, I have to keep some kind of record of it to satisfy my anal retentive impulses. (Discovering Ravelry was like a dream come true for me, what with options to catalogue all my knits and even the yarn in my stash. Except I couldn’t keep track of my sewing and jewelry and other things on Ravelry.) So, writing about my makes on a blog seems like a good way to keep a record of my process and outcomes. I guess writing is a necessary means to an end for me!

“What Am I Working On?”

Currently I am working on knitting a friggin’ sweater that is taking *forever*. It’s Milla Mia’s Vanessa Cable Cardi. I really like the cabled zigzags on the fronts, but what a lot of cabling on every right-side row. I’ve been at this since July. And how much would I rather be knitting this in the colourway shown in Milla Mia’s photo? After working with this taupe and burgundy for a while I’m not feeling terribly inspired. This one should be finished in time for the 2022 winter Olympics in Kazakhstan (or whatever other unlikely country the IOC desperately manages to get to agree to host while most other countries quite sanely say NO). Oh, that is, if my local yarn store manages to get in the special order I placed in July for yarn I will need to actually finish this. YES, I started a sweater without actually being sure I will ever be able to get ENOUGH YARN TO FINISH. That’s me in a nutshell.

“How Does My Blog Differ From Others in its Genre?”

I am interested in a lot of different creative practices, from sewing and knitting to jewelry making & silversmithing and even wearable electronics and 3D printing. So perhaps that mix makes it a little different? Or maybe just a little scattered? Ultimately, though, I share something in common with a lot of other blogs I read — a passion for creativity and an excitement to share that passion with others.

“How Does My Writing Process Work?”

Hmmm, something like this, I think:

• get an idea for something to write about (or finish creating something to write about)
• procrastinate, procrastinate, procrastinate
• spend time seemingly doing nothing except cuddling with the cats, knitting, or sitting in the backyard with a cup of tea (but really during these times my mind is ruminating, often subconsciously, on the thing I want to write about or create)
• take photographs — my writing depends almost entirely on having decent-quality photographs to go along with it, since I’m usually writing about an object or a garment I’ve made
• Usually when I’m editing the photos is when I’m finally able to pound out the writing, often in one go. I’m sure I could use some sober-second-thought editing but I find it very difficult not to hit the Publish button as soon as I’m done. I’d probably be more careful about proofing and editing if I were writing for any other reason except for fun.

Now it’s my turn to nominate two others to do this blog hop thingy!

I’d like to nominate Olgalyn from O! Jolly! Crafting Fashion with Sweater Knit Fabrics. I only recently discovered her blog but it’s very intriguing. She’s a knit designer and off-handedly mentioned in one post that she used to be in an electronic art music ensemble “known for building/designing/performing with original music synthesizers”. Cool! Would love to hear more about her and her blog.

I’d also like to nominate Metalsmithing Poodle. I enjoy following her posts about learning metalsmithing in art school, where she created some truly amazing pieces. I like that she’s so open about sharing her post-graduation struggles: finding her place in the world, and the place of art-making in her life. She’s also into Parkour — how cool is that?

Hop on over to their blogs and check them out!