It's been 5 days since my last YOP post. Not much has changed. I frogged the hat, twice, and have it finally on needles that I think will work. And if it's too big, well, my sister has a big head. I went down in needle size instead of up. I blame my head cold for that making sense.
On a completely different front, but still related, I feel like I'm failing at communicating through Ravelry. So often, it seems, I make a comment on a thread and it dies. I use to be really good at forums and following blogs (mostly because those blogs were all on livejournal, so had an easy to read feed). Now, I struggle reading the other blog posts about people's YOPs. I rarely comment because I don't know how to see any potential responses to my comments without either checking the post obsessively or getting emailed every time anyone comments on the post.
I use to have a large community of online friends. That's been replaced by...I'm not really sure. It's not as though I have more friends around me than I did before. I don't like spending the hours in front of the computer these days. I often find that a thread I'm following on a forum has hundreds of new posts from the last time I looked at it and I just don't want to wade through all of it. So I miss out. A lot of these people (probably all women to be honest) seem really cool and interesting but I don't know how to connect to people online anymore. I think part of me was hoping that by doing this blog experiment (really it is an experiment; I have a hard time committing to anything but sleep on a daily basis and that's only because my body wins sometimes), I would find a new online community. I want to geek out over yarn and jokes and be included with something that my Husband finds a bit silly. I know that there are local people, including many friends, who are also knitters but I want to connect with people in the yarn clubs I'm in and who are blogging as well. I just don't know how.
I understand what you mean, I have also been looking to Ravelry to make new friends with whom I can be yarn nerdy. I think this YOP group is great! But talking once a week through blog comments doesn't make real friends in just a few months, I guess it takes years :) I think the key is to be persistent and not give up, it's not that easy to find friends in "real life" either.
ReplyDeleteThat's true. I seem to often forget that things take time in "real life" and online. I've been fortunate and had some instances where things have just clicked (in both places). It does get overwhelming on Ravelry to try to keep up with any of the conversations when I don't look at it daily. My life doesn't allow me to do that sometimes.
DeleteI get totally what you mean and for yop'ers to become that friend I think it takes the full year of commenting and visiting. I've been doing it for the three years and there are some blogs and women I'm very friendly with and would consider them very much my online friends but it didn't happen within the first 6 months of the first year it happened more into the second year as we stuck to the yop year and came back for a second. So my advice with regards yop would be to stick with it for the year, comment as much as you can and you will be rewarded. The women in the group are pretty awesome. I'm still getting to know the new members this year and I'm enjoying it. Don't give up at it though.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I think I needed this advice. I tend to forget that things don't happen instantly in real life.
DeleteI agree - I have only started YOPing (is that a term!!) this year. I try to comment each week and agree that it is difficult to keep up with comments I leave, but, I feel I have been getting to know everyone and obviously keep up with the comments made on my blog.
ReplyDeleteKeep going and don't worry too much about comments on your comments!!
I've been very internet anti-social lately mostly due to work and being sick. I've actually not read for a few weeks because of it. Thank you for your comment. I think it's what I needed. :)
DeleteI think the YOP group is a great bunch of friendly people, and a lot of the same people are back in year two so there's a sense of familiarity. But I don't think anything would beat face to face, so I'm hoping that there's a LYS near you with a knit night, or something else that would get you out socializing in a supportive and friendly environment. I love our local knit night; it's so fun! I hope the "holiday funk" passes quickly and that things look up for you!
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