On Winter, Woobles, and Websites

Studio Notes

all things crochet

There wasn't much progress made in the studio this week. Not surprising given the time of year. I received a light that will help improve the quality of my photos for my patterns.

I had an idea for an alligator design, but my seven-year-old wanted me to make an otter. I'm pretty happy with how I was able to shape the head. I'm not sure it's an otter head, though, but it will serve as a good base for other animals either way.

Thoughts on Woobles Kits

My daughter got a Woobles Kit for Christmas from family. We've just started working on it.

For reference, she is in 2nd grade and started learning to crochet this summer. She knows how to chain, single crochet, double crochet, and increase. She mostly understands magic rings, and we are still working on decreases. So far, she's made one amigurumi with significant help and a granny square. Oh, and let's not forget the many "blankets" for her stuffies that are slanted from dropped stitches.

Woobles might have been helpful at the very beginning of her journey, but it is painfully slow going now. We skipped 90% of the videos for the first three rounds because they were too basic for her. We have not completed the kit yet, but I doubt it will be that helpful until we get to decreases and the embroidery.

A Woobles kit only seems to be for people who have never picked up a hook in their life. If you want to learn to crochet or are teaching a child, I recommend this video from Club Crochet. It's well-paced, and you can pause when needed. Save yourself some money for all the yarn you will want after you finish!

Nature

sightings and experiences

While walking in the local park, I saw a Downy Woodpecker. I only saw it when I looked up because I heard a weird rustling in the trees.

I reflected on how birds are always around us if we take the time to pay attention. In that way, they can become a proxy for how well I am engaged with the world around me. I see them as an entry point into a sense of presence with myself, God, and nature. That's part of the reason I named my business after my favorite bird: the Red-Headed Woodpecker. I never fail to feel a sense of wonder when I see one.

Gathered Things

annotated links and more discovered this week

How to Build a Website for Creative Non-Developers by Desiree Dahl - Dahl has a series of prompts to help you think through what you want your website to look like. I can't wait to take some time this week to journal through them. Here are a couple that really hit home:

If no one was judging me and I felt totally open to express myself, what would I share?

If I didn't need to sell anything to anyone, what would still excite me to make?

It's funny how you stumble on new articles online. I found this Dahl's blog thru Ye Old Blogroll, which I discovered through this interview on Manu's blog (I wish I remembered how I found Manu! Also, check out his ongoing project interviewing personal bloggers).

I don't often find the most interesting or enjoyable blogs through Google's search function. I find them through other personal blogs and articles. These little links remind me of footnotes at the back of your favorite book. It's the best way to find other books I love. And it isn't driven by an algorithm. It is human-curated, just like browsing the stacks at your local library. I'm saddened that more people don't engage in this form of exploration and discovery.

That is one of my favorite things about the personal blogs that I keep coming back to over and over again. Without fail, they are generous linkers, seeking to be good digital citizens (where'd I first hear that?), and are thoughtful, reflective people. Following a rabbit hole of links is a joy that I often don't experience on the web.

Lars-Christian Simonsen's interview with Manu Moreale - I already linked this article above, but I want to highlight it too. I resonated with Simonsen's articulation of why he writes:

Putting my thoughts to the sword by writing them down, examine if they make sense, sometimes feels like pulling the curtains and letting the light in. It helps me discard that which doesn't make sense. Which is to say most of it. I can then spend my energy on that which does make sense.

This is why I want to write more. I want to journal more because it helps me remember my life. I have a poor memory! And I am surprised by some of the thoughts that take up residence in my mind. Sometimes I only see them as untrue until they are written out.

But even more importantly, I want to write in public. I've taken lots of notes only to come back later and not understand them. When I journal or take notes, I fall into the trap of assuming I will know what I'm talking about in the future. Writing on a website requires another layer of context and forces clarity.

Brian Koberlein's interview with Manu Moreale - If it's not obvious, I'm binging these right now! They are perfect fodder for thinking through my own blog's beginnings. Here is Koberlein:

I suppose this is primarily directed at younger or newer creatives, regarding “the algorithm” of search engines and social media. I think for most creatives there is a drive to get your work seen. Online that means figuring out a way to go viral, get likes, or rise in the search engine rankings. That’s a perfectly fine goal, but you should know that if the algorithm chooses you it has nothing to do with the quality or value of your work. And I mean literally nothing. The algorithm is nothing more than a capitalist predator, seeking to consume what it can, monetize it quickly, then toss aside. If you make the algorithm your audience, you get very good at creating for an audience of machines rather than humans. Creating for humans is harder, it may get you ignored by the algorithm, but your work will be better for it, and it will find an audience in time.

I want my work to be seen. But at what cost? There are a lot of choices to make when you start your own website and start your own business. Choices that you may never have had the opportunity to make. In past work experiences, I felt forced to go along with choices that had already been made for me. Going against the grain in an existing culture never served me well. Perhaps I go at things too hard. My husband is much more adept at going against the grain while keeping smiles on everyone's faces. That is much more effective than pissing people off.

I know the choices I want to make for my business aren't "good" for my business. But doing business the normal way was never going to fly for me. I'm not planning on chasing likes or trying to go viral. Algorithms measure worth through money. That is an awful and narrow metric for the true value of a thing.

I want to carve out a space that welcomes "consumers" as they are, but points them towards becoming creators. Creating is an essential part of being human. That means that my audience is humans, not machines. If that means fewer views, less money, and less "success," I'm okay with that.

If you want to shift your mindset from consumption to creation, you are in the right place. I want to explore how we can do that. I don't have a plan on how to make that happen, but we'll figure it out on the way. Thanks for reading!