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Sunday 16 October 2016

October WIPocalypse Social Media

WIPocalypse
WIPocalypse is hosted by Measi's Musings

Each month we have to share the projects we want to complete before the End Of The World.

The focus of my WIPocalypse will be my "16 in '16" which are 16 projects I particularly wanted to concentrate on in 2016.   The full list can be found on my WIPocalypse page where you can also find my secondary list "16 Series in '16".

My main goal is to keep to my rotation of one small every Friday and the rest of the month working on my focus piece until it is finished.  I also have a number of SALs I want to keep up with:

The Alphabet Club - a different letter on the first Saturday of each month
Gifted Gorgeousness - post anything gifted on the 15th
Hallowe'en Ornie Blog - a different spooky theme each month
Christmas Ornie Blog - a different festive theme each month
Smalls SAL - last Thursday of each month

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I have worked on 1 out of 16 projects since my last WIPocalypse, plus 3 from my series list.

9. She Tends by Shepherd's Bush


stitched on 32 count Light Mocha linen


And from the series:

1. Christmas Cubes by Primitive Hare

stitched on 35 count Country Mocha linen

6. Stitcher's Alphabet by Brooke's Books

stitched on 28 count afghan

16. Byzantine Ornaments by Teresa Wentzler

stitched on 28 count Burgundy linen
(not a good colour likeness)

Measi always gives us a topic to discuss:

October - what online stitching communities do you enjoy?

In the beginning there were bulletin board and forums.  I discovered cross stitch forums back in 2010 and enjoyed the chat on the Yuku boards for Mirabilia, San Man and Needlecraft Haven.  I also joined the Round Robin board and took part in several of those projects.  I noticed that many stitchers had links to their "blogs" in their signatures and started following a few of those.  In 2011 I took the plunge and started a blog of my own.

I had discovered that I liked to "hijack" threads, someone would say something and it would send me off at a tangent.  Well, this is my tangent, I can discuss whatever I want!

I had joined Facebook when I was pregnant with the Small Boy along with a number of women from a parenting forum.  From there I discovered the stitching groups.  My favourites are the Designer-specific groups where you can actually talk to the designer!  How amazing is that?  I also enjoy groups which organise themed SALs and I'm currently quite active on Stitch Maynia and Cross Stitch Finish Line.

The new kid on the block is FlossTube or FlaaaaaaaaasTube as the Large Boy calls it!  This is the collective name for stitching videos found on YouTube.  I do enjoy listening to a stitcher chat about her projects and showing her stash (or his projects and stash in Coffee Stitcher's case!).

For me, the drawbacks with both FB and FT are that you can't look back and find things easily.  What was that lovely Hallowe'en project I saw?  On a blog you use the labels or the search bar and there it is.   

I haven't really explored Instagram.  I like the chat and the written word in addition to the photos.  I like to know more about the stitcher and what s/he was thinking when they stitched the piece.

People keep moaning that "blogs aren't as active as they were" and I did clear a load off my blog roll recently.  But I also added a good few.  If blogs aren't so active, why have I got 82 posts to read in my "New Followers" category alone?  You have to find new people to follow, joining my blog hop is a great way to do that.

Finally, did you see what I did there, led nicely into a plug for the Hallowe'en Trick or Treat Blog Hop!  This will take place on the 31st October, of course, and all you have to do is post a picture of some spooky stitching along with a letter of the alphabet I will allocate you.  To join in, just leave a comment and I'll add you to the list.  We have a great group signed up already but the more the spookier!

Hallowe'en Blog Hop



29 comments:

Linda said...

Lovely stitching Jo. I so agree with you on stitching forums. I really do miss some of the blogs I used to read. They have moved on to facebook or flosstube. I don't care for flosstube and facebook takes up alot of stitching time. Also, like you said, if you want to find something that someone is working on its almost impossible to find on facebook.

Linda

Amy said...

Still love all your wips! Are you finishing the Christmas cubes as cubes, or will you do something else?

I've started using the save post function on FB - it's been very handy, but then I haven't yet had time to accumulate a billion saved posts...

Bea said...

Lovely pieces one and all.

Barb said...

Wow Jo, I am always impressed with all the projects that you are stitching. I love seeing your variety of projects.

The Knitting Cross Stitcher said...

Love your Primitive Hare piece and She Tends.

Annie said...

Lovely stitching x

Suz said...

Wonderful progress on your pieces!

And ditto with the "not so active blogs" - I have gotten behind on my reading, and I need to catch up with over 300 posts! How inactive is that?

Rhona said...

So many gorgeous projects!

Christine said...

I don't think there are less blogs now either, in fact I think 2 new blogs spring up for every old one that fizzles out (like a hydra but not so bitey) you just need to look out for them..

Kaisievic said...

Clever segue into your blog hop, Jo, nicely done. I am with you, the number of blogs is probably increasing, it is just the participants who are changing - it is an ebb and flow of life. I now use Instagram and FB but they do not substitute for a good old yarn on my blog. She tends is looking very pretty - is it too separate pieces?

Kaisievic said...

Oh, I see, I just looked up the design - it is four separate pieces - so pretty. You always find the best and most interesting designs, Jo. xxx

Sandy said...

I would love to participate in the halloween hop :) I think I have a witch or two I could post. Love you blog and I'm a lurker and love hopping from blog to blog.

Preeti said...

Lovely projects!! I have seen FT a few times but they are time consuming to watch. I cannot manage more than two social networking accounts so I am happy with blogging and Ravelry.

Leonore Winterer said...

Great progress again on your WIPocalypse pieces - I'm very glad you started blogging when you did, because yours is really one of my favourite blogs to follow.
I get what you're saying about following new blogs instead of complaining about the old one's getting inactive...only, I'm getting so attached to some people I'm really sad when they don't post anymore. And at the same time, I'm kind of glad I don't 'have' to read ten new posts every day! I'm strange, I know, I know.

Tiffstitch said...

Great post and nice way to add more followers and newbies to your blog hop. I haven't joined those FB groups as yet, mostly because I can't keep up with them enough. :)

diamondc said...

Great progress in your WIPS, I look forward to seeing the finished designs.
I have many inactive followers, I hope they come back.
I am always looking for new Bloggers to follow.

Blessings
Catherine

rosey175 said...

Great post! I do so love to ramble on your blogspace LOL. Since I've only been stitching since '09, forums were already very much in full swing. I started out with the LJ community (which is still pleasant to read) before moving to blogger. Blogger is a bit harder to keep up with IMO. There are just so many neat people out there. Sometimes they disappear and that makes me sad, especially the geekier crafters. I follow cross stitching, knitting, crochet, sewing, "vintage", and a few homemaking because delicious recipes and pretty storage haha. I sometimes use FB and Twitter for stitchy stuff, but mostly it's just real life vomit. Floss Tube just hasn't gathered my interest whether crappy Internet or just not my thing, I dunno. Same for Instagram though I do love to take a billion pictures of everything.

Side question: Has your Followers widget disappeared too? I use a lot of script blocking add-ons for my computer but I swear that widget was there when I posted for GG!

Sally said...

Brilliant post Jo. I must admit that I've considered giving up my blog as I just don't seem to have the enthusiasm to post like I used to and visit other blogs but I'd miss it if I did. I like the blogging community and have made many friends through it. I am on Instagram for quickness but I don't like it as much and FB isn't what it used to be when I first joined but the stitching groups are OK.

Mini said...

Great progress on your WIPs. I'm with you on how blog are the best way to connect with people and their views on stitching. I have tried watching floss tube twice, didn't like it much. I'm a member of few closed grps on fb , however I don't comment much these days. You can now save posts on FB,that's how I keep record of patterns I like and want to stitch. Instagram is a good way to connect with non-English speaking stitchers as the picture is the focus there.

Lili said...

Lovely stitching! The Shepherd's Bush piece is so sweet!
Hugs,
Lili

jocondine said...

Blogging became a real pleasure as I found lovely friends and it's really helping on keeping goals or sharing events. I'm new on FB, not big fan but I join Cross stitch finish line only as a reader for the moment on your advice. Found a woman explaining stitching vocabulary to her husband very interesting! Great fan of YouTube DIY tuto too. xxx

Beth in IL said...

Love your Shepherd's Bush project. I am itching to start something new and different, but trying to behave.

Lady Stitch-a-Lot said...

Lovely stitching =)
I also never got round to pinterest, I prefer to talk and read about stitching. Some blogs I used to follow became inactive (sadly) but then and again I find new ones (I always planned to go through the bloglist on Stitch Mainia on FB, but it's soooo many) and my feed reader always has a few posts for me ;-) I used to be in a cross stitch forum as well, but after a hard breakup followed by a period of no stitching, I never got back to it O.o Maybe I should take another look at it.

Julie said...

I don't do any social media stuff except blogging and blog reading, although I don't blog as often as I once did.
I love to see your variety of lovely projects.

Brigitte said...

Great projects, Jo. And great to read about the social media you use.
I have a hand full of floss tubers I follow, and the rest is blogs. I still love reading them and commenting on the posts. From time to time I weed out my blog roll, too, but I regularly add new blogs that I want to read. Many bloggers have vanished, that's true, but new bloggers have appeared. So there is no decline concerning the number of posts in my blog reader :)

gominam said...

Great projects! I'm enjoying flaassstube too but still love blogs like yours👍

Sarah in Stitches said...

Great stitching this month, Jo!

CathieJ said...

Your stitching is very pretty. I find working on 32 count so difficult. She tends is so beautiful though.

Heather said...

Great post! Obviously blogs are still pretty active if it's taking me this long to catch up! I am on flosstube quite a bit too with watching but haven't posted videos yet