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Hello and thanks for visiting my blog. I have been knitting on and off for 50 years and I recently learned to crochet. I love looking for wool bargains and making them into something useful. I mainly knit for charity. I occasionally knit for myself and family members if I find a really good pattern or if they ask nicely!!

Saturday 24 January 2015

Grow Your Blog...

2 Bags Full


Welcome to all my old and new readers.  I'm taking part in this year's Grow Your Blog Party which is hosted by Vicki at the  2 Bags Full blog.  This is a great event which helps to introduce bloggers to each other.  It worked for me when my blog was still quite new.  I'm hoping to find many more blogs to follow this year.

I have lived in London, UK, all my life and am a very busy person.  I used to work full time in a library until 2011 when my employer decided that making me and 25 other colleagues redundant was part of the solution to the world's economic problems. (It wasn't!!)  Luckily, I was just the right age to take early retirement, so I now work only one day per week in a library and the rest of the week is spent enjoying a new lease of life. 

After a few weeks getting used to being a lady of leisure, I had the brainwave to return to knitting which I used to do many years ago.  I had given away all my knitting needles and didn't have one ball of wool in the house.  I restocked my needles, built up a good collection of wool and the rest is history.

I started my blog at the end of 2012 mainly to record my knitting projects.  I used to have a gardening blog with a total of 6 followers.  I didn't have any higher expectations for my knitting blog, so reaching the dizzy heights of nearly 100 followers has amazed me.  The figure is only approximate as some of my followers use Bloglovin', some use Google Friend Connect, some use Ravelry and some follow me through other blogs.  Blogger has a great "stats" feature which tells me the various countries that my visitors come from.  Most recently, there have been visits from:
  • United Kingdom

    United States

    Czech Republic

    Canada

    Romania

    South Africa

    Russia

    China

    India

    France
Previously, there have been visits from Vietnam, Iceland, Australia and many other exotic places.  I find that truly amazing.

If you have come to my blog as a new reader, I would love you to follow me.  I write about knitting, crochet and sewing.  Knitting is my first love and I have been doing it for over 50 years.  I am a competent sewer and occasionally make girls' dresses for charity and tops for myself.  I am teaching myself to crochet and very slowly making some progress.  I still think of myself as a knitter who crochets.

My family work or go to college full time, so I am usually aided and abetted by Fleur:



I don't think one day goes by without me picking up knitting needles or a crochet hook.  I mainly make things for various charities and seem to concentrate on blankets, hats, scarves, and babywear.  I sometimes make things for my family and even for myself, though there is a limit to how many scarves one person needs.

I find that reading other blogs and seeing what other people make is very inspiring.  I have been so inspired that I have made things I never dreamed of a couple of years ago.  I love taking photos of them and showing them off.  Every year I select my best photos and use them in a banner at the top of my blog.

I follow many many blogs and have "met" some lovely, generous, helpful bloggers.   There are some great blogs out there!  My favourites are listed at the top of my home page and also further down the right hand sidebar.  I love reading them and looking at the amazing photos. I love to receive comments, though I can't always think of witty replies!   Let's all have a great party in 2015!


25 comments:

  1. I'm so pleased you are enjoying 'Blogging' Una. Nice to know that you can write about something that you are passionate about.
    Love and best wishes from Sue x

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  2. I am already a follower and enjoy your posts - you have some beautiful work shown here. I am part of the GYBP also - just a bit ahead of the start time I think!!

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  3. Good Morning Una!! I didn't realize today was the grow your blog party, but your blog is the second one I've read today that is in the party hop ;) Enjoy reading all 400+ blogs ... I think I'll be reading a few myself! Wendy x

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  4. I started a comment and it vanished into the ether. Hmmm....
    I have a kitty helper, too. Couldn't be without him.

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  5. Great post today Una, I am not joining the party but still really enjoyed learning more about you.
    Hugs,
    Meredith

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  6. I always enjoying visiting your blog and seeing what projects you have on the go, Una!

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  7. Lovely to read a bit more about you Una! You know that I already love your blog, but I hope that lots more people stop by to visit because you are such a nice blogger and everyone will enjoy what you have to share I am sure! xx

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  8. Lovely post - it's always nice to find out a little more about the people behind the blog.

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  9. Hello Una! I am the assistant from the blog hop making my rounds. It was so much fun to "meet" you! Love the pink blog. ;) On Vicki's behalf I would like to welcome you to the blog hop! Have fun.

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  10. My first visit but lots to see here.
    Sandi in Iowa
    www.thevictoriangypsy.blogspot.com

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  11. What a lovely blog I've enjoyed my wee visit. Ali x

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  12. Hi Una, So good to see you at the party! I've been following your lovely blog and creations and have thoroughly enjoyed it. Looking forward to future adventures. ~Terri

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  13. OMG Una!!!!! You gave away your knitting needles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Crickey, just let me get a cup of tea and calm down!!!.....oh hang on.....I'm alright now, I've just read you're back into knitting...phew! lol I too work in a library and my husband was also made redundant at the end of 2012. Hard times. Happy knitting.
    Cheers, Anita.

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  14. Hi Una, just stopping in to say "Hello"! Love your blog and looking forward to many more visits! Have a great party!
    Diana

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  15. Hi Una, it is so nice to meet you through the grow you blog event. I am visiting you from it. I have the same interests as you too. I will join your blog via google friend connect. I do hope that you stop by my blog too at Julie's Lifestyle for a giveaway I'm having to for the GYB! So nice to meet you.
    Julie at Julie's Lifestyle

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  16. Hi, Una!

    You throw a great party. Thank you for inviting me!

    So that you know, I've become a Follower and when time permits, I'll be back to see what other beautiful things were made by your hands!

    What this party is all about is to GROW your blog and I'm hoping to do the same. When you get to Section One, check out A Country Chic Retreat and SuZeQ Creations, my personal blog, in Section Fifteen I'd love for you to follow and subscribe to.

    Happy crafting!
    SuZeQ

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  17. I enjoyed looking through your blog for a bit today. You do some lovely work and I can tell you have a heart of gold, giving the way that you do:) I also crochet and I'm learning to knit a bit, but my main craft is cross stitch. I'm visiting from www.withworkinhand.blogspot.com

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  18. I have enjoyed to visit your blog. I too love to knit, and much of what I knit I give to charity. I am not in the GYB party this year, but wanted to visit some blogs anyway. Now you have a visitor from Norway, and you are welcome to visit my blog too! I will be a follower of you.

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  19. Lovely to get to know you a little bit more and hope you're enjoying the GYB party. Thanks for popping in at mine always too, btw :-)
    xx

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  20. What a wonderful idea to make items for tiny premature babies. I know just how hard it was in the 80's and still is now to find clothes for small and premature babies. My darling son was born 6 weeks early and was small (not tiny, but too small to wear newborn clothes). He drowned in his clothes for about a month or so. My grandson was born very small as well and even the newborn clothes swamped him. I was lucky that I was able to crochet some sweaters (since I crochet very tight, they were much smaller than the pattern said) that would fit the boys. The sack that you pictured would have been perfect for both of them!
    Thank you for the inspiration.
    Vickie @ Teacups & Toadstools

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  21. So very nice to "meet" you! I am VERY happy that I found your blog via the GYB Party. I am slowly teaching myself how to crochet and since I just had a baby I am taking on the task of making my first crochet blanket. I decided to start out with a large project. :) I look forward to following your blog!
    -Brittany @ Pickles Quilting

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  22. I've enjoyed my visit here with you. Thank you so much for inviting us to visit and for sharing your creations with us.

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  23. I've enjoyed so much getting to know you via blogging, Una, and seeing all the lovely things you make and how generous you are with them. I missed out on the party this year b/c I was brain-dead and just forgot! But I'm enjoying everyone's posts on it :)

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  24. I so admire your knitting projects, really pretty projects! Visiting from GYB.

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  25. Lovely to meet you, Una. So nice to discover another knitter on the GYB hop.
    I am following...
    Happy knitting.

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