The April AtoZ Blog Challenge is finished and I am quite proud to say that I did it! I had a few stumbles along the way and had to play catch up here and there, but I am still considering it a success.
A few of my thoughts and reflections on this challenge, first what I liked:
I love having a theme. For me I still stuck with writing about yarn and patterns, but this forced me to look at my stash and ever-growing queue. I rediscovered patterns I forgot about, I deleted a few patterns I no longer am interested in making, and I made mental plans for yarn I want to work with sooner rather than later.
I didn’t intend to include dinosaurs along the way, but that was a happy accident. I plan to put together my favorite dinosaur&yarn pictures and use them as “blog” stationery, facebook header, etc.
I like to think a few new people were interested in what I have to post and I hope that will turn into a few new visitors as the year goes on. I’ll still be blogging about my stash and patterns I’d like to knit or crochet, but the focus will go back to the what’s in progress / what’s been finished / random bits and pieces.
What didn’t I like?
It was challenging enough to get a post up every day, complete with images and links.
I did not get a chance to visit or comment on many blogs at all. When I went to look for blogs I would like to check out (crafting focused) I didn’t have an easy way to find them. It started to take too long and I just didn’t have more time to devote to it.
I shared my links to FB and almost immediately got spammed. I can’t prove anything there, but it’s annoying, like a punishment for sharing my post. Well, excuuse me! (to be read in Dana Carvey / Church Lady voice).
Would I do it again? I’m a definite maybe. 😉
As a mother with 2 boys and dinosaurs all over the floor, I rather enjoyed seeing them in all the yarn pic’s. It was oddly one of the reasons I started and have kept reading your blog.
Thank you so much!
I loved the dinosaur photos and your idea to include them as a FB header, etc. Wonderful!
Thank you very much!
I love the dinos! I agree– daily blog posts are a much bigger commitment than they seem like they would be. You did a great job!
Strange about the Facebook links. I shared mine most days. Hope you’ll be back next year.
I missed your posts during the A to Z but am glad I had a chance to see your reflections post – love knitting! I did the challenge on my writing blog this year, but cross posted a couple of letters to my knitting blog.
Always happy to meet a fellow knitter!
I am finding you through your reflection post. I wish everyone would consider designating what they are blogging during the challenge. It is such a big list I start with the category (WR) because I am a writer and it helps me attack the list. I agree with you that without that finding the blogs that are of interest becomes harder. There are definite sites I have no interest in. Congratulations on finishing. I know your knitting blog is successful. Come and see me when you catch your breath.
Hello, I’m visiting from A-Z. Congratulations on completing the challenge. I know what you mean about trying to work through the list of other participants. I normally prefer to read blogs I can relate too. But, this time I tried to keep an open mind. And I have to admit I did expand my horizons, so to speak. However, my roadblock was clicking on a link and finding the blog didn’t exist or the blogger stopped in the middle of the challenge. That takes up time and is frustrating.
Even though my blog is not about knitting, I am an obsessive one. Oh, my stash, my stash 🙂
Congrats on completing the A to Z Challenge! Looking forward to next year! See you on the Road Trip!
Mary @ Jingle Jangle Jungle
Hello there.
Congratulations on completing the challenge! I actually got to visit your blog during the challenge since your number fell in the range below me in the challenge. I wonder if you’re on to something about fb…throughout the challenge I shared my links in a couple of groups I belong to on fb and halfway through the challenge, I got hit with referrer spam. Everytime I clicked on one of my post links, I got referred to some gambling or porn site! I still have no idea how this happened. One thing I learned from last year’s challenge is that I had to prepare ahead in order to finish and that’s what I did. It was still stressful at times, but one less thing to worry about trying to come up with a post each day. Thanks for sharing. Just meandering through from the Road Trip.
Entrepreneurial Goddess