Today as I read the latest entry on Mog’s Blog and found myself nodding. She mentions how some of her friends have stopped blogging in favour of spending time on Ravelry. I had begun to wonder if I was just imagining there had been a general slow down in blogging recently. I’ve noticed bloggers who haven’t blogged in weeks posting on Ravelry forums and lots of stuff coming up under their name under ‘friends activity’, and doing that ‘oh good, they’re not dead or terribly ill or been arrested in some terrible case of mistaken identity, or something’ thing you do. (What? Don’t you?)

It was reassuring to read in the comments plenty of people saying they weren’t going to stop blogging. Ravelry is useful and interesting, but I find it a bit, well, dry. I like to watch someone work their way through a project, sympathising at mistakes, appreciating the cleverness or doggedness with which they rip and reknit or find a solution, learning from them if they make adjustments to a pattern, noting how the pieces come together and eventually seeing the project on the person or in use, and, best of all, reading their feelings about the result. And I like commenting along the way (though I don’t as often as I should), even if just to express a liking for the project.

In Ravelry… well, I have to admit I don’t visit peoples notebook page to look at their projects, queue, favourites or belongings. It feels a bit stalkery. And I also have to confess I don’t get a kick out of looking at other people’s stashes. I love yarn, but not that much!

On blogs, I like seeing what yarn, needles and books people have bought, because there’s a context. The story behind the yarn acquisition is often more interesting than the yarn itself. I like reading about their plans for the yarn – whether it will be a gift or a treat, what patterns they’re considering, their dreams for it. I like impromptu book reviews. And spontaneous expressions of glee.

The forums in Ravelry are fun but they suffer from the same old problems that all the forums I’ve visited in the past suffer from. Some quickly slow down to the point where there is no momentum any more – no conversations. Some are active, but get wound up in arguments all the time. Some never get going. Some seem to hit the right groove and thrive.

The Australian Knitters forum is the most lively of the groups I’ve joined, and has avoided sinking into flame wars so far. I’ve joined the Bag Lady swap and post now and then. Yet I still don’t find it as interesting as reading blogs. A forum is like a big conversation between lots of people. Some members talk more and some less. Some not at all. A lot of opinion is expressed, which can be good and bad, but then it is a great way to get advice, too.

Reading a blog is like sitting down and listening to someone you like over a cuppa. And then the next person, and the next. You get to hear the quiet person as well as the loud, confident one. I’ve always preferred the one-on-one chat with a good friend over the party with dozens – though I do love a good party, too!

Don’t get me wrong; I do love Ravelry. I enjoy participating in forums, and I pipe up and post now and then, but overall it isn’t how I most enjoy contributing to the big crafty internet world. Maybe that’s because I’m a writer. I enjoy the process of constructing blog entries. And when I read blog, it’s the stories behind the craft that I love.

So please don’t stop blogging. I’d miss you.