BFF IRL

I really, really want to ask the Yarn Harlot to be on my Ravelry friends list, but I fear the silent, online snub. This is, with the dozens of social networking websites out there, apparently a growing issue. The Situationist recently featured an article about the "etiquette pitfalls" of online social networking.

With networking websites such as Facebook and MySpace expanding expedientially, the rise of cyber friendships has brought with it a new set of social niceties, conventions and potential embarrassments.

Such sites are designed to set up an online network of friends to keep in touch and to exchange gossip but, as in all social situations, the results can be fraught. How can you separate friends from mere online acquaintances? How do you tell someone that you don’t want to be their friend? What do you do when you discover that you suddenly have countless “friends” whom you either don’t know or don’t like?

(link to the complete article)

Maybe I am taking the whole friends list thing too seriously. I've never been on MySpace or FaceBook or any of the others, so maybe it really is about quantity not quality. Although, I think I would prefer to have a list with just a few people with whom I've at least exchanged emails than to have a list with hundreds of random people that I don't even know.

I would consider it the greatest compliment to have the Harlot on my friends list and to be on hers, but I don't want to be that person: the annoying, awkward friender on Ravelry.

OMG

Ravelry is probably the best thing to happen to the knitting (and crochet) community since the invention of the blog. Talk about making the world bigger! Not only can you keep a notebook of your entire knitting (or crochet) life--including what's in your stash, what needles (or hooks) you have, what you're knitting right now, what you want to knit eventually, etc.--but you can also make connections with other knitters (or crocheters) out there in cyberspace. You can see what others are working on, what's in their stash, read their blogs, etc. Or, you can find a pattern, or see what yarns are popular, or find a knit-(or crochet)-along or local fiber festival.

This is huge, people. Ginormous, even. It's like joining your local guild/social knitting group, but members are all over the world. It's awesome. I can't even form a coherent thought about this because I am so blown away by how seriously amazing this is. I can't wait for it to be out of beta so everyone can join. I mean, wow.

In other knitting news, I will turn the 2nd Monkey's heel today

and finish my first sock for Summer of Socks.

I know, I know. It's kind of a cheat to knit a baby sock, but c'mon! Babies need socks, too!

I Might Pee Myself

I got my invite to Ravelry today. Will blog later.