Friday Featured Blog: Rundpinne

This is the last Friday Featured Blog of 2008! I can't believe I've kept up (mostly) with this feature over the last few months. I'm going to take the next few weeks off due to lots of holiday visiting and wassailing, but I'll be back again in January. If you'd like to be featured, send me an email and I'll hook you up.

But on to this Friday's feature. It's Rundpinne, a blog that I've gotten to know in the past few weeks. Jennifer, Rundpinne's resident blogger is quite a wonderful knitter. Since I too knit, we clearly have a common interest along with blogging. We also both love foreign and indie films and Fair Trade organic coffee and chocolates. Back to the knitting: you HAVE to check out her sweet knitting skills at this post. I love the patterns she uses in her scarves. Jennifer is such a nice person, and one of those bloggers who you can't wait to read her comments. They are so thoughtfully written and always bring a smile to my day. Here's a little more about her in her own words.
What is your blog about?

It started purely as a knitting blog and remained that way until fairly recently. It appears my blog has evolved to be more about me and things surrounding me and less about knitting, although I do still put some knitting content on my blog.

Where does your blog title come from?

An interesting question which has a rather boring answer. When I first started a blog, I did so under duress. I needed a blog in order to participate in some knitalongs and knitting swaps. I knew nothing about blogs. I had not even read one. So when it came time to set one up I had no catchy name, nothing clever came to mind. I drew a complete blank. I looked down at my knitting bag and saw my package of Novi needles which read "Novi " and underneath ""rundpinne". I figured it was a knitting blog and I use circular needles when knitting, so the Norwegian word for circular needles became my blog's title. I know, it is lame, yet the best I could come up with at the time.

When and why did you start your blog?

I became my blog in January 2006, it was intended solely as a knitting blog so I could participate in knitting swaps and knitalongs. It was not until around the time of your Tea Party that my blog evolved and moved away from knitting.

What would you like to add to your blog in the next year?

I would like to continue moving my blog away from all knitting, to being a more personal blog with posts revolving around my life and family.

What are some of your favorite blogs?

There are too many I enjoy for various different reasons. :) You'll just have to check out her blogroll---Kathleen

What is one of your pet peeves about blogs or bloggers?

You have seen mine, so I truly cannot complain.

Blogs on black backgrounds as they are almost impossible for me to read.

Verification codes to leave a comment. I usually need three or four tries to get them right and a lot of times I just leave the blog.

Blogs that have way too much on one page and flash/blink. The first are over stimulating and difficult to find the posts, the second make it impossible for me to read them.

What advice would you have for any new bloggers?

Get an experienced blogger to help you out. I wish I would have done that. I have found bloggers to be extremely generous and I would have liked the help rather than floundering for the past few years.

What is something that people might not know about you?

I am stroke survivor. Let me answer several common questions. No I do not smoke. No I am not overweight. No I do not drink. I was 37 years old and at the height of my fitness. I was considering a triathlon and training vigorously. I felt great! Then one night a migraine came on and I thought it was just another one of my really bad ones. It turned out I had a stroke, but like an idiot I paid no head to the warnings and stayed home. I recall trying to pray that I would wake in the morning, but I could not remember any of the words to any prayers (yes, that was a sign right there, I could not name anything!) I was quite fortunate. I have some dropping and weakness on the left side of my body and aphaysia. I am not allowed to drive anymore and I live in chronic pain, however I have been blessed with a wonderful husband and three fantastic sons and I feel very fortunate!

Thank you so much Jennifer, and I for one really enjoyed learning a little more about you.

Happy holidays to my Friday Featured Blog readers! Again, send me your suggestions for future blogs (or your own!).