89. A New Title (And A Contest)

Now Norma Knits
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Only Nominally A Knitting Blog
(but who cares?)

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I just love ya, Gale. 

If you follow the link, you'll see that Gale, photographer, book-writer, and adventurer extraordinaire, gave me an E for Excellent blog rating.  Part of her review carried the words, "only nominally a knitting blog but who cares?"  Of course I immediately took (faux) umbrage and said, "Hey!" 

But then I paused to (faux) think about it and said, "Oh, yeah.  THAT."

Gave me a chuckle, it did.  But of course it is the truth, and it's something I've been thinking (and writing) about for a while, wondering if I should change the name of the blog to more accurately reflect what I'm all about.  But the question remains: What the fuck AM I all about? 

Everything. (I flatter myself) Or a lot, anyway. Which I hope is not the same as "scatterbrained." 

Way back in the day, long before The Blog, my online persona for email and eBay and such was (and still is, in case you're into voyeurism as to what it is I've bought and sold on eBay, and I just know that you are.....) "Northerneclectic."  That really does capture the essence of what I write and think and do better than "Norma Knits."  The idea of "Now Norma Knits" was intended to have the emphasis on the word "NOW," as in, "Norma does a whole lot of stuff and goes through phases like she goes through toilet paper, and now she knits, too."  The "2" in my URL is meant to be a cutesy way of saying "too." 

Now do you get me? Well, I doubt anyone will ever truly GET me, but does that help make it at least slightly less foggy?

Someone who's known me via the blog for ages recently said that she thought my old email address, "Northerneclectic," would be a cool name for the blog.  I like it, too, but I've worked so long and hard to create a space for myself here that it seems kind of hard to change the name now.  I've seen other bloggers try that and land with a big thud. Also, I've mentioned, I really like being in the minority of bloggers who use their name in their title, because at gatherings of bloggers, I love feeling like a person with a name when meeting someone, rather than the "And what is your blog name?" thing. 

BUT I am thinking of changing it slightly to conform to Gale's idea, because I am SERIOUSLY HEAD OVER HEELS IN LOVE WITH IT and it makes me laugh and fits my personality.  Anything or anyone that makes me laugh gets gold stars in my book. I'll be needing a new banner.  I'm just throwing that out there in case anyone has the overwhelming urge to design it.

Ooooh, I have an idea:  Let's turn it into a contest.  The one whose design I like best gets to have the second Merlin Tree spindle. I suppose I should set a deadline.  Let's say April 15th.  Give us all something to look forward to rather than filing our taxes, hm?  That hopefully gives people enough time to think about it, but not enough time to forget about it. I'm looking for something sort of elegant, and sort of highbrow, but also sort of smartass and sassy. Anyone want to have a go at it?

[edited:  Hey everybody, RELAX!  Nothing is going to change.  Except the decorative thingy that we call a banner at the top. I've retired the old banner and we have above what is sort of a blank slate until we replace it with one that is to my liking. It'll still be the same URL, the same blog, the same predictable-in-my-unpredictability me, even Now Norma Knits.  But the subtitles will be added, and hopefully the banner will be more upscale, brought into the new millennium so to speak, and more closely related to ME.]

Look!  She knits!

A  heel is born. Can a toe be far behind?

(This sock is not nearly as orange as the setting sunlight would seem to imply.)

Comments

[Kristen]

Damnit, you gonna change it up and shit on us? Just when you start showing us socks again?! Fuck. I'm never gonna understand that Norma chick. ;)

[Wanda]

Can't help you with the banner and all, but I love that sock. Darn pretty it is.

[Jean]

Elegant, sassy and smartass? It's too early on a Sunday morning for me. I'm drawing a complete blank. I love the name though. I'll have to think it over. Hmmm.... I love doing banners so if someone wants to come up with the idea, I'll do the banner work and they can have the spindle (if we win of course).

[Dave Daniels]

Oh, ferfuckssake, are we gonna have to update our bloglines and shit????
Ok, I gotta hit the graphics software...
And, hey, who's knitting those socks for you?

[gayle]

Norma, your blog was one of the very first knitting blogs I found, back when I first discovered what blogs were all about. (And when I figured out what Bloglines was, yours was the first I subscribed to!)
So, I originally came for the knitting, but I've stayed all these years for whatever you choose to write about. Along the way, I've learned a lot from you - like, how stenography works, and what Bikram yoga is, and even "you mommy."
I'd keep coming back every day even if all you ever posted about was sawdust...

[Cathy-Cate]

Glad you explained, because I assumed the "2" was because you'd had an old blog address and had to change it because of spammers, so this was #2....

I can make up a backstory or a plausible explanation for anything. May not be true, but it WILL sound good!

[Kate]

I'd suggest Norma's Nominal kNits - for if you knit or if you're picking nits (my family name for nitpicking)

[Carol]

I really liked your idea a short while ago when you put out there "One L Short of NORMAl", quite clever it was. By design, do you mean an actual banner? Or ideas as what it should look like? I don't have a program for designing, but I have a quirky program for thinking up ideas. It's called pea-brain 1.25 circa 59

[Marcia Cooke]

Well, I found (and came to love you) as Nownormaknits2 so I'd be a bit bummed if you change it, but what pops into my head is a blend of two monikers: Normaeclectic? Whoa...that's a mouthful! You're on your own with a banner...I can't even get a mosaic into my blog.

[Roxie]

(sings) Don't go trying - some new blog name - it's really gonna hurt your hits. Eccentric steno, don't play the name game. We love you now as Norma Knits!

[Sue H]

KnittingNormaKnitsKnitsNormally-Sortof

Graphic - no help there!

[lisa]

I can't believe you're going to part with that other spindle! Hmmm... do you want actual code or are you just looking for ideas? I'll email you an idea... if you want code, send it back "rejected for lack of code" or something.

[marianne]

Oh, well, this is going to be Fun!
I'm actually quite smitten with that sunset enhanced orange.

[Jan]

Well, the obvious is Norma Eclectic, but maybe Norma Eclectic Knits 2 would work!

[SUE]

ha! I've always wondered about the shameful demise of nownormaknits1....guess the truth isn't as interesting as the world in my head. now ain't that the truth.

[sandy]

Oooh, a contest! I lose at those! But I do like your sock, orangey or not. Imagine. YOU knitting socks. Huh.
xo

[Denise]

You're gonna go and change your name and I'm just trying to remember to blog more than 7 times a year! NormAclectic is my suggestion. And if I win, it would be my first step into spinning!!

[claudia]

More orange is always better.

The few, the proud, the name-in-blog-title knitbloggers. YEAH!

[gale (she shoots sheep shots)]

Did not mean to rabble rouse or cause an identity crisis! :-) ! (oh.no. did I just imply that you are rabble?)

[Debi]

NORMAllyEclectic - how's about them apples?

More socks?? You're gonna put me out of business dude!! J/K - I already knit your 2008 holiday offering. I don't mess around, do I? :)

[Manise]

I have to say that I will miss your banner- loved waking up to your Plain Vanilla in progress with the cheery sunflowers. Just- please don't make the text background dark and textured. My poor eyes won't be able to cope.

Norma(L)Y Eclectic ...... and maybe some Knitting 2.

[kathleen]

geesh...with my dyslexia i thought it said northernelectric.

[Katie B.]

I think I gave up on making socks with that Koigu colorway and made it into a BSJ instead - I just liked how it came out so much better!

Incidentally, I too use my real name in my blog title, just not in my url. Mendylady is a nickname I picked up playing online video games. :)

I'm not much help on creative blog titles, I'm afraid. However, you could try some pun combining Norma and Nominal... or is that too cutesy? Norminally kNitting?