Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Contest

This is my 200th post and I want to celebrate; besides sometimes things get boring in blogger land if there are no contests to keep up the adrenaline. I am not going to ask you to jump through hoops; all you have to do is leave me a comment about what you think about backgrounds with lots of designs for blogs. Are they good or are they a pain? To me they are sometimes distracting, but they seem to have become very popular. For extra entries, you can sign on as a “Follower”; you can comment on other posts (an entry per post) and link this contest to your blog for another entry. In addition, you get an entry for every person you send this way.

Prizes-
The first prize will go to the person who has the most entries and it will be the Knit Kit which is so cute, and a surprise.


Second prize will be some of the Schachenmayr Nomotta Regia Color 4 Ply that I just purchased from Elann and will be selected by the ever wonderful random generator.

The closing date is May 17 at midnight.




BTW- did I tell you I woke up to snow again yesterday? Now I know why they told me not to plant tomatoes until Memorial Day. lololol

59 comments:

Grace said...

I like them if the center where you write is clean and neat, that is why I change mine up so often.

I will blog about it tomorrow and try to send folks your way

I already follow your blog, and am glad I do!

Happy 200th

Grace said...

I blogged about it know Why not!!
http://lovincomfortknits.blogspot.com/2009/04/double-post-today.html

leah said...

Congrats on your 200th post!!! I am not a big fan of all the designs. I find them hard to read!

Darcys Knotty Knitter said...

Happy 200th I'm already a follower and I like a blog background that is simple yet lovely.I believe less is more blogs that have to much on them distract me especially if they have more than one side bar.Hugs Darcy

Anonymous said...

Congrats on the 200th post. I tend to me more of a, less is more, kind of a person. I like simple. I think it's more calming and soothing if there aren't a lot of things going on to distract from the writing....

I will definitely sign up as a follower of your blog, if I didn't already....your in my favs already.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Darcy and I most have posted around the same time because we both said, less is more......lol...

I wrote about your contest on my blog. I hope everyone comes your way to share their answers!

Tally Knits said...

I'll play!

I really don't like a lot of background stuff going on. It find it distracting and can sometimes make the post difficult to read. I'm here for the content, not the presentation!

Kitten With a Whiplash said...

I've posted to my blog here.

Kitten With a Whiplash said...

Hmm, I seem to have accidently deleted my first comment. Congrats on your 200th post! I seem to like busy backgrounds since I just changed from one to an even brighter and busier one to celebrate my 101st post. What I don't care for are designs that overlap into the text area and cover parts of the posts.

Marissa said...

While a busy background is not for me, I enjoy looking at them on other people's blogs. Congrats on the 200 posts!! (Hey, my word verification is 'cable'. I somebody trying to tell me something??)

Laura said...

I love a nice crisp blog with clear font. I don't care for coloured font that is close to the background colour. I was really annoyed by the wordpress blogs that had the optional "snow flakes" thing going on in the winter.
I also don't like blogs where you are constantly bugged by ads and pop ups. I know it helps pay for the blog but I find it very intrusive.

BTW the new sock yarn is yummy.

Sadie said...

I like some backgrounds (as you can tell by my site) so they usually don't bug me... some color combinations I find hard to read, but I usually just read in Bloglines so it's not a biggie.

smariek said...

I saw that knitting kit, it's pretty nifty, esp if you travel by airplane frequently.

Funny thing about the Regia sale on Elann is that I wasn't planning to get any because I couldn't get to a computer at 9AM (plus the fact that I didn't feel good about buying yarn when we had the unexpected expense of fixing our water heater), but since the yarn wasn't sold out in 5 minutes and there was a good amount left in the afternoon, I could not resist and ordered some. Then later I discovered that I ordered a colorway that I already had from an earlier purchase (at full price elsewhere). Well, at least I know I'll definitely like that colorway, lol.

I'm not entering your contest, but I'll post about your contest in my next blog post (which will prolly be on Friday).

sheep#100 said...

Snow again?! Yikes.

Congratulations!

I like simple backgrounds that do not distract from the posts themselves.

LilChickadee said...

Snow again? Wow!

I like backgrounds with a pattern, but I like where the text is to be a solid color - much easier to read that way.

vickie said...

congratulations on your 200th post. i prefer the backgrounds subtle and the part the writing is on to be white so if i comment on all 200 of your posts ill get 200 entries is that correct???? hehe im crazy enough to try vbarton24 at gmail dot com

rita said...

Snow? We just had four days of 85+ degrees sunny weather! It's in the 60s and rainy today.

Congrats on the milestone, or desire to have a contest, or whatever! I have a hard time reading blogs with busy backgrounds, and if the text is a light color against a dark background, I just give up. My eyes don't work that well. Having macular degeneration in one eye with its accompanying blind spot makes reading a challenge anyway!

rita said...

Will blog about it.

Bo... said...

Congratulations! I usually like however people want to present their blog (with whatever background), but the only background I really dislike is black. And the other thing I don't like is if there's music---because for some reason it always startles me out of my chair whenever I click onto somebody's page and it bursts into song. (Baybe I'm just nervous and drink too much coffee?...) (Except back on 9/11 when some people had the Greenwood song, "God Bless the USA", and I liked that one.)

Sandra said...

Since I do most of blog reading in snippets at work, I'm a fan of the plain white background! But the aesthetic in me likes the well designed with good use of colour look...

Kristen said...

Hi, I came from WiKnit!
I like background designs IF they stick to the sides and aren't behind the body of the text. If it's behind the text it's too visually disctracting.
Congrats on your 200th post!

Unknown said...

I agree with several of the people who've already commented. I appreciate a nice design limited to the usually empty space in the borders, however a nice simple pallet behind anything that has text is really appreciated. I feel a good border can pull things together and make things more interesting without being to cumbersome and distracting.

Unknown said...

Linked to my blog too!

Elaine said...

OK. I like a totally plain background. The plainer the better. Maybe that says I'm boring but ... I sit and read on my screen all day at work and a plain light-colored background is easiest on the eyes.

Congrats on 200! I'll post this now and then make all my friends at work sign up. Maybe one of us will win!

Elaine said...

OK - it's posted on my blog and I've told everyone to mention my name. Yikes I'm so competitive these days :-)

Elaine

Anonymous said...

To me, it depends on how well done the design is. If it looks sloppy, or is an overused template, then I tend to find it annoying. But as long as it's well done, and not interfering with my ability to read the it really does fade into the background as intended.

Turtle said...

I do enjoy the personalizing of the backgrounds but find as 40 approaches that keeping the center clear under the wording makes it a heck of a lot easier to read...even maybe without my glasses! smile

I follow and will link to you!!

Turtle said...

happy 200th!!! my fingers are faster than the brain somedays!

ikkinlala said...

Congratulations on 200 posts!

I have to admit that I don't always see the fancy backgrounds - a lot of the time I turn images off and only look at the pictures I'm interested in because my internet connection has limited bandwidth. When I am looking at them, though, I prefer simpler backgrounds so the text is easy to read.

Susie said...

I like blogs with a background, similar to mine where it's not distracting.

Little Miss S. said...

I'm definitely on the "less is more"-side... Too much background seems like distraction to me and sometimes it can be enough for me not really reading a post - sadly...

rnredner said...

I am in favor of simpler backgrounds. Some blogs have backgrounds so wild that you can't even read the text! But in my opinion it can't hurt to maybe have something creative along the edges of the page where it won't be too distracting.

-Rebecca

Me, Myself, and I said...

I prefer simple backgrounds. If I have to work to read a blog, it's not worth it to me. I feel the same way about checks. I do like to have some sort of pictures on my checks, but nothing too busy - I don't want the bank machines to have too hard a time with my checks!

cksknitter said...

I like plain backgrounds on blogs. They don't take as long to load and they're easier to read. There are even some blogs with a pattern behind the writing or the writing is light on a dark background. These are the worst for eye strain. I find them so hard to read. Your blog is just right!
Chrissy at knittodayAThotmailDOTcom

Dove Knits said...

Happy 200th! Yay!

I don't mind a subtle background, like a slightly marbled effect, but anything more than that is, indeed distracting. I'm a big fan on clean and simple!

AmIAKnitterYet said...

i have a tough time reading if there is design beneath the writing. decorative edging it fine though.

Apparently I distract easy.

Thanks!

Sharon Rose said...

A gentle (subtle) pattern on the sides is ok, but I prefer the center to be nice and clean! Thanks for a great contest!

Unknown said...

Oops I think I posted my entry on the wrong post (the next one). I hope that doesn't disqualify me
I'll post another one there for good measure :-)

So here it is:
First things first. Elaine sent me over (elaine-knitting.blogspot.com)

Here is my advice to a new lace knitter: DON"T USE LACEWEIGHT YARN. It will kill you and ruin lace knitting for all time. Start with a heavier weight yarn (even a fingering will make all the difference). There are lots of beautiful cotton, bamboo, silk yarns now that would be fabulous any time of year. As for patterns, look through Elann's free pattern section and you'll surely find something you love.

Unknown said...

By the way, my taste goes to very plain backgrounds which make reading easy.

Unknown said...

Congrats on 200! I'm new to your blog. Elaine sent me over to enter (and get her another entry)

I prefer a very simple background. I also like an uncrowded look.

I can't figure out how you sign up to be a follower. I generally just lurk around blogs as I am ...

blogless in NJ

purple-power said...

I'm here from Elaine's blog too - she's my facilitator.

Being long past 40, my eyes need all the help they can get, meaning as little distraction as possible.

I love the prizes, so I'll shamelessly do lots of commenting although I am normally a lurker. By the way, I like the photos on your blog. Really breaks up the stretches of text.

So congrats on making it to 200.

Unknown said...

Elaine got to me too. I love contests and so she sent me over. I know I won't win the most entries prize, but I'd love the sock yarn.

I'm a simple background sort of guy

Thanks for the fun contest and

ColibriDreams said...

Thanks for the contest!

I like simple designs too. Sometimes there are blogs that may have nice content, but you just get tired with the restless design and in worst case, flashing things and go to another blog.

squiggi said...

I prefer a fairly simple blog background. I think it makes it easier to read.

Happy 200th.

Unknown said...

Sign me up for a simple background.

Elaine
(elaine-knitting.blogspot.com) sent me over.

Kelly-ann said...

I really don't like patterns. Particularly when you scroll down and the pattern is stationary when the words move. However, having a pattern will not prevent me from reading a blog.

knitmomma said...

I don't mind them if the center (where the text it) is not textured, and a light color, but I prefer simple like yours.

When there is a patterned background and a clear center the center takes longer to load, which means I have to wait to read!

Bianca said...

It is hard to say... as blog backgrounds and layouts also depend on the mood of the person who owns the blog. I like yours thus far.

Karen said...

I prefer plain backgrounds; since I got bifocals, I have a really hard time reading things on a busy background.

Debbie said...

I like a plain background in a light color - much easier on these old eyes. I signed up as a follower thanks for th contest. Debbie

Unknown said...

I really don't like the patterned backgrounds, just too distracting and I'd rather see photos and read what was blogged.
patt_m@comcast.net
Hugs Patt

Unknown said...

I have gone back and forth about the backgrounds. Switching mine around but then I recently went back to my favorite which came from blogger in the first place. I find too much stuff too distracting.

Unknown said...

I have posted about this on my blog.

Unknown said...

Oh, and I added myself as a follower to your blog.

danielle said...

I dont mind background - as long as you can still read the entries. So I wouldnt read one that had the writing (entry) on top of something...but I dont mind stuff around the main entries! Does that make sense?

Mary said...

Congrats on the 200th post! I light backrounds as long as the center is clean and the background doesn't distract from the writing :)

Marilyn said...

I absolutely do not like a busy background - especially one that is dark and the letters are light...so hard to read, I don't even bother.

One Sheep said...

As long as the text is easily readable I enjoy a bit of flash.