When knitting soared in popularity during the Internet age, it was only a matter of time before the number of knitting blogs soared as well. There are blogs on virtually every subject imaginable, so it's no surprise that knitting has followed suit. There are literally thousands of knitting blogs and like the knitters who write them, they're vastly different. But what makes a good knitting blog?

• The writing

What to write about? If it's a knitting blog, keep the focus on knitting. Now we all have lives outside of knitting (I hope) and regular readers will get to know you through your blog, including members of your family or your career. However, the main focus should be knitting: what projects you're currently working on, what projects are in your future, what's enjoyable or not about your WIPs (Works In Progress), etc. This doesn't mean that every single post has to talk about knitting. There may be times when you're taking a break from your hobby or something else is going on in your life. That's fine. But once the blog starts discussing all of your marital difficulties in brutal detail or features "what I had for breakfast" more than knitting, don't be surprised if readership falls off. Also, consider language. While a few "blue" words sprinkled here and there may not offend most readers, when the blog begins to read like a Quentin Tarantino movie (i.e., every other word would be "bleeped" on network TV), some readers may find this to be a turnoff.

• Pictures

Knitters are very visual people as knitting is a visual art. Short of being able to touch and feel the yarn and needles involved, knitters enjoy seeing what others are knitting. You don't have to be a professional photographer to take decent pictures, either. However, there are some things to consider to make your photos as pleasing as possible. Good lighting always helps. It's not always possible to have good, natural sunlight, but unless you're up against a deadline, taking a picture by a sunny window during the day will be more aesthetically pleasing than one taken at 11:00 p.m. in a dim bathroom. There are knitting blogs out there that heavily rely on beautiful photographs and this is obvious from their popularity. You don't need to provide progress shots every time you've knit an inch, but some progress pictures are nice. Also, consider placement and background. Posing socks-in-progress in an unusual way (in the branches of a tree or on a toy) can provide a bit of humor and will be different from the thousands of other socks-on-a-bed photos that have been seen. Of course, if you do socks-on-a-bed, it'd be neater if the bed were made and the pile of fresh laundry was out of the picture.

• Backdrop

There are quite a few blog hosting services available and many of them are free. They offer a variety of templates to suit just about every taste. Think about the general feeling you'd like to convey when choosing a template and colors. Do you prefer bright and cheerful or dark and serious? One thing you might want to avoid is clutter. It's generally easier for people to read dark print on light backgrounds than vice versa. Also, consider font size. You want to make reading the blog as easy as possible. Tiny white print against a black background can strain the eyes. If it's a nightmare to make out the words, no matter how witty a blogger you are, readers may well pass up your blog to read one that doesn't require a magnifying glass.

• Regular updates

You don't have to blog every day of the week, but at least once weekly is nice. Two to four times per week is probably ideal. The more you blog, the more people will visit your blog to see what's new. When months go by between posts, people are more likely to comment "glad you're back" or "thought you were dead" than "the sweater looks great so far." Some bloggers who need a break have been known to post a "be back in two weeks" or similar message so that readers don't worry. This is just a simple courtesy; not necessary, but nice.

Most of all, remember to have fun! This is your knitting blog, so enjoy it. Before you know it, readers will comment, you'll find other blogs to read, and you'll be a knit blogging pro.