Handspun Secret Pal Swap Update – March 1, 2007
Dear Spin to Knit Handspun Swap Participants:
Thanks to all the participants in our first Spin to Knit
Handspun Swap Secret Pal event!
By now you should have completed two separate mailings of handspun to your secret pal and revealed your identity. If you haven't completed your mailings, stop what you're doing right now, put everything aside, and write an email to your pal immediately explaining your delay. We're receiving messages from many pals who are worried that their upstream or downstream partners have disappeared; if you're a late shipper, send an email to alleviate your pal's worries and save us the hassle of trying to track you down!
On the other side of the exchange, have you thanked your upstream pal for your January and February handspun gifts? You should have acknowledged each month's gifts with a personal e-mail or public posting on your blog. If you haven't, please do so immediately.
I know that there are still a lot of concerns about missing packages and missing pals. Our request today is that before you contact us about any problems, please give your pals five (5) days to update you on their status and explain why they are late.
If you haven't heard from you pal by midnight on Monday, March 5 and you feel that you are an abandoned pal in need of adoption, send us an email at spintoknit@interweave.com and we will find an angel to assign to you.
Our first priority is people who haven't received anything in the exchange because of a missing pal. Our second priority is people who did not receive their handspun in February. There are many pals who have fallen behind in their spinning and are sending their final gift a little late. If this is your situation, please e-mail your pal immediately to let her know that you are late but haven't forgotten.
Finally, don't forget that you should have revealed your identity with your February handspun mailing.
Thanks again to all our participants. You were an inspirational group and we've loved seeing pictures of your handspun and hearing stories about the new friendships you've made with your pals.
We won't be starting a new handspun exchange this year, but stay
tuned for information about our
No Sheep for You Skein Swap
starting in June. This is a fun swap for lovers of non-wool yarns!
And if you like knitalongs, check out our new KALs at:
www.favoritesockskal.blogspot.com
www.nosheepkal.blogspot.com
www.lacestylekal.blogspot.com
All the best,
Jaime Guthals and Laura Levaas
Spin to Knit Handspun Swap Secret Pal Moderators
spintoknit@interweave.com
Requirements Recap:
You must send two different handspun skeins which you have made to your assigned secret pal: one in Jan. and one in Feb. 2007. With each skein you mail to your secret pal you should explain the process you used to make it. You can give some background on your spindle or wheel, how and when you learned to spin, dyes or other media you used, etc.
The skein size requirements for the various categories are:
- Beginner: at least 30 yds.
- Intermediate: at least 60 yds.
- Advanced: at least 90 yds.
...but more is welcome, of course. We just didn't want to overwhelm the newer spinners right off the bat. We'll remind you of what category you registered for when assignments go out in a couple weeks. Beginners will be paired with beginners, intermediates with intermediates, advanced with advance.
Don't forget that you are also invited to show off your handspun
on author Shannon Okey's Knitgrrl.com blog (www.knitgrrl.com).
Send Shannon a two-yard snip of each skein, which she will
either knit or weave into a larger piece to show off at the
end of the swap.
As Shannon said previously, she loves the idea of seeing everyone's work side by side, joined together. It's a physical representation of the kinds of connections these swaps create: hand by hand, we craft for each other and share both our love of spinning and skill.
Participants should identify their samples with their name and blog website address and mail them to Shannon Okey at PO Box 112312, Cleveland, OH 44111.
If you have any questions, e-mail use at spintoknit@interweave.com.
Happy spinning!
Best wishes,
Jaime Guthals & Laura Levaas
Moderators for the Spin to Knit Handspun Secret Pals Swap
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RULES AND FAQ
Who is this for?
Spinners only please.
How are Pals assigned?
Pals are not assigned to each other. For example, Pal A is assigned to Pal B, who is assigned to Pal C, who in turn is assigned to Pal D. Pal A and Pal B are not assigned to each other, in which case it would not be anonymous! We will try to match you by your experience level at spinning, age demographic and preferences, as indicated in your initial registration.
Required letters and correspondence:
You are required to include with EACH mailed skein at least one card, letter, or postcard explaining the process used to make your skein. You can give a little background on your hand spindle or wheel, how and when you learned to spin, and any dyes you used! Use your creativity to make this fun for your Pal! This exchange is about celebrating the wide, wonderful world of handspun yarn!
Skein size requirements
Beginner: at least 30 yds
Intermediate: at least 60 yds
Advanced: at least 90 yds
...but more is welcome, of course.
Blog or Website is Required:
You are required to have a blog or web site to participate in this program. Your secret pal will be given your blog or website address, so he/she can find out who you are. Your blog doesn’t have to be a knitting or crochet blog, but it should be a place where your SP can learn more about you, and it’s a place where you can thank your secret pal when your gifts come in.
Buttons
Here are some buttons for your blogs. Please right-click and save them to your own computer, rather than linking to them directly from this website.
International Participation:
This Handspun Secret Pals Swap is based in the United States. If you are outside the U.S. (an “international” Pal), you are still welcome to participate. We will do our best to match you to your preferences. If you would prefer to send to a pal who is either in the same country as you are OR on the same continent, please let us know when you sign up. Our ability to accommodate international participants will be based on the number of people who sign up—we’ll do what we can! If we can't match you with someone in your country or on your continent, or with someone willing to send skeins overseas, we'll let you know and you can decide if you still wish to participate.
Anonymous E-mail Address:
You are required to have an anonymous e-mail address so your Pal doesn’t learn your identity until the final month of the exchange. You can use your current one if it doesn’t give too much away (i.e., JaimeGuthals at gmail.com would be a bad choice), or you can set up one such as the free ones from Hotmail or Yahoo. Your Pal will use this address to contact you anonymously to find out more information about preferences. Be sure to check the account regularly; if you’re setting up an address explicitly for this SP Exchange you might consider having that account's mail forwarded to your regular account so you don't miss anything.
Final Agreement
Once you have agreed to these terms, please use this online form
to join. |
