The Sit 'n' Knit Quickie Mitten Swap

Sit 'n' Knit Quickie Mitten Swap Details

Please read carefully, I have tried to be as clear as possible with the guidelines. If after reading through you still have a question, please feel free to post a reply to this message board.

Participants will knit a pair of mittens as well as receive a pair of mittens.. This is a secret exchange, meaning nobody knows who is knitting for who. All is revealed when the mittens are exchanged in February.

To participate, you must be a member of Sit n' Knit New York and have intermediate/advanced knitting skills. (You have knit more than a scarf and are familiar with a couple basic techniques such as increasing, decreasing, knitting in the round and have made at least one pair of mittens) The reason for the level of experience is to make sure that everyone knows what goes into making mittens and that everyone will be able to complete a pair for the person who is expecting it. I would really hate for someone to use this as an opportunity to try a new technique for the first time, get frustrated and then back out at the last minute leaving someone else with a cold fingers.

Mittens - hand socks with thumbs. So, not fingerless mitts or arm warmers or gloves. MITTENS. Thrummed, stranded, plain or convertible...anything goes as long as they fall under the title "mittens".

The questionnaire will be posted on Friday, January 16. To sign up, copy and paste the questionnaire to an email. Fill in all the details and email to snkexchange AT hotmail DOT com. Do not post your answers here on the message board!

Sign up begins Friday, Jan 16 and ends Friday, Jan 23, 2009. After I receive all the questionnaires, I will assign knitters to hands. Assignments will be passed out via email on Sunday, Jan 25. You will have 5 weeks to knit a pair of mittens. The exchange will happen in person at a Sit n' Knit Quickie Mitten Swap Party on Saturday, Feb 28.

I have hopefully asked enough questions in the form to inspire you as the giver (Secret Knitter) to knit a pair of mittens that your receiver will delight in. But keep in mind, you only have to knit at your level. Just because someone says that they really love the Anemoi Mittens doesn't mean you have to knit them that! Perhaps you are more inspired by the fact that they love Noro yarn and you decide to make a simple pair letting the Noro do its thing. That is perfectly fine! If you feel comfortable doing something more complicated, go for it!

I will be keeping a list of participants who are willing to have a second pair of mitts waiting in case someone has to back out. Things do happen and events come up and despite the best of intentions, someone will have to back down. Hopefully this won't happen! You may also have the option to mail your mittens to your recipient, but that is worst-case scenario. The fun is really in the giving and receiving in person.

Backing out gracefully with as much notice as possible is different than flaking and bailing. The point of this exchange is to GIVE AND RECEIVE. Showing up at a potluck empty handed and then filling your plate is just not cool. Any participant who leaves a fellow participant with the wind whipping at their collar will not be allowed to participate in future exchanges.

Sending an email to snkexchange AT hotmail DOT com does not mean you will start getting tons of email from that address. It is simply a way for me to organize this project by keeping everything somewhat separate from other Sit 'n' Knit stuff. Updates will be posted on this thread on the SnK message board. So please check the message board.

You do not have to spend money on this exchange. You can use yarn already in your stash. There is no financial commitment, just a commitment to knit a pair of mittens for an assigned person in the group.

Well, hopefully all that explained everything. If you have any questions, feel free to post them here on the message board. Someone else may be wondering the same thing!

Thank you Chante for coming up with the idea for this exchange!

Hi Anne-Marie and thanks for organizing! Do you have an idea as to the time of the party? Of course the 28th is the only day on which I have a potential conflict (2pm play at BAM)! I wanted to be clear on the party details before signing up. Thanks again!

Jessica
NY Knitting Examiner
The Drowsy Knitter

Hi Anne-Marie and thanks for organizing! Do you have an idea as to the time of the party?

Jessica

Unfortunately, I do not. It depends on how many people sign up, as that will help determine the venue and therefore the time. As soon as we have an idea of how many people are joining, I'll have a better idea of where the swap will take place.

A-M

Sit 'n' Knit Quickie Mitten Swap Questionnaire

To sign up, copy and paste the questionnaire to an email. Fill in all the details and email to snkexchange AT hotmail DOT com. (Replace "AT" and "DOT" with the appropriate characters in your email. I have done that as a simple measure to avoid spam).

Confirmation emails will be sent after Jan 23. If you do not receive a confirmation email from me by Jan 24, please leave a note on this message board so I can double check.

I highly recommend using the "add to faves" button on Ravelry for yarns, patterns and projects. It makes the stalking process more productive.

Do not post your answers here on the message board! Remember, it's a secret exchange!

SIGN UP IS NOW CLOSED!

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Your full name:

Meetup username:

User id (found in your 'Account' page):

Your mailing address (will not be shared, only shared if you can't attend party):

Your blog address (if applicable):

Flickr id (if applicable):

Ravelry id (if applicable):

Hand circumference (just around knuckles, hand flat):

Hand length (top of wrist to middle finger - do not include cuff!):

Length of thumb (from large knuckle to tip):

Coat color(s):

Color of other winter gear:

Favorite yarn(s) to wear:

Least favorite yarn(s) to wear:

Any favorite pattern you wish you had, but didn't necessarily have to knit?

Any pattern that you don't like?

Favorite color(s):

Least favorite color(s):

Mittens already in your possession (Bird in Hand, Druid, etc ):

Any allergies or yarn issues (wool allergy or vegan, etc):

Any other allergies that may affect you? (smoking, pets, etc)

Any oddities your Secret Knitter should be aware of?

Do you have any pets/smokers/other things that may affect a potential recipient?

Are you aware that you will be knitting a pair of mittens for someone as well as receiving a pair from someone else? (You gotta give to receive!)

Are you willing to be a back up knitter in case someone has to pull out?

Hi Anne Marie!

I'm psyched to participate in my first Sit & Knit exchange (woo)!

A questionnaire questionne:

In filling out the questionnaire, I note that there is a question about "Any other allergies that may affect you? (smoking, pets, etc)," but there is no question for the other way around, i.e., for us to indicate whether or not we have pets or smoke - I have a kitty, which is why I'm asking. Or should we put that under "oddities your Sekrit Knitter should be aware of"? Not that having a kitty is an oddity.

Thanks!

In filling out the questionnaire, I note that there is a question about "Any other allergies that may affect you? (smoking, pets, etc)," but there is no question for the other way around, i.e., for us to indicate whether or not we have pets or smoke - I have a kitty, which is why I'm asking. Or should we put that under "oddities your Sekrit Knitter should be aware of"? Not that having a kitty is an oddity.

Good question! I will update the questionnaire to include a proper place for people to write if they have a pet, smoke etc. I think in the past I have been so familiar with everyone's pet/smoking status that I forgot to include that question. Oops!

A-M

Cool - thanks! I already submitted my questionnaire thingy and noted my catus status accordingly (I don't smoke though!)

YAY mittens!

Hi, Anne-Marie:

I love knitting (and wearing) mittens, and I'd really like to participate in this exchange, but I already know I won't be able to go to the Swap Party, as it is on my daughter's 6th birthday. Can I still take part, or should I just stay tuned for the next exchange? Either answer is fine, but I'd like to do the exchange if I can.

Thanks for all the work you put into organizing this stuff.

Barbara

Thanks a gain Anne Marie for putting this thing together.