Get Ready to Swap!!

Hey Everyone!!

Matches are going out THIS WEEKEND!! Please check your junk mail for an email from us. If you haven't gotten your match by Monday, email us so we can resend it.

Please contact your pal as soon as possible. They're just as excited as you are to get going. Remember to be anonymous - leave an anonymous blog comment, email them from your secret email, or send an ecard (there are some cute links at the bottom of the sidebar for knitting ecards).

Thanks everyone! Stay tuned for Topic #3 and... next week -- The BIG Contest Announcement!!

Revealing Shunklies Donation

Shunklies on Etsy was one of the first people to get back to me about being a Sponsor for the UK Swap. Joanne, the creative force behind Shunklies Yarn and Spinning Supplies was kind enough to donate a $25 gift certificate (Etsy is in $dollars$ only).

This will be SECOND PRIZE for the Weekly Topics Contest!!

Here are just a few things that are listed in her shop:

No Questionnaire = No Swap

Hi All.

Sorry to have to be this harsh, but I've sent an email to those who haven't posted their questionnaire. Check your junk mail for an email from ukswap@hotmail.co.uk as that's me - Monica. Now this is the harsh part: If you haven't posted your questionnaire by Thursday when I check, you will be dropped from the swap. I don't want to have to do this to anyone so PLEASE respond to the email I sent. Thank you for understanding the need for response and contact with a secret swap.

P.S. Matches will be going out on Thursday Night / Friday. If you haven't received your match by Monday February 4th, please email me at ukswap@hotmail.co.uk. Deadline for contacting your match (remember it's a secret!) is Friday February 8th.

Monica

Questionnaire Due TODAY!

Just a quick reminder that Questionnaire's are due TODAY. Please post them on your blog and add a link to your sidebar. We will be checking throughout the day and contacting anyone who has not put their's up (or that we can't find). Thanks in advance!

Revealing Purlescence's Donation

Robynn of Purlescence was kind enough to donate this adorable tape measurer from Lantern Moon. It's a sheepy!

This is one of the items included in THIRD PRIZE in the Weekly Topics Contest!!



They also come in different animals/bugs if you want to get one for yourself or your pal. And there are many other "luxury knitting supplies" in Robynn's online store. From needles and bags to yarn and patterns! Check it out:

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Topic of the Week #2: Magazines

Hi everybody! Sorry for the late update, my internet has been on the fritz all week and getting on to check my email has been an ordeal to say the least. We have a portable modem with a UK company (who's name will not be mentioned here) and it's not been working properly. We brought it into the store hoping to have it replaced since you get the modem itself free with your 18-month contract, but they said we have to have the receipt to send it for repair!! Ridiculous.

Anyway, sorry for the tangent, here is this week's question!! Don't forget to leave your post's permalink so that we can locate your answers!

Q: Do you subscribe to any magazines (knitting or otherwise)? Or do you prefer to purchase magazines at the newstand? Do you subscribe online to any knitting magazines/newsletters? What does a knitting magazine need to have to catch your fancy and get you to fork out that well-earned cash?

Welcome All!

Hope everyone is having a good week! I'd like to officially welcome everyone who has joined! This is going to be really fun - I'm really looking forward to hosting this swap with Vikki. I've taken part in a few swaps but I've never hosted before, so please help me by letting me know if there are any problems or concerns.

I'd really like to encourage everyone to join in on the contests - the more the merrier, it is however not mandatory. The Weekly Questions are just fun topics to get everyone chatting.

Please post your Questionnaire by Monday January 28th - I know that many of you already have and I thank you very much. I will be checking! You're all added to my Reader and I'm enjoying getting to know you all just a bit better.

Sign-ups end Monday

Just a quick reminder that Sign-ups close Monday, January 21st at 12-noon (GMT). So don't delay! Get your email sent and tell your friends! See you all Monday!

Topic of the Week #1: Knit-Years Resolutions

With 2008 in full-swing, do you have any knit-years resolutions you are trying to keep to? Stash-busting? Knitting just for yourself? Gift-alongs or starting Christmas knitting early? Do your knit-years resolutions affect your other resolutions? Such as watching your spending, or putting yourself first, or even loosing weight (yarn weight....)?

Remember to leave the link to the exact post (how to find your permalink). If you don't have a blog but still want to participate, you're welcome to use the UKSwappers blog! And most of all - have fun!

Topic of the Week: Contest Explaination

The Topic of the Week Contest really simple: Every Friday I will post a Topic of the Week for you to answers on your blog. You don't have to do it on Friday, you have the entire week to post and comment.

Also, this is optional - it's a contest and meant to be fun. If you decide to participate - you need to leave a comment and a link to the exact post in the comments (how to find your permalink). You can join in once, twice, or every week but you must leave a link to your Topic Post each time.

When Weekly Topics end, all the people who blogged will be entered in a contest for First, Second, and Third place prizes. I haven't put the prizes together yet, but I can tell you that it is all thanks to our Sponsors! Thank you ladies.

Welcome Co-Host Vikki

Vikki has accepted my offer to co-host, but thank you so much to everyone who offered to help - if I need any more help, I know who to ask!! You all are great!

Just a note with sign-ups, I'm updating every couple of days so if you sent in your application last week or over the weekend and you haven't been added, please send in another application! This happened to Christine, who sent in a 2nd request! If this happened to anyone else - don't hesitate to resend!

How to add TEXT LINKS in your sidebar

For your questionnaire, we are asking that you put a link in your sidebar to the post. To find out the permalink URL of the post, find it on your blog and click the title of your post. This should reload it to be the only visible post. The URL in the bar is the permalink (meaning permanent link).

EDIT: To be more clear about the permalink, try clicking on the title of this post - "How to add TEXT LINKS in your sidebar". It will reload and the url should look like this - http://ukswap.blogspot.com/2008/01/how-to-add-stuff-in-your-sidebar.html

For Blogger users:

1. Login to Dashboard.
2. Click Layout > Page Elements > Add Page Elements
3. Choose HTML/Java Script (click on Add to Blog button).
4. Write [a href="http://permalink url] My UK Questionnaire [/a]
5. Replace [ ] with < >
   
6. Click Save.

For Wordpress users:

1. Login to Dashboard
2. Click Presentation > Widgets
   
3. Drag and drop a Text Widget into your sidebar
4. Click the Text Widget, which will pop up a new little window
5. Write [a href="http://permalink url] My UK Questionnaire [/a]
6. Replace [ ] with < >
7. Close the Text Widget and click Save Changes.
   

Sign-ups going STRONG!

Hello to everyone who has joined so far, and WELCOME! Big hugs all around. It's great to meet you and I hope to get to know you all better over the next couple months. Don't be afraid to comment on the blog here, even if it's just a quick hello! Plus, all the blog links are there for you to check out your fellow swappers and strike up some conversations and friendships.

Remember, the "confirmation" that you have joined will be your name added to the sidebar. I have been trying to update them every couple of days, so if you sent your application last week and it isn't up yet -- please send it again.

Just a note about the questionnaire -- if you've already posted it, we don't want it to get lost among blog posts before matches go out and your partner can read it. So if you would be so kind as to put a link to it in an easy-to-find place on your sidebar, or you can make a page for it (Wordpress function)!

Great to see that our blogless participants are making use of the UK Swappers blog. Thank you ladies!

CHANGE IN INFORMATION: Alice has been swamped and won't be able to help co-host. (Did you know she's getting married at the end of February?!) Anyway, as I'm currently co-host-less, I am going to limit the amount of participants to 50. We are currently at 29, so this shouldn't be a problem. But sign-ups will close either when we reach 50 participants, or January 21st, whichever comes first.

Regardless, this is meant to be fun so sit back, relax, and enjoy the swap!

Blogless Participants

This is just to let the Blogless participants know about the UK Swappers blog. Please accept the invite to join the blog. You will need to post your Questionnaire here, as well as "received package" photos & post. Thank you!

We Have a Winner!

The names, the bucket... (Thanks to everyone who entered!!)


Thank you BF. You should be a hand model! Haha


And the winner is..........



Congratulations Knit-Knacker on winning the Pimp the Swap contest!!! Please email me (monnibo AT hotmail DOT com) your mailing address and I'll send off your prize as soon as I can!

Is the suspense killing you yet?

I'm back in London and tallying up the entries in the Pimp the Swap Contest. I haven't drawn the winner yet, so I thought we should tease you with a bit of yarn pr0n. This is the prize from Posh Yarn - it is the "Laura" colourway.

There will also be a couple goodies added by me into the package for the winner! Who could it be!?!

Sign-ups are OPEN

Today, January 7th, Sign-ups for the UK Swap are OPEN! Please check out the post called "How to Sign-up" and send the relevant information to us at ukswap@hotmail.co.uk.

Q: How do I know if my application has been accepted?
A: You will be added to the Blogroll here under the "Participants" tab.

Sign-ups begin TOMORROW

Hey Everyone! Thanks for the interest in the swap. I'm doing the best I can so if you have any questions or concerns, please email me (Monica) at monnibo AT hotmail DOT com. Thanks!

Just a reminder that Sign-ups don't begin until TOMORROW - Monday, January 7th, 2008. Please do not send in your applications before then. (I don't want to get confused!!) Thanks in advance! If you have already sent an application to ukswap AT hotmail DOT co.uk, please resend your application between January 7th - January 21st. Any applications received before then cannot be accepted -- to keep it fair.

To recap:
Sign-ups OPEN: Monday January 7th.
Sign-ups CLOSE: Monday January 21st.

How to Sign Up

• Sign-ups open Monday January 7th, 2008.
• Send the following information to the hosts at ukswap@hotmail.co.uk
• Emails sent to any of the hosts individual addresses will not be accepted
• You will know your application has been received when your name and blog link appears on the Swap Blog under Participants
• Sign-ups close Monday January 21st, 2008.
• Questionnaire must be posted by Monday January 28th, 2008
• Being an Angel means that if someone’s partner doesn’t send a package or disappears entirely (knock on wood) that you are willing to step in and make a “rescue package” to send asap.

Full Name:
Email (real one):
Secret Email (required):
Post address:
Blog address:
Ravelry Name (if applicable):
Are you able to step in as an “Angel” if necessary?

Clearing up some Questions

There has been some confusion regarding the sign-up, anonymity, and questionnaire. This is an anonymous swap, you must have an anonymous email to participate.

The Questionnaire is meant to be posted on your blog. In the event that you are blogless, you will be invited to join the other UK Swap blog (URL undetermined) and there you can post your Questionnaire, as well as a "I received my package" post with photos. You will need to be able to accept a Blogger invite to participate in this.

When you sign-up, you will be sending your information to the hosts at ukswap@hotmail.co.uk. We will then match you up, and send your information to your spoiler, and only your spoiler. You will receive the information of who you are spoiling. Do not post any private information in your questionnaire (such as your address).

Questionnaire

If you have a blog - please post it to your blog. If you do not have a blog, please complete it in a word document and then email it to ukswap@hotmail.co.uk. It must be done/posted by Monday, January 28th. So don't worry! You've got time yet. Hope everyone is having a happy new year so far!!


Part One: Crafting

Do you knit, crochet, or both?

What do you like to make? Do you have a favourite project?

Do you have a favourite type of fiber or brand of yarn?

Do you have a least favourite type of yarn?

Do you do any other crafts?

What knitting do you bring ‘on the go’?

What do you carry your ‘on the go’ knitting in? Do you want something new?

Are there any knitting gifts (book, toy, yarn, item, tool) that you have been lusting over?


Part Two: Your Favourites

What is your favourite colour? What is your least favourite colour?

What scents/smells do you like? What don’t you like?

How do you like to pamper yourself? (bubble bath, hand creams, massage, manicure)

What goodies to you like to treat your tummy with? (chocolate, biscuits, truffles, etc.)

Do you prefer tea or coffee while you knit? Any particular kind? Favourite mug/cup?

Do you listen to/watch anything while you knit? (TVshow-Along, movies, music, podcasts)


Part Three: Living & Past-times

Where do you live in the UK? (General idea not address)

Have you always lived here, or did you grow up somewhere else?

If you could visit anywhere in the world, where would you go?

If you couldn’t go to a knitting group, what other kind of gathering would you go to? (book club, tea party, yoga class, jewelery class, etc.)

What’s your style? (elegant, traditional, glamourous, girly, natural, sporty, outgoing, etc.)


Final Part:

Any allergies/preferences (fiber-wise or treat-wise)?

Anything we missed that you’d like your partner to know?

Pimp the Swap Contest Closed

Wow! That was an amazing rush of people in the last day. Great to see people telling their friends. Just because the contest is over, don't let that deter you from telling even more people! Grab a button from the sidebar and post it on your blog. I'd love to hear if you'd put it up so post a quick comment if you can. Love to see everyone spreading the word.

The winner will be announced later this week (when I get time! Wow these holidays are so full!).

In the meantime, I'll be posting up the Questionnaire later today, so check it out. If you're planning to participate in the UK Swap and want to get a head start on your Questionnaire, please feel free to post it to your blog. Although blogs are not required, they are STRONGLY recommended because of the ease it adds to getting to know your partner. Because some people requested that blogs not be required, an anonymous email IS required, so please make sure to create an email that doesn't give away your identity.