Friday, December 08, 2006
Color Swap
Inspired by another blogger's color themed swap this past year, I wanted to start one of my own. Each month of the year will have a color theme assigned to it, and sign ups will be the month prior. This isn't a secret pal type thing. You will know who is sending to you, and you will be sending to that person. I hope this will discourage deadbeat participants, though I'm sorry to have to consider that. There will be different assigments each month, so you shouldn't get the same person each month, should you choose to participate all year.
I'm getting a later start this month than I intended, as I want people to have their assignments by Christmas. To participate, you must either be a member of KnittingMothers or be a knitter with a blog you update frequently. In fact, even among the knittingmothers, I'd encourage those few of you without a basic blog to begin one. I want people to be able to get to know each other a bit. If you wish to sign up, send me an email with your full name, mailing address, email address that you check regularly, and blog url. Please include your birthday, if it falls in the month you are swapping (you don't have to include the year if you don't wish to). This is open to knitters worldwide, but I am going to make a big effort to pair people within the same nation or at least continent, since there is only a month in which to allow for something to arrive. These registrations need to arrive in my inbox by 12:01 a.m. on the 18th of the month preceding the swap month. For this month, that means by Sunday night, the 17th. I am going to limit the swap to the first 50 respondents.
The first thing to come to mind in terms of color is, of course, yarn, but please don't limit yourself to that. Handmade cards, candles, soaps, bath salts, stationery, candies, chocolates, knitterly tools or gadgets, knitting themed accessories and roving/fiber for those who are spinners as well are all good idea for gifts. Knitting something for someone would be a lovely gift. Including shipping, the minimum price for this swap should be considered at $25 (remember, that includes shipping and any packaging). I know how difficult it is to determine the monetary value of something handmade, or handspun or hand dyed, and I do not consider those things as cheap, but please keep in mind a general sense of the price of the package being sent. Participants should expect to receive one package and to send out one package for each round of the swap. Packages should arrive by the end of each month, preferably earlier.
I have somewhat arbitrarily, and somewhat purposefully, assigned a color theme for each month of the year:
January - Metallic and Shimmer This is a little bit of a cheat, but I was thinking of New Year's and sparkly, glitzy things.
February - Browns and Tans for all those Valentine's chocolates.
March - Green in honor of spring and St. Patrick's day.
April - Neutrals White, offwhite, beige, cream, eggshell, and sandy colors, are what immediately come to mind, but this color theme was interpreted in very interesting ways in the first swap I saw.
May - Purple for the first bright flowers of the season.
June - Blue because of the blue summer skies, and the ocean and just because.
July - Red My birthday is in this month, and red is my favorite color.
August - Pinks and Peaches Mostly just because, but also because so many fruit are ripe in August.
September - Yellow for the last of the summer sun.
October - Orange Fall, pumpkins, harvest.
November - Greys and Blacks Around here, November is the rainy season.
December - Multicolor This is another freebie, because there are so many different variegated, handpainted, space dyed, self-patterning, multicolored yarns out there and I thought it would be a fun way to end the year.
I hope you all think this is a good idea, and join in. Please feel free to spread the word.
Remember that registration for January ends 12:01 a.m. December 18, 2006 and the first color theme is metallic and shimmer.
I'm getting a later start this month than I intended, as I want people to have their assignments by Christmas. To participate, you must either be a member of KnittingMothers or be a knitter with a blog you update frequently. In fact, even among the knittingmothers, I'd encourage those few of you without a basic blog to begin one. I want people to be able to get to know each other a bit. If you wish to sign up, send me an email with your full name, mailing address, email address that you check regularly, and blog url. Please include your birthday, if it falls in the month you are swapping (you don't have to include the year if you don't wish to). This is open to knitters worldwide, but I am going to make a big effort to pair people within the same nation or at least continent, since there is only a month in which to allow for something to arrive. These registrations need to arrive in my inbox by 12:01 a.m. on the 18th of the month preceding the swap month. For this month, that means by Sunday night, the 17th. I am going to limit the swap to the first 50 respondents.
The first thing to come to mind in terms of color is, of course, yarn, but please don't limit yourself to that. Handmade cards, candles, soaps, bath salts, stationery, candies, chocolates, knitterly tools or gadgets, knitting themed accessories and roving/fiber for those who are spinners as well are all good idea for gifts. Knitting something for someone would be a lovely gift. Including shipping, the minimum price for this swap should be considered at $25 (remember, that includes shipping and any packaging). I know how difficult it is to determine the monetary value of something handmade, or handspun or hand dyed, and I do not consider those things as cheap, but please keep in mind a general sense of the price of the package being sent. Participants should expect to receive one package and to send out one package for each round of the swap. Packages should arrive by the end of each month, preferably earlier.
I have somewhat arbitrarily, and somewhat purposefully, assigned a color theme for each month of the year:
January - Metallic and Shimmer This is a little bit of a cheat, but I was thinking of New Year's and sparkly, glitzy things.
February - Browns and Tans for all those Valentine's chocolates.
March - Green in honor of spring and St. Patrick's day.
April - Neutrals White, offwhite, beige, cream, eggshell, and sandy colors, are what immediately come to mind, but this color theme was interpreted in very interesting ways in the first swap I saw.
May - Purple for the first bright flowers of the season.
June - Blue because of the blue summer skies, and the ocean and just because.
July - Red My birthday is in this month, and red is my favorite color.
August - Pinks and Peaches Mostly just because, but also because so many fruit are ripe in August.
September - Yellow for the last of the summer sun.
October - Orange Fall, pumpkins, harvest.
November - Greys and Blacks Around here, November is the rainy season.
December - Multicolor This is another freebie, because there are so many different variegated, handpainted, space dyed, self-patterning, multicolored yarns out there and I thought it would be a fun way to end the year.
I hope you all think this is a good idea, and join in. Please feel free to spread the word.
Remember that registration for January ends 12:01 a.m. December 18, 2006 and the first color theme is metallic and shimmer.
Labels: Colorswap
