Whoa! You guys completely blew us away with your response to the Curls giveaway!
It was so exciting to see your entries come pouring in and, honestly, they were absolutely fascinating to read because each one gave us insight into what makes a design appeal to you. I told Hunter, “You gotta go read these comments!” and when she did, she was as excited about them as I was.
And the Winner is…
But wait! Before I tell you who the winner is I want to tell you that we’ve got a another fantastic giveaway that I’ll announce tomorrow. And I think this may possibly be the best giveaway we’ve ever done. I won’t give much away until then but do you want a little clue?
So make sure you open your SpaceCadet email tomorrow, ok?
Ok, the Winner Really is…
Here we go! After assigning numbers to all the entries, I used the Random Number Generator to pull one entry out of the hat. And the winner is…
Bronwyn
Congratulations! Please send an email to info(at)spacecadetcreations(dot)com and give us your name and address, and we’ll send you a brand-new copy of Hunter Hammersen’s new book, Curls, and a skein of SpaceCadet Oriana yarn to go with it. Woooot!
See You Tomorrow!
And if you didn’t win, don’t worry. I’ll be back with another fantastic giveaway tomorrow!
You remember how, last week, I talked about the kindness of knitters and crocheters? I told you about Mel’s request for handmade washcloths for Haiti and about how one member of our SpaceCadet community was so generous as to buy a Mauna Kea kit for us to give away? I found both of those things so incredibly inspiring — simple reminders that we have the power to use the smallest kindnesses to lift us out of our day-t0-day existence.
But if last week was inspirational, this week was just plain fun! I loved the response you guys gave to the washcloth appeal — sharing patterns, encouraging one another, and at least one person was so inspired she immediately knocked out a slew of washclothes (ten of them!).
And as for the Mauna Kea giveaway… you guys went NUTS! We had a ton of entries, and reading through your comments on what you like about the pattern was not only incredibly fun but actually really helpful and informative for both Mel and for me. Thank you all for participating!
Now I know you’re dying to find out who is getting the kit so, without further ado, let’s announce the Mauna Kea giveaway winner! It’s…
Luv2CUSmile
And her (or his) comment was,
“Love the story and that there are some people in our community who are just giving because they can and have a heart to do so.
Thx for the chance to you and to your anonymous donor.
This sweater is lovely with the defined sides following the torso shape. Love this and the blues it is shown in. Can wear with jeans, slacks or a skirt!”
I couldn’t agree more! And it’s a sentiment that was echoed again and again in the comments, so I think I speak for everyone when I say how grateful we are for the generosity of our wonderful anonymous sponsor. Really, just such a cool thing to do!
Luv2CUSmile, please send an email with your name and postal address to info(at)spacecadetcreations(dot)com, and we’ll get you on the dyeing list for your Mauna Kea kit!
Facebook Update
I just have to share this with you guys. You remember when I showed you this?
This is the power of likes and comments on Facebook posts. You can read the full story here, but the long and short is that when you don’t regularly like/comment/share someone’s Facebook posts, Facebook starts showing you their posts less (and less and less…). And when you do like/comment/share their posts, Facebook puts their posts more regularly into your timeline — and starts showing their posts to lots of other people too.
And here’s the proof… After that I wrote that blog post, tons of you started clicking like/comment/share a lot more often, and just look at what that did!
Isn’t that awesome?!? So you guys get to see more SpaceCadet updates in your timeline and, in turn, Facebook then shares SpaceCadet with lots of other people too. Everyone wins!
And that “share” button? That’s where the real power is. Check this one out — lots of “likes”, lots of comments, but it’s the sharing that made the different here:
But then…
But then… if the Knitty blog happens to pick up your post and happens to share it with all of their readers on their Facebook page, THIS happens…
And then your website immediately crashes! Which is, y’know, kind of awesome too.
But listen, isn’t it amazing how powerful those likes/comments/shares actually are? And there’s news this week that Facebook has tweaked its algorithm yet again, so that it pays even more close attention to which posts you interact with, to determine what to show you in your newsfeed… and what to leave out.
So if there are companies (or even friends) that seem to have fallen off your Facebook radar, make sure you take a moment to click something on every post they put out. It means you’ll see more news from the folks you love to hear about …and they’ll suddenly be just as blown away as I’ve been!
It is a fairly commonly held belief that knitters and crocheters are just really “nice” people. But I have to admit that, when I hear that, I sometimes find myself cringing a bit. It seems too simplistic, too stereotyped. I mean, it’s also a commonly held belief that we’re all little old grannies who knit or crochet because we’ve got nothing better to do — and we all know that’s not true! So when I hear about this fabled “niceness” of knitters and crocheters, it often feels just as cliched.
But while I hate the stereotype, I do have faith in the people. The truth is that knitters and crocheters are simply people, with good days and bad, good points and bad — no different to any other people. The stereotype is built on silly assumptions, but the truth comes from what they do. When knitters and crocheters are nice, by gum, they really are nice. So nice that I find myself taken aback…
“A Medical Team dedicated to helping local community centers in Haiti will be leaving my hometown in a few weeks. They sent out a request for washcloths: “You can grab an old towel and cut it in to small squares for washcloths” it was said. My heart hurt at this request. My community of knitting friends and I can make a washcloth, a clean, fresh washcloth and share something much, much better…”
Each person who comes into the clinic in Haiti can receive a hygiene package, containing soap, shampoo, toothbrush and toothpaste, and a washcloth. Basic hygiene is so important in areas that are recovering from major disasters, but can we take an opportunity to make this something more than simply basic?
“…I am not saying an old towel ripped up wouldn’t serve a purpose. What I am saying is: I do not want an old towel to take an opportunity away from me to do something kind!… So please consider the simple washcloth. A square. Knit it in garter with two strands of sturdy cotton held together and you can have it done over a cup of coffee…”
And here is where my faith comes into play. I know that Mel’s viewers and followers will come through. I know they will respond from the heart, grab their needles and whip out simple washcloths to send to people who are in need not only of hygiene kits, but perhaps of that personal touch as well. Want to be a part of it? Click here for all the details.
A Mauna Kea Giveaway!
And here is something that I didn’t expect but that has only served to increase my faith in our community. Just before the Mauna Kea kits closed earlier this week, an order came in with a note that read, “I just can’t resist [this], but this kit is not for me. I’d like to sponsor an anonymous giveaway.”
You could have knocked me over with a feather.
How amazing is that?!? One of your fellow fiber-lovers has been so generous as to buy a Mauna Kea kit simply to give away just so someone else can enjoy the fun on making it! Here it is, proof positive that when knitters and crocheters are nice, they are really really nice.
So, if you missed out on a Mauna Kea kit, here is your chance to join in on the fun! You’ll get five skeins of SpaceCadet yarn in the Dark Skies ombre colourway, the Mauna Kea pattern, and membership in the Mauna Kea Knit-Together, with access to an exclusive site with great community support, tutorials, and on-site helps. How awesome is that?!?
And then, please take the opportunity to pay it forward by sharing this giveaway with your knitting friends on Twitter, Facebook, and Ravelry. I’m not getting anything out of it, the kit sales are already closed — but when one of our community has been this incredibly generous, I think the best way we can show gratitude and share the love is to spread that generosity as far and wide as possible. Don’t you agree?
For Facebook: Woot! The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click for your chance to win: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny #MaunaKeaGiveaway
For Ravelry: The SpaceCadet is giving away a Mauna Kea kit! Click here to enter: http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny
Yarn Alliance Closes on Monday
Don’t forget, the Yarn Alliance closes to subscriptions this Monday, Sept 22. If you haven’t got your spot, grab it now!
There’s always small print — official rules: NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Open to entrants worldwide, age 5 or older. Void where prohibited. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. Sweepstakes ends 11:59 p.m. EST on September 25, 2014. Official entry is made by commenting on the SpaceCadet blog post titled “Giveaway: the Generosity of Knitters & Crocheters” . Alternative entry method: send a postcard by September 25 2014, containing full name, address, and email address, with the words “Mauna Kea Giveaway”, to: SpaceCadet, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241. Limit one entry per person. One prize, consisting of one (1) Mauna Kea kit in Dark Skies, valued at $135. Total prize value: $135. Winner will be selected by random drawing. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Prize cannot be substituted. Employees and family of employees of SpaceCadet Inc are ineligible. A list of winners will be available on the SpaceCadet blog on or after September 26, 2014. Sponsored by SpaceCadet Inc, PO Box 113312, Pittsburgh PA 15241. For full official rules, go to http://wp.me/p1TnPQ-1Ny
We had a great response to the Origami Stitchmarker Giveaway! And no wonder — The Sexy Knitter‘s little vial of paper stars are just adorable. And it was just so cool of her to give us one to give away.
And thanks to all of you for entering! You guys are what makes these giveaways fun.
The Winner
And now, without further ado, the winner is….
Annethologist
Congratulations! Please email me at spacecadetcreations (at) gmail (dot) com, with your full postal address, and I’ll have those stitchmarkers winging their way to you lickety split!
In a moment, I’m going to tell you about a delightful little giveaway, but first let me show you some yarns I’ve put in the shop this week. I’m really excited about them because, before I held them in my hands together, I hadn’t realised what perfect compliments they are. But they are! They are absolutely perfect together. The variegated yarn makes a wonderful accent against either the purple or the pink yarn and I am sorely tempted to keep them all for myself… But I’ve put them in the shop instead, and I think I shall have to go into the studio and see if I can recreate them instead.
Left to right: Estelle fingering weight yarn in Truth, Faithful, and Throb
The Sexy Knitter Origami Stitchmarkers Giveaway
I was so excited about the fabulous stitchmarkers that Sarah at The Sexy Knitter made for the members of the InterStellar Yarn Alliance (that’s them, there on the left) that I wanted to give everyone else a chance to nab some of her origami stitchmarkers too. (Seriously, origami! Like you did in school — how cool is that?!?)
And Sarah immediately offered a set for me to giveaway to one lucky winner! Squeeee!
So, here’s what you have to do to enter:
First, make sure you are a subscriber to my blog. All you have to do is click on the Subscription button there in the right-hand column.
Then, just help spread the word about this contest by retweetingthis tweet(if your twitter name doesn’t relate to the name you’ve subscribed under, please leave me a comment here helping me tie the two together)
And that’s it — you’re entered!
And if you want an extra entry, just mention this contest anywhere on the web (on Facebook, on a forum, in a blog post) and leave me a comment here with a link that allows me to confirm the mention.
The giveaway will end on Sun 31 July, and I’ll announce the winner in the next blog post after that. Good luck everyone!
Everybody loves smallprint: Sweepstakes opens when this blog post is published and closes on Sun July 31 2011 at 11.59pm EDT and all entries must be made before the close. All entrants will be verified, and must be a subscriber to the blog and then retweet the specified tweet in order for entry to be valid. The valid entry must be completed for any ‘extra’ entries can qualify and ‘extra’ entries must be mentioned in a comment on this blog post which includes a link to verify the entry. Invalid entries will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on this blog after sweepstakes close and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. No purchase necessary. Only one entry per person. Odds of winning are dependant on the number of entrants. Retail value of prize is $5.00. SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prize cannot be redeemed for cash. Sweepstakes open only to entrants aged 18 years or older and resident in the United States or Canada. A-a-and breathe out…
The thing that I love about knitting, the thing that calls me back to the needles time and time again, is the way knitting grounds me. There is something about the warmth of the yarn, the feel of the needles, the gentle repetition of stitch upon stitch that makes the whole world slow down a little so that I can exist just in that moment. And that incredible sense of calm is the way it’s been making other knitters feel too — for generations and generations. Knitting is ancient, simple, essential.
So every now and again, when I stop and reflect on how the knitting world has changed in the last ten years, it blows my mind a little. I use my phone to keep track of the rows I knit, I can check Ravelry to see how my pattern worked out for hundreds of other knitters, and I tweet back and forth with my favourite designers. Knitting is still ancient, essential, and grounding …but now it’s also all about the techno. Yeah, sometimes that really blows my mind.
And one of the best things to come out of this techno-revolution is the rise of online knitting magazines. Fresh, individual, quirky, and oh-so-vibrant — opening an online knitting magazine gives an instant virtual fiber rush. It makes you want to cast on something gorgeous. It makes you want cast on now.
Here my three hands-down favourites:
Did Knitty start the online knitting magazine craze? Even if it didn’t, it did for me. Knitty is the brainchild of Amy Singer, who launched her online magazine alllll the way back in 2002, and quickly became the starting point for thousands of new knitters and the launching pad for hundreds of new designers.
Filled with informative features that help new knitters find their feet and advanced knitters move on to higher planes, and offering instant access to a library of entirely free patterns, Knitty has revolutionised the concept of accessibility for a whole generation of knitters.
Twist Collective
The Twist Collective began with a mission: to treat designers and writers honourably by giving them a place to display their talents and get paid fairly for their work, while still having the option to use and build on their work after publication.
But beyond even those loftly ideals, what the Twist Collective ultimately achieves — through luscious photography and beautiful designs — is downright seductive.
KnitCircus
Starting out as a print publication, KnitCircus transitioned to an online format in 2010, and I’m so glad it did! Another magazine with an emphasis on treating designers fairly, KnitCircus is also committed to supporting indie fiber businesses, which gives readers the wonderful opportunity to discover new dyers and fiber artists that they might not otherwise find.
I find KnitCircus an absolute pleasure to read, partly for the totally trivial reason that the pages flip by delightfully (just like a real magazine! go try it!) and mostly because the articles are absorbing, the photography is sharp and fresh, and the patterns are utterly lovely.
Enter to Win the Entire KnitCircus Summer 2011 Pattern Collection
And here’s the bit that’s got me crazy-excited: KnitCircus‘s editor, Jaala Spiro, has generously offered me three copies of the KnitCircus Summer 2011 Pattern Collection to give away!
Wait, what’s that? Did I just hear you go squeeeee?!? Oh yeah, I know you did!
Ok, here’s what you have to do to enter:
Click on the links the three magazines above and choose your favourite pattern or article out of all of them (just one favourite, not three).
Then, come back here and leave a comment below telling me what your favourite is (and feel free to tell me why — I’d love to know!).
Now, because this is such a fabulous prize, I’m going to give you a way to get two bonus entries. To enter up to twice more, all you have to do is:
Mention this contest in a post on Ravelry (anywhere except the SpaceCadet group board and the InterStellar Yarn Alliance board)
Then, make sure you leave a comment here to let me know you’ve done it (include your Twitter and Rav names).
And there you go — you’re in with three chances to win one of three copies of the Summer 2011 KnitCircus Pattern Collection. And you can’t beat that with a stick stack of magazines!
—————————————————————————– Rock the details: Sweepstakes opens when this blog post is published and closes on Mon June 20 2011 at 11.59pm EDT and all entries must be made before the close. All entrants will be verified and must complete the mandatory entry (that is, mentioning in a comment on this blog post a favourite pattern/article from one of the three knitting magazines) before completing the ‘extra’ entries (retweeting the specified tweet and/or mentioning this sweepstakes in a post on Ravelry). Please take note: completion of all entries must be mentioned in a comment on this blog post to qualify, and comments must include the commenter’s Ravelry or Twitter name (as applicable). Invalid entries will be disqualified. Winner will be announced on this blog after sweepstakes close and must respond within 72 hours or we reserve the right to choose another winner. No purchase necessary. Only one entry per person. SpaceCadet Creations reserves the right to substitute prizes. Prizes cannot be redeemed for cash. No geographical or age restrictions apply because knitting knows no barriers.
