Secret Pal 11

SP12!

2008-05-16T06:38:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

If you're interested in SP12, head over here to read up on the NEW rules!! Then follow the link from the SP12 blog to sign up! Hope to see you there!

SP12 hostesses

2007-11-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

When i got married a woman warned me that having uncommunicated expectations that have gone unmet could cause strife in my marriage. what good advice. when ever i have really been mad at my husband it has mostly been because he didn't do what i expected or react the way i had expected him to, etc...
i have noticed the same thing with swaps and exchanges. those who go into the round expecting huge over the top box complain that some one else is getting spoiled more than they are. for others its in the communication department. expecting emails to be sent to them but never responding or posting on their blogs.
but the participants who go into the round excited top be apart of getting to know others and with an open heart to whatever comes their way, they are the ones who have the most fun.
as a 8 time participant and 4 time hostess, i have had expectations too. i expected people who signed up to talk nice with their pals, to actually send packages out, and to communicate when there was an issue. last round alot of this didnt happen, and i was extremely frustrated. but i had expectations.this round i have some wonderful women who don't need hand holding.
i have 6 kids, i homeschool, and i help my husband who is a pastor. i am rarely home. i have so much going on in my life right now.the other hostesses do too.

there has been alot of complaining. and i dont think many of you know that we have hostesses with new babies coming, special needs children, pressures of college midterms and courseloads, moves, job changes and just the chaos of life in general. these are women who stay up all night with small children while trying to make good matches for 600+ people.

before you publicly gripe, i would ask you to see if you have had expectations of others, communicate with your hostess, and offer a little bit more grace to others.
we all hope the round goes well, each round, and that people fulfill their commitments. if you have an issue please graciously email your hostess. email your pal just to see how their week is, your spoiler included.
but most of all empty yourself of expectations and have fun.that is the real reason you signed up right? :-D

This has been a hard decision because we love SecretPal, but we the hostesses , are taking and extended break after this round is over. SP12 signups will not start the day this round ends. It will be announced at a future date. There are more smaller swaps going now than when SP started, so i am sure you will find one (or several) to join during the break. For a season we will be focusing on our families and serving them. (hurray for Shelby's new baby coming in march!)

we look forward to serving you again in 2008.

Well HELLO out there!

2007-11-15T18:01:00.000-08:00

Well as you all know, Secret Pal 11 will soon be coming to an end. I think I can speak for all of the hostesses when I say, we hope you have all enjoyed this round.

I was reading over the comments and on Ravelry and saw that there are some that are not happy with the lack of posting on this blog. I think with Ravelry and how easy it is to communicate over there, we kind of forgot about this blog. I (we) am sorry for that.

Please know that if you have any issues at all you can contact your hostess. And if for some reason you can't get in touch with your particular hostess, you are free to contact any one of us. We will try to help you in any way we can.

So with that, I say, I hope you all enjoy the last few weeks of SP11.

Mini Contests

2007-10-02T15:49:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!

I just wanted to take a minute to let you all know about the mini contests some of the hostesses hold within their groups since there were some questions over on Ravelry concerning them.

1. The contests are something that each hostess decides to do on their own.

2. The prizes for these contests as well as the shipping charges are the hostesses responsibility.

3. The hostesses are already donating a huge amount of their time to SP.

Given these facts, I hope that you can all understand why not every hostess will be able to have contests with their group of participants. It's not because we don't want to, it's simply because we can't. I can't speak for the other hostesses but I think they would all agree with me when I say that we want nothing more than to make our groups happy and to see our participants have a wonderful time. I can't tell you how sad it made me to hear that some of our new participants were disappointed that their hostess wouldn't be having contests.

If you feel strongly about having contests within your group, write your hostess and offer to donate a prize and/or postage for that prize to be mailed as well as time to organize the contest. The only other solution would be to ban all the hostesses from doing anything above and beyond with their groups. I'd hate to see that happen but we also can't have the hostesses who are unable to do something be battered by their participants because they can't.

Sadly, the contests were originally started as a way for the hostesses to get their participants to post to their blogs and interact more with their pals because so many people join SP and then get busy and drop out of contact. We do not promise when you sign up for SP that your hostess will be able to hold contests and nobody should expect anymore than the minimum amount of contact and goodies from their pal as is required in the rules of the swap.

I hope that clears up any confusion about the mini contests. We welcome your feedback and would love to hear any comments you might have regarding this topic.

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the swap!

Chocolate in Packages

2007-09-07T15:36:00.001-07:00

CHOCOLATE!

It's something great and yummy... However....!

If you are going to send chocolate in your SP package, please make sure that you put it in a ziploc bag so that your pal doesn't receive yarn that has chocolate melted all over it!

Button Contest

2007-08-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

The long awaited button contest! Sorry folks for the long delay, Kids returning to school got the best of me this week.
Please look to your left and vote on your favorite SP11 button! Count from top 1-16 to get the number of your favorite button....Then go to the link below and vote for that number! its that easy :)

http://www.polldaddy.com/p.asp?p=97156

Any Canadians Miss the Boat?

2007-08-23T19:46:00.000-07:00

Are you a canadian and missed the sign up deadline for SP11?

I have a spot if you want to email me at s.p.eleven@gmail.com

Do not leave a comment on this blog, as it's a Secret Exchange!

First come first served!

Robyn

Starting day!!

2007-08-15T11:09:00.000-07:00

Today is the day everyone should be receiving their matches! Many of you have already, it all depends on when your hostess had time to fit matching into our busy schedules! If you don't receive a match by tomorrow afternoon, please post a comment here, and we'll find out what's going on! We want to make sure everyone can get started ASAP!

Please remember the rules:

1. You must contact your pal on the 1st and 15th of each month at a minimum. Feel free to contact them more! We all love getting e-mails from our pals!

2. You must blog at least 4 times per month thru the exchange. This is how your pal will get to know you!! And with bloglines, your hostesses will be keeping tabs on who is posting, and who is not. Please don't let the posting slide, we'll know!

3. Send 1 package each month (Sept, Oct, and Nov). The total value of all 3 packages must be at least $60. Some people do end up going over, but it is not by any means required to do that. It's amazing what great packages you can put together for $60.

4. Please e-mail your pal and thank them when you receive a package. Also, a public thank you, on your blog, is required. Whether you have a camera or not, at the very least, describe what was inside the package.

5. Have FUN!! We want everyone to enjoy their exchange. So please, contact your hostess if you have any concerns at all. That is what we're here for!

Now for something else fun! With Ravelry being so popular, we decided to start up a group over there for all SP11 participants who are members. Use it as a place to chat about the exchange, what you're working on, and other things! There are already a few topics being discussed, so feel free to jump on in! If you aren't a member of Ravelry, you can sign up on their website. There is a long waitlist, but it looks like they're hoping to expand and have enough space for everyone as soon as possible.

Let the spoiling begin!!

The Rules

2007-08-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

1. Deadline to sign up: July 31, 2007
2. Matches will be distributed: On or before August 15, 2007
3. Secret Pal dates: August 15, 2007 though November 30, 2007

Who This Is For: Knitters and Crocheters only please.

International Participation: This SP event is based in the United States. The term "International" will refer to all participants outside the United States. You are welcome to join no matter where you live! Due to the high number of International participants, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate all requests for same Country/Continent pals. If you are able to communicate in any language other than English please let us know. We normally have several participants who are more comfortable corresponding in other languages.

Blog: Having a blog (or website) is mandatory for participating in this program. If you're new to blogging, please note that you must have at least 10 posts in order to join SP. Your blog must be public (if not, you MUST allow anonymous access to your pal and your hostess) and post at least 4 times a month throughout the 3 months (September, October, and November) of the exchange. This online journal is a great place for the SP who is spoiling you to find out who you are and what you like or dislike (do you like sweets? are you allergic to specific yarns?). It also provides a place for you to publicly thank your SP when the packages/cards start rolling in. Your blog certainly does not have to be a knitting blog, but you must have one fiber/hobby related post each month.

Anonymous Email Address: You must set up an anonymous email address such as the free ones from Hotmail or Yahoo so you can contact your SP buddy without giving away your identity. Make sure to check the account regularly. You might want to consider having that accounts mail forwarded to your regular email account so you don't miss anything. If you do this, don't forget to reply from your anonymous account when corresponding with your pal!

Minimum Contribution: $60 in US dollars over the course of the three months of the exchange. This does not include the value of your time if you make something or any postage costs. Establishing the amount should make it clear to all what a fair commitment should be, and no one should expect more, or less. $60 over three months is just $20 a month. If you feel this amount is too much or not enough, this exchange is not for you.

Your Pal: Once you have been assigned a secret pal, please send them a quick note to say hello (from your anonymous email address) so they know they've been paired. Keep in mind that the fun of a Secret Pal event is to meet and get to know a random person who shares a common interest with you (knitting and/or crochet). There is a method to the madness of matching up all participants and you only get one match. Complaints about your secret pal of the "I'd rather not have a pal who..." variety are a quick way to have yourself removed from the event. If you feel you have a valid reason to request a rematch, feel free to email your hostess. Please remember though that you cannot pick and choose your secret pal and we will not hesitate to remove anyone who appears to be missing the point of a Secret Pal exchange.

What To Give: Knitting and crochet related items are great but not the only thing you are limited to sending. Lots of participants also like to send their pal soaps, lotions, candy, cards, candles, and other special treats. Just remember that not everyone likes to crochet and that not everybody spins. It's a good idea to get to know your pal by reading the responses to their questionnaire and their blog entries. If you're still stumped, ask your pal what specific things they like. You can always ask your hostess for help too. We've seen lots of neat packages and will be more than happy to make suggestions.

***If you will be gifting items from your stash they MUST be in brand new condition.***

Number or Frequency of Gifts: The number of gifts you send to your pal is entirely up to you. You can send one package a month to spread out the gifts, or one big package at the end. However, sending something snail mail to your pal once a month is a really great way to keep the exchange fun and exciting. Post cards, letters and cards are great, inexpensive ways to stay in touch with your pal if you choose to send only one package of gifts at the end of the exchange. If you do choose to just send one package, make sure to let you pal know your plans so they don't feel abandoned. Purchasing delivery confirmation for packages is a great idea. It's less than $1 at the post office or free when you use click and ship at the USPS website. If sending one package at the end of the exchange delivery confirmation is a requirement.

Contact: You must make contact with your pals on the 1st and 15th of each month of the exchange (September, October, and November) to let them know you're still around with either an e-card, blog comment, or email. Of course if you'd like to contact your pal more often, you're more than welcome to do so. Remember to use your anonymous email when contacting your pal. If you're going to be away for more than 5 days you must let your pal and hostess know. It's an awkward situation when you think your pal may have dropped out of the exchange because you haven't heard from them. Remember to treat your pal as you would like to be treated.

Please remember that keeping in touch with the pal spoiling you is just as important as staying in touch with your spoilee. A quick email to let your pal know that a package has arrived will ease their mind as to whether or not it got lost in the mail, not to mention it's just plain old good manners. A public post to your blog to thank your pal is required within 72 hours of receiving your goodies. Part of the fun of Secret Pal is the joy of giving and that includes knowing your gift was received.

Stuff Happens: If for some reason you are unable to follow through with your responsibility with the program please let us know immediately so that we can find a replacement for you. We realize and completely understand that things come up some times that are totally out of your control which might prevent you from participating but you need to let us know instead of avoiding your pals and your hostess. If you stop participating and don't respond to your hostess you will be replaced and your name will be added to the banned list for future SP programs.If you have not had contact from your pal as outlined above, please let your hostess know immediately. Do not use your blog or the SP blog to blast your pal. We will try to find out what happened to your pal and if they have flaked we will get you a replacement.

Angels: If someone does fail to participate as they agreed we will remove their name from the participation list and replace them with someone else. This means we will need a list of "angels" who are willing to jump in as replacements. As an angel, you might come in after the person you are replacing has already received a package. This means you might not receive the full $60 in goodies you would normally receive. We will also be accepting monetary donations through PayPal as well as tangible items to be used this round. If you're interested in donating either or both, please let us know when you sign up.

Final Note: It's an important one! Please keep in mind that we are volunteering our time to run this event. We all have participated in past Secret Pal events and know how much fun they can be and want to help continue the tradition. This takes an incredible amount of time and effort. If you think something is amiss please let us know. We're perfectly open to constructive criticism and we'll gladly respond to any civil and respectful queries. The hostesses also reserve the right to remove any participant at any time at our discretion.

***Anonymous comments on the Secret Pal blog will be immediately removed no matter what the content of the post is.

The Questionnaire

2007-08-05T18:30:00.001-07:00

Here are is the questionnaire for SP11. Please be sure to post it in a spot on your blog where your pal can easily find it. Since your pal will use this to help create your packages you'll want to have it posted to your blog no later than August 15th.

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

5. What's your favorite scent?

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

13. What are you knitting right now?

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

18. What is your favorite holiday?

19. Is there anything that you collect?

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

23. When is your birthday?

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

Button Contest!

2007-08-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Hey eveyone! are you pumped about SP11? I know I am but we need some help with original buttons for this round..... The rules are a little different, this round you the participants will vote on the best button!

-One entry per person, even if you submit 1000 buttons
-Buttons should be unique, not the same button in a different color.
-Participants will vote on their favorite button!

What are you waiting? Go design some buttons! :-)

Please submit buttons to the SP11 email as soon as possible! the dead line will by Aug. 20th and then Aug26th we will begin voting!

Thanks everyone :)
Catherine

Participants List is Done

2007-08-01T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone. By now everyone should have gotten a confirmation email from us. If you haven't, please email us at sp11hostsATyahooDOTcom

The participants page has been done. Please head over and make sure your blog is listed, and that the link is correct. Matches will be sent out soon! Please email us with any questions that you make have!

SIGN-UPS CLOSED

2007-08-01T09:05:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Sign-ups are now CLOSED. We are still working on verifying the last group of people in our database, so don't worry. In the next week or so, you can look forward to hearing from your specific hostess for the round. Get excited! :)

Signups...

2007-07-30T04:14:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
We're plugging away at the signup database. Please don't worry about whether you're there or not for right now. If you haven't received a confirmation by August 10th, then contact us. It is taking us longer than we originally thought. You can reach us at sp11hosts AT yahoo DOT com.

Thank you for your patience!

Secret Pal Vendor deadline

2007-07-29T17:25:00.000-07:00

SP11 participant sign ups are drawing to a close.

Vendors with a discount for SP11 participants can apply now until Aug 11.
You will need to send photos, logo, detailed info on discount and how to obtain it, and interview questions no later than the 15th.

sample of questions:
How long have you been dyeing yarn/beading/knitting?
How did you get started?
Have you ever been a participant in a Secret Pal swap?
Are there any new products you were/are dying to come out?
What motivates you?
What was your favourite product you have ever made?
Any advice for the fiber/beading artists?
Are there any designers, fiber artists or any other artist you consider role models?
products/websites?

Interviews and discount offers will be published at www.secretpalperks.blogspot.com
Thank you!

Update

2007-07-09T10:05:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!! I'm so excited that we have so many sign-ups so far!! Over 250 so far!

I wanted to apologize for the sign-ups breaking at first last week! A small glitch when my husband set everything up, and it should be fine now. However, there is a second glitch on the hostesses end with "verifying" participants. It seems to not be working correctly, but I assure that your info is in the database. My husband will work on fixing the issue tonight so we can start verifying everyone's info. As soon as we do that, you'll receive an e-mail from us, welcoming you to SP11. Since we do have over 250 to go thru, please be patient, and we'll get to you as soon as possible. Keep your eyes out on this blog! Once we've caught up, I'll post here to let you know. If, at that point, you haven't heard from us, you can sign up again.

Thanks for your patience! You're as excited as we are to get going!!

Shelby

Welcome to Secret Pal 11!!!!

2007-07-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the official Secret Pal 11 blog!

We are now accepting registrations for Secret Pal 11!! Once again, we are using a sign-up form! Please do the following if you'd like to sign up:

TO SIGN UP:

1) Go to the following website: Sign up!
2) Create an account, it's secure, so don't worry!! If you participated in SP10, just log-in using your previous account name and password.
3) Follow the links to the Sign-Up form!!

You will hear back from the hostesses within 7 days with your confirmation. If you need to mention anything specific that is not on the form, there is an additional comment box. Please feel free to mention it there.

If you have any further questions, please email us!
Thanks!!

Welcome To SP11

2007-02-11T12:38:00.000-08:00

Just reserving blog space now for SP11! :-)