October Birthday Swap

Contest #2 Winner!

2006-11-29T09:22:00.000-05:00

The winner for October Birthday Swap "Best Pal" is Priscilla!

She has won a lovely prize which I will be mailing off to her tomorrow. She was the winner of the contest by capturing 33% of the vote. You can see a breakdown of how the votes went by going to the voting button below, and clicking on the image of three little bars in the bottom right hand corner. Congratulations to Priscilla and everyone be sure to go and post comments to her blog.

This is the second to last post about the October Birthday Swap this year. I have a little something penned for tomorrow so check back then!

Vote Here for "Best Pal" Contest

2006-11-24T13:14:00.000-05:00

Here is the way this contest works. All 24 members of the swap can vote for one of the six nominees listed below. Please make sure to take time and read what their pals said about them here, and if you can take a look at the blogs of the nominees to see what their experience with the swaps were. Then you may cast your vote through Tuesday, October 28.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Blogger can sometimes be a real pain to deal with. Most of the free poll tools out there are written using scripts Blogger can't use. Therefore, I chose one that works, but you have to scroll down to see all six choices available to you! There are two little downward pointing arrows in the lower right side of the voting box below and when you hover over them, the box scrolls to the bottom choices.

Have fun! On Wednesday, the 29th of October, the person with the most votes wins! Also, if you have any problems, questions, or comments, email me at spknitter at gmail dot com!

And the nominees are...

2006-11-24T12:29:00.000-05:00

Here are the six nominations and description statements for the October Birthday Swap "Best Pal" contest. Read them and then vote in the next post.

1) Lacey nominated Priscilla
Lacey wrote, "Priscilla sent me a wonderful gift. She recognized that I needed a pattern to knit some mittens, and sent a great pattern. She made sure that my package was not only on time, but it was early. Another reason that I would like to nominate Priscilla, is because of all the charity work that she knits and crochets for. She has made so many hat, mitten, and scarf sets for the salvation army, and her list for donating for charities grows. It seems that that is all she crafts for. The fact that she works with so much speed, and all for others really impresses me."

2) Tara nominated Kate
Tara wrote, "She did her research well sending me Noro yarn - which I had confessed to wanting to try - in a blue, green and purple colorway - all colors I said I liked. She sent me a knitting book - since I mentioned enjoying reading. She sent a Boston cookie - which was one of the most scrumptious cookies I have ever had. And she sent tea - another addiction of mine. And it was all beautifully wrapped!"

3) Dorothy nominated Mary Lynn
Dorothy wrote, "We were in the October Birthday swap and she sure deserves to be called the best partner a person could have. I am still reeling from shock over how appropriate her present was. Grin as I have said earlier I love lace and getting over 3,000 yards yes you read that right OVER THREE THOUSAND yards of the most luscious chocolate laceweight silk yarn had and still has me dreaming of chocolate shetland shawls or orenburgs or just ohhhhhhhh maybe even to try weaving with it ... As you can see she did not stop at the silk but added 2 skeins of Knitpicks Shimmer in the Stained Glass colorway (YUMM) and one of their shawl patterns. Stitch markers and a row counter and even the needle I would need rounded out the package. How neat can you get?"

4) Priscilla nominated Lacey
Priscilla wrote, "Lacey was a terrific swap partner. She kept in touch with me throughout the swap, and she totally spoiled me with her gift. The 6 bars of chocolate and one small package of Russell Stovers alone earn her best partner status in my eyes! But it didn't stop there. She also sent me 6 skeins of yarn and various other goodies. And she packaged it all in a beautiful bag that she sewed herself. This was my first swap, and Lacey made it a thoroughly enjoyable experience. I feel very fortunate that I have gotten to know her."

5) Susan nominated Tonya
Susan wrote, "Tonya was an excellent pal. She covered all bases with her gift! Anyone who includes Milano cookies and Koigu yarn has true knitters heart! Everything else was great too. Please consider her for the contest."

6) Bev nominated Michelle
I just want to say that I felt Michelle was an extremely thoughtful and creative partner. Like many of the other pals, she put together a gift that was beautifully wrapped and lovely. She thought outside the box about ways to put a smile on my face and make my day a very special one. For the fiber gifts, she delighted me with sock yarn, which is my favorite thing to knit, and a cool sock keychain. She tickled my sense of humor with a kitschy towel, and touched me spiritually by helping me to keep in mind women affected by breast cancer and by including a token of feminine divinity, which has a very special meaning to me. She also commented on my blog and sent a few emails, letting me know she wasn't just in it for the gifts. This allowed her to really get to know me and my interests. Lastly, she allowed me to connect with her by turning the yarn I sent her into this stunning creation. I cannot say enough good about her!

Contest #2 "Best Partner" Open for Entries!

2006-11-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

Contest #2 involves a little more participation from all of you. This is the "best partner" contest. We can all participate in this if we want.

If you thought you had a partner who went above and beyond the call of duty, who really made your birthday special, then I'd like for you to email me a few sentences about why you had the best partner and I will post it to the October Birthday Swap blog. If you choose you could instead post it to your blog and then email me the link. You can be creative and/or wax poetic. Have fun with it!

Either way, if you want to submit your partner for the contest, your submission should be emailed to me by midnight, November 23, 2006. That is this Thursday! I will post the list of nominees to the blog, with your submission about them or a link to your submission about why they should win. At that point I will post a poll so that everyone may vote on who they thought the best submission was. Voting will be open until Tuesday, October 28, and all the participants, even those who did not submit for the contest, can vote. The winner will be named Wednesday, November 29.

If you have any questions email me or comment here!

Contest #1 Winners

2006-11-20T13:14:00.000-05:00

The first contest in conjunction with this swap was the "Postage Confirmation Contest." I had previously asked for you all to send me your postage confirmation information during the swap and then following the swap I gave you a few extra days to email me in case you'd forgotten. I chose two winners, one international and one within the US. I put your names into a hat and used the very scientific flying fickle finger of fate method to choose winners.

The winner of the US draw was:
The winner of the International draw was:
Congratulations to Lacey and Susan. Gifts will be winging their way to you this week!

Thanks for the Wishes!

2006-11-20T13:04:00.000-05:00

I'm really thankful that you were all so patient while I was sick and I am now in a good shape to do the two closing contests. Posts regarding this will follow!

Postponing the Close

2006-11-05T17:37:00.000-05:00

Hello all! Things went very well this swap and I'm happy we all had such a good month. I do know that by today I was going to announce the winners to the Postage Confirmation contest. However, I have been very sick with a bad stomach bug, so I really haven't given it any thought yet, plus we still have some gifts on their way. With that being said, I'm pushing the timetable back by three days. This means that if you haven't sent me your postage confirmation numbers by this point you can still send them to me until Wednesday at midnight when I will choose a winner. Let me know if you have any questions or problems and I'll be back to this when I hopefully feel better in a day or two!

The LAST 3 Birthdays!

2006-10-31T08:43:00.000-05:00

Today is the last day of the month, Happy Halloween and today we are celebrating our last three birthdays. Today is the birthday of Toya, Priscilla, and Greeley! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Priscilla at her blog here, Greeley at her blog here, and Toya at her blog here. Ladies, may you each have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 31

You're a pretty traditional person. If it's lasted, it's probably good.
You seek stability - both in your career and your romantic relationship.
In return, you're very loyal and predictable. Which is usually a good thing.
Without a partner, you feel lost. Being with someone is very important to you.

Your strength: Your dependability

Your weakness: You hate being alone

Your power color: Midnight blue

Your power symbol: Shell

Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Sarah!

2006-10-29T10:39:00.000-05:00

Today is the birthday of Sarah! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Sarah at her blog here. Sarah, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 29

You have the mind of an artist, even if you haven't developed the talent yet.
Expressive and aware, you enjoy finding new ways to share your feelings.
You often feel like you don't fit in - especially in traditional environments.
You have big dreams. The problem is putting those dreams into action.

Your strength: Your vivid imagination

Your weakness: Fear of failure

Your power color: Coral

Your power symbol: Oval

Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Manda!

2006-10-28T13:20:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Manda! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Manda at her blog here. Manda, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 28

You have a Type A personality so big it makes other Type A's shrink away in shame.
You never shy away from adversity - and you love to tackle impossible problems.
Failure is not an option for you, and more than a few people are put off by your ego.
You tend to be controlling, and you hate leaving anything up to chance.

Your strength: Your bold approach to life

Your weakness: You don't accept help

Your power color: Bronze

Your power symbol: Pyramid

Your power month: October

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Double the Birthdays!

2006-10-27T10:24:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of both Dorothy and Lacey! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Lacey at her blog here and Dorothy at her blog here. Ladies, may you both have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 27

You are a spiritual soul - a person who tries to find meaning in everything.
You spend a good amount of time meditating, trying to figure out life.
Helping others is also important to you. You enjoy social activities with that goal.
You are very generous and giving. Yet you expect very little in return.

Your strength: Getting along with anyone and everyone

Your weakness: Needing a good amount of downtime to recharge

Your power color: Cobalt blue

Your power symbol: Dove

Your power month: September

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

More Happy Birthdays!

2006-10-24T04:48:00.000-04:00

It is a little wierd to type this but today is the birthday of both Mandy and Bev (me)! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Mandy at her blog here and my own blog here. May we both have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 24

You understand people well and are a natural born therapist.
A peacemaker, people always seem to get along when you are around.
You tend to be a father or mother figure to friends, even to those older than you.
You enjoy your role, and you find that you are close to many people.

Your strength: Your devotion

Your weakness: Reliance on others for happiness

Your power color: Lilac

Your power symbol: Heart

Your power month: June

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Michelle!

2006-10-23T11:06:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of my own pal, Michelle! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Michelle at her blog here. Michelle, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 23

You're not good at any one thing, and that's the problem.
You're good at so much - you never know what to do.
Change is in your blood, and you don't stick to much for long.
You are destined for a life of travel and fun.

Your strength: Your likeability

Your weakness: You never feel satisfied

Your power color: Bright yellow

Your power symbol: Asterisk

Your power month: May

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Lori!

2006-10-21T14:29:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Lori! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Lori at her blog here. Lori, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 21

You're a restless rebel with an unpredictable nature.
Bright but unbridled, you tend to seek out wild experiences over new ideas.
People are frustrated by your great potential, but you love your unconventional life.
You're a heartbreaker. People get attached to you, and then you're gone.

Your strength: Your thirst for adventure

Your weakness: Not taking time for slow pleasures

Your power color: Hot pink

Your power symbol: Figure eight

Your power month: March

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Hanne-Maria!

2006-10-20T12:04:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Hanne-Maria! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Hanne-Maria at her blog here. Hanne-Maria, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 20

You are a virtual roller coaster of emotions, and most people enjoy the ride.
Your mood tends to set the tone of the room, and when you're happy, this is a good thing.
When you get in a dark mood, watch out - it's very hard to get you out of it.
It's sometimes hard for you to cheer up, and your gloom can be contagious.

Your strength: Your warm heart

Your weakness: Trouble controlling your emotions

Your power color: Black

Your power symbol: Musical note

Your power month: February

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Susan!

2006-10-19T11:17:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Susan! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Susan at her blog here. Susan, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 19

You are resilient, and no doubt your resilience has already been tested.
You've had some difficult experiences in your life, but you are wise from them.
Having had to grow up quickly, you tend to discount the advice of others.
You tend to be a loner, having learned that the only person you can depend on is yourself.

Your strength: Well developed stability and confidence

Your weakness: Suspicion of others

Your power color: Eggplant

Your power symbol: Spade

Your power month: October

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Another TWO Happy Birthdays!

2006-10-16T10:49:00.000-04:00

Friday was the birthday of both Tonya and Marion! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Marion at her blog here and Tonya at her blog here. Ladies, may you both have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 13

You're dominant and powerful. You always need to be in charge.
While others respect your competence, you can be a bit of a dictator.
Hard working and serious, you never let yourself down.
You are exact and accurate - and you expect others to be the same way.

Your strength: You always get the job done

Your weakness: You're a perfectionist to a fault

Your power color: Gray

Your power symbol: Checkmark

Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Stephanie!

2006-10-16T10:46:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Stephanie! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Stephanie at her blog here. Stephanie, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 16

You're incredibly introverted and introspective. You live inside your head.
You spend a lot of alone time meditating and thinking.
People see you as withdrawn, and at times they are right.
You are caring and deep, but it may be difficult for you to show this side of yourself.

Your strength: Your original approach to thinking

Your weakness: You tend to shy away from others

Your power color: Pale blue

Your power symbol: Wavy line

Your power month: July

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Celebrating THREE Birthdays today!

2006-10-16T10:45:00.000-04:00

Today I am posting birthday notices for Stephanie, whose birthday is today, and for Marion and Tonya, who shared a birthday on Friday.

I just wanted to apologize for my belatedness in posting birthday greetings to Marion and Tonya, because I just spaced out completely and missed them. I have this master chart that I maintain of who has a package, who has sent a package, who is pals with whom, and what everybody's birthdays are and I just completely missed the line for last Friday when I've been posting birthday greetings for everybody else on their day.

Please everyone make a special effort to show the love in the above post or on their blogs!

Happry Birthday Sharon!

2006-10-12T21:28:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Debbie! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Debbie at her blog here. Debbie, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 12

You're a dynamic, charismatic person who's possibly headed for fame.
You tend to charm strangers easily. And you usually can get what you want from them.
Verbally talented, you tend to persuade people with your speaking and writing.
You are affectionate and loving, but it's hard for you to commit to any one relationship.

Your strength: Your charm

Your weakness: Your extreme manipulation tactics

Your power color: Indigo

Your power symbol: Four leaf clover

Your power month: December

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Birdsong!

2006-10-11T21:28:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Birdsong! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Birdsong at her blog here. Birdsong, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 11

Spiritual and thoughtful, you tend to take a step back from the world.
You're very sensitive to what's going on around you, yet you remain calm.
Although you are brilliant, it may take you a while to find your niche.
Your creativity is supreme, but it sometimes makes it hard for you to get things done.

Your strength: Your inner peace

Your weakness: You get stuck in the clouds

Your power color: Emerald

Your power symbol: Leaf

Your power month: November

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Debi!

2006-10-10T20:15:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Debi! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Debi at her blog here. Debi, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 10

Independent and dominant, you tend to be the alpha dog in most situations.
You're very confident, and hardly anything ever shakes you.
Mundane tasks tend to drain you - you prefer to be making great plans.
You are quite original. When people don't "get" you, it bothers you a lot.

Your strength: Your ability to gain respect

Your weakness: Caring too much what others think

Your power color: Orange-red

Your power symbol: Letter X

Your power month: October

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Two Happy Birthdays!

2006-10-09T20:07:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of both Mary Lynn and Erin! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to Erin at her blog here and Mary Lynn at her blog here. Ladies, may you both have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 9

You are a born idealist, with more pet causes than you can count.
You prefer be around others, both when working and while relaxing.
Generous and giving, you believe you can change the world one person at a time.
You're open minded and tolerant. People feel like they can tell you anything.

Your strength: Your go-with-the-flow flexibility

Your weakness: Your flair for the over dramatic

Your power color: Pine green

Your power symbol: Circle

Your power month: September

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Sending off Packages

2006-10-06T07:56:00.000-04:00

Since there aren't any more birthdays until Monday, and we have a lot next week (the most of any week in October) I just thought I would post a gentle reminder.

People with pals whose birthdays were last week had a little bit of leeway since you didn't find out who you had till a week to a week-and-a-half ahead of time, but the leeway is really coming to an end. So, if you haven't already, please get your packages out in the next day or two. When you do, or if you have, email me to be entered in the postage confirmation contest.
People with pals whose birthdays are early next week, probably should have already sent off your packages as well, in order for them to get there around their birthdate. When you do, or if you have, email me to be entered in the postage confirmation contest.
People with international pals should be seriously considering getting your pals gifts sent of pronto, because it will take a while to get there depending on which method you send it by. When you do, or if you have, email me to be entered in the postage confirmation contest.
If you are a pal in any of the above three recipient categories, let me remind you of your responsibility to post a picture or description of it of your gift on your blog and then email me and let me know you got it, and email your partner to say thanks. This will help to avoid lost packages and provide a large amount of courtesy to the giver. If you have already gotten your gift, please let me know.

I think this swap is going so well and you are all wonderful. I'm having a blast and I hope you are all pleased to share in each other's happy day!

Happy Birthday Tara!

2006-10-04T09:44:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Tara! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to her at blog here. Tara, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 4

You have an extraordinary character - moral, responsible, and disciplined.
Your sincerely and honesty shine through in almost every situation.
Driven and focused, you rarely let your emotions get the better of you.
You're level headed and rational. People count on your to look at things objectively.

Your strength: Your unwavering loyalty and ethics

Your weakness: Your rock solid stubbornness

Your power color: Navy blue

Your power symbol: Shield

Your power month: April

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Angie!

2006-10-02T12:31:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Angie! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to her at her blog here. Angie, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 2

You're so intuitive, it's like you have a sixth, seventh, and eighth sense.
You connect with others freely and easily - and you tend to have many best friends.
Warm and caring, it's hard for you to close your heart to anyone.
Affection is like air for you - you need to give and receive it to survive.

Your strength: Your universal compassion

Your weakness: Your unpredictable mood swings

Your power color: Mauve

Your power symbol: Butterfly

Your power month: February

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Happy Birthday Kate!

2006-10-01T13:39:00.000-04:00

Today is the birthday of Kate! Post your birthday wishes in the comments or send your birthday greetings to her at her blog here. Kate, may you have a happy and healthy year to come!

Your Birthdate: October 1

You are a natural born leader, even if those leadership talents haven't been developed yet.
You have the power and self confidence to succeed in life, and your power grows daily.
Besides power, you also have a great deal of creativity that enables you to innovate instead of fail.
You are a visionary, seeing the big picture instead of all of the trivial little details.

Your strength: Your supreme genius

Your weakness: Your inappropriate sensitivity

Your power color: Gold

Your power symbol: Star

Your power month: January

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Welcome swappers!

2006-10-01T13:37:00.000-04:00

Happy first day of October! Our swap has officially begun!

Your Birth Month is October

You are a natural leader who is able to stand up when no one else can.
Strong and powerful, you tend to overshadow those around you.

Your soul reflects: Gratitude, comfort, and true love

Your gemstone: Tourmaline

Your flower: Cosmos

Your colors: White and yellow

What Does Your Birth Month Mean?

Contest Reminder

2006-09-30T16:31:00.000-04:00

Let me also remind you of the two contests that will happen for the exchange.

Contest #1: "Postage Confirmation Contest"
When you send your box, send it with delivery tracking so we can try to avoid lost packages. It is only 75 cents from the US Postal Service. Email your tracking number to me after you've sent your gift and I will put your name in a hat for a gift drawing on Sunday, November 5, 2006. I understand that the international participants don't have this option, so the three of you should please just let me know when you send your gifts via email, and that will be good enough to enter.

Contest #2: "Best Partner Contest"
This is an incentive for you all to really get to know your partner because they have to nominate you for it! Anytime after you have received your gift you may either post to your blog about why you had the best partner and then email me the link, or email your submission directly to me and I will post it here. Either way, if you want to submit your partner for the contest, your submission should be emailed to me by Wednesday, November 8, 2006. I will post the list of nominees here, with a link to your submission about why they should win, and I will set up the way to vote. Voting will be open for a few days and all the participants can vote. The winner will be named Wednesday, November 15, 2006.

I am so excited that the time for the swap is here. Have fun everyone!

The October Birthday Swap Begins Tomorrow!

2006-09-30T16:23:00.000-04:00

Well Ladies, I am so excited that our swap will begin tomorrow. I would just like to remind everyone of a few things.

First, we have some birthdays right away and internationally. You have a little bit of leeway with getting your gifts there, but it shouldn't be more than a few days to a week past the birthday. Please be considerate of your partner.

Secondly, when you receive your birthday gift, your responsibility is to post a picture or description of it on your blog and then email me and let me know you got it, and email your partner to say thanks. I know you guys will all be courteous to each other since you are all working so hard to pick nice gifts.

Third, during the exchange, starting tomorrow, I will post a weekly list of who received gifts and link to the posts you wrote. I will also post a Happy Birthday everyday to whoever's birthday it happens to be. Plus, watch your mailboxes because I've sent each of you cards, Happy October Birthdays!

Timeline for the remainder of the Exchange:
October 1-31: The Exchange Happens
November 5: Postage Confirmation Contest Winners Announced
November 8: Deadline to Submit for Best Partner Contest
November 9-14: Voting for Best Partner Contest
November 15: Best Partner Contest Winner Named
November 15: Official End of Swap

Assignments

2006-09-25T13:50:00.000-04:00

Here are the match assignments for the October Birthday Swap participants!

Name - Birthday with Name - Birthday
Kate - 1 Oct. with Tara - 4 Oct.
Angie - 2 Oct. with Lori - 21 Oct.
Erin - 9 Oct. with Marion - 13 Oct.
Mary Lynn - 9 Oct. with Dorothy - 27 Oct.
Debi - 10 Oct. with Greeley - 31 Oct.
Birdsong - 11 Oct. with Toya - 31 Oct.
Sharon - 12 Oct. with Manda - 28 Oct.
Tonya - 13 Oct. with Susan - 19 Oct.
Stephanie - 16 Oct. with Sarah - 29 Oct.
Hanne-Maria - 20 Oct. with Mandy - 24 Oct.
Michelle - 23 Oct. with Bev - 24 Oct.
Lacey - 27 Oct. with Priscilla - 31 Oct.

Matches Made!

2006-09-25T13:45:00.000-04:00

I have just finished sending emails to all of you containing your matches. If you have not received a match, email me or comment here pronto. Also, each email has an MS Word document attached which is the form that has the questionnaire info from your match. If this was not attached to your email, email me or comment here pronto. Lastly, if I mistakenly put someone else's form (cause hey, I'm human, lol) than the person I assigned you to, email me or comment here pronto.

A few reminders:

* This is not a secret swap. Go ahead and send an email greeting your pal or post a hello on your blog.
* Start planning your gift now. It is no fun to wait until the last minute. Remember the plan is to send some yarn or a fibercraft related gift to your partner by their birthday. It should be enough to make a small item, which counts as enough to make either a scarf, a hat, mittens or socks, etc. Your box should include a birthday card and a post card from your state. Feel free to send any other gifts or goodies that you wish.The suggested spending amount is $25-$30 US.
* Also, the goal is to send your gift so they will receive the package on or before your pal's birthday. So, that may mean getting it out a bit earlier than their birthdate. If you have an international pal (we have 3), or a pal whose birthday is at the beginning of the month (another 3), you should plan now to get things going. If your pal has a birthday that is soon, consider packaging it up in the next week and sending it priority or express. If your pal is international, check the postal service website for rates and shipping info to your pal's country now.

Lastly, this swap is meant to be fun. Enjoy yourselves, correspond, read each others blogs, and send greetings. I know we all will have a good time!

Final Participant List

2006-09-25T11:02:00.000-04:00

Hi there October Birthday Swap participants! Here is the final list of the 24 women who have signed up to participate in this swap. I am so excited for the opportunity to get to know one another and to develop connections among other knitbloggers. October will soon be here!

Name & Birthday
Angie --- October 2
Bev --- October 24
Birdsong --- October 11
Debi --- October 10
Dorothy --- October 27
Erin --- October 9
Greeley --- October 31
Hanne-Maria --- October 20
Kate --- October 1
Lacey --- October 27
Lori --- October 21
Manda --- October 28
Mandy --- October 24
Marion --- October 13
Mary Lynn --- October 9
Michelle --- October 23
Priscilla --- October 31
Sarah --- October 29
Sharon --- October 12
Stephanie --- October 16
Susan --- October 19
Tara --- October 4
Tonya --- October 13
Toya --- October 31

Sign-Ups Closed

2006-09-25T10:56:00.000-04:00

Sign-ups for the October Birthday Swap are now officially closed! A few people got their forms in during the last few minutes and I am matching them now, so expect to receive your matches by email by the end of the day today!

Current Participant List

2006-09-21T15:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the list of participants who have returned their forms to me as of today, September 21th. We are up to 20 people!

Name & Birthday
Angie --- October 2
Bev --- October 24
Birdsong --- October 11
Debi --- October 10
Dorothy --- October 27
Erin --- October 9
Hanne-Maria --- October 20
Kate --- October 1
Lacey --- October 27
Lori --- October 21
Manda --- October 28
Mandy --- October 24
Marion --- October 13
Mary Lynn --- October 9
Priscilla --- October 31
Sharon --- October 12
Stephanie --- October 16
Susan --- October 19
Tara --- October 4
Tonya --- October 13

You guys are all fabulous October people and I can't wait for us to celebrate each others special day!

Reminder

2006-09-21T01:44:00.000-04:00

I just wanted to remind all the knitters who have requested forms, that the return date is Sunday, September 24th, by midnight. I am excited to say that we have 17 confirmed and registered participants so far, and another ten who still have forms out, so this is sure to be an excellent swap!

Participant List Update

2006-09-12T14:13:00.000-04:00

Here is the list of participants who have returned their forms to me as of today, September 12th. I will start making matches in a day or two, but people have until September 24th to return their forms!

Name & Birthday
Dorothy --- October 27
Erin --- October 9
Lacey --- October 27
Marion --- October 13
Sharon --- October 12
Stephanie --- October 16
Susan --- October 19
Tonya --- October 13

Go ahead and peruse each others blogs to get to know one another and most of all have fun you October people!

Posting the Button

2006-09-12T13:20:00.000-04:00

I have gotten a handful of emails requesting instructions for posting the blog button. The problem you are probably having is that you have to host images that you want in your sidebar off-site. I'm assuming you're on a PC, if you're on a Mac it works a little differently (Mac is what I use but I think I can walk you through the PC). I wrote these directions for Lacey, but any of you who use Blogger can do the same. I would post them directly to the blog, but everytime I do, it actually converts the HTML I give you into real HTNL and so you cannot see what I am telling you to put. So, if you need help using the button, then email me or just post a comment and I will send them along.

Participant List

2006-09-09T18:29:00.000-04:00

Here is the list of participants who have returned their forms to me as of today, September 9th. I have had about 10 others requesting forms so as soon as those are received I will start making some matches!

Name & Birthday
Erin --- October 9
Lacey --- October 27
Stephanie --- October 16
Susan --- October 19

Go ahead and peruse each others blogs to get to know one another and most of all have fun you October people!

Shipping Internationally

2006-09-04T11:04:00.000-04:00

There has been some discussion amongst some of our participants about the procedure for shipping internationally.

Stephanie in particular mentioned:

"you can not track things sent overseas (the USPS won't held liable for the screw ups of another country's postal system) ... You can however insure your package and that gives you a number"

So, I went to the USPS and checked this out. If you'd like to read more yourself, you can find the info here.

Basically, Stephanie and the others are right. You can insure the package, which ranges in price depending on the weight of the package and the country its sent to, and you can request delivery confirmation, which is a little cheaper but only lets you know when it gets there, not where it is along the way. Since the prices of shipping abroad are quite prohibitive already, I recommend only going for delivery confirmation, if you choose anything at all.

Signups Are Open!

2006-09-01T10:31:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the October Birthday Swap! Happy October Birthdays!

If you'd like to participate, just email me at spknitter at gmail dot com, and I will send you the form to fill out and return it to me by September 24, 2006.

It is especially important that you indicate your birthdate, blog, and feelings about shipping internationally because I've already had a few overseas requests.

October Birthday Swap Procedure

2006-08-31T22:54:00.000-04:00

Here is the procedure for the October Birthday Swap!

You are welcome to participate if you have a birthday in October, a blog, and you knit, crochet, spin, or engage in a related fibercraft. In order to play email me and I will send you a form. You will fill out that form stating your name, address, birthdate, and color preferences. If you do not return the form by Sunday, September 24, 2006 you will not be included in the swap. Then I will use the "eeny meeny miney moe" method to assign you to another participant to exchange a birthday gift. This is not a secret swap - you and your partner will both know each other. Your partner will be sent the form you filled out for me.

Plan to send some yarn or a fibercraft related gift to your partner by their birthday. It should be enough to make a small item, which counts as enough to make either a scarf, a hat, mittens or socks, etc. Your box should include a birthday card and a post card from your state. Feel free to send any other gifts or goodies that you wish. The suggested spending amount is $25-$30 US. Overseas bloggers are welcome. When you receive your birthday gift, your responsibility is to post a picture or description of it on your blog and then email me and let me know you got it, and email your partner to say thanks.

During the exchange I will post a weekly list of who received gifts and link to the posts you wrote. I will also post a Happy Birthday everyday to whoever's birthday it happens to be. There are also going to be two contests!

Contest #1: "Postage Confirmation Contest"
When you send your box, send it with delivery tracking so we can try to avoid lost packages. It is only 75 cents from the US Postal Service. Email your tracking number to me after you've sent your gift and I will put your name in a hat for a gift drawing on Sunday, November 5, 2006.

Contest #2: "Best Partner Contest"
It is an incentive for you all to really get to know your partner because they have to nominate you for it! Anytime after you have received your gift you may either post to your blog about why you had the best partner and then email me the link, or email your submission directly to me and I will post it here. Either way, if you want to submit your partner for the contest, your submission should be emailed to me by Wednesday, November 8, 2006. I will post the list of nominees here, with a link to your submission about why they should win, and I will set up the way to vote. Voting will be open for a few days and all the participants can vote. The winner will be named Wednesday, November 15, 2006.

Timeline for the Exchange:
September 1-24: Signups Open
September 25: You will be Notified of your Match
October 1-31: The Exchange Happens
November 5: Postage Confirmation Contest Winners Announced
November 8: Deadline to Submit for Best Partner Contest
November 9-14: Voting for Best Partner Contest
November 15: Best Partner Contest Winner Named
November 15: Official End of Swap

If you have any questions or comments, you can comment on this blog or email me. That's it and have fun!

Swap Button

2006-08-31T22:31:00.000-04:00

I made a simple October Birthday Swap button through this online button maker, however I am open to other making buttons for the swap. Feel free to email your contribution to "comfybev aht gmail doht com," and I will post them here.

In the meantime, let me remind everyone not to steal bandwidth. Just right click the button and save it to your desktop. From there you can upload it to your blog.

October Birthday Swap

2006-08-31T21:55:00.000-04:00

This is the blog for the October Birthday Swap, open to knitbloggers (and other interested fibercrafters) modeled on the August Birthday Swap recently hosted by Abigail. Rules to follow.