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Saturday, January 05, 2008

contest contest contest!

(eta: contest now closed)

MG: happy new year! knitbuddies is in its fourth year this year(!). Kitty Kitty and i have been reflecting on how much the space and people here mean to us. just seeing lurker IPs appear in our stats makes the world warmer--every visit means someone is checking in, listening, sending us a bit of care. we are amazed and humbled by what being here has given us: camaraderie, inspiration, edification, compassion, encouragement... very true, very real, profound and bona fide friendships, and the love & art of snail mail packages. so, we'd like kick off the year by sharing some goodies with you, thus contest!!

KK: Hey, Merry New Year from me too! (Don't forget that January 1st is the snowiest, rainiest, hottest, coldest day of the year.) On a serious note though, MeowGirl and I have spent a lot of time just sitting around talking about how much you guys really mean to us. When we started this blog, frankly our families didn't think we would last 6 months and some of them doubted that we would have any readers at all. We frankly didn't know what to even expect when we started writing this blog together.

First of all for me, the thing that I feel most fortunate about is the fact that it has really brought MeowGirl and I a lot closer. We have both been through a lot of hard times these past couple of years and I will always treasure the close friendship that we have built through crafting, late night talks, and blogging. Thank you MG for always being there even if a girl is Chicken to start a project. *hug*

Second of all I feel so very fortunate to have met and become friends with so many wonderful people, that without this blog I would have never had the fortune to meet. Some of your have become my best friends over the years and I don't know what I would do without you guys. So enough of me being sappy and crying, lets get on with the contest.

MG: the contest goes like this... to play, leave a comment to this post and tell us if you are a knitter or a spinner. or a spinning knitter. or a knitting spinner (kninner?). elaborate if you wish. we are very curious... are the knitters at all tempted to spin? do you knit with handspun? did knitting lead you to spinning or vice versa? how else do you use your handspun? all that good stuff. we'll randomly select one knitting winner and one spinning winner (your answer will put you into the appropriate drawing--self-identified knitters in the knitting drawing, spinning knitters in both, etc) to send the goodies to, wherever they are in the world. incidentally, is it really a contest if the winner is randomly selected? hm...

KK: So it is only fair if we answer the question we are asking you to comment on. For me I guess it would be knitting weaving spinner. Knitting is definately my love, but if I had the room I am not sure that weaving wouldn't be just as strong. Spinning holds a special place in my heart, but to this day I think the only two people who have acutally knit with my handspun is Mia and Olga. I have mainly knitted MG's lovely handspun.

MG: i'm definitely a spinning knitter--a knitter who spins. i started spinning because of yarns i wanted to knit with--sock yarns strengthened with hemp or linen rather than nylon, fewer chemicals, more variety, closer to the source to know more about how the sheepies were treated, etc. when i spin, i'm more playful. i want to perfect a kind of thread or a kind of technique or see what happens with colors or textures; but i always worry, a lot, about how the yarn will knit up. at the same time, i'm just not very brave about knitting up my handspun, uncertain in dealing with the "imperfections." i'm working on this though, trying to discover my handspun aesthetics.

ok, your turn. we'd love to hear you! i'll shamelessly beg you to not let our contest be lonely. thanks for hanging out with us!! now, parading of the goodies...

for the knitting winner:
Neopolitan sock yarn by Orianna

a Pluckyfluff box--kitty not included

a bit of knitbuddies handspun

plant-dyed yarn, MG has yet to pick the color


for the spinning winner:
Pluckyfluff batt

Habu stainless steel & silk for plying

fibers of above handspun & Hochberg reprints (TOC)


for both winners:
lovely handmade soap by Naiad

japanese knitting book!!

36 comments:

  1. Hi! I’ve read your blog for about a year and find it very inspiring. I´m a bit embarrased that my first comment to you comes when you challenge me with a competition. Byt anyway:

    I’m a full blood knitter (I always have a bunch of knitting projects going on), but I also like to crochet, weave, sew etc. I’ve tried spinning a few times and liked it a lot, but haven’t got the equipment or knowledge yet, but someday I most definitely will dig deeper into spinning as well! Until then I will have to settle with reading about spinning and knitting with other people’s handspun yarn :)

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  2. I'll preface it by saying that I'm a college student living in a dorm room.

    I'm a total knitter. It's only been about a year and two months but I'm trying to tackle something new every day. I'm kind of slow because I like to hold my WIP up to my face after practically every row to admire.

    I hope to one day be a full fledged spinner. I want to be able to start with a pile of colorless fluff and really turn it into something beautiful. This will happen when I get more space for all the thingies I want to buy. My desk for studying is literally covered with yarn, which forces me to study elsewhere. But it's so worth it!

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  3. I'm a knitter. I'm spin-curious, but haven't actually made much yarn yet, so I'd definitely say knitter! I really enjoy the process of knitting; it seems almost like (very slow) magic the way it takes shape on the needles.

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  4. Congratulations on your fourth year! I think you're question is fascinating because it makes me prioritize. I knit (a lot), I weave (a tiny bit), I sew (more), I can crochet (but don't really) and I spin (minimally). I'm convinced I need a spinning wheel to spin properly -- the spindle I'm using is great and I'm improving, but it just isn't fast enough for me. I like creating things from scratch in any way -- music, food, things. Thanks for providing me with great stuff to read!

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  5. Hey girls, happy new year and thank you for being there. I've enjoyed your blog for quite a while (can't remember how long now) and it's one of my favorite places.

    I am a drop out spindler and currently concentrate my craft time exclusively on knitting. I was a spindle spinner for about five years and loved it, but had to stop because it gave me multiple tendinitis. So now it's knitting knitting knitting.

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  6. OK, another lurker de-lurking (I don't comment mostly because I am the most rank beginner knitter and my comments would be of the "Oh, how incredibly beautiful" variety; on the other hand, I have a blog, and any comment at all thrills me! Yay, comments.) I am challenging myself this year to be bold--who cares if I make mistakes and need to frog? That's how we learn, right?). So, I am a knitter (but I'm fascinated by weaving and may investigate that one of these days, too). Thanks for your blog and your giveaway.

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  7. Four Years? Congratulations- Wow.. I had no idea y'all had been around that long. I'm coming up on my 4th this year if I make it that long- its time for a blog makeover I think.. lol.

    As for your question.. I was/am a knitter first but admittedly I enjoy spinning much more- so I would say that I'm "a spinner who knits". I prefer simpler projects and I love to use my own handspun. Eventually I'd like to get to the point of using ONLY my own yarns..

    I'm not a technical spinner at all.. I just sit down and spin. Whatever I get is fine with me, though I do sometimes spin with a goal in mind (such as a bulky single or a certain yardage I'm aiming to use for a project..) Its more of a meditation to me- I think knitting is a lot more work and requires more thought (increase, decrease, stitch patterns etc..) so for me it feels more rigid and structured than free- spirited spinning.

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  8. Congratulations on four years!

    I'm a knitter. I'd like to learn to spin someday, but I haven't tried it yet.

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  9. Congratulations, girls! That is a huge number in blogiverse, I hope you keep up the goods and the awesome things you crafty about!
    Hugs!
    Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to you all and your families!
    I am a knitter, nowhere close to spinning.. but would love to go back to weaving one day.. i used to weave tapestry pictures.. when I was in 7th grade and all through high school.

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  10. Congratulations!! thank you for sharing 4th year of knitting, insight and inspiration. What a great accomplishment. I'm definitely a knitter! I'd love to spin someday but don't think I can afford another hobby while I've a loom and tons of camera gear on my wish list :)

    Happy Blogiversary ladies!!

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  11. Happiest of birthdays to you! I know I've enjoyed every minute of your presence in the web! It makes my day. I am a knitter, but am spin-curious. I'm taking a class in March and have been fooling around with a drop spindle over the holidays.
    Thanks for a great contest!

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  12. Congrats!

    I am a spinning knitter. I love to knit and it has slowly turned my interest into the whole making yarn process. I don't think that my spinning has gotten good enough to knit something pretty with but I still totally enjoy the spinning learning curve

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  13. FOUR years, hoo-boy! May the next 4 be as fun as the first 4. Blessings from one o' them lurker-types.

    So, I identify as a "spinning knitter" (spiknitter? I like that) because I knit 1st. BUT. I took to spinning like a kid finding a mud puddle -- I jumped right in! I blame, er, credit Pluckyfluff: I bought so much of her handspun art yarn, I was in danger of bankruptcy. ;) She's my inspiration. So, I took a class, bought a wheel, and now spinning is my day job! Now I sell my own interpretation of art yarn.

    One of the best things to come out of this is that now I knit with handspun even more than I did before learning to spin. I've become a more prolific, skilled, and spontaneous knitter because I understand the properties of the yarn in ways I didn't before learning to spin. And, through freeform, I've learned to crochet, too, and it's fun to see what my yarn will do differently by hook or by needles.

    Thanks for providing this opportunity for me to ponder how I got to my "omni-crafter" present. It's good at the turn of the year to look back and see how I got here. Cheers! Velma

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  14. Your prizes are AWESOME! First congratulations on your 4th!!! yarn as bloggers!
    I'm a knitter who turned knitter spinner last May, and I'm loving it! Can't imagine how I could have NOT spun for so long! Right now, I like both equally. I've just got my second new used spinning wheel. Needs some TLC, but eventually it will work, I'm sure. If possible, I'd like to be put in the spinner draw, I just don't have place for more yarn (as IF I ever won anything), but serieously, I have a big stash, and I don't get to knit with my OWN handspun right away, so I've got some handspun stash building up too! But that's O.K.
    All the best to you, happy New Year! :o)

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  15. congrats on your 4 year anniversary! I've reading your blog for about a year or so and share your love of Japanese craft.

    I am a knitter and wannabe spinner who got side tracked by Habu and Setsuko Torii. Not that these are mutually exclusive, but now I have my eye on knitting Torii's designs and maybe designing a few things on my own.

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  16. Congrats on the 4th anniversary you 2 gals! Hmmm, another year gone by again? Time goes by so quick nowadays. I'm a knitter at this point but that'll change this year. Always wanted to try spinning but it wasn't easy to pick it up in KL. I promised myself to start spinning and dyeing once I've relocated. So I shld be starting soon, once we find our own place! Yipee!

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  17. I think that I have been reading the blog since the start. Well at least the really early days.


    I am definitely a knitter. But than both of you know that already. And as to if I am a spinner, well, I have lots of fiber and a few spindles. Does that count? And MG did teach me to draft. I guess I am a want to be spinner since most of my roving to KK.

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  18. 4 years, Wow...Congrats! I keep saying I'll get a blog but I fear I wont make time for it and it will be shamefully neglected.

    I am a knitter for just 2years now. I haven't had the urge to spin yet and I dont think it will. most Slobs drive me crazy and thats all i'll probably be able to make. I have knitted with handspun onces and it was okay, but it was very fine so my detail was lost. Its my fault I should have picked a more suitable pattern.

    Thanks for contest.

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  19. I'm a longtime knitter, but I just started spinning recently. I love knitting socks, and socks from handspun yarn are even better. I just found this blog today when I searched for "knitting Columbus Ohio" and yours was the first entry. I look forward to reading more.

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  20. Congrats on your anniversary! It's quite an accomplishment.

    My preference is spinning. I have been knitting for more than 20 years. I learned by taking a class, and we learned by making a sweater.

    I learned to spin last year, and it is my preference. I've done some knitting with my handspinning, but since I'm a relatively new spinner. Both knitting and spinning have a "rhythm", and I "feel" the rhythm more with spinning, and that feeling is something that I enjoy, even need.

    Thanks for being here for us! I've purchased Japanese knitting (and craft) books for a while, and your site informs me of the new ones I may not have heard about. So, my collection of them has grown -- they are inspiring, aren't they?

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  21. I'm definitely being pulled in by the gravity of spinning ... but for now I'm purely a knitter (was going to write "just a knitter," but that definitely didn't feel right!)

    Congrats on four years of blogging! I've only recently discovered you blog, and I'm looking forward to reading up on the past four years.

    p.s. I posted about your contest on WiKnit

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  22. I started spinning one year after starting knitting. I actually slightly prefer spinning but find myself knitting more, since it's slower and more portable. I love both!

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  23. Congratulations!

    I both spin and knit. Knitting came first, and I'm still crazy enough about it to do it almost every day, but spinning feeds my fiber addiction in a big way. I love to spin up colors and textures I might not ever want to knit with-- I generally knit black, black, navy blue, and more black things.

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  24. I'm a knitter and a brand new drop spindle spinner. Mostly though, a knitter. Congratulations on your 4th year and thanks for having a contest!

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  25. I a knitter...an obsessed one at that. I love to watch "spinners" but I just don't know that I would have the patience to really be of any use with that. I taught myself to knit so that I could give my sister a handknit baby blanket. Now, I don't even leave my house without some knitting. Congrats on 4 years!

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  26. I am a knitter - no make that in caps, a KNITTER. I have been perusing wheels, but I am afraid it will take away what little free time I do have. I've only been knitting for about a year, and am most definitely self taught.

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  27. Congratulations!
    I'm a knitter who is also learning to spin. I inherited a spinning wheel and I've been learning on my own. One day I will take a class and then I'm sure I'll be a much more confident spinner.

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  28. Your prizes are AWESOME! Congratulations on your 4th year as bloggers!
    I'm a knitter, sometimes crocheter. :)

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  29. Congrats on the milestone!

    I'm a knitter who has recently tried spinning with a spindle; I enjoyed it a lot and want to learn more. I also want to learn how to dye my own yarn. So many hobbies - so little time!

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  30. I'm strictly a knitter, though spinning is something I might want to try one day. I just don't think i have the time/space to devote to it. For now, knitting is my main passion.

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  31. I, like others, am a drop spindle-spinning knitter. I have neither the money nor the space for a spinning wheel, but hopefully after I finish my degree that will change! I've been knitting now for about 3 years, and I can't imagine not having fiber in my life!

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  32. I'm a knitter who would probably love to spin. But with 3 kids, a husband and a part-time job, it is hard enough fitting the knitting in. Maybe someday I'll fit it in.

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  33. Hi, I'm a lurker and I would categorize myself as a knitter/semi crocheter/spinner-curious person. I love knitting. I really love hand spun yarn but hardly ever get to buy it and I'm constantly eyeballing spinning. I may attempt that when the kids are both at college and I can take over a room...lol

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  34. i am a knitter who looks at spinners with awe! i am told that it is not as hard as it looks. but it does look really hard. i don't have enough time for knitting so i have not yet convinced myself that i also need to spin the yarn too.

    i do love the uniqueness of self-spun yarn and i salute you spinner/knitter persons one and all!

    i just knit.

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  35. I am a knitter, who is just learning how to spin. I love knitting with hand-spun so I decided I needed to make some of my own.

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  36. I'm a knitter and I'd love to learn how to spin, but not for at least a few more years, as my 2- and 4-year-olds would love to "help" me and I'm not sure I need that kind of help when I'm just learning!

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