serendipity

Warning! Actual knitting content to follow...

During the bushfire appeal my blog didn't actually talk knitting that much, and since the appeal ended I've been a little bit blogged out.  (I am in awe of the people who commit to the blog every day for a month challenge..and I think you are all slightly insane!) I have some finished projects and some new ones which I'd like to mention on here but before I get onto that, I really should wrap up the bushfire appeal.

In the last few weeks I have received quite a few emails asking whether the prizes had been drawn and if people had won.  Well yes they have been drawn and all winners have been notified and have confirmed their details to me.  So if you haven't received an email from me, unfortunately you haven't won.  I won't be announcing the winners on my blog because not everyone (including myself) appreciates having their name and surname listed publicly on the internet.  That said win or lose the main purpose of the appeal was to raise money for the bushfire victims so once again thank you to everyone who donated.

Onto the knitting content.  I am well behind in presenting my FO's although people who follow my projects on Ravelry will have seen pretty much most of these thing.  To start with here is a finished project that has been hanging around since December.   

Project Specifications:
Pattern:  Ene's Scarf by Nancy Bush found in Scarf Style
Yarn:  1 ball of Merino Silk Laceweight from The Knittery in charcoal 
Needles:  4.00mm Addi lace
Project started: 5th November 2008
Project completed:  10th December 2008

I cannot tell you how much I love this scarf/shawl.  (Sorry Nancy, I always think of it more as a shawl than a scarf).  It has quickly leapfrogged straight to the top of my 'wear all the time' queue and I've already got more use out of this shawl than probably all my other lace shawls put together.  I've also realised how useful simple shawls in neutral colours can be and hopefully can find a few more appealing patterns to make in the future.  Having made Ene twice already, I can't see myself making it again. 

That said I have already cast on for my next shawl and am now get closer to the finish line.  Not exactly a neutral colour, this yarn was gifted to me by Kris and Amelia when they went to Wonderwool in Wales last year and it is definitely a colour I would wear.  The yarn is Posh Yarns Cecilia in the Pot Pourri colourway.  It's a silk cashmere blend laceweight and lovely and soft to handle.  The variegation is only slight, enough to give the shawl some depth but not enough to take away from the patten which is the Kimono Shawl from Folk Shawls.

I am actually really looking forward to finishing this shawl because I can't say that I have exactly loved knitting it by any stretch of the imagination.  I started it when we had a really bad heatwave in January and temperatures were above 43 degrees for 3 or 4 days in a row.  Well in that heat anything you knit is going to be tiresome.  Also since the actually pattern repeats are 24 rows long, I find I can really only get through 1 - 1.5 repeats in a night...so it feels like I am knitting knitting knitting and getting nowhere.  That said I finally seem to be making some progress and have almost finished 17 repeats.  The pattern recommends 25 but most people of Ravelry seem to think between 20-23 repeats is really long enough.  I'm aiming for 22 myself but I will reserve my final decision until then.  I'd also like to use up the maximum amount of yarn possible so I don't have any leftovers but I can't see that happening as there is still quite alot left even at this stage.

Ok, that is enough knitting talk for me today.  I'd like to finish documenting my older FO's and my new ones on this blog in the near future so please bear with me if you have already seen some of the things that will be appearing.  Next up I'll be waxing lyrical about the wonderful Pear Tree yarn I picked up at the Melbourne Stitches and Craft show.  This yarn is so nice that it didn't get within coo-ee of my stash tub as I came home and cast on with it immediately!

What we raised...

FINAL TALLY RAISED

$21,811

 

 

To everyone who donated to the Australian Red Cross: Thank You.

To every designer, yarn store owner and individual who donated prizes: Thank You.

To everyone who promoted the appeal on their blogs, internet forums, in newsletters, by email, on twitter, Ravelry and the numerous other methods that I have forgotten to mention: Thank You.

Without each and everyone of you guys we couldn't have done it.

I will be using a random number generator to draw prizes later this week and letting both the winners and prize donors know, so watch your email and with any luck there might be an email from me.  It will be too difficult for me to contact every non-prize winner so please be understanding in this regard.  I also will not be announcing the winners on this blog - it is only via email so please also keep on eye on your junk mail folder...just in case.

One final message about bushfires in Australia.  Bushfires are a serious threat every single summer in Australia due to our incredibly hot summers, drought prone environment and large expanses of highly inflammable eucalyptus trees. However the fires experienced this summer were the worst in history. Many lives were lost; homes, communities and towns destroyed.  Long after this tragedy has faded from the memories of most of us, people will still be trying to rebuild their lives and in some instances they will never be able to recoup what they have lost.  Hopefully the money we raised together will make a small difference to these peoples.

I'll be back soon with some actually knitting content! That is of course if I can locate my needles and remember how to do a knit and purl stitch. (Yes it's been a while).

My blog is cursed...

CURRENT TALLY RAISED
$19,332

It appears whenever I make big announcements on my blog, something happens and it doesn't come to fruition.  We all know what happened to my London move...well the minute I announced on my blog that I actually thought we could achieve the $20,000 target - donations have slowed down to a trickle.  In fact overnight we only got one small but very much appreciated donation.  I know so many people have already donated, and really $20,000 is just a figure if we get there or not we have still done an amazing job, however it still would be so great if we made it.  It isn't looking hopeful though.

Onto the very final prizes.  I meant to post these a couple of days ago and in fact I already had a half written post sitting in drafts, however time has completely gotten away from me recently.  These are the very last prizes I will be posting...there are no more to come, in fact as I mentioned these should have been posted earlier.

The amazingly talented Katy of Yarn Chef fame has donated three absolutely gorgeous skeins of yarn.  1 skein Buttercream in Preening Peacocks, 1 skein 50/50 merino/silk fingering  in Blushing Violets- This is a brand new yarn and is still unnamed and finally 1 skein Cafe au Lait in Mystic.

Just in case you haven't had enough indie dyers eye candy through this appeal, the lovely Jessie of Yarntini has donated two skeins of her self-striping sock yarn for two lucky winners.  What's more the lucky winners get to pick their favourite Yarntini colourway and Jessie will dye it especially for them.  Here is a photo just so you get a little taste of Yarntini gorgeousness.

The final prizes for the raffle were kindly donated by Kathy Elkins from Webs.  Webs is one of those yarn stores that I have always wanted to visit and when I make it back to Massachusetts oneday, I definitely plan on visiting.  Kathy has kindly donated two prizes and first up we have a gift basket featuring 2 skeins of Valley Yarns Stockbridge plus a pattern to knit a one-skein mini clutch but that's not all as we have 4 skeins of Valley Yarns Huntington  and 2 skeins of Valley Yarns Berkshire Hand-dyes plus free pattern for their Vermont Felted Bag.

The second fabulous gift from Webs is a Ballwinder & swift set.

OK, that is it for the prizes...there are no more to come, so if you were holding back to see what amazing things were up for grabs, I think the lovely prizes donors and myself have definitely procured  some great prizes for you.

Ok..one final reminder the raffle ends at 11.59pm Sunday 1st March, Melbourne time.  To donate go to the Australian Red Cross and then email me your receipt here.  If you were thinking of donating; now is the time, if you want to help us reach that illusive $20,000 target; now is the time and finally if you are just feeling generous and compassionate but also want to win some great prizes; now is the time.

From little things big things grow...

CURRENT TALLY RAISED

$17,654

Unfathomable!  Whenever I think we are almost at our limit... we seem to get another surge of donors.  I am now quietly confident that $20,000 will be achieved which is the first time I have ever wanted to admit that.  Hopefully I won't jinx our efforts.

For people who are visiting my blog for the first time, a quick reminder on how to enter the raffle.  First go to the Australian Red Cross website and donate.  Then send me an email with your receipt attached to this address.  For every $10 you donate you will get one entry in the draw.

Ok...now onto today's prizes.  Only two today as I am still waiting on a few final photographs to come through.

Firstly from Janine aka Guernsey Girl she has kindly donated a copy of her Reversai sock pattern and a 4oz skein of Araucania Ranco Semi solid in Olive.

The second prize for today is from the lovely Emma from The Woolshack.   Emma has kindly donated a $100 gift voucher to be spent by the winner at her store.  Considering all the wonderful goodies that Emma sells, I can't imagine finding something gorgeous to buy will be terribly difficult.

Ok, that is all for today, hopefully I will have the final prize photos ready for my next post.  For everyone who has thought that perhaps the small amount they can spare doesn't add up...well you only have to see the total above to see how every donation, no matter how small adds up. 

*The title of this post is credited to the great Australian folk/rock singer Paul Kelly.

The next goal...

CURRENT TALLY RAISED
$12,511

Thank you to everyone who has supported us so far...that total is absolutely fabulous and definitely exceeds what I had hoped for.  So what do you think?  Should we make the next goal $15,000 or do you think we will actually make it all the way to $20,000 - wouldn't that be phenomenal?  Being a marketer I am a bit sceptical that we could actually achieve this figure as I think we have pretty much reached our limit. I have a feeling that $15,000 will be achievable but $20,000 is really out of our reach.  Of course I would love to be proved wrong in this instance.

The next subject I need to broach is prizes...basically we don't need any more.  So far we have had over 60 individual prizes donated which is absolutely fantastic and there are potentially a few more to come in the next couple of days as I wait for photos to be sent etc.  So from here on in I really think we need to concentrate on making more people aware of how to donate and where they can go.  There is another two weeks left before I will draw the prizes so plenty of time to get your donation in.

The first donation is from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous.  She has kindly offered 8 balls of Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed in the colour Granary as well as the Jo Sharp pattern book 'Eclectic'.

The next kind donation is from Esmerelda(her online name) a lovely English blogger currently residing in Perth, Western Australia.  Obviously a Posh Yarns fan she has parted with two lovely skeins from her stash in order to support this appeal  The two skeins are from top to bottom Posh Yarns Lei - colour Romance and Posh Yarns Lucia - colour Whimsical. (Do the colours of Whimsical remind anyone else of native Australian birds?).  Being a 4ply, both of these yarns are suitable for sock knitting.

When I say it is raining Wollmeise around here people...I kid you not!  I'm also impressed with how generous people have been even though they are not directly affected by this disaster.  Clare in Ireland had donated two skeins of Wollmeise yarn, Frosch 100% Harmonic and Vergissmeinicht 80/20 to go into the draw for this appeal.

Well that's all for today.  As I mentioned earlier the listing of new prizes is coming to an end, but I don't think that should be any reason that we lose momentum.  I'll be back either tomorrow or on Wednesday with an update  - and if there are no prizes to list...hmm maybe I might have to include some knitting content.  (Now wouldn't that be bizarre)?