Spin Out: June 2006 Archives

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June 30, 2006

17360

Honeys, I've got good news and bad news. Which do you want first?

The good news is 17360. That's right.

$17,360

That's how much money we raised when I tallied this morning. That's over $3,000 in ONE FREAKING DAY! Nothing like waiting until the last minute! LOL! I checked this morning and the registry was closed but I opened it up again for just today. I WANT $18,000!!! This whole thing started out with a "To Life" theme with the whole Double Chai and everything. Well, there nothing more CHAI than 18 (which is the number the hebrew letters for the word for life add up to) so let's do it. I promise I won't ask for anymore money. Well, at least not until we do this again next year. GO HERE TO GIVE! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

I've got ONE MORE PRIZE to annouce as well. This one was actually offered up pretty early, but stupid me lost track of the email when things got going so she gets her very own spotlight.

The original Knitgrrl, Shannon Okey, has generously offered one winner a personalized signed copy of her not even released yet book, Spin to Knit.

The book isn't do to be released until October, but the winner will get their hot copy right off the presses a bit early. THANK YOU Shannon! This is definitely one I'll want on my book shelf!

Okay. I said there was bad news, right. Well, it's not really bad, it just impatient kind of bad. I know I promised you a great long post with lots of pictures about last Saturday's actual Spin Out. I kinda sorta lied. But I didn't know I was lying!!! I swear. Turns out when the fabulous chicas, Jillian and Amy, at Knittyspin found out that Wild Fibers didn't want my article anymore, they pounced! So I'm writing the article for them - look for it sometime next week. And, of course, when it's there you'll hear from me! This is a really really good thing for all of us, but I'm sorry if some of you are disappointed.

Of course, now I have to go BACK to writing the article. My sister and the kids are coming today and I spent all day yesterday cleaning bathrooms and I was going to write all night and then I fell asleep. It's coming Jillian! It's coming!

Tomorrow I will annouce our final Heifer total and I will start awarding prizes on July 4th - at which time I will pick the GRAND PRIZE SPINNING WHEEL WINNER! Then I will announce a winner or two every day until I'm done with prizes. I'm hoping to have at least 15 VERY impressive gift bundles. Maybe more. Prizes are STILL rolling in!

I know I've said it a million times, but this time I mean it. ;-)

THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 07:48 AM

June 29, 2006

NOT GIVING UP!

~~We're thisclose to the goal. I'm NOT GIVING UP!~~

WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!

I'm not sure of the total at the moment, but some incredibly generous folks MADE SURE we made the goal and THEN SOME! I'm in a frenzy at the moment with cleaning and my dad stopped in for a visit and I've got so much to do, but I'll be back a bit later with a new total. DON'T STOP NOW! We've still got a whole day to go! HOW HIGH CAN WE GET THIS?!?!

The Heifer Registry will close tomorrow and even if we don't get to our goal, I can't tell you how proud I am of this effort. I truly believe that world peace is accessible - just put the FIBER COMMUNITY on the job and IT WILL BE DONE! WE CAN DO IT! Thank you all so so much.

I've got a few more prizes to announce: Linda at Stone Leaf Moon is sending us one of her inspiring and unique handspun yarn creations; Jennifer of Knit Notes has offered up a set of her amazing cards; Helen of Bay Colony Farm is sending us some of her fantastic bunny fiber and Cathy Cooper handed me some gorgeous Grafton Fiber batts last weekend! ! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!

Tomorrow will be my wrap up post on Saturday's event and all of the fundraising. I haven't posted yet because I was maybe going to write something up for Wild Fibers Magazine, but that fell through - so the entry is coming!

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 11:02 AM

June 24, 2006

We Came. We Spun. We KICKED ASS!

THANK YOU SHANA AND KIM AND THE WHOLE AMAZING CREW AT THE EAST 54th STREET REC CENTER!!! YOU ROCK!!!! COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

AND THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED - YOU ROCK TOO!!!

Real post on Monday - if I'm awake by then. I'm exhausted. If I ever do this again, well, it'll be in September.
L, C

PS - Just a friendly reminder that the REGISTRY is open until JUNE 30th. Raffle Prizes will be awarded after the registry closes! Thank you so much for EVERYTHING!

Posted by Cara at 10:37 PM

THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!!

LOCATION CHANGE!

We will now be meeting at the

The EAST 54th STREET RECREATION CENTER
348 East 54th Street (between 1st & 2nd Avenues)
New York, NY 10022
212-754-5411

Travel Directions
Bus: M15 to 54th Street
Subway: 6 train to 51st Street or E and V trains to 53rd Street

More about the facility here.
I'm trying to get there by Noon and the event will go until about 3:30.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO BRING YOUR SPINNING WHEELS!
THANK YOU SO MUCH SHANA AND KIM!!!!

WE ARE ON! I just don't know where yet. If you would like a number to reach me during the day - in case you're traveling in and won't be able to get updates here - email me at spinout@januaryone.com and I'll get you a number to reach me. I've had a couple of possibilities on indoor space come up - but I won't know for a little bit. We might just get a late start to the day is all.

THE SHOW WILL GO ON!!!

Raffle Update

So I might as well cheer myself up by telling you that we've got ourselves another cool grand!

While the actual event might not go off as planned, the fundraising angle is better than I ever imagined! THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Posted by Cara at 06:59 AM

June 23, 2006

PLEA FOR HELP!!!!

Does anyone anywhere out there have connections to some kind of (covered) space in Manhattan large enough to hold a lot of us and our wheels? I know this is a tall order but I'm trying to work all the angles here! I'm thinking community center, library, place of worship, office building, gallery, etc.

PLEASE EMAIL ME spinout@januaryone.com! THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 11:29 AM

June 22, 2006

KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

DUDES! The weather forecast for Saturday is TOTALLY FREAKING ME OUT!!!!

I've checked here and here and here and here and here and here and here and they seem to get worse and worse! What should we do? Do we move it to Sunday? If it doesn't happen this weekend - it doesn't happen. Period. It HAS to be this weekend. I don't know how much cover there is and how close we are to cover. I'M SO UPSET!!!! All of you traveling from out of town - what's the latest you will need a decision by? Is tomorrow night too late? ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

UPDATE

So I'm looking at the permit last night and it says nothing about a raindate, even though I applied for one. (Yeah. Might have been better to check that out earlier. Sue me.) Called the office first thing this morning and they told me they don't schedule raindates in the summer because it means double booking every event and they're already booked solid anyway. So the event goes off tomorrow - or not at all - or at some other TBD date.

I'm going to decide this tomorrow morning. If I wake up and I see Noah out there with his Ark, I'll reconsider. Anthing less than a deluge I'll be out there. Spinning my little (broken) heart out. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF THIS PROJECT! I appreciate it so much.

If you need me today - I'll be out buying tarps. If I spend a shitload of money on rain protection, that means it won't rain right? I'm going to look for stuff that can't be returned. ;-)

AND in the IRONY SUCKS category - my building has no water - hot or cold - for the day. YAY!

Posted by Cara at 08:23 PM

June 21, 2006

GOT SWAG?

Forget the assholes of this world! PEOPLE ARE GOOD!

WE'RE AT $11006!!!

Once we reached $11,000, I upped the goal again. Am I being greedy? I don't think so! We've got a little more than a week to go before the registry closes - please feel free to donate up until JUNE 30th! This whole experience has so lifted me! I HAVE FAITH in ALL OF YOU!

And I've got swag too:

You've got buttons and magnets (they look the same) and bumperstickers and postcards I made advertising the raffle. Get there early peeps! I only have a limited number!

I promise - I haven't been checking the weather obsessively, but it looks like it's going to be in the 70s with scattered thunder storms and a 40% chance of rain. Sunday looks to be the same. So we're on as of right this second. I will update Friday night with a definite go ahead, but I think it looks good. What's the worst thing that happens? It rains a little? Bring your trash bags just in case. Also, Ruth was kind enough to check out Cherry Hill Fountain for us - everytime I've tried to get there I've had a change of plans! - and she says there are a bunch of benches around one side of the fountain - but you still might want to bring some kind of stool if you're bringing your wheel. What else? Oh yeah - some more prizes!!

Dani of Sunshine Yarns has generously donated a MEGA skein of Emerald Isle Sock Yarn - enough for TWO PAIRS! And the fabulous Adrian of Hello Yarn is sending us 8oz of her merino/silk blend! THANK YOU DANI AND ADRIAN!

And this JUST IN! LEXIE BARNES herself is donating a KNITTING BAG! How fabulous is that! Lexie YOU ROCK! I'll be sure to fill it with some of our other donated prizes for A FULL BAG!

Just so you all know, I've decided that instead of a million little prizes going out, I'm going to combine prizes into fabulous pseudo gift baskets - each filled with all kinds of different items from various vendors. So they'll be fewer winners - but whoever wins will be VERY HAPPY! TRUST ME! I've got many of the prizes sitting here tempting me and they are all GORGEOUS!

Again and again I can't THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH! WOOHOOOOOO!

Posted by Cara at 05:19 PM

June 12, 2006

Triple Double!!!

Did I have a good weekend? YOU BET! I cannot find the words. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! We've reached another goal and I'm pushing it even further. Double Double Double Chai!

LET'S GET TO $10800!!!

Did you see what my friend High Energy Jenny is doing? She's selling off some SPECTACULAR kits and giving all the money to Heifer! HOW MUCH DOES THAT ROCK? Go see what she's got left! THANK YOU JENNY!

And Jeannine Bakriges, knitter, spinner, dyer, teacher, writer extraordinaire, has generously donated FIVE copies of Knit Lit Too and an Adam Mielke spindle! THANK YOU JEANNINE!

All the information on donating and winning can be found HERE!

I cannot adequately tell you what your donations - all of them - mean to me! I've never done anything like this before and I'm truly touched by your generosity. THANK YOU!

Posted by Cara at 11:06 AM

June 08, 2006

The Verklempt Files

Yesterday I received this email from Josie:

Hi There:
Love your blog and the organization Heifer International. I am happy to say that on behalf of the second grade class at Anansi Charter School in Taos, New Mexico, I have donated $100.00 towards a knitting basket. I taught the entire 2nd grade to knit this year (12 boys, 4 girls) and they loved it. Here is the blanket that they knitted and which I assembled. We raffled the blanket to raise money for them to paint a sign for school and to do a ropes course at the end of the year with the balance going for the knitting basket. They were very proud of their accomplishment ( and I was too!) Thanks for this fundraiser--you're doing good work!

Josie

Go ahead. Grab your tissues. I'll still be here. HONK. SNORT. There. That's better. Never, in my widlest dreams, did I think I'd get emails like this. THANK YOU JOSIE! THANK YOU KIDS! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT!

L, C

PS - Besides THE WHEEL(!!!!!), we've had a couple more prize donations: Susan from Spinning Bunny has donated 16 ounces of hand dyed targhee in any of her colorways - winner's choice - and 2 skeins of 50% superwash merino 50% tencel sock yarn in any of her colorways - winner's choice. And Roxy from Roxy Yarns is sending us Serendipity Knitting Needles and Interlacements yarn. THANK YOU SUSAN AND ROXY!

Posted by Cara at 08:58 AM

June 07, 2006

HUGE! HUGER THAN HUGE! THE HUGEST!!

I haven't been able to contain my excitement! I've been bursting at the seams, but now I can SHOUT IT!

Are you ready? I don't think you're ready. Seriously. Sit down. Okay?

It was all Tina's idea. And then she talked to Toni and WE'RE GIVING AWAY A WHEEL!!!!! I shit you not!!

It's a Majacraft Suzie Pro - with the green wheel - and Toni tells me it's handpainted on the back.

THANK YOU TONI AND TINA! YOU ROCK!!!

And how do you WIN this FANTASTIC, SPECTACULAR, FABULOUS, STUPENDOUS GRAND FREAKING PRIZE? I'm glad you asked. Here's the info yet again:

I've set up a REGISTRY at Heifer International.

For every $10.00 you spend on this registry, your name will be placed in the proverbial hat for drawings in the coming weeks. For instance, if you spend $50.00, your name will be put in the hat 5 times. You can win more than one prize if your name is in there more than once - we will not be pulling out multiple names after a win. There are various ways to spend:

-- Knitting Basket: $500.00
-- Share of a Knitting Basket: $50.00
-- A Full Llama: $150.00
-- Share of a Llama: $20.00
-- A Full Sheep: $120.00
-- Share of a Sheep: $10.00
-- Trio of Rabbits: $60.00
-- Share of Rabbits: $10.00
-- A Full Goat:$120.00
-- Share of a Goat: $10.00
-- A Full Pig: $120.00
-- Share of a Pig: $10.00
-- Chicks: $20
-- Bees: $30

The way the registry works is this - click on the type of animal you'd like to buy - whether it be a full animal or a share of an animal. You will then be taken to a page about the animal and given the option to purchase the whole animal or just a share! It's as EASY as that!

I hope there is something for everyone here. The FABULOUS and FANTASTIC PRIZES will be awarded ALL OVER THE WORLD! YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THE EVENT TO WIN! So if you can't be there on the 24th, you can still be there in SPIRIT!

Since the registry only tells me that you've given, not how much (for raffle purposes) here's what I'm asking: WHEN YOU DONATE TO HEIFER THROUGH THE REGISTRY (and I know you will ;-) ), PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO spinout@januaryone.com STATING HOW MUCH YOU GAVE. Otherwise, you'll be put in the raffle pot ONCE, regardless of how much you donated.

ALL IT TAKES IS TEN DOLLARS AND A DREAM!
THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH!

Posted by Cara at 06:44 PM

June 05, 2006

Double or Nothing!

THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

Thanks to a spectacularly generous donation from Luise in MA, we've PASSED OUR GOAL! So LET'S DOUBLE IT!

DOUBLE DOUBLE CHAI! I'm bringing over all of the information on giving - and we've added BEES!

Here's how to donate:

I've set up a REGISTRY at Heifer International.

THANK YOU ALL SO SO MUCH! I'M THRILLED!!!

Posted by Cara at 12:22 PM

June 01, 2006

Let's Raise A Barn!

One of my favorite movie moments is when they all raise that barn in Witness. You know what I'm talking about - the local men, led by Alexander Godunov are all doubting Harrison Ford and his carpenter skills but then he turns out to be a stud among studs and then Kelly McGillis pours him his lemonade first causing a HUGE scandal to erupt among the silent lunch goers. It's an uproar only the Amish could pull off - all raised eyebrows and whispers. Shudder! And the music - oh my god the MUSIC! I had an aerobics teacher who used it for her wedding march and also for the cool down at the end of class. I love that music.

Anyway - LET'S RAISE A BARN! I'm determined and you all know when I'm determined it GETS DONE! Only usually I'm doing things on my own (delegate is a bad word in my vocabulary honestly) and now I NEED YOU!!!

I've decided on $3600 as my fundraising goal for the SPIN OUT Heifer International Registry. Why $3600? Well, it's my thirty-sixth year and also it's Double Chai. Each letter of the Hebrew alphabet is assigned a number and the word for LIFE equals 18. So 18 is a hugely significant number in Judaism, as well as it's multiples. I remember, growing up, my dad would always write checks - to Bar Mitzvahs or Weddings - and always add change on the end in multiples of 18. Or write a check for $216. You get the idea. So $3600. And look at that - we're already almost HALF WAY THERE!

All it takes is $10.00!!! Get yourself some chicks. Or a pig's tail. Or a sheep's fleece. Or a cute rabbit nose. You'll be helping out a GREAT CAUSE. And don't forget - for every $10 you spend, YOU'LL GET A CHANCE TO WIN! I'm adding new prizes to the PRIZE PATROL right now. We've got new prizes from Mama-E over at C*EYE*BER Fibers, Marie at Brooklyn Handspun, Chris at Woolybuns and Marie in Florida added some sock yarn to the mix. Head on over to see all the prizes!

WHEN YOU DONATE TO HEIFER THROUGH THE REGISTRY (and I know you will ;-) ), PLEASE SEND AN EMAIL TO spinout@januaryone.com STATING HOW MUCH YOU GAVE. Otherwise, you'll be put in the raffle pot ONCE, regardless of how much you donated. Don't forget, for every $10 donated, you get entered (so $50 gets you 5 entries.)

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SUPPORTING THIS CAUSE! I SO APPRECIATE IT!

Posted by Cara at 12:25 PM