CCFA Fundraiser: Final Tally and Prizes!

Thank you to everyone who participated--we raised over $250 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America!

First thing's first: every donor will receive a copy of a new stranded sock pattern from MediaPeruana Designs. This pattern will be sent to you on or about July 1 (because apparently having TWO socks to photograph is standard practice--who knew?), and will remain exclusive to donors until September 15. I hope you'll like it!

Next, prizes!

All prizes were awarded randomly, with names drawn out of a hat. Or, ok, a bread basket. Whatever. I'm quite tech saavy, you know.

These 5 awesome donors will be receiving a pattern download from The Yarniad:

Beth S
Shari H
Jennifer P
Ellen B
Joanna B

The beautiful Wandering Wool, Alina Shea Creations, Madelinetosh and Verdant Gryphon yarns for this fundraiser will be going to:

Pauline B
Betty C
Cynthia F
Nicolette B
Diane P

The braid of BFL spinning fiber goes to Stephanie D!

And the three pattern books go to:

Catherine C
Jaime H
Eva B

And that's all of them! If you see your name here, please send me a quick email (mediaperuana at gmail.com) or Ravelry pm with your mailing address so I can get your prize out. If you've won a pattern download, I'll let you know how to redeem that too. And if I don't hear from you, I'll do my best to track you down!

Thanks again to everyone who participated in this fundraiser, I greatly appreciate your support, and I'm sure the CCFA does as well!

LAST DAY! 2014 CCFA Fundraiser!

Well, here we are: the FINAL day of the 2014 CCFA Fundraiser! You have until midnight tonight to make a donation of at least $5 and be entered to win a fantastic prize! Let's take a look at those prizes again, shall we?

Lots of great prizes to award to generous donors, plus each donor receives a new exclusive pattern from MediaPeruana Designs--stranded socks perfect for fall!

So, no more procrastinating--make that donation today! It takes just a couples of minutes to support a good cause and be rewarded for your generosity!

CCFA Fundraiser: Prize Update

Today I'm adding a prize for the spinners among us:

This is a 4oz braid of blue-faced leicester top from Misty Mountain Farm in Amissville, VA, picked up at MD Sheep and Wool. This sunny color is called Cantaloupe, and if you win it, you must spin it up and then send me a picture.

Ok, you don't have to, but it's an idea.

So, if this or any of the other amazing prizes for this fundraiser call to you, DONATE TODAY! This is the last week, so don't miss your chance to win yarn, books, or patterns, and support a good cause. We're up to $185, which is GREAT, but falls short of our previous $375 total--so it's time for that final push! It doesn't matter if you're the very last person to donate, just chip in $5 and you have a chance to win any of these great prizes.

Plus you'll get a brand new MediaPeruana Designs sock pattern, which may or may not be an incentive, really, I'm just throwing that out there.

DONATE.

Flashback Friday: Fundraising Edition

Here I am with mom and sis almost 3 years ago at my wedding!

We're closing in on the final week of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation fundraiser, so if you've been putting off a donation, it's time to stop procrastinating! I've got yarn, books and patterns to give away, and you only need to donate FIVE measly dollars to be entered to win one of these great prizes. The more you donate, the more prize drawing entries you get!

And remember, every donor will be receiving a copy of a brand new stranded sock pattern from yours truly.

Even if you're not in a position to donate at this time, please help spread the word about this fundraiser--tweet about it, share it with your Ravelry group, or give it a shout out on your blog. And if you do donate, spreading the word about the fundraiser via social media will earn you an extra drawing entry!

(And you just may see a few more prizes posted here over the next week . . . )

So. Donate. Donate donate donate. You have until next Saturday, May 31 at midnight!

Bound Off: 3 Shawl Extravaganza

In between designing, gift knitting, and long term projects (ie: 2014: Year of the Pullover), I've finished knitting 3 shawls!

I'm not usually a shawl person, but they've been calling to me.

In March I took part in a fun ancient civilizations swap, and finished this shawl for my spoilee:

This is a worsted weight shawl, knit with some Knit Picks Swish Tonal I overdyed a few years ago. The pattern is His Golden Lair.

You'll notice on the pattern page quite a bit of errata, but I didn't run into any major trouble in that regard--I think I noticed a small error in one chart, but didn't bother to let the designer know. Don't be like me! If you spot an error in a pattern, (nicely) inform the designer. 

What bothered me a bit with this pattern was the use of non-standard symbols on the chart. To a certain extent, you can use whatever symbols you want, as long as they're properly identified in the key. That said, if you're using a dot to indicate a RS purl stitch, then, logically, any RS cable symbol that includes a dot should mean one of the cable stitches is purled. Just a matter of consistency, but overall a minor irritation.

If you're looking for a good first shawl, try this--it works up quickly in worsted, the heavier yarn is easier to handle, and you get to practice with some simple lace, shaping and blocking.

Next, I completed the lovely Xeni shawl, by Kitman Figueroa. When I am in the mood for lace shawls, she's my go-to designer.

This one a tough one to photograph--I can never capture reds. This was knit with some beautiful Forbidden Woolery Pride, a fingering weight yarn with just a hint of sparkle. The colorway is Arkansas Black, an exclusive club color.



Fingering weight shawls seem to fly off the needles for some knitters, but not for me--especially if the wrong sides aren't plain; this one took about 3 months to finish, but I think it was worth the wait. Or weight. Heh.


I actually used my blocking wires for once, too, though I didn't pin the shawl out as carefully, or evenly, as I could have. I don't think it will be obvious when worn.

And lastly, I'm happy to say I did manage to finish that Captivating Capelet for my mom for Mother's Day.

This pattern is part of the Gloss Collection, but I used a new (to me) yarn, Sweet Fiber Yarns Merino Twist DK in Sea Glass.

What a disaster. Both skeins were horribly tangled. The 1st I managed to get through in about 45 minutes--that's WITH a swift and ball winder--but the second took, literally, hours. And I never finished. I wound enough to get me through the project and stopped.

I'm sad it was such a terrible experience, because the color is beautiful, and the yarn was nice enough to knit with, but I won't be buying it again. I hope, for others' sakes, that it was just a fluke, but with 2 tangled skeins, I won't risk it.

The capelet looks a bit like a skirt here (which was my mother's comment--I told her I didn't think she'd have much use for a see-through wool skirt), so I took this lousy selfie to show you what it looks like on:

My mom is much smaller than me and not pregnant, so I'm sure it will fit her quite a bit better.

I really like the idea of a capelet--lacy like a shawl, but more apt to stay on. This might be my new thing. 

And speaking of Mother's Day: 2 things.

1. The CCFA fundraiser continues. Let's honor all those moms, like mine, with Crohn's and colitis by raising that $$$! More details here.

2. In honor of the holiday, I'm offering a special promo code for my pattern store. Take 50% off any of my baby-friendly patterns with the code MAMA14. This includes Javi, Hugs and Smooches, Cielito and Nevado. Hurry, expires May 19th!

CCFA Fundraiser: Update

Incredibly, it is the last day of April!

So, a quick update as we move into month 2 of the fundraiser.

Things have been moving slowly, which it to be expected when a fundraiser lasts 2 months. We're holding steady at $65.

Don't let time slip away from you, though--May is the LAST month of the fundraiser, and with Mother's Day and Memorial Day to be celebrated, it tends to disappear quickly.

Don't forget all those amazing prizes up for grabs--donate just $5 and you'll be entered to win! (Isn't that the price of a dinky little latte at Starbucks these days?)

Like this copy of Haiku Knits, donated to our cause by the awesome Betty over at Binding Off, which arrived in the mail just the other day. There are some gorgeous patterns in here just waiting to be tackled by a generous knitter like yourself.

So. Donate today. Every $5 you donate = 1 prize drawing entry. Share one of my Tweets or Facebook posts or Pins about the fundraiser to earn yourself extra prize entries just for spreading the word.

And don't forget, every single person who donates will receive an exclusive new sock pattern from yours truly! These socks are called Pumpkin Butter, and I just love them. I hope you will too.

CCFA Fundraiser: Social Media

We're off and running--$65 in our first week, not too shabby! Let's keep the momentum up--and don't forget those great prizes you could win!

If you're looking for those social media links to share, it's as easy as checking out my profiles on Pinterest, Facebook and Twitter, where I've been posting like crazy.

They look like this:

And this:

And this:
 

 So make your donation, follow those links, share/pin/retweet those posts, support a great cause, and be entered to win fantastic prizes! GO GO GO!

CCFA Fundraiser - Let's Go!

 
It's time!

Time to start the big 2014 fundraiser for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America!

You have from today, April 1, until May 31 at midnight to make a donation through this link.

And why would you want to do that?

Well, let me tell you.

First, EVERY SINGLE person who donates will receive a brand new SURPRISE pattern from yours truly.

Here's what I can tell you about it: it's socks. And they're stranded. And they're pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

This new pattern will remain a super secret until the fundraiser ends and prizes have been awarded, so donors will be the very first people to get a copy.

But that's not the real incentive.

No, the real incentive is this AMAZING collection of prizes!


Joelle from Wandering Wool is offering up this gorgeous skein of her High Peaks sock yarn, a Merino/Cashmere/Nylon blend, in Copper Penny.

 Shayla from Alina Shea Creations has donated 2 beautiful skeins of yarn. First, this skein of MCN Shmerino Moon in the Belladonna colorway:

And this skein of Crystal Moon Merino/Silk blend in Sweet Pea--an exclusive club colorway that is not available for purchase!

This lovely skein of Verdant Gryphon in Dyeing Poison Frog is up for grabs:

Plus, this skein of Madelinetosh Tosh Sport in Well Water:

A 4 oz braid of blue-faced leicester from Misty Mountain Farm, in colorway Cantaloupe:

Hillary from The Yarniad (creator of Citron, one of the best patterns ever--and FREE!) has offered a bunch of pattern downloads for this giveaway! That means you could get this:

 Glacerie

Or this

 Luna Viridis

Or this

Lysa

Or another pattern in her Ravelry shop. FIVE people will win a pattern download from Hillary, because she's super awesome like that.


A very thoughtful blog reader, Betty, has donated a copy of the book Haiku Knits for this fundraiser.

You can see all the designs in this Japanese-inspired volume here.

I also have a copy of Contemporary Irish Knits to give away

And a copy of Fitted Knits

Wow. That's quite a collection of prizes, right?

And I'm hoping to add a few more before our 2 months are up! But more on that later . . .



For every $5 you donate, you'll get one entry into a drawing for one of these fantastic prizes. So $10 = 2 entries, $25 = 5 entries, etc. I'm sure you can do the math.

I'll also give you additional entries for using social media sites to spread the word about the fundraiser. In the very near future (possibly tonight, but let's face it: it took me the entire day to write this blog post, so more likely tomorrow), you'll find a pin on my Pinterest page, a link on MediaPeruana Designs' Facebook page, and a tweet on Twitter about this fundraiser. Repin, share, and/or retweet, and I'll give you an extra entry in the drawing.

(Sorry, sharing is caring, but these drawing entries are additional; you have to make a donation too!)

And don't forgot: please don't donate anonymously! You don't have to give your full, real name if you prefer not to, but I need some way to identify you.

I think that covers the basics, but if you have any questions, be sure to email me at mediaperuana at gmail.com.

Now, let's start raising some money!

Flashback Friday: CCFA Fundraiser

Yes, it was the 80s. Why do you ask?

Long-time readers of this blog may remember that 2 years ago, I sponsored a fundraiser for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America here on Learner's Per-knit.

Well, get ready, because I'm doing it again!

My sister and I participate in the Baltimore Take Steps, Be Heard walk in honor of my mom, who has long battled Crohn's disease. This year, I'm hoping to raise $750--and that's where you guys come in.

I'm currently working to put together a collection of awesome fiber arts-related prizes for donors. Our fundraiser will officially kick off on April 1, and run through June 1. Every $5 donated will earn you one entry (so $10 = 2 entries, $25 = 5 entries, etc.).

You'll also be able to earn additional entries by tweeting, Facebooking and doing various other social media-related activities. We want to get the word out, and get as many knitters, crocheters, spinners and fiber artists participating in this drive as possible!

So, get ready! Save up your pennies. Organize your stash to make room for more yarn. Finish those WIPs so you're ready to cast on new projects. Follow me on Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest, like MediaPeruana Designs on Facebook--you'll have all your bases covered. 

And if you're a designer, indie dyer, or owner of too many knitting books to count that you need to clear out, I hope you'll consider donating a prize! If interested, please send me an email.

Happy weekend!

Saturday Sampler: 'Round the Virtual Neighborhood

Before I share my list of random stuff from the Internet for the week, I just wanted to say thank you again to the many generous donors who contributed to the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America! Tonight is the walk and your donations helped Team Mary Kate raise over $1000!

While my fundraising raffle is over, if you're still interested in donating, you can do so right here.


And now, Random Stuff from the Internet!

 Apparently you can "bake" bread in the slow cooker!

I can't get over how darling this baby Christmas knit is!

I love growing basil, and these tips are quite useful.

Big Bang + Harry Potter!

I LOVE crab rangoon, and this looks a bit healthier.

This sewing kit in a jar could easily be adapted for knitters. I especially love the pincushion on top.

I hope you're all out enjoying World Wide Knit in Public Day / Weekend/ Week!