Because I'm all excited about updating my Etsy shop, and finally getting more than 2 items in it...I'm going give away a FREE set of stitch markers from my "marble collection"that hasn't been "released" yet!
I will announce the winner of the contest on Friday evening! Good luck! :)
The rules: first, answer the question. This puts your name in my hat. If you post this contest & your answer on your own blog, you get another entry in the hat!...But, you must link the post to your blog, because I'm (unfortunately) not a mind-reader. Shame.
I will pick one name out of a woolen hat on Friday. The question has a two-part answer. The best shopping spree answer gets on extra entry in the hat (so "technically," you could get a whopping total of 3 entries all together in the hat if all of the circumstances are right).
The "Shopping Spree Fantasy" Contest closes at 7 pm Friday (11/30). Stay tuned.
~The Contest Question~
If you had (free) $200 to blow on knitting stuff (yarn, knitting accessories, etc), A.) how exactly would you spend it? (maybe name brands, or stores) and B.)Is your buying pattern (not knitting instructions...I mean "tendencies") on this shopping spree "smart" (as in a huge pile of cheaper yarn), or "luxurious" (meaning, buying maybe several expensive yarn you wouldn't normally buy)?
Note: keep in mind the general monetary value of the things you would buy to help you answer the question.
I'm really curious to see what you all have to say! :)
They're all beautiful. Great work!
ReplyDeleteOK... I have to give the contest a shot.
ReplyDeleteI would go on Etsy and buy as many different sock yarns from as many different dyers that I could find. I'm a huge supporter of indie dyers, so by buying one from each dyer, I would be able to find out which yarns I liked or didn't like.
I think my method is neither smart nor luxurious. Some of the yarns would be luxurious - merino/silk blends, alpacas, exotics, etc. - while others would be merino/nylon or pure merino. I think my method is more methodical than anything else. While it's true that I would get a pile of yarn, I would also get some that I didn't particularly like.
I pretty much do this already. I'm opening an online yarn shop (like The Loopy Ewe or Woolgirl, not on Etsy), so I'm trying to sample as many yarns as possible. Those I like, I invite the dyer to sell through my shop. The only problem is, I haven't found any that I don't like yet!
I hope this qualifies for the contest. :)
Beautiful stitch markers!
ReplyDeleteAs for the contest, I would use most of the money to buy books with a variety of patterns in it (one skein wonder, fitted knits, and something with baby clothes:))so that I would eliminate the time it takes me to goole a free pattern I like, therefore cutting into knitting time, and therefore making me give up on harder to knit items (sweaters). I would also buy luxury yarn only, because now I always tend to cheap out:). Enough yarn for two sets of wool (maybe cashmere:))hats/scarves (me and my fiance)and a few skeins to make luxury baby booties and hats (maybe even decorate them with swarowski crystals and silk ribbon, does that count too?). These days it seems that every other person I know is pregnant!
I don't have a blog of my own, but if I did I would add your blog to it, becasue I regulary read it.
LOVE the stitch markers. I want to call dibs on some of them, but I can't choose! I'll get my act together soon:)
ReplyDeleteYay! Contest! These are easy answer s to give.
A)I would buy yarns for my Top 25 Queued projects on Ravelry that still need yarn. Prepare yourself for a fairly long list!
Venezia Pullover in Knit Picks Palette
1 of 24000 Teal
1 of 24001 Navy
1 of 24007 Tidepool Heather
1 of 24008 Rainforest Heather
2 of 24010 Marine Heather
1 of 23736 Tan
1 of 23738 Nutmeg
1 of 23739 Twig
1 of 23730 Cream
$19.90
Bayerische Socks in Knit Picks Gloss
2 of 23869 Dusk
$7.98
Houndstooth Coat in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes
12 skeins of 23420 Coal
10 skeins of 24065 White
2 skeins of 24080 Carbon Twist
$47.76
Somewhat Cowl in Knit Picks Andean Silk
6 of 23516 Pitch
$25.74
Chestnut Hill Socks in Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino
1 of Moody Blues
$18.50
Evening Stockings in Knit Picks Risata
3 skeins of 24106 Burgundy
$13.47
Felted Laptop Bag in Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky
4 of 23953 Redwood Forest
$23.96
98-54 Bag with cable pattern in Knit Picks Cadena
4 of 24101 Heath
$21.16
Odessa by Grumperina in Rowan RYC Cashsoft DK
3 of 519 Black
$25.50
Grand Total: $203.97! And I, of course, would kick in the extra 3.97:)
Now that's what I call $200 well spent!
B) I would buy cheap and luxury as the project required!
Tootleloo,
S
PS I'll try to figure out how to link to your post, but it's a bit confusing:)
Well, first I would have to go through all of my knitting books and magazines that are tabbed like crazy (There is a picture on my blog). Next, I would consider what my college budget will not allow me to buy - such as the yarns for sweaters! I know for a fact that I would buy the yarn to make the Henley Perfected (8 hanks at $11.5/hank = $92 and the Colette Pullover (9 hanks at $7.99 a hank = $71.91). With the remaining $36.09, I would search on Etsy for some great roving (to continue learning to spin with my spindle) spending no more than $20. With the last of the money ($16.09, I would buy a hank of undyed sock yarn ($5.99) and a jar of Gold Orchre and Purple Dye ($7.98) The remaining $2.09 would go towards paying tax and shipping and handling, with the rest of that money coming from my piggy bank. So in the end, after my shopping spree, I will have bought something to please every interest with knitting I have - actually knitting, spinning, and dyeing!
ReplyDeleteI would spend the money on rovings, mainly Spunky Eclectic and some of her yarns. I would also buy more storage bins for my yarn and buy some more needles.
ReplyDeleteI forgot to add the second part of the question. It's definitely luxorious, since my college budget doesn't really allow me to buy a lot of yarn at once!
ReplyDeleteA.) how exactly would you spend it? there is this luxury yarn boutique in Islington (north london = trendy and expensive) which has the most beautiful yarns sourced from around the world..i'd spend it ALL there on yarns for beautiful sweaters and beautiful pattern books also.
ReplyDeleteB.)Is your buying pattern on this shopping spree "smart" or "luxurious"? definately luxurious!
a) If I had $200 to blow on yarn and accessories, I would buy a Denise interchangeables set, a yarn swift, and lots of little bits of different kinds of beautiful (like, enough laceweight to make a scarf, enough wool to make a hat, etc). One thing I really want to work on is determining how appropriate any particular fiber of yarn is to a particular project;I'm always using scratchy yarns for sweaters, inelastic yarns for socks, and so on.
ReplyDeleteb) I'd say this is definitely a luxurious shopping spree - after the needle set and swift, I'd have about $100 to spend on 5 or 6 skeins of very nice yarn.
I have two responses. I would look for a knitting retreat near me or that I could drive to and put the money towards that. (preferably a sock knitting retreat). Or I would get an Ultimate Sweater Machine because that is what I want know, but can't afford.
ReplyDeleteI forgot, this would be luxurious for me because I don't need either one
ReplyDeleteIf I had the shopping spree, I would get "project yarn." I have lots of single skeins or small amounts of things already, because I tend to impulse buy or treat myself to something small but nice. So if I were on the spree, I'd get enough yarn to be dedicated to a "big project" like a full sweater. And I'd definitely err on the luxurious side.. I'd almost always rather pay more for less yarn that's gorgeous than more cheaper yarn.
ReplyDeleteOh, I want to enter! I would buy yarns to make two or three sweaters, using a wool blend, maybe silk or cotton for softness. I would also splurge on some malabrigo because I have never tried it and long to so much! I think some etsy sock yarn would be lovely, too. I would be luxurious because I'm restricted to frugality in my everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI'm crossing my fingers!
I don't know. But based on how I spend when I have some extra cash put away for a "knitting-spree" I think I would buy whatever caught my eye or sense of touch. I don't think I could be "practical" with my purchases. I'd probably walk around the store or fair (i'd like to be a fair if I had a choice) and just feel and see everything I could. I just buy whatever called me to it. I love color and soft textures. I like to feel like I'm melting into the fiber. So anything that makes me feel like that I'd buy. Sometimes you just know you and a couple of hanks are meant to be. And well a cool knitting bag. I have a problem with knitting bags.
ReplyDeleteYup that's what I'd do.
ooooo a contest!
ReplyDeleteI think I would head to either my LYS and buy some fantastic Berroco ALpalca blend..... however many projects woth I could get out ot $200.... or I would have a blast shopping on Knitpicks, getting five sock yarn skiens to dye, some lace yarn, probable the Alpalca cloud or the shimmer. A sock yarn packet and a knitting circular socks kit. If I have some left over I will pick up the new Son of Stitch and B*tch.
I am looking for fun and satisfaction from my purchaces. SOme lovely things to spoil myself with plus some dye experimentation.... you never know!
If I had money for a yarn spree I would splurge by getting a sweater's worth of yarn I might otherwise (regretfully) pass by, like one of Rowan's tweeds, NOT ON SALE. And if I had any money left over, I'd by a KnitPicks Harmoney options set.
ReplyDeleteMost certainly a "luxurious" way to spend the money!
SPENDING SPREE! I love these kinds of questions. I would buy the following:
ReplyDelete* Sock yarn from Etsy, omg. So much to choose from! Maybe, say, $50 worth.
* Sock blockers. They always cost more than I'm willing to spend, but for a imaginary spree, ok! So, that's another $25
* Knitting books galore. Let's say, three: 50 Baby Booties to Knit by Zoe Mellor; New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book 1 by Cat Bordhi (otherwise I'll probably not buy it) - so, that's roughly $60.
Hm. My $200 is going fast.
I'd buy my mom a portable spinning wheel. HA! Not really, those suckers are expensive. But I'd get her a spindle and some roving so she can try it out. Say, $60 for the spindle, some roving, and maybe an instructional DVD?
And with the remaining, I would buy stitch markers aplenty, because I am forever losing mine. Except the handmade ones, of course.
OR: I'd throw all that aside, buy myself an awesome Namaste knitting bag and blow the rest on yarn. :D