Yarn Junkies 7 - BROWN

I am very curious to know how these color of the month yarn swaps have been going. What is the point of spending $20 buying someone else yarn and then up to $15 shipping it, and then possibly not getting any yarn or getting something you do not like? Why wouldn't you just buy yourself $35 worth of yarn? If you want a surprise, ask a friend to go buy it for you. What about conservation? Recycle, reuse, reduce? A lot of people (like me) have too much yarn sitting around begging to be used. This kind of swap encourages consumerism, and allows us to justify it by saying it is a gift. I don't understand why we can't send partially used balls. That way we could have some of the cool stuff we bought and then share and get some other cool stuff. I know I sound really cynical and that is because I got burned on my last yarn swap which was scrap yarn. I also realized I was making and sending packages that were nicer than stuff I would give a friend or even acquaintance. I joined to give not to receive but I realized I was really looking forward to the packages which were something I could not buy on my own, like a multitude of remnants.

Honestly, I do not mean to be critical (even though I have been), but could someone please explain the appeal of this kind of swap? Thanks.

Having done a lot of swaps on swap-bot, I'll respond to Aly's questions that I just noticed. I do go with the "reduce, reuse, recycle" thought on the swaps -- I generally try to find something from my stash to send, something that's been sitting around and that I know that I don't need anymore (or, I would have used it). I think that if you have a partial skein of yarn, you have to ask yourself if someone would pay $20 for it full retail -- for example, half a skein of Lorna's Laces Helen's Lace comes to mind. However, no one wants yarn that isn't big enough to complete even a one-skein project. Perhaps if you combined that with something else to make it chunky, wound it in one ball, and then wrapped it a special way, it would still work. I think the point is that nobody wants to receive a lame swap, yourself included. For me, if I don't have something in my stash, I have a lot of undyed yarn and I'll dye up some pretty colors of handpainted yarn -- again, low cost, but still special. As I like to dye several projects of yarn at one time, I find that rather than creating more work for me, I tend to dye more for me as well when I participate in these swaps. As for the shipping -- I have had pretty good luck with first class shipping, which often only takes only one day longer to ship, and generally costs less than $4. Aly, if you've only done one swap, then I totally understand your frustration of getting "burned". I've had my share of getting something in return that was not quite as "good" as what I've sent out. However, sending a little something out and getting a little something back is a lot of fun, and leaves me looking forward to more than just bills in my mailbox. :) And regarding sending stuff to friends -- I do like to gift my friends with similar items, often mailing stuff to them when I mail stuff to my swap pal. I don't, however, want to make my friends participate in a swap that they don't want to do, creating more work for them. Hope this helps you in deciding to give another swap a try -- I'm an addict.

debbear62, i sent your package this morning, from norway

Again, a safe bet would be sock yarn. Please, this time in a color that is usable!

Florian,

I received the yarn. IT IS BEAUTIFUL. My mother is lusting over it. Thank you sooo much. You are a wonderful swapper. I understand that you are the person that my sister sent the yellow yarn to last swap, how did you like it? Thanks again. Debbear62

This morning I sent a packet for Cass. Please post when recieved. Thanks.

Mamarara-just to let you know I sent your package today from the UK. Let me know when you receive it! Hope you like it!

Just a warning - the Swap member NDKnitGirl has not logged in since August 12th, and had gotten six "1" ratings since September 5th. It looks like this was the last swap she signed up for before disappearing. She's my upstream partner, so I guess I will not be receiving anything. If she's your downstream partner, I don't know if its worth sending anything to her - it doesn't seem like the last few people who have sent things to her got any responses from her confirming that they were received.

Is there anyway we can cut her from the exchange, since she has dropped so far below the rating requirement?

thought I'd add a warning swap member corm has not been a good swap partner for her last 4 swaps hope she does better this time. she did not respond to any of my emails in the pattern and yarn for a pair of socks and of course I never received anything.

Who was supposed to be sending to NDKnitGirl? If you've not sent a package to her could you please send one to ladymadrian instead? Thanks a bunch!!!