Exciting developments at the Right-as-Rainbow KAL

In my last post you left me swatching for the Right as Rainbow KAL, swatching like mad because I was using a different yarn and was preparing for a major fudge to get my work to run to gauge.

Well the lovely people at Spud & Chloe, the makers of the recommended yarn got wind of our KAL and asked to join in the fun AND offered prizes!!!  I also looked again at Kathleen's blog and noted how much she praised Spud & Chloe sweater.  What could a serious knitter do? I always say I put too much love and time into my knitting not to use the best yarn (after all you can buy a sweater made of cheap yarn on the high street any time, can't you?)  So I should (as some Londoners say) put my money where my mouth is, should I not!

Thus, taking the plunge, I ordered some of the correct yarn in three colours from Mrs Moon (I think the only stockist of S&C in the UK) and it arrived yesterday

I have Grass, Cider and Grape Jelly.

The colours are fabulous and the squishy texture, heaven,  just as Kathleen described it.  

Now this yarn retails in the UK at a pretty hefty £12.99 per 100g skein, not too much for such lovely yarn but the yoke stripes use so very little, it does make the cardigan rather expensive.  I came up with a plan.  I will swap some lengths of these colours for three of Kathleen's. So if you are tempted to join in but are a little put off about being left with most of 5 100g balls at the end consider finding 'a pair'* 

We suggest you post on the Ravelry thread that Kathleen has begun for the KAL, state what you are willing to swap (use the official S&C colour name and say how much you have available to swap) and see if you have a swapping partner out there.

Spud & Chloe are going to keep us guessing for a little bit longer about the prizes but here are some of the rules of engagement.

We all begin knitting our sweaters on 4 September, the KAL ends on 25 September.  Unlike other KALS this one isn't strictly a race, we are all going to knit together on this - it is fine to race ahead but there isn't a prize for first past the post (although all finishers will be put into a draw for teh finishers prize).

Kathleen and I will blog about our own progress and also join in the Ravelry discussions.  If you have any questions (technical or otherwise) please post them on the Ravelry thread so that the questions and answers can be seen by all participants.

The prizes will be awarded in three categories

I. Starters! The first category is for anyone who starts the sweater. Just cast on and create a project page by Wednesday, Sept. 25 and you’re entered to win. One lucky starter will be chosen at random to receive a spiffy S & C prize (details on prizes coming soon).

II. Finishers! anyone who finishes a sweater and posts it (tagged, etc.) by Wednesday, Sept. 25 will be entered into a drawing for this prize. Easy peasy: finish a sweater, let us know about it, and you’re entered to win. The more sweaters you finish by the deadline, the more entries you will have in the drawing. Knit five sweaters, get five entries.

III. Creatives! This category will reward creativity in all areas of the knitting: yarn choice, modifications, etc. and it will be judged by the designer herself, Stephanie Lotven 

There are only two rules (to be eligible for prizes) :-

1. At least one colour that you use must be in S&C Sweater (the rest may be anything you choose that goes with the S&C yarn, but if you don't do this you can still join in the fun)

2. You must post your sweater on your Ravelry projects page and post links to your project on the KAL discussion thread

There are more details of the prize categories and rules on the Ravelry thread and Kathleen's blog

Good luck everyone,  I'm off to swatch all over again (and post off some of my colours to Kathleen)

xx

C

* Pair - a parliamentary term,  MPs  can be absent from crucial votes if they pair with someone of the opposite party and both agree to be absent (I only explain this because Kathleen and I, she from the USA and me from the UK have amused ourselves lately about the saying that we are from 'two countries separated by a single language')  Apologies if you needed no explanation of this, or thought it was not exactly what pairing for a yarn swap means!