One Skein Secret Pals Exchange
Timeline, Rules and Final Agreement

TIMELINE
Here’s the timeline for the One Skein Secret Pals Exchange:
1. Sign-ups will begin immediately.
2. Sign-ups will end on May 1, 2006.
3. Secret Pal Matches will be distributed to you by e-mail on or before May 10, 2006.
4. The One Skein Secret Pals Exchange will run the months of June, July, and August 2006—you have two months to send out each of your skeins, and the final month is designated for surprising your Pal with your finished knitted or crocheted piece, made with a single skein, of course!

THE RULES
Deadline to sign up: May 1, 2006
Matches will be distributed: On or before May 10, 2006
One Skein Secret Pal Dates: June 1–August 31, 2006

Who is this for?
Knitters and crocheters only please.

How are Pals assigned?
Pals are not assigned to each other. For example, Pal A is assigned to Pal B, who is assigned to Pal C, who in turn is assigned to Pal D. Pal A and Pal B are not assigned to each other, in which case it would not be anonymous! We will try to match you by your age demographic and preferences, as indicated in your initial sign-up e-mail questionnaire (keep on reading).

Required letters and correspondence:
Please include with EACH mailed skein at least one card, letter, or
postcard explaining why you selected that particular skein. Use this as an opportunity to try your hand at writing a yarn review or perhaps write a story about the skein’s history in your life. If you’ve used that skein in a project or plan to use it in the future, perhaps you’ll want to include a photo. Handspun skeins are welcome too—what fun it would be to surprise your pal with one you’ve spun; give the background on the process and dyes you used! Use your creativity to make this fun for your Pal! This exchange is about celebrating the wide, wonderful world of yarn!

Recommended Blog or Website:
Having a blog or website is recommended for participating in this program but not absolutely required. Your secret pal will be given your blog or website address, so he/she can find out who you are. Your blog doesn’t have to be a knitting or crochet blog, but it would be a place where your SP can learn more about you, and it’s a place where you can thank your secret pal when your gifts come in. If you do not have a blog or website where you can publicly thank your Secret Pal, you could join the One Skein knit-along at www.oneskein.blogspot.com and publicly thank your pal. You should definitely send a thank-you note from your anonymous e-mail address as a way of letting your Pal know the package arrived.

International Participation:
This One Skein Secret Pal Exchange event is based in the United States. If you are outside the U.S. (an “international” Pal), you are still welcome to participate, and we will do our best to match you to your preferences. If you would prefer to send to a pal who is either in the same country as you are OR on the same continent, please let us know when you sign up. Our ability to accommodate international participants will be based on the number of people who sign up—we’ll do what we can! If we can't match you with someone in your country or on your continent, or with someone willing to send skeins overseas, we'll let you know and you can decide if you still wish to participate. Finally, if you are able or prefer to communicate in any language other than English, please let us know.

Anonymous E-mail Address:
It’s required that you have an anonymous e-mail address so your Pal doesn’t learn your identity until the final month of the exchange. You can use your current one if it doesn’t give too much away (i.e., JaimeGuthals at gmail.com would be a bad choice), or you can set up one such as the free ones from Hotmail or Yahoo. Your Pal will use this address to contact you anonymously to find out more information about preferences. Be sure to check the account regularly; if you’re setting up an address explicitly for this SP Exchange you might consider having that account's mail forwarded to your regular account so you don't miss anything.

Final Agreement
Although many Interweave staffers have participated in past online Secret Pal events, this is our first time moderating and creating one, and I’m sure we’ll have a lot to learn. If the One Skein Secret Pal exchange is successful, we’ll reincarnate it for the holidays (October–December 2006), but we’ll need your help and full participation. We’ll try to respond to all questions and suggestions in a timely manner (within 3 business days).

Once you have agreed to these terms, please send us an e-mail to
oneskein@interweave.com to join.

THIS INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED IN SIGN-UP E-MAIL

1. Your name (first name, last name)
2. Your primary e-mail address
3. Your anonymous e-mail address to be used to communicate to your Secret Pal
4. Your mailing address
5. Your blog/website
6. Age group (18 and under, 19–24, 25–34, 35–45, 45–60, over 60)
7. Do you have any hobbies/interests other than knitting/crochet?
8. Do you prefer to send to a pal who is either in the same country as you are OR on the same continent? Please indicate.
9. Are you a spinner and prefer to be assigned to another spinner?
10. Are you allergic or adverse to any types of yarns?
11. Is your home smoke/pet-free? Do you have any allergies to pets or smoke?
12. Please indicate if you are willing to be a Secret Pal Ambassador and jump in as a replacement to delinquent Pals if called upon.

Thanks for taking the time to completely respond with this questionnaire. You’ll hear from us no later than May 10 with your assigned Secret Pal. We can’t wait!