The Rules

Deadline to sign up: April 30, 2006 Matches will be Distributed: On or before May 15, 2006 Secret Pal 8 Dates: May 15, - August 31, 2006 Who is this for? Knitters and crocheters only please. International Participation This SP event is based in the United States - the term "International" will refer to all participants outside of the U.S. Where ever you are - you are welcome to join! Due to the high number of International participants, we cannot guarantee that we can accommodate a request for a same Country/Continent Pal. Finally, if you are able to communicate in any language other than English, please let us know. We have a few people who may be more comfortable corresponding in other languages. Blog Having a blog (or website) is mandatory for participating in this program. You must have a blog and post at least once weekly. This online journal is a great place for the SP who is spoiling you to find out who you are and what you like or dislike (do you like sweets? Are you allergic to specific yarns?). It also provides a place for you to publicly thank your SP when the packages/cards start rolling in. Your blog certainly does not have to be a knitting blog, just somewhere where your pal can find out more about your likes/dislikes. Anonymous Email Address: You must set up an anonymous email address such as the free ones from Hotmail or Yahoo so that you can contact and be contacted by your SP buddies anonymously to find out more information about preferences. Make sure to check the account regularly; you might consider having that accounts mail forwarded to your regular account so you don't miss anything. If you do this, though, don't forget to reply from the anonymous account! Minimum contribution: $60 in US dollars over the course of three months. This does not include the value of your time if you make something, and it does not include any postage costs. Establishing this amount should make it clear to all what a fair commitment should be, and no one should expect more, or less. $60 over three months is just $20 a month; if you feel this is too much or not enough, We're sorry, this is not for you. We are adding a mandatory letter to the contribution. There is just something exciting about opening the mailbox to find a snail mail letter! Sending one card, letter or post card is required during the three month duration of SP8 Your Pal Once you have been assigned a secret pal, please send them a quick note to say hello (from your anonymous email address) so they know they've been paired. Keep in mind that the fun of a Secret Pal event is to meet and get to know a random person who shares a common interest with you (knitting and/or crochet). There is a method to the madness of matching up all the participants, and you only get one match. Complaints about your secret pal of the "I'd rather not have a pal who " nature are a quick way to have yourself removed from the event. If you feel you have a valid reason to request a rematch, email away...Just know that you cannot pick and choose your secret pal and we will not hesitate to remove anyone who appears to be missing the point of a Secret Pal exchange. Please make sure that you contact your pal at least 3 times a month over the course of the next 3.5 months, this includes ecards, blog comments or email. What to give? Knitting and crochet-related items are great but not the only thing. If you've been following any web sites whose authors were in other Secret Pal programs, you'll know that people gave special bars of soap, cards, candy, and other nice treats to their pals. Just remember that not everyone likes to crochet, and not everybody spins..That is why it is a good idea to get to know your secret pal a little bit by reading his/her blog or sending a few questions by email.. (If you are stuck on something to give, feel free to contact your pal and ask them a question via your secret e-mail and get some ideas about the projects that they would like to start or other hobbies they are interested in.) Number or frequency of gifts, mailings, etc.: You must make contact with the person you are spoiling at least 3 times per month-let them know they have a pal, and let them know you're still around with either an email/blog comment/ecard to touch base during (June, July, August)! It is required that you send your secret pal at least one something per month of the event. This must include at least one piece of "snail" mail (a letter or post card), and one package. If you'd like, you can send one package a month to spread out the gifts, or one big package at the end. If you just send one package, make sure to let your pal know your plans so they don't feel abandoned. Remember to use your anonymous email when contacting them. If you are going to be out of contact for a while - let your pal know. It's an awkward situation when you think your pal may have forgotten about you. You can also use Hallmark (or countless others) to send free e-cards as often as you like. Remember to treat your pal as you would like to be treated. Also, please be sure to keep in touch with the secret pal who is spoiling you. A quick email to let them know you got the package will ease their mind as to whether or not it got lost in the mail. Part of the fun of Secret Pal is the joy of giving, and that includes knowing your gift was received. If... Stuff happens. So - if for some reason you are unable to follow thru with your responsibility with the program - please do not hesitate to let us know. If you find you cannot participate, you must let us know ASAP so that we can find a replacement. If after a reasonable amount of time, if you can't come up with a good excuse for failure to hold up your end of the bargain on the Secret Pal 8, you will be replaced and your name will be passed on as blacklisted for hostesses of future SP programs. If you have not received any word or package from the SP who is to be spoiling you, please let US know instead of using your blog to blast that individual. Let us know, we will try to find out what happened to your pal and if they have flaked out, we will get you a replacement. If someone does fail to participate as they agreed, we will remove their name from the participation list and replace them with someone else. This means that we will need a list of 'Angels' who are willing to jump in as replacements. As a replacement, you might come in after a package has been sent to the person you are replacing. This means you might not get 100% of the packages you normally would receive. Final Note And it's important! Please keep in mind that we are *volunteering* our time to run this event. We have all participated in past Secret Pal events and know how much fun they can be and wanted to help continue the tradition - but it does take a lot of time and effort. While we're perfectly open to constructive criticism if you think something is a bit amiss, and we will gladly respond to any civil and respectful queries, please check your attitude at the door. Thank you. Once you have agreed to these terms... and we will assume that you have agreed. Send us an email starting April 1st to: sp8hostesses@yahoo.com THIS INFORMATION MUST BE INCLUDED IN SIGN-UP E-MAIL 1) Your full name 2) Your main email address 3) Your mailing address 4) Your blog/website 5) Your anonymous email address that will be used to communicate to your SP buddies 6) What are your hobbies/interests other than knitting/crochet 7) Would you prefer to send to a pal who is either in the same country as you are OR on the same continent 8) Do you like giving/receiving handmade gifts 9) Is your home smoke/pet-free? Do you have any allergies to pets or smoke? 10)Please indicate if you would be willing to be an Angel and jump in as a replacement We look forward to hearing from you! Let the sign-ups begin!!