A Raffle for Dylan

Hi, everyone!

Updates:  1/21/2009, 1/31/2009, and 2/6/2009 - see below.

Just to recap what this raffle is for:

On September 30, 2008, my sister Luci died unexpectedly.  She was a single mom who was working hard to give her 4 year old son Dylan a good life.  With Luci gone, Dylan’s grandmother and her husband stepped up to take on the challenege (and blessing!) of raising this little boy.  He’s a great kid, but kids are expensive and his grandparents weren’t expecting this new full-time responsibility.  While they can cover his basic needs, and some of his wants, I want to do more for him.  His fifth birthday is coming up on Valentine’s Day.  Luci always said it was appropriate that he was born then – because he was the love of her life.  I want to get him something big for his birthday (like a membership for him and his grandparents to the Zoo, or the local science museum, plus something fun like a new bike).  I would also like to add something to his college fund. 

And that is where you come in.

As a single mama myself, most funds coming into my home are allocated (dang those student loans!).  But I have amassed a bit of a stash over the years – a stash that I will never get around to using.  So I’m giving it away to you.  Yes, YOU!  Well, maybe to you – but you can’t win if you don’t play!

I have a few new additions to add to the list since my last post. 

I got my hands on another skein of Wollmeise 100% Sock in Krauterbeet (click for photo).  That means that TWO people will win skeins of Wollmeise! 

I asked the ever-amazing Erin over at Eat.Sleep.Knit if she’d be willing to donate a couple of her Yarn Lotto Tickets to the raffle, because, really.  The only thing that makes opening a box of yarn any better than it already is would be scratching a Yarn Lotto ticket (and winning!).  Each lotto ticket gives the scratcher the chance of winning awesome prizes like credits to ESK, a free skein of Smooshy, and other stuff.  She gladly agreed to send a few and then went even further.  She has donated three skeins of sock yarn to the raffle.  Her two top sellers!  A skein of Malabrigo Sock in Indiecita and 2 skeins of Yarn Love Elizabeth Bennet in Bayfield Apple!  How awesome is she?   Even if you don’t participate in the raffle, next time you’re looking to place an order for really awesome hand-dyed yarns - PLEASE keep Eat.Sleep.Knit in mind.  They clearly have the best customer service on Earth.

I got lucky in the last Sundara update so each winner will get a skein of Sundara Sock in either a Seasons or Limited Edition color!!!!!!!  I don’t know what the colors will be yet, as I don’t have the yarn in hand.  It will likely ship separately (if international, at my cost) from the other winnings.  It should be expected to arrive to you around the end of March.

So, here are the specifics.

I will draw winners on February 7, which will give me a full week to shop for Dylan’s present.

Each entry is $5, payable through Paypal (button below) or email me at lynleeweber [at] yahoo [dot] com to get my mailing address if you prefer to send a check or money order. 

For every $20 donation, you get a free entry (instead of 4 entries per $20, you get 5).

If you donate via Paypal, I will get an email that has your contact information.  However, if you use another email address more regularly, please feel free to email me and let me know!  If you win, I want you to know right away!

If you donate, and then post a link on your blog or website, you will get an extra entry.  Please put this information on your Paypal comments, or email me at lynleeweber [at] yahoo [dot] com.  You will get one more entry for every 3 people who tell me in their Paypal comments that they read about the raffle on your blog so be sure to let them know!

I will draw a winner for the “big lot” first.  This is the grand prize, if you will.  I will then draw “runner-up” winners for the “sock lot” and then for “the other lot”.   Please see bottom of post for specifics on lots.  I may add more as time goes on so check back!

I will ship to the US for free.  If you live internationally, I will split the shipping costs 50/50.  Still a great deal, regardless of which lot you win.

I have a non-smoking home.  We do have a hairless Sphynx cat, but she is kept away from the yarn (she doesn’t even like yarn, oddly enough).  However, if you have severe allergies, you might want to take this into consideration.

Here’s the donate button!  You can use cash funds, or e-check, or credit card.

 

I want to take this opportunity to give an advanced thank you to everyone who donates.  Together we can give this little boy, who has lost so much, a great birthday and a good start to his future.  And just to put a face to the name, here is a photo of Dylan with his mama.

 

Update, 1/21/2009:

I am so overwhelmed by the generosity of you crafters!  Thank you all for your donations and for all of the sweet notes.  You are amazing people and I only wish I had a stash to send to each and every one of you!

The package from Eat.Sleep.Knit. came yesterday.  Oh.  My.  Goodness.  I had yet to see/touch the Malabrigo Sock and EB from Yarn Love – but they’re both scrumptious!  I can totally understand why Indiecita is Erin’s most lusted after color of Malabrigo Sock.  It’s gorgeous. 

And the Elizabeth Bennet?  All I have to say is that it is so flipping soft that I can’t believe people put it on their feet!  I want bedsheets made out of the stuff!

More photos of these yarns on my Ravelry stash page – my username is PeaceSoup.

She also sent along some of those Yarn Lotto Tickets.  Each winner will get one or two and I think I’ll send a couple out to other winners as extra runner-up prizes.  She also sent some of her cards that have a handy chart on the back to help you keep track of what needle sizes you already have (you know how you go to the yarn store to pick up yarn for a project then can’t remember if you have the right needle size or not?  These business cards fit perfectly in the wallet so that it’s always handy!).  And some buttons, too!  Yay!  Thanks to my favorite KnitterMonkey, Erin, for the fantastic goodies!

Update, 1/31/2009:

And the awesomeness of crafters continues!

Darcy over at Darcy Knotty Knitter is having her own contest to win a silver bracelet and yarn needle (they’re gorgeous!).  To win, you donate to this raffle.   She’s drawing two winners on 2/14.  Thank you, Darcy!!!

Also, Dianne from Creatively Dyed Yarn has donated two skeins of her hand-dyed Calypso yarn!  All of her colors are simply stunning and I am giddy to check out which ones she sent!  I will update with a photo as soon as they arrive.  Thank you, Dianne!!!

Here are the photos, though they certainly do not do any justice at all to this yarn…  The base is beautiful (510 yards per skein!) and the colors are just. plain. awesome.  Two skeins in Marina Cay, still trying to decide which lots they’ll go in (maybe I’ll let it be a surprise!).

Update, 2/6/2009:

I got an email from Ruth at 5elementknitr.  She is generously donating a set of her Stitch Savers, including a custom-made one with the winner’s name!  I don’t know how many times a crochet hook has been used in this house to fix problems that are totally unrelated to fiber, but the idea of having one on my keychain, to go everywhere I go…  It makes me giddy.   Thank you, Ruth!!!

I have also decided to add a surprise to each box.  Yay!

I do want to mention that the donations from these lovely ladies and from Erin at ESK wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for Ravelry.  What an awesome resource and outstanding community of people.  I am completely at a loss for words to describe how much good this whole process has done for my heart.

Prize lots are as follows:

BIG LOT:

2 x Adriafil Carezza, color 01 black
2 x Alpaca with a Twist Big Baby, color 2014 (light purple)
1+ x Artful Yarns Jazz, color54 (blues, discontinued)
4 x Bernat Cotton Tots, Grape Berry
4+ x Bernat Cotton Tots, Wonder White
1 x Bernat Softy Chunky (hot pink)
2 x Berocco Comfort color 9727 Spanish Brown
2 x Berocco Comfort color 9781 Olive
2 x Berocco Comfort color 9734 Licorice
2 x Berocco Comfort color 9741 Bitter Sweet
2 x Berocco Comfort color 9721 Sprig
4 x Berocco Touche, Peeps
3+ x Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, color 83 Sage
2 x Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton, color 82 Nut
2 x Bristol Yarn Gallery King George, color 302 (brown)
1 x Caron Bliss, Jade
9 x Cascade Pima Tencel, color 7013 Teal
1 x Cherry Tree Hill Orenburg Lace, 44g, Plum Pie
1 x Cherry Tree Hill Possum Laceweight, Misty Moor
2 x Classic Elite Beatrice, color 3285 Autumn Hillside
4 x Classic Elite Desert. color 2077 (blues/greys)
1 x Classic Elite Provence, color 2653 (pink)
1 x Classic Elite Provence, color 2617 (purple)
1 x Classic Elite Provence, color 2646 (blue)
1 x Classic Elite Provence, color 2695 (melon)
1 x Classic Elite Provence, color 2681 (lime green)
2 x Classic Elite Provence, color 2633 (yellow)
9 x Cleckheaton Merino Supreme, color 2205 (dark grey)
3 x Cleckheaton Merino Supreme, color 2202 (light grey)
8 x Cleckheaton Merino Supreme, color 2200 (white/cream)
2 x Crystal Palace Panda Cotton, Kiwi-Mango
1 x Dream in Color Baby, Beach Fog
1 x Dream in Color Baby, Cloud Jungle
2+ x Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool, color 32 (blue)
2 x FiberNatura Flax, color 09 Robin
1 x Fiber Natura Flax, color 12 Tarragon
1 x Handmaiden Fine Yarn Sea Silk, Smoke
1 x JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk 2/18, Admiral
2 x K1C2 2nd Time Cotton, Nantucket
2 x K1C2 2nd Time Cotton, Valencia
2 x Knit Picks Essential, Turtle Multi
2 x Knit Picks Telemark, Deep Navy
1 x Lang Mille Colori, color 697.0088 (blues/greys)
10 x Lily Sugar & Cream, various colors
1 x Lion Jiffy, Dusty Pink
2 x Lion Woolease Thick & Quick, Wheat
8 x Madil Eden, color 002 (black)
4 x Manos Del uruguay, color 48 Cherry
1 x Noro Cash Island, color 12
3 x Noro Kochoran, color 10
3 x Noro Kochoran, color 53
1 x Patons Classic Wool, Natural Mix
1 x Patons SWS, Natural Denim
3 x Patons SWS, Natural Plum
10 x Pisgah Yarn Peaches & Creme, various colors
1 x Pisgah Yarn Peaches & Creme 1 lb cone
4 x Plymouth Royal Bamboo, color 80 (white/cream)
3 x Plymouth Royal Llama Silk, color 1002 (grey)
1 x Rio De La Plata Multicolor Ply DK, lime green/ethereal blue/vibrant orange
1 x Shepherd Color 4 Me, color 4952 lime green
10 x Southwest Trading Co. Amerah, Oh Girl
2 x Southwest Trading Co. Phoenix, Purplexed
2 x Sublime Angora Merino, color 73 (black)
1 x Sundara Sock Yarn, Seasons or Limited Edition color (may ship separately)
4 x Twinkle Handknits Cruise, color 39 Periwinkle
6 x Unger Skol, color 205 (green)
2 x vintage wool, (blue/teal)
1 x Wollmeise Sock, Krauterbeet
Set of Stitch Savers from http://5elementknitr.etsy.com
1 x A Surprise!

SOCK LOT:

1 x The Alpaca Yarn Co. Paca-Peds, Green Gator
1 x Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome Potluck (bright blue & orange)
1 x Dream in Color Smooshy, Dusky Aurora
1 x Malabrigo Sock, Indiecita
1 x Pagewood Farms Alyeska, Crayon
1 x Prism Sake, Sierra
1 x Sundara Sock Yarn, Seasons or Limited Edition color (may ship separately)
1 x The Unique Sheep Tinsel Toes, Dusk
1 x Wollmeise Sock, Saami
2 x Yarn Love Elizabeth Bennet, Bayfield Apple
1 x A Surprise!

THE OTHER LOT

1 x Learn to Spin Drop Spindle Kit from Naked Pines Ranch (contains drop spindle, instructions, and 40z. Romney wool roving)
1 x Bag of wool roving, 6 colors
1 x Sundara Sock Yarn, Seasons or Limited Edition color (may ship separately)
1 x pair of ChiaoGoo knitting needles, size 15
1 x Bohemia Soy Candle, your choice of scents (limited to their stock)
1 x A Surprise!