Nightswimmer was asking me earlier about swaps and I thought I would post the response here as it’s the most obvious board I can find to place it on.
There are hundreds of organised craft swaps taking place on the web - some local (i.e. the UK) and some international.
My favourite is the International Scarf Exchange which runs 2 or 3 times a year. I enjoy knitting scarves and enjoy receiving them.
I’ve also taken part in swaps for stitch markers, handmade journals, embroidered patches and knit/crochet toys on Craftster.org and also on Crafty Threads n Yarns. What can I say, I love to swap.
Some swaps are anonymous and others aren’t. It’s down to the organiser or hostess to decide what type of swap they wish to run.
Check out http://knitalongs.xaviermusketeer.com - it’s a good place to start if you’re interested in joining established swaps. The site has been maintaining this list for a few years so I imagine that most of the swaps listed are organised by experienced hostesses.
Another good source for crafty swaps is Swap-Bot. This is a ‘swap’ site where you have to register to join a specific swap. Some of the swaps are public and anybody can join. But some are private and require a secret password to join (this enables the hostess to monitor who joins in or to limit entries to people they’re familiar with.)
When you join a swap you commit to make something specific for the person or partner you’re ‘spoiling’. It’s not cool to sign up for a swap and then flake out so only sign up to a swap if you are 100% sure you can fulfill your obligation.
Obviously life gets in the way sometimes and situations arise beyond your control. I can’t stress this enough that if you have any doubts, then don’t sign up. It’s not worth the stress or hassle. Plus you won’t enjoy the whole process if you’re unable to meet the deadline etc…
I’ve always been very lucky and have only had one person flake on me in all the swaps I’ve taken part in.
When someone does flake, it’s important to check with the hostess, whether you will be sent an Angel package or whether it’s tough luck! It’s usually not the hostesses fault nor their requirement to send you something themselves if your partner lets you down. It wouldn’t be fair on the organiser and would ultimately work out expensive for him/her.
But thankfully there are crafty angels out there who will always step in and send you something if your partner bails. It’s all about the crafty Kharma at the end of the day.
I’m sorry this post is so long but I hope you will find it helpful. Don’t be afraid to ask any questions.
The photos below are things that I’ve made for swaps:
1) Cabled scarf in Debbie Bliss Cathay Silk for my Int’l Scarf Exchange 5 pal
2) Pink double flower dishcloth in Katia Cotton for a dishcloth swap on Craftythreadsnyarns.
3) Finally the little Amigurumi hamster was made for a ‘Tiny Thing’ swap on Craftster.
