I got started on writing a couple of letters and it's a little harder than I thought it would be! I mean physically. My hand has forgotten how to hold a pen...I hope when you guys receive my letter you're able to read it :-\

OK then, since it takes only two people to successfully swap letters, and since there have been at least two people who are interested in doing so, I have decided that there enough participants to warrant a letter swap club for knitters, and that I will organize it. (!!) I'll be real creative and call it...The Knitterly Letter Swap.

So if you have a stationery stash that rivals your yarn stash, and the idea of writing a letter pleases you as much as receiving one, just like the good ole days before the Internet took over our lives, then the Knitterly Letter Swap is the thing for you!

THE HOW AND THE WHAT
1) E-mail me your full name and address by March 30, 2007.

Subject: Knitterly Letter Swap
- Include your name and address.
- Also include the url to your blog if you have one.
It would be preferable if you have a blog, just so your penpal can have a little bit of context before they write you. But if you don't have one, please include a very short summary or bullet about yourself - your favorite yarn, favorite color, food, etc.

2) Each person will be assigned another person to write to.
In other words, each person will initiate a letter to someone else.

Everyone's penpal will be selected randomly.
I will notify you of yours by April 2, 2007.

More clarification:
Amanda just asked: Since every person is assigned one person randomly, this means that the person I initiate a letter to is NOT the person initiating a letter to me, correct? Correct! Therefore, this little project should net me 2 different pen pals? Correct again! All said, you will have 2 different penpals: one you initially write TO, and another you RESPOND to.

JUST TWO SIMPLE RULES
1) Write to your penpal within 2 weeks. Just so people have a timeframe of when they might expect a letter.

2) Respond to whomever initially writes to you.
Again, within two weeks.

So when all is said and done, you will have written two letters to different people, and received two letters from different people, all appoximately within the month of April, depending on the speediness of the postman of course and where you live. Ta da!

(Seriously, does that make sense?)

KEEP IN MIND
This is about bringing the art of letter-writing back (if not for just a few rounds)! It's meant to be low-key, and for fun, and for people who love paper goods and love writing letters.

This is just a way to jumpstart the penpal process into motion. Whatever happens after this initial round is up to you. If you find true love with your penpal, you can of course keep writing.

Though I am no enforcer of the law, if you join and somehow don't write, I will grrowl and your penpal will cry.

You might receive an overseas penpal. Which is COOL! But I thought I'd throw that out there in case you're adverse to licking an extra stamp.

What you want to write about is up to you, but I liked the idea of including a few personal items with your letter. You could:
1) Attach a snippet of your favorite yarn, or yarn from your current project (as if it were a lock of hair, haha).
2) Snip the current weather forecast from your local paper. To my penpal in sunny California: see how cold it still is in Boston!
3) Include a pressed flower from your garden. I can't do this because everything is still dead.
4) Include a copy of your favorite recipe.
etc. etc. etc.

And, of course the prettier the stationery, the better :)

Looking forward to hearing from you fellow letter-lovers!

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