Saturday, July 28, 2007

Knit 1 Tea 2 Color Swap Questionnaire

For those of you who plan on signing up and putting up your questionnaire early that is not a problem, just remember to sign up when the details and email address are posted!!

Although sign ups do not start until the August 3rd we thought we would get a jump on the Questionnaire. For those of you planning on joining here is the questions that will need to be answered and posted before August 20th, so that matches can be sent out on the 22nd. And remember the DETAILS are listed for the swap specifics if you are wondering how this one works.
Knit 1 Tea 2 Color Swap Questionnaire
  1. Do you like loose tea or bags, or both – something you want to try?

  2. What is your favorite kind of tea (Brand, flavor, variety, etc)?

  3. Favorite color in regards to tea or one you would like to try? (black, green, red, and white) (keeping in mind that this is how this swap is set up).

  4. Would you say you were a tea pot kind of person or just a hot water heater kind?

  5. What tea accessories would you like but have never purchases for yourself?

  6. How do you prefer to be pampered? (examples: mani/pedi, bubble bath, yummy treat, etc).

  7. If you were a kind of yarn what would you be and why?

  8. If you had to knit/crochet baby booties, a fun fur scarf, or a fair isle sweater, which would you choose and why?

  9. What other event would make you skip a tea party? (A garden party? A book club meeting? A yoga class? Opening night for a new action thriller? etc?)

  10. What treat would you consider essential at your tea party? (Sweet? Salty? Scones? Those petite pastry trays with a couple of all sorts of things? Little crust less sandwiches?)

  11. When buying yarn for a project how do you choose - do you buy the one called for or do you substitute?

  12. What do you carry your knitting/crocheting in when on the go?

  13. Favorite movie to watch while knitting/crocheting?

  14. Are you a traditional tea cup kind of person or a mug type of person? Do you care if they match?

  15. Favorite childhood birthday party?

  16. Favorite type of scone and jam?

  17. If you use candles, what is your favorite scent?

  18. If you could choose 3 people to have 'tea' with, who would they be and why? (famous or not, living or dead).

  19. You've been invited to a tea party, what 'props' will you wear (formal or casual)?

  20. Any allergies/preferences you have or are willing to admit to?

  21. Anything we missed that you want your pal to know?

Sunday, July 22, 2007

We have a Winner!

Congrats to Cass, winner of our how do you like your tea contest! I hope to get the package out before we leave on Friday, but no promises.

Thanks to each and every one of you for expressing an interest and sharing your tea preferences with us. Keep it up. It won't be as long as it has been; remember, sign-ups open August 3rd and close when we reach 150 participants, or August 15th, whichever comes first.

Thursday, July 19, 2007

Blog Required

We are really enjoying the steady stream of comments! You are reading each other's comments too, I hope? I do have my own comments on "high tea" (which isn't so lofty after all), but that's a post for another day. Right now, I'm still trying to ease back into my daily routine, and catch up on my sleep.

I did want to take a moment to note that we are requiring swap participants to have a blog. It just makes it easier for each pal to connect with another and get a true feel for his/her pal! There are no posting requirements though, so if you don't currently have a blog, we hope you'll take a moment - and that's really all it takes! - to create one where you can post your questionnaire and contest answers, if nothing else!

Let me be clear - we are *NOT* doing this to be exclusionary. We want everyone who wants to participate to be able to sign up, but we also want to ensure that every swapper has the best experience possible.

Thanks again for all of the comments and interest!

Wednesday, July 18, 2007

The 10 Commandments of Tea











Thou shall not call it brewed; tea is steeped.
Thou shall select water with care. Avoid hard water or even a hint of chlorine.
Thou shall respect tea; it is all-natural.
Thou shall understand the three different types of tea: Green, Oolong, and Black.
Thou shall sanitize equipment before each run.
Thou shall use Tea Essence as a flavor supplement to help avoid the formation of unsightly sediment in the container.
Thou shall read the Templar Tea Update.
Thou shall be guilt free; tea is healthful.
Thou shall know how to spell Polyphenol.
Thou shall drink tea often.

Saturday, July 14, 2007

Let's Talk Tea

As July seems to keep speeding by, I would like to talk a little tea talk, because before you know it - it will be tea time. When I say tea many first think the drink, but tea also represents a time of day when tea, little sandwiches, and desserts are eaten. This is done mostly in England, but there are teas served all over the country as a special treat.

One of my most favorite birthday parties when I was in the 4th grade was a tea party. My mom prepared lots of yummy sandwiches (minus the crust), wonderful cakes and scones and of course we got to use her beautiful porcelain tea pots. It was quite a treat for me and my friends to be having our very own tea time. Another fond tea time I remember was when I was on my honeymoon in Victoria, Canada. We went to the Empress Hotel for their afternoon tea. It was amazing. The food, the tea, the atmosphere. The price is a bit steep, but well worth the cost to enjoy a wonderful afternoon. I recommend it if you are ever in Victoria.

For me now, tea time isn't quite as fancy, but I still enjoy making a cup of tea, perhaps having a treat as well and sitting down with my knitting or book to enjoy a very pleasant evening. You will usually find me drinking a cup of Tazo Earl Grey. It gets its distinct flavor from Bergamot orange oil. I am partial to the Tazo brand being that they are located in Portland, Oregon (my home town).

Just a few reminders, our first contest is open until July 20th and sign ups will start on August 3rd. Please read the list of swap details to make sure this is the tea house you want to reserve a table at, we would love to have you!

Take a moment for yourself today and enjoy a wonderful tea prepared the way you like it. Whether it be hot or cold with our with out treats, you deserve a little 'you' time.

Happy Tea, Knitting, and of course Swapping!

Wednesday, July 11, 2007

Keep 'Em Coming!

We are enjoying reading up on how you take your tea!

My father, my husband, and my brother inlaw, all believe there is no such thing as too sweet iced tea. In fact, my father preferred sweet tea made with a simple sugar, and THEN, add granulated sugar until you have quite a pile in the bottom of the glass. (Gross!) Personally, I still adore iced tea with a bit of sweet and crushed mint, with a pretty sprig of mint as a garnish, but that's an awful lot of trouble, so I generally just make green tea and pour it over ice. (Hubby won't drink that...)

So, at our virtual tea party, we'll need quite an assortment of tea, milk AND cream, honey, raw brown sugar, and so much more. Of course, there will be a tall pitcher of iced tea, just the way YOU like it on the sideboard too...

Monday, July 9, 2007

The Devil's in the Details

Wow! There's already a lot of interest in our swap. Just to make sure we're all on the same page, please read through all of the rules and guidelines below. Also, please note that sign-ups won't begin until August 3rd.

This is the first of what we hope will be a rather regular swap. We're calling this one "The Colors of Tea." I'll explain and give examples in a moment, but the idea is that tea, like yarn, is colorful and comes in all kinds of fibers - oops, that would be varieties. Some of you are well-versed in tea, some are new and hope to learn more through this swap, and I'm betting a lot of you fall somewhere in between. Wherever you are on your tea journey, we hope you'll travel along with us.

The Colors of Tea

This is a very abbreviated primer, but basically, there are several varieties of tea - black, green, red, and white. What most of us call herbal teas aren't really made from the same plant as true tea, but for the purpose of the swap, if your partner likes herbals or you have a favorite that will fit his/her desires, go for it! The idea is to get to know your pal through the questionnaire, blogs and anonymous emails to prepare a fun, personal swap package. So, let's take the color red, for example. Say your pal is new to tea, and loves red. She is interested in learning about loose teas, for the sake of our example. Finding the right yarn, I'll leave to your imagination, but for teas, I'd pick something like Harney's Strawberry-Kiwi, and then fill the box with a mesh strainer, some strawberry preserves and a nice scone mix, and a pretty red tea cozy.

One of the reasons we're posting details early is so you can ask questions. Please do! Your tearoom hostesses want to get to know you and help you have a great tea party with us. There will also be more tidbits on tea as we go along.

So, the fine print:

Sign-ups will open August 3rd and end August 15th, or as soon as we have 150 participants.



This is an anonymous swap. You will send to and receive from two different people.



Your questionnaire (to be posted after sign-ups are underway) must be posted before August 20th, so that matches can be sent out on the 22nd.



The minimum dollar amount for your swap package is $40. That does not include shipping or the value of the time you spend preparing your package and the items within.



You may request to be matched with someone within your own country. We will do our best to honor those requests.



You must contact your pal by August 25th.



Your package must ship on or before October 1.



The package requirements:



One full skein of yarn. It must be new! It may be from your stash if it is truly something your pal would like.
One tin/box of premium tea. As with the yarn, please honor your pal's preferences. If he/she likes loose tea, send loose tea. If he/she likes bags, send bags.
A tea treat or two. We'll list some resources on the side.
A hand-made item that fits the theme. A tea cozy, coasters... use your imagination. Again, we'll have suggestions and links before the swap begins.
A tea accessory of some sort. A new mesh strainer, a mug, or anything else your pal might like.



Please keep in mind that the requirements are MINIMUMS. Feel free to pamper your pal as you would like to be spoiled. Tea is all about socializing and sharing with friends, so that should be the spirit of this swap. Your partner should get that tea with a friend feeling when your package is received.

We'll post other ideas too, including some of my favorite tea books. There's also nothing like a cup of tea and a good book.

Here's to tea, friendship and a good yarn.

Saturday, July 7, 2007

Cream and Sugar?

The always brilliant Devon has sparked our first contest. She's very curious, and wonders how you like your tea? Leave a comment here. One entry per person please, and any who found one of our blogs first will also be eligible. The contest will end on July 20th, which should be about the next time I am calm, cool and collected! The winner will be selected by the ever popular, random number generator.

I (Chan) like mine straight up. Hot, cold, tepid, it's all good. I do like a bit of Splenda and cream in hot, black teas though.

Devon says, "I am a bit of honey kind of girl with a splash of milk if my mood calls for it."

Mary says, "I like my tea sweet, hot or cold."

Thursday, July 5, 2007

Button Up!

Thanks to my awesome co-hostesses, Devon and Mary, we have buttons already. Please respect our bandwidth and download the photo accordingly, and button away!





















Not Yet!

Hello! Thank you for your interest in the Knit One, Tea Too Swap. (Aka: K1, T2) Your hostesses are busy preparing the tea room for you, but check back soon for details on sign-ups and the swap. If you knit (or crochet!) and like tea or would like to learn more about tea, this is the swap for you.