Q3 Challenge - Easy as 1, 2, 3!

Greetings again friends! This is the official announcement of our third quarter challenge. We're closer than we realize to the end of the year (yikes!) and like me, many of you still have visions of a stress free gifting Q4 dancing around in our heads. To help us along that path, here are the rules for the Q3 Challenge. To qualify as a contender you must complete the following:

1. Make Something old - finish an in-progress or unfinished gift that has been lingering in your project pile.

2. Make Something new - start and finish a new gift

3. Make Something special just for you - many times when gifting season comes, making things for ourselves is completely forgotten, so this is your chance to knit, crochet, sew something just for you!

Additional rules:

• Please email BrownBerry at mamamarce@gmail.com to accept the challenge
• All 3 items must be completed by September 30th to qualify
• Please post pictures or a description of what you plan to complete for each of the 3 items
• Please email BrownBerry when you have finished all 3 parts of the challenge
• Please tag your finished posts with "Q3ChallengeFO"
• One Bonus entry will be given for any item that is completed for a Q4 gift

Prizes
I'm going to give you only hints this time :) Hint #1 and Hint #2

ARE YOU IN??? I just know you can bring some energy and enthusiasm to this one! We're cheering you on to a Q3 Challenge victory!

P.S. Thanks for your patience with me recently, my work priorities seem like they have tripled, and some frequent travel has meant that I can't be as quick to respond as I would like - I'm tracking your great progress though, and doing my best to keep up with each of your posts and messages!

BIG Finish?

Hello Gift-a-Longers!

I know that this time of year can get more and more hectic - school is out, kids are home and looking to be entertained, graduations, weddings, and all the fun in the sun activities we've been missing.

I want to say a big WAY TO GO for those of you who've succeeded in completing the Q2 Challenge. Today is the last day to complete your entry, so I won't count the Challenge officially closed until midnight eastern time. ;)

Many of you are still aiming to finish gifts in time for the upcoming holidays in Q4, and having seen what you've been able to accomplish already, I just know you're going to outdo yourselves this year. Stress free gifting is still our goal, and I'm positive that we can meet it!

I'll announce the winner of the Q2 Challenge drawing on Wednesday or Thursday of this week.
I'm still mulling over what the Q3 Challenge will be, so more on that soon.

Remember, every stitch counts, so even if you haven't been churning out the gifts because life priorities have changed, DON'T STRESS! We still have time to be early and on-time with our giving.

Be well everyone!

FIRST QUARTER RECAP - PLEASE READ

Hello GALs! I'm posting a quick recap of all the greatness that came out of this blog in Q1 along with a few housekeeping notes.

First, let's raise our pom poms HIGH for this quarter's Fabulous Finishers!

Those who completed FIFTEEN gifts or more - WOO HOO!:

JavaNut (aka Debra)
MaryB
Michelle W in Oz

Those who completed 10-14 gifts
DianaT, laughing purple goldfish, Leigh Ann, Pheelya, the Holistic Knitter, Victoria S

Those who completed 5-9 gifts
Barbara M, Bee R, Bianca B, Deborah, indytricoter, Janlyn, Jennifer (yawnover), Jessica K., Lizzie K8, Manda, Michelle M, Monica M, NH Knitting Mama, Rima, Sara M, Sasha, Suzenew, Valerie M-P,

Those who completed up to 5 gifts
Angela T, Becky L, Beth B, Birgit, Bonnie O, Carrie Y, Casey, Catherine H, Cathy H, CindyH, Cycling Knitter, Elizabeth M, Emma, Erika, Feralmama, Hayley, J Sins, Jacky C, Jadielady, Jan S, Jenny C, Joslyn, Kim M, KimT, KnittinChick, L'Tanya, LeAnn, lilknitter, Melanie N, Milly, Morrighan, Nicole aka BigSister, Purly Girly, Rachel W, Saffron, Sally V, Sarah, SheWhoMust, Sydney C, Tamiko (Spatial Stitches),

Those names and stars represent a whole lot of time and loving effort. Give yourself a BIG HUG for that (and throw in one from me too). If you're not up there and should be, please email mamamarce@gmail.com.

Housekeeping:

For Q2, I will not be doing the star tracking as we did in Q1. I love the idea of showing these sparkly markers of your finishes, but the time it takes to keep up with you speedy gifters means that sometimes I fall behind and someone doesn't get a star (or 3) when they should :(

For this quarter, if you have accepted and completed the Q2 Challenge, you will see a star by your name to indicate your # of entries (remember the bonus entry for knitting BIG for a Q4 gift). Please also tag your posts with Q2 Challenge FO. This will help me to track all the Challengers and their entries.

There will also be a prize drawing from all of you who post finishes out here for April, May, or June, so each time you finish something, please tag your post with Q2 FO. I will compile these at the end of June and draw from those names for some extra special goodies.