Columbus Blue Jackets vs Anaheim Ducks, Nationwide Arena

Saturday February 21st, 2009

Puck drops at 7pm

Tickets – $30 per person includes hot dog, soda, popcorn and a Columbus Blue Jackets hat.

Bring your friends and come join us! It will be a ton of fun. Let’s see if we can’t beat our attendance of 100 people from last year!

It was fun to watch the first surge arrive. Nationwide Arena has escalators to take folks to the 2nd level and we watched the knitters and crocheters as they rode the escalator with their bags that gave them away. (The boy says you can always tell a knitter/crocheter because they always have a couple of bags.) Everyone was pleased and had fun checking out their goodie bags. The goodie bags consisted of the following:

Each person received either an IK or IC magazine and at random. There were also 3 different patterns and folks received one of them at random. The colors of yarn also varied at random.

When we gave each person a goodie bag they also received a listing of which vendors had donated to the event and what they donated. (The fun part about that list was that at 2pm I realized that I had forgotten to include one business so I began to write that company in by hand on all 100 sheets that had been printed out. Thankfully, my mom stepped in and helped or I wouldn’t have finished!) Everyone also filled out a raffle slip that I had created specifically for this event. The raffle slips included their row and seat numbers so that we could deliver all the door prizes during the game. I got to meet several people that I have been communicating with online and through Ravelry. It was all very fun!

Once the first period started our Blue Jackets contact said that the usual guy who ran the Season Ticket Holders booth would be coming and could hand out our bags as well so that we could watch the game. Score! We cleaned up the area as we didn’t really have very many bags left at that point and instructed him on all the intricacies of passing out bags.

I came back down during the 1st intermission to check on the progress. I think one of my favorite interactions was a guy who came down, read our sign and then said “ahh so this is what all the stitching is about!” He informed me that he had a seat in the back row of our section and was surrounded by knitters. “There were all these people knitting and it just blew my mind!” I heart good sports. There were a few other folks who came over to read the signs and seemed interested in the idea.

During the 2nd intermission I separated out the raffle slips to start the drawings aided by my little brother and my boyfriend. We drew for the crochet prizes and then dumped the crocheters who didn’t win in with the knitters and undecideds for the general prizes. After all the prizes were assigned and the 3rd period began my poor 14 yo brother was sent by himself to deliver Raverly totes and tees to the winners. Let’s just say he was popular. One of the attendees TechnoCowboy looked at him while he was reviewing the winning slips and said call my name. My brother was like hmm are you ___? And he was! Too funny!

The winner of the $100 gift certificate to YarnMarket didn’t seem the least bit disappointed. Our family friends that came along to support my event walked away with two of the door prizes. One of them even won some of the gorgeous handspun donated by Five Llamas. We had 25 door prizes and about 100 attendees so 1 in every 4 people won a prize! Talk about your good odds. The final stats are:

• 113 tickets sold
• 92 goodie bags distributed
• 96 raffle slips submitted

We collected 100 blocks for Warm Up America. I will be contacting one of the local organizations Warm Up Worthington to donate the blocks to. Sadly, the Blue Jackets lost but the rest of the game was great and we should have another one next year!

Feel free to leave feedback from the event here or over on the Sticks N Stitches page. Also check out more pictures from the event: photos and door prizes.

Once we returned home the real fun began. The boy took a brief nap and then we began assembling the goodie bags for Sticks N Stitches. One of the distinct advantages to having many siblings is that you have lots of cheap labour that can’t say no. I asked my beloved engineer to set up a good process flow for us, since you know that is precisely what he got his degree in. He feigned disinterest and so I began our process. As one would presume, he quickly took over the process line, set up sub assemblies and we were on our way. (There was also some assistance from my father who also works in manufacturing, it is so handy to have these guys around!)

A lovely action shot of me adding items to the goodie bags while explaining the end goal to the boy.

My brother and sister helping out. They both knit! (The other brother was excused because he was at “work”)

Mom helping and keeping the dog (Sassy) at bay. Sassy kept wanting to play with the yarn!

The process went fairly quickly and our house was soon overtaken by clear bags. It looked a bit like some alien force was growing. We had one quality control issue but that was quickly sorted out and the bags are good to go. We will be quite a sight at Nationwide Arena today but I am quite certain all the attendees will be pleased with their spoils. I wrapped up my evening cataloging all of the door prizes so that I can show them all to you after the game. (Don’t want to spoil the surprise!)

The alien bag army has leaked into the rest of the house, it is aiming for world domination, methinks.

I have a couple more tasks to complete today before game time but I will be at the arena around 4:30pm. I look forward to seeing you all there!

Sticks ‘N Stitches – We have over 100 people who have purchased tickets and we still have 3 more days until the event! I am very excited that we will have such great turn out as well as thoroughly beating Colorado’s turn out! I have made 100 goodie bags they will now be handed out on a while supplies last basis. The non fiber folk in my party have promised not to snatch me extra bags, as long as everyone follows this ideal we should have plenty for everyone. Oh and I should have a table just outside our section where we will be handing these out. I am sooo excited for this!

Moving – The boy and I have been house hunting on the weekends while trying to pack and clean during the week. Fortunately we still have our apartment until we decide to hand over our keys but my mind is swimming with to do lists that I just can not seem to get down on paper. Our wonderful moving boxes are provided courtesy of The Fresh Market and St Ann’s Hospital. One of those big white boxes can hold a total knee kit. We packed up quite a bit of my craft supplies because in all honesty, I am not getting much done right now. I have kept about 6 projects out to work on and I will be lucky to complete any of them while we work on moving.

It’s official that I do not have excessive stash. The vast majority of my yarn and fiber are in the box on the right. The other two boxes hold my sewing supplies, scrapbooking supplies and lord knows what else. (The boy packed my craft closet for me)

Baby Jacket – Is coming along I just don’t feel like I have accomplished enough new knitting to show you.

I hope your back is well. I apologize that you had to carry 70lbs of magazines and books up a flight of stairs to my doorstep. You were awesome to bring them into my home and not make me lift them. Just so you know, by delivering these items you not only made my day with the books but you will also be making numerous knitters and crocheters happy as they receive their magazines at Sticks N Stitches. Thanks again for all you do.

Love,

Me

PS – I hope you don’t mind that you will probably be delivering 25lbs of yarn tomorrow.

Door prizes and magazines from Interweave are in. I am expecting the shipment of yarn tomorrow. Are you getting excited for Sticks N Stitches? I know I am! 68 tickets sold…10 more to be ordered, if we can get another 10 on top of that we should be able to beat Colorado! (No, I am not competitive at all, what makes you say that?)

One of the shops just e-mailed me to say that they are sending a $100 gift certificate for a door prize.

That is all.

PS – Please bring Warm Up America blocks.

If you would like to donate any door prizes or items for the goody bags drop me a line. Also if you are donating items be sure to include your name/business card with the item so our lovely participants will know where to go to get more!

Confirmed donators:
Interweave Press
Temptation
Ewetopia
Fiberworks
Yarn Basket
Yarn Market
Webs – Ready, Set, Knit
SWTC

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