What is the WIPocalypse and what is its goal?
The WIPocalypse is a stitch-a-long playing up on the joke that the world will end in 2012. It’s short for Works In Progress Apocalypse.
The goal of the WIPocalypse is to make progress on your projects. How you go about this is your choice.
What do I have to do for the SAL?
Stitch. First and foremost, enjoy working on whatever pieces you wish to put stitches into.
Each Full Moon, post your updated status on your blog. How you organize that post is up to you – if you’re someone who posts updates frequently, a list of the pieces and links to your updates works great if you’d rather not repeat posts. Please make sure to tag or label it with Wipocalypse so I can find them easily. Then come to this blog (www.measi.net/measiblog) and post the link TO your update.
When is the deadline to sign up?
The deadline to register as an official participant of the WIPocalypse is January 15, 2012 at 11:59 U.S. Eastern Time.
I missed the registration deadline, but I want to participate. Help?
You’re welcome to stitch with us in spirit, and you’re welcome to add your progress photos to the official WIPocalypse thread. You simply won’t be eligible for the drawing at the end of the year.
What are the important dates to remember?
For this SAL, posting dates are for the Full Moons in 2012. Those dates are:
January 9
February 7
March 8
April 6
May 5
June 4
July 3
August 1
August 31
September 29
October 29
November 28
December 28
Do I qualify to participate in the WIPocalypse?
The two requirements are that you have a blog, and that you like to do stitchy crafty things. Your skill level or the type of stitching you do does not matter.
What types of projects can be counted toward the WIPocalypse?
Current Works in Progress (WIPS), long-abandoned Unfinished Objects (UFOs), new starts in 2012, Round Robin portions, pieces for organized exchanges, etc.
I may not have any WIPs carrying over into 2012. Can I begin with fresh starts in the new year?
Absolutely! This SAL is as flexible as it can be – if you stitch on it in 2012, you’re free to count it on your list. After all, anything you stitch on technically is a Work-in-Progress, right? :)
I have no idea what I’m going to stitch on in 2012. Does that matter?
Nope. Feel free to add to your list as you start/work on things next year and allow your list to develop organically. (Trust me… I’m going to be doing this due to my lack of restraint!)
Can I count knitting/crochet/quilting projects toward my progress post?
Yes – but please try to get some cross stitch or embroidery done too!
I have no idea what I’m going to stitch on in 2012. Does that matter?
Nope. Feel free to add to your list as you start/work on things next year and allow your list to develop organically. (Trust me… I’m going to be doing this!)
Do I have to keep a list of what I work on?
No, but it will probably help keep you motivated to see goals, accomplishments, etc. through the year. If you’re someone who works better without lists, that’s cool too.
Is there a minimum/maximum number of pieces I need to work on for the year?
No – this is not like one of the Crazy Challenges which have a set number of pieces. Whether you stick with one piece throughout the year or work on a bunch, you’re fine.
I’m committed to a Round Robin/another SAL/etc. Can I count these pieces?
Yes! If you stitch on it, feel free to count it toward your progress. If you’re getting involved in one of those “Crazy SALs” starting in January like the massive one that is going on this year, you can count those pieces toward this SAL too.
My sole intent with this SAL is to celebrate stitching progress. Work it around your current commitments/events/SALs. It’s simply a way to connect stitchers together who might not otherwise meet each other because they simply tend to stitch in different styles, in different countries, on different designers’ works, etc. and have a good time cheering on the progress that fellow stitchers are making on their projects.
(Warning: There may be an increased volume of stash lust. Don’t blame me for this, please!)
I am a (insert here: one-at-a-timer/rotationer/round robin/newbie/less experienced stitcher/etc.) stitcher. Does this matter?
Nope, not at all. This Stitch-a-Long is for fun. If you’re a less-experienced stitcher, if you’ve never stitched before but want to give it a try and have a cheering section, if you’re super slow or super busy and don’t make much progress every month, or if your stitching interests seem to be different than a lot of the people on this blog – you’re just as welcome as the person stitching the most “in fashion” designers right now.
Will you be sending out a reminder about the SAL closer to the start in January?
Yes. I will be stopping by everyone’s blog in late November/early December with a reminder about the SAL, and any last-minute information and additions to help keep you organized (likely a Google Calendar or mailing list for posting reminders that you can join).
It’s also so I can make sure I’ve added you to my Google Reader for some morning coffee browsing on the weekends!
I don’t currently have a blog, but I really want to join. How do I do that?
If you’ve never blogged before, I recommend either Blogger or Livejournal for an easy, “free 10-minute setup and you’re ready to go” site that doesn’t require any previous experience with websites. They have designs ready to go, so all you have to do is choose one, start typing, and you’re off! As you get more comfortable with the program you can adjust and tweak settings as you need.
I am self-hosting my blog running WordPress, which also provides blog hosting, but I think it’s a bit more involved. I highly recommend it, but not necessarily to someone who’s less interested in tinkering and more interested in just getting started.
What is the giveaway all about?
Each month, each person who posts an update, tags it correctly with “wipocalypse” and checks in at my blog will receive one entry toward a giveaway prize box of stash.
This will allow everyone to continue participating, even if a month or two along the way prevent stitching. I don’t want to discourage folks who may have issues that prevent them from posting for a month and force them to give up entirely on the SAL, but I also want to reward those who do check in every month. Just jump back in when life allows & post with the next available update.
What’s in the prize box?
I don’t know yet! It’s going to develop throughout 2012. I plan on tossing things in there as I go shopping through the year.
Can I add things for the stash box?
Yes! If you’d like to contribute to the box, email me (address below) and I’ll send you my address. Clean, unmarked charts (respect copyright – no photocopies!), finished items, new floss skeins, fabric, etc. are all welcome. If you have other ideas for a contribution, drop me an email to discuss at measiwitch(at)gmail.com
