August 21, 2006
The Envelope, Please!
At 12:01 PDT, 71 hours and 430 votes after the launch of the poll, we had a winner, although, as you can see from the pie chart, not by a wholeheckuvalot. With a difference between the two voting “factions” of a mere 6.6% (even with the hanging chads taken into account), the winner is—drrrrumrrrroll!—the old logo!
It was fascinating to watch how the voting went—particularly because TMK and I were unshakeably convinced the new logo would win by a landslide, it being so “knitty” and knowing how we knitters are about our “knitty” things—and to read what people had to say. Although you understood and appreciated the look and feel of the new logo—and some of you fell loco in love with it, as I did—there was obviously a strong loyalty toward the old logo, its ethnic feel, and the history we have with those earthy colors, that font, and that “desert-y” look. So the old logo it is. Benissima. Now TMK and I can start gearing up for Dulaan 2007. Thank you!
On the Giveaway front, a fun development. I had my semi-annual meeting with my financial advisor last week and, you know how it is—we’re pals; we’re gals; we natter; we chat. She tells me all about her most recent international triathlon in Newfoundland and I tell her all about the knitting and Dulaan (triathlete, meet couch potato; couch potato, meet triathlete). After hearing about the Giveaway, unbidden, she volunteered to supply all of the lemonade and cookies, with the bonus addition of scads of popcorn for the watching of the movie—and she’s not a knitter, nor will she even be at the Giveaway! It's just important to her to support the project in any way she can. So the yarn will have been donated by a rug manufacturer and the munchies will have been provided by a financial planning company! Dulaan has gone corporate!
We’ve also gone (very belatedly and perhaps arguably) high-tech. As much as I appreciated TMK’s offer of letting us use her laptop to view the movie, what with all the in-your-lap huddling that would be required, the leaning-in and the clapping and gesturing-excitedly-at-the-screen that would surely ensue and the pointy sticks we would all be waving around, I was worried that someone would be severely and painfully poked, making me ineligible to compete for Hostess of the Year. So, I now own a DVD player. A cheap-o one, to be sure, since it will probably never be touched again until ten years from now when it is pulled out to be replaced with whatever the newest, latest, greatest technology-of-the-moment is, but it will do the trick for Saturday.
Also, the number of rubberneckers is increasing exponentially so, officially, if you'd rather have three root canals in a row without benefit of anaesthesia than take any of the yarn, but you still want to come knit, hang out, drink lemonade, eat cookies and watch the movie, what the hell—come on down! For directions, email me.
Lastly, I have an email in to F.I.R.E. to find out what the latest numbers are and I will post them as soon as I know.
P.S. A wink and a nod go out to Dear Reader Annette in Australia who has been successfully helping me combat the post-Dulaan-2006 doldrums. Thank you, Annette, for your lovely emails!
Aww, don't cool people rock?
Congrats on the DVD player. Now get yourself a Netflix subscription and start queueing up the movies. One of these days here soon I'm going to have an Angelina Jolie movie fest weekend. Oh Netflix, how I love thee...
Mmm, sorry, where was I?
Yay! I really love the look of the old logo. I agree with Carrie on the Netflix thing. We don't get TV reception at all, so Netflix is the only thing the telly gets used for. And its pretty cheap, too.
Posted by: Mel on August 21, 2006 02:17 PMI predict you will fall hard for the DVD player, as I did. We resisted forEVER, being the technophobes we are. Then we bought one, and it sat in the box for about six months. Then the daughter and her boyfriend came for a weekend, and I said, "Ryan (not you, him), hook that damn thing up, will ya?" And two-point-five minutes later it was hooked up, and the rest, as they say, is history. It's Blockbuster.com for us rather than Netflix, but.....
Anyhoo. Very cool of your financial advisor re the lemonade and cookies. I guess I should get one of those, too (financial advisors, that is). Thing is, the only "finances" seem to be MONEY GOING OUT FOR TUITION. There's nothing left over to advise upon -- TRUST ME on this one.
Posted by: Norma on August 21, 2006 04:12 PMI had a DVD player for a year before I gave into the Netflix lure -- Now I am loving it -- If I watch a movie in the middle of the night I just put it in the mailbox and off it goes. And I can get old movies and old tv shows too -- heaven
I love the old logo -- how many votes did you have like mine though -- the old logo - with the addition of the knitting somehow??
Posted by: rho on August 21, 2006 04:41 PMExcellent news all around -- DVD player, lemonade, cookies, popcorn! Good work, Ryan!
btw, didn't you used to do that thing with the pointy sticks and yarn? And sometimes even post pictures of it? Any of that going on in your [very busy, I'm sure] life these days?
I know, I'm a pest...
Posted by: kmkat on August 21, 2006 07:38 PMRyan dear, when the film makes it's way 'round, let me know as I can surely arrange a screening for the Arizona contingent!
My hubby started his own biz this year, and he rents (guess what?) A/V equipment! If we could get it to you economically, we would, but I think he'd pshaw that idea.
However, I'm certain I could get him to donate a player and projector for use here in the desert, and might even be able to browbeat my boss into letting us have the use of a hall for a night......
Posted by: kt on August 21, 2006 09:03 PMLet's see -- 53.3% to 46.7% -- in political circles, that's known as a landslide!
Posted by: KayTheArky on August 21, 2006 10:37 PMI'm famous!!!! Please form an orderly queue to the left for autographs.
Nah seriously....I'm glad the old logo won out, that was the one I was hoping would win.
Now Ryan, any time you need me to prattle on endlessly in emails....ya know where to find me. Now go do some knitting. Mamma needs her pics to drool over.
I won! ;)
Posted by: Scout on August 22, 2006 05:37 AMWell, I am kinda disappointed. I love the old logo, and so that is cool that it will be used for another year, but I really did enjoy the new one, and I would like to now thank TMK for taking the time to design a new one for us--she is a craftperson of the first order people, and I know we all appreciate her putting some of her creative genius into our project. (And just for the record, Dulaan really doesn't need to be capitalized--it is not a place or a proper noun--but a word in Mongolian meaning "warmth.") Mary B
Posted by: Mary B on August 22, 2006 07:19 AMRandom stupid question: Are animal images okay for Dulann sweaters? I'm making a sweater, and was thinking of putting duck buttons on it. I want to make sure it's okay first before I actually commit to seweing them on. I have a plethora of other button options, though, so either way is no big deal.
Posted by: Amanda on August 22, 2006 12:27 PMAmanda, I say heck, yeah, to the duck buttons! They sound adorable!
kmk, knitting is happening, I promise, er, just not knitting and photographs. I've finished two more dishcloths, I'm struggling away on the bulky vest, and am 95% done with another sweater!
rho, I'm afraid the logos we posted were "it." Despite the numerous suggestions for changes we did get, no tweaking or changing will take place since TMK is workin' girl and has her hands full with other things like, oh, I don't know, companies that actually pay her the way I...don't.
Posted by: Ryan on August 22, 2006 01:06 PMWill there be any way to get our hands on a copy of the DVD for those of us half a country (or world) away? Our Charitable Crafters group and the Northern Lights Knitting Guild here in Duluth, MN have enjoyed sending items in and we could have our own little screening party! It would be a fun thing to do at our annual holiday get together...Please let me/us know. Thanks in advance.-Tina
Posted by: Tina on August 22, 2006 01:31 PM