Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Soakbox KAL!


Ready needles, Set your patterns, and GO! It's Soakbox knit-a-long time!

We gave you a bit of a teaser in the newsletter last week and now it's here... The official beginning of the Soakbox knit along! For the next three months (to work up to your holiday knitting) the nice folks at Soak are going to be providing you with information about Soakboxes. They'll do a  feature on each box over the next two weeks with tips and tricks to help you knit a great pair of mitts. After that you'll see ideas about what you can do with your Soakboxes, fun activities and events and more information about how they came to be.

Don't have a Soakbox yet? You can get them right from Soak, or ask for it at your LYS.


The KAL is going to take place at Soak's Rav group. That's the go-to place for questions, comments and any photos you have of the projects you've knit up with your Soakboxes. You'll also be able to find the fun on Twitter (@soakwash) and Instagram (@jacqueline_soak). Don't forget the #soakbox hashtag so everyone can keep up with what's going on.   You can even send email  to natalieATsoakwashDOTcom about it. They'd love to hear from you. 

Fiona Ellis, the designer of the mitts has recorded a video for each of the patterns. She's even graciously offered to drop in via Skype to yarn shops and groups that are doing their own knit-a-longs. You can send her an email at  fiona.ellisATsympaticoDOTca to set something up.  





What do you say we kick off this KAL with a contest?  We'll be giving away two kits here on the Lorna's Laces blog.  (Cuff Au Lait and Lace Kelly). Each will be personally signed by Fiona. We need you to answer this question:

What is your preference: round tips or square tips for your nails?

Leave your answer in the comments section. We'll keep the contest open until Monday, Oct 22 at midnight CST. Then we'll let our friend the random number generator pick the winners!

They're also giving away two kits on the Soakworthy blog, Double Pointe Pink and Clark Cable.  Just hop on over and follow the directions there. 

Until we see each other again, may your hands be soft, fibers fresh and nails match your knits.


169 comments:

Liz said...

I prefer round nails, but I'm a hopeless nail biter of fifteen years and desperately trying to kick the habit! I had a recent setback but keeping my nails painted in fun colors always helps and I love the colors in these soakboxes!!

Meg said...

Square tips all the way!

Linda said...

I prefer round tips on my finger nails.

Unknown said...

Round tips!

Annika said...

I just prefer that they are not broken! My nails have a tendency to break, which makes keeping them nice challenging.

Unknown said...

I prefer rounded fingernails and square toenails. But like Liz, I'm also a nail biter since my nails have a tendency to tear. I need to get back in the self-manicure habit, a Soakbox would be a great incentive!

MorningSprite said...

Round! It makes my manicurist crazy.

Emily said...

Round for sure!

MotherHenKnits said...

Square tips for me!

pip said...

Round :)

Lynette said...

I prefer short square-shaped nails. I do a LOT of typing and love to keep them short and neat. I've seen the kits in person and they're wonderful!

Roz said...

Round... the better to play guitar with!

penny said...

Round for fingers, square for toes.. but I rarely get to tips. I need to keep them short because I find my finger nails are a great always-available tool ... and square is just easier to do as I stretch for my toes (and try to prevent issues when running). :) i'm totally DIY for my nail care and the soak boxes are such a great idea for a luxurious treat!

Beth @ More Than True said...

Definitely rounded for me, although between doing a lot of typing and attempting to learn both ukulele and guitar, I have to keep them pretty short!

Savannagal said...

Square tips for sure. When I round mine they split on the sides.

Allie said...

I prefer round. I think that suits my fingers better than square.

Mary Fran said...

Round tips!

Unknown said...

I like round, but my nails desperately want to be square, lol! It seems as soon as I get them nice, they break!

Irene said...

I prefer square nails when they haven't broken or split on me.

Tabetha said...

Mine are square with slightly rounded corners. Grin!

teabird said...

rounded, definitely !

teabird on Ravelry

sandi said...

I'm a round-tipped girl all the way!

Hunter said...

I'm 50/50. If my nails are bare or have a translucent polish, I like round. If I have on an opaque polish (especially one of the sort of funky color ones like gray...which is my fave), then I like square.

naiadkitty said...

I like round tips!

Kim said...

Round for fingers, square for toes. Mostly because that's how mine tend to grow anyway.

Unknown said...

I prefer round tips.

Catherine Aliff said...

SQUARE NAILS - I have a shot to keep them on. Round and they fly everywhere. Seriously, I have been in a meeting before and my round nail went flying and landed on the presenters notes....OUCH. It was electric pink nail polish - no hiding who is came from!

Vicky said...

round for me.

RubyC said...

Definitely round for me.

Diana in Philly said...

Would love to do round, but I have big farmer hands -- so square makes my hands look a bit more dainty.

CRCjaxknits said...

Round less damage to the palms while knitting :-)

Unknown said...

I'm a rebel. I prefer them square with rounded edges. But heck, I'll take any that aren't broken! LOL!

craftycupcake on rav said...

Square for my hands.

Doreen said...

Round tips. Sometimes mine are unintentionally square and I catch them on everything.

Christine Lima said...

Square...makes typing easier I think...

Sheila said...

I generally have round tips, but that's pretty much because they grow that way. I'm pretty good at ignoring my nails until I get a hang nail or one splits and starts catching on my knitting.

Unknown said...

round if possible

Debbie said...

Round tips. I find that they don't snag on the yarn that way!

Linda aka Queen Bee said...

I like mine mostly square ... but a little rounded at the edges or else I scratch myself! :) I sure do hope I win this contest because I need a new manicure! :)

Chris said...

Haha, love the question! I prefer round tips. :)

noodledogknits said...

Round. I work in an industrial setting and square or long tips would be broken all the time. Ouch!

Kay said...

Round tips, and have to keep them short. :)

kaykatrn said...

I like round, and relatively short. Keeps me from using them as tools and breaking them to bits!

Anonymous said...

Square tips in funky colors! Currently rocking green magnetic polish :D

Bgstoner said...

These days I lean toward rounded square nails.

Bassoongrlspam said...

Square tips for my nails with a subtle polish. Wild colors on toes only!

Amber (gibbles_n_bits@hotmail.com) said...

i prefer round for natural and square for fake.

Jen said...

Typically no nails :) but when I have them, I prefer round - just works better for everything i do and I like the look.

Unknown said...

Round for me!!

Lynda said...

Round tips and fairly short!

Unknown said...

Round tips! Much easier for me to keep neat.

Jenn said...

round tips.

Catherine said...

I find the square tipped nails are sturdier and make typing/handwork much easier to do.

quiltercaroline said...

My nails are naturally round, I have tried to grow them square but find that I get them caught on things like my knitting! Thank you

Leigh Anne said...

square/round .. square on the top, rounded on the edges!

dockstdr said...

Round, for sure. Square catches on things.

Lynn said...

I love square when I get a manicure but go rounded when I do them myself.

Kathy said...

Just had a manicure yesterday and I prefer a kinda square top but the sides to be rounded, not sharp but soft looking and no color as the minute they finish I mess them up so no waste of color for me. I can never have all the nails the same length either, right now the thumb on left hand is down to the quick and the pinkie on the other hand is down there too.

Ruadh said...

I like round tips

Vanessa said...

It's hip to be square, I say! I also find that I can keep them up better if I ask for them to be square.

Linda said...

I prefer round nails. Mine tend to snag and break easier if they are square. Love the Soakboxes!

Unknown said...

I usually keep my nails rounded because that's the way they've always grown in and I think they look pretty that way :)

Anonymous said...

I prefer round tip nails.

Bonney said...

I like the classic look of round tips!

Unknown said...

Square for me, please!

Rebecca said...

I prefer round tips definitely!

Samantha said...

square!

Anonymous said...

I prefer round nails. But my nails always grow out rather squarish if I don't cut and polish them once a week minimum.

Monika said...

I like round tips best, but with all the knitting I do, my nails are much too dry to keep any kind of manicure for more than one day! I'd rather keep knitting!

Laura said...

square, but short!

Katrina said...

I get the signature nail system done in rounded tips. It's similar to acrylic but better for your nails. I'm hard on my hands and they don't break :-)

Anonymous said...

I prefer round. Less likely to catch on something

Laruu said...

I like my nails square.

Lisa said...

I like my finger nails rounded.

Claudia Wood said...

For my nails, I prefer rounded tips.

Anonymous said...

square nails if I have to grown them!

Shanna said...

I prefer round nails.

Merna said...

Squarish, shortish.

Unknown said...

square tips snag more on knitting (at least in my experience), so I'll have to say round :)

kat said...

Definitely round tips for me!

Beth Bachuss said...

Round and super short so they can't get in my way or get clay / paint / etc. underneath them!

Susan said...

Round!! Square might catch while knitting.

Susan said...

Square, no polish and filed frequently.

Kaity said...

I am a nail polish junkie! I like rounded-square nails! :)

woolwoman said...

rounded nails - I'd love a chance to win the giveaway - thanks ! Melody

cbk said...

Round tips for me!

CardiLover said...

I've only got two girlie things about me - my fake nails and my hair dye (I don't wear make-up). My nails would fall in to the squared category, though the edges are soft rather than sharp corners. Too much detail, huh? ;-)

ana said...

what a fun giveaway! thanks to julie (needle emporium) for directing me to this giveaway! oh, and square tips :)

judyindiana said...

Round tips - squared off corners just catch on things - especially my knitting!

ikisti said...

I like to keep my nails rounded other wise i will pick at the edges and then there will be no nails :)

DRW said...

When I have time to file them, round tips for sure!

Lynda F. said...

My preference is round tips for my nails!

Anonymous said...

Round tips! Thank you!
Trina Baird

Heather said...

Definitely round tips for me!

canithinki said...

short and round for me.

Borabora said...

Erm... no nail tips? I can't have long nails (that is more than 3-4 mm)... I work with my hands, so they get dirty quick and drive me nuts.

Unknown said...

Square at a sport length - just past the tip of the finger, and I do round out the sides a bit to keep from snagging on, well everything, but most importantly my yarn.

Unknown said...

I like my nails to be rounded

Anonymous said...

Rounded squares for me!

Kimberly RavID 4throse

Nanny Jean said...

I like rounds tips only.

Dawn ;) said...

Square tip, however my edges tend to be slightly rounded to enhance the look :)

skittlesmom said...

Round tips for me.

Nellie said...

Round tips absolutely.

Anonymous said...

Round tips. My nails tear when they are square - and when they are round!

Miss Bimbamboum said...

I'm definitely a square tips women!!! I love this soakboxes, I'll be part of the KAL, it will be my first mittens, I'm so exited!

Ashley W said...

I like round nails - I keep them very short because I don't like them clicking on everything. I'm also a chronic biter and trying to kick the habit.

TheHomeBody said...

When I wore them long, it was square all the way, but now that I keep them very short most of the time, I like a little rounding at the corners.

LaurenS said...

round tips - thank you.

Anonymous said...

Round tips easier to knit with.
thanks!!

Irene said...

I prefer round tips.

Anonymous said...

Round, always round! Great contest too.

joanie said...

Shortish and square easy peasy
See you at sheep n wool

Mary Knits said...

Short and round. I've never even tried square nails before.

Anonymous said...

Short and round. I don't want to injure my baby.

In highschool I used to wear them long and oval, with slightly pointed tips. It looked really nice.

Mimi F said...

I haven't tried square tips, so prefer round :)

Vasiliki said...

I like the square tips.

Anonymous said...

round for sure... square look unnatural and seem dangerous to me!

Bonny said...

For me, I like just slightly longer nails than is rhe fashion just now. My fingers have rounded corners on square nails, just enough to keep from snagging on my fingerless mitts. I seem to be doing more stranded colourwork, so the rounded corners definitely help with the snagging issue :)

What a great gift idea for the holidays or for any occasion.

Karina B. said...

Thanks for offering the kits, but aroo? What an odd question. I prefer nails that are short and out of the way. I don't much care how they're shaped. Aside from knitting, I garden, I have a small farm and I'm a potter. Nails that are too long get dirty too easily and get in the way, especially when potting. And all ratty nails do is get caught in yarn.

Anonymous said...

Round round round and round. Why do nail salons always do them square?

Attic Knitter said...

My nails have always been round. Square just feels unnatural to me.

Kelly said...

I think square tips are pretty but I prefer round tips

Myriam said...

Round tips work for me!

Katie L. said...

If I do them myself I usually do them round, but if I get a Manicure I like them square. I love how it looks, I just can't make the squares look right myself!

knittyornice said...

I prefer square tips for sure.

Unknown said...

I like rounded tips on my fingers and square on my toes!

kanitta said...

Ah, I was wondering about these kits. I sat next to a woman on my flight up to Stitches East who was knitting the Clark Gable kit! I get my nails done with round edges but straight across along the top. So I guess a combination! What a great giveaway.

Christine-Bellylaugher said...

Round!

valentine said...

Mine grow in squarish but I prefer roundish!

chris said...

Squoval! the hybrid of square and round!

Sandi Blanc (The Blue Ewe) said...

I really don't suppose it matters much to me as I am hopeless at keeping finger nails of any kind. I love the look of square nails though and if I could keep nails would go for square.

cathy said...

Round, Baby! :) (All these square people--I had no idea!)

Jen P. said...

Square. Just like me.

Karen Plomin said...

Square/Oval I like those rounded edges but flat typing fingers

Andrea Semiche said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Unknown said...

Short, round tips. I'll start picking if my nails get long.

Andrea Semiche said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Andrea Semiche said...

Rounded edges with many coats of topcoat for a snag-free finish :)

Linda said...

I strongly prefer square tips because they make my hands look really nice. I love deep cherry red and hot pink polishes, although I also like dark taupe as well.

a2z said...

I like my nails more square than round and more round than square. Sort of both at the same time.

CathyR said...

I like round tips.

Unknown said...

I like square tips with rounded corners so they dont catch. I remember when i was little, my mom and I were watching VH1 and Paula abdul's rush rush video came on. My mom saw that she had square tips and said "i wanna try that!" 80's nails were long and round or pointy so paula started a trend! ive always liked square better now.

Sara said...

I like slightly rounded square tips, which probably makes me a little crazy. My nails grow pretty square to begin with, I just like to have them a little less harsh.

LynnIL said...

Round tips for me! I think the square tips look great on others.

Betty K said...

Round tips. Square tips do not look natural to me.
Betty K

Dana said...

Definitely rounded tips!

Lynnette said...

Definitely round tips!

Keli said...

I love the look of square tips, but the edges always wind up snagging on something, so I usually choose round tips instead.

Ronda said...

As short as possible, rounded tips, since I work in the operating room!

Unknown said...

I prefer round tips. They are less likely to catch on my knitting. Square tips look awesome, but I can't wear them.

Melissa said...

Round for fingers and very, very short! No snagging, no fuss.

Unknown said...

I think I'm somewhere in between round and square - squoval? Either way, they have to be short. Having been a life long nail-biter (the habit is mostly kicked) it drives me crazy to have tips longer than my fingers now. Thanks for the chance to win! I love the Lace Kelly colorway!

msartpride said...

Round please!

msartpride said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jcoz1701 said...

Round tips!

Unknown said...

I prefer square tips. Unrelated, I saw these SoakBoxes in my LYS this weekend and SWOONED. Their sign suggested it as the perfect gift for your BKF (Best Knitting Friend). Which I agree with, but only if I can buy two and keep one for myself!

Kate @ Spectra said...

I find that rounded tips not only help to disguise any broken or slower-growing nails but also help to make my stubby fingers look longer and more graceful! As a life-long nail-biter, my nails were always truly horrific, regularly site and bleeding due to my nasty habit...but 10 weeks ago I broke the habit and for the first time in 26 years, I have a full set of beautiful nails! I'm having so much fun with polishes and foils that I can't understand why I never tried to kick the habit before!

Liz said...

hmmmm... rounded-square? Is that an option? I'm a DIY nail-er, and they're the easiest for me to do :)

Susan said...

I'd have to say squoval - I like the square shape, but my nails are so weak that I need the corners rounded a bit or they will catch and rip.

Denise said...

I like the look of square tips personally, just wish I could have all my nails the same length at the same time !

Magic Mammoth said...

I prefer square nails but generally end up with a rounded square finish.

zabrina tocher said...

rounded for sure!

kassie said...

I like my nails rounded......makes it easier to type!!

s said...

I prefer rounded. Not all the way, though, like an oval, so I might be another 'squoval' vote! :)

Brenda said...

I like square-ish tips.

Thanks!

(Goodstuff on Rav)

vickib said...

I've just started doing them more square than round. Kind of like them this way. For now anyway!

Lorna's Laces said...

Thanks to everyone who joined in our fun! We have our two winners. Kaykatrn and Monika. Please send mailing info to us at yarnATlornaslacesDOTnet and we'll get your Soakbox on its way to you!

Monica said...

short & square & sweet!

eileen-s said...

Guess I would call it square but not too severe, rounded edges soften the look :-)