Didn't finish my pair...

Okay, so I didn't actually finish a pair of socks this month. :( But does it count if I did do another sock, so two single socks = a pair? Maybe, hehe, me being sneaky. The good news is that I'm in love with this colorway and will definitely finish up this pair. The other sock will have to wait for its mate.

+ = A Pair?

The colorway is: Fortissima Colori Socka Color #2419
I've been bloggin' about it's awesomeness on my blog.

What to do with leftover sock yarn

Using some leftover yarn from a pair of socks for myself, I made these baby socks by knitting an adult sock pattern on needles that were 4 or 5 sizes smaller than called for. (It was a pattern meant to used with heavier than normal sock yarn.) Not having any babies on hand, I had to guess at the length, and it turns out a 10 month old has much longer feet than I realized. These probably should have been an inch to an inch and a half longer than they are. Well, no doubt another smaller baby will appear before long. :)

Finished - entrelac socks

I just completed these socks - they took me about two weeks. This was my first pair of toe-up socks, so I learned a lot of new techniques including entrelac. They were fun to knit and they fit! I'm wearing them today even though it's a bit warm for wool socks! There are details on my BLOG

Intro

Hello! thanks for letting me join this KAL. I may be able to "keep up" with this one. I've been having a bit of trouble finishing the 2nd sock lately and thought being in this blog may help me out. Currently I have this one on the needles, Its River Rapids from Sock Bug and I'm knitting it in Fleece Artist Sea Wool Sock yarn. The Sea Wool is really gorgeous and nice to knit with. I think I'll probably cast on the 2nd one as soon as this one is off the needles later today. It knits up really fast as the yarn is a bit thicker than what I am used to using for most of my sock projects. I've knit from the heel flap to the toe since yesterday AM.

Although my mind is whirling with other projects I could start, however I'm going to try to finish these socks as well as the ones below before starting another project (well besides more socks). It hard because I have a huge stash and a six month old grandson! There are so many cute cabled sweaters out there that Bronson must have.

Then there is this...

Its Java Ribs knit in the throughbred colorway by Fearless Fibers. The yarn is really, really, fine and I just can't bring myself to start the second one. It looks kind of funny in this picture, however it does fit pefectly. I guess its the rib pattern that pulls it in so much when it isn't on the leg. Well no worries about it falling down I guess. I made the leg a little longer than I usually do as the Fearles Fibers come in huge skeins and I had no worries about running out of yarn for the second one even with Size 10 feet!

I guess it will have to be one of those projects where I work "15 minutes" a day on just to get it finished. I've also signed up for the "Monkey" knit along as well and it starts May 1. So tomorrow after my 15 minutes on the Java Ribs I best cast on the Monkey socks. But first I have to decide what yarn to use. Lisa Souza Gendarme? STR... I guess I'll have to swatch as well. I don't want anything too busy that will take away from the Monkey Socks pattern.

The "mardi gras" socks

(as named by my husband)

These would have been done in under a week (hurray!!!) but I broke two of the DPNs so I put the project on hold while I awaited replacements...and ended up getting bored waiting (they were backordered) so I bought a set of Crystal Palace #2s and finished that last sock off so I could be done!

These are my absolute favorite pair so far--I love the way they fit, I love the short-row toe...LOVE them.

Pattern: adapted from the Priscilla's Dream Socks pattern in IK's Favorite Socks book (I used a heel flap to help them last longer and cast on 56 stitches but then decreased after the gusset down to 60). Next time I'll probably carry the ribbing down the instep.

Yarn: mediumweight Socks that Rock in Scottish Highlands (lots more purple in them than the thumbnail really shows)

Needles: Sox Stix #2s (and then supplemented with the Crystal Palace DPNs)

This was my first pair on DPNs and I actually really enjoyed it. I prefer the Crystal Palace needles, but do wish they were only 5" like the Sox Stix. For some reason that extra inch makes a difference!

Hello from Germany!

Hi everyone, this is Faith from The Knitting Cook podcast. I am an American living in Germany with my husband and three small-fry (3 year old Sparky, 2 year old Max, and 12 day old Baby L, yet to have a bloggable nick-name. Check out my blog for baby naming contest!).

Mostly, since my time is very precious, I knit small projects like socks and accessories. I also love to spin, although my brand new baby has been making that kind of difficult. This knit-along is a perfect fit for me. I enjoy meeting new people in the fiber arts community, but find most knit-alongs to be a little too high pressure for me, since I already have so many demands on my life as a mother. Thank you to Becca for posting about this!

I don't know if this counts, but here is a pair of socks that I spun and knit at the beginning of this month, right before my baby was born.
PATTERN SPECS
Pattern: my own. 40 stitches for foot, increased to 44 on ankle because I wanted to wear them immediately after the birth, when I always get the chills, and my ankles were generously sized at the time. Knit toe up with short-row toe, backwards heel-flap, 2x2 rib on cuff.
Yarn: my handspun Navajo-plied (a 3-ply) Dandy Lion superwash merino from Spunky Eclectic fiber club. Approximately sport weight.
Needles: Size 3 Knit Picks Classic Circulars to get 5 1/2 stitches per inch.
Notes: These are thick-ish, cozy, and soft. I love that the colors are so "spring" yet they're nice and warm for wearing around the house when it's chilly outdoors. This colorway is so cheerful.

Currently, I'm working on the Child's French Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush.


~Faith

Introduction

Hello! I'm new to the KAL and I've just read the entire blog to catch up! My name is Nadine and I knit and blog from a little village in Germany. I graduate from the trainee teacher programme in June and will be a "real" teacher soon. It also means that my knitting time is limited and something like a pair of socks a week is out of the question. I'm 30, have knit for most of my life but I prefer small projects and am actually scared of adult sweater knitting.
I need about 12 pairs of socks a year to keep the family happy- they expect socks every birthday and Christmas.
Last year I decided to investigate US sock yarns but since I don't do the laundry at home it is safer to stick to superwash and the wool/nylon blend of most German sock yarns- we've had some felting accidents. I do have US yarn that works fine and currently I'm knitting up some sneaker socks with Cascade fixation and Elann's Esprit- I love them.
I do knit self striping socks- not all my recipients like patterned or lace socks and the men in my family have huge feet- knitting a solid sock yarn in ribbing in that size? I'd go insane. Color repeats make me happy there and keep me from falling asleep. :)
I love knitting podcasts and audiobooks and right know I am knitting my way through Grey's anatomy.

Pair No. 3 - AKA, the "I Hate Sockotta Yarn and Finished These Socks Out of Pure Spite" socks

Catchy title, eh? This yarn was the first sock yarn I bought. I do still love the colors, and as I've mentioned before, I'm big into stripeys on my feet. :-) But I hated working with it. The first sock attempt I made with this yarn (my first sock ever, for that matter) was a total disaster. Well, unless you are Shaq. It probably would have fit a pro basketball player's foot. So I bought some different yarn and tried again. Then I came back to the Sockotta and made a different sock pattern, thinking maybe the pattern was the issue. It turned out OK. So I had a bigfoot size sock, and a slightly better sock of a different pattern. I ripped out the bigfoot sock and set the yarn ball aside because I had bought my lovely Austerman Step yarn and wanted to knit with it. After I finished that pair of socks, I picked up the Sockotta again to make the second sock of the pair. And I still hated it.

Yarn: Sockotta (in case you haven't noticed) in an unknown colorway.
Needles: Brittany DPS's, size 2
Pattern: Retro Rib from the Interweave Knits book. Love the book, Tracy!

Now I am going to cleanse my sock palette and knit some pretty pink socks with Tofutsies. I actually made a gauge swatch and everything. :-)

PS: No offense meant to anyone that loves Sockotta. I just personally didn't like it. :-) But that won't stop me from wearing my slightly oversized socks on a regular basis. Ha!

Intro, and April Socks

Hello, all, my name is Charity, and I've been knitting for about a year and a half. I have a blog at Knitting In The North. I've been making a pair of socks a month since August, but most have been either baby/kid socks, or gifts for someone else. I'm looking forward to getting a few pairs into my own sock drawer, and watching all the great stuff you all come up with!

These are the Rainy Day Socks from the most recent Magknits, knit from RYC Cashsoft DK on 3mm DPNs. I love this yarn, it is so soft, and the socks are wonderful to wear. This is my first attempt at any kind of lacy pattern on socks, and I'm quite pleased. I also found that using the lace pattern helped get rid of/disguise any laddering, which I sometimes fight with when making "vanilla" socks. Anyone have any great tips for getting rid of ladders?

Finished pair! (1/6 done with the challenge)

Pattern: Diagonal rib from Favorite Socks
Yarn: Denim from Oldfield Creek Sock and Yarn

I originally planned to make these for my husband, but I was worried about running out of yarn, so they ended up a bit too short for him. He also wanted thicker, wear-around-the-house socks, so these are mine. I liked this pattern because it was different on the right and left foot, thus helping with second sock syndrome. The yarn is a pretty colorway and they feel nice on my feet.

Up next: my younger daughter Meredith convinced me to knit up my Tofutsies yarn for a pair of socks for her. Planning to try a toe-up pair.

Sock Follow-up

This is a follow-up to my previous post about the modified Jaywalker. I don't know how well you can see it in the picture on that post, but because I didn't put the ribbing on the top, there was some curling. On the second sock, I've started with a knit row, two purl rows, and a knit row, but it's too early to tell if that did the trick. Meanwhile, I decided to go ahead and try a crocheted edging along the top. I grabbed a copy of Knitting Loves Crochet from the library and put the simple shell edging along the cuff top. (Basically, it's a row of single crochet, with a couple of extra stitches at each point to turn the corner, followed by *3 double crochets, skip one stitch, single crochet, skip one and then repeat that sequence from the *.) I put it on my foot again, and it seems to have done the trick. Hooray.

Lessons Learned

Not only am I a slow poke knitter, I specialize in ill-fitting socks! I love the way they look and this pair was my first attempt at stranded knitting. I learned a lot and I'm happy with them even if they are unwearable.

Yarn - Regia

Needles - KnitPicks size 2 circulars

Pattern - they were going to be the Mosaic Maze socks from SKS, but I just kept going with the stripes

Method - toe-up, one at a time, Magic Loop

More details at Forward Motion

One Sock Down

I have finished a sock. This is another pair of Austermann Step Jaywalkers, only I have made some modifications to the pattern based on my experiences with first pair. With them I found the ankle slightly tight and the foot slightly loose, so I went down a needle size and made the ankle in the larger sock size. When I got to the foot, I just did the double decrease on the first knit row to get down to the right number of stiches. I also carried the zig-zag pattern about halfway down the heel flap for better shaping. My last modification was to replace the ribbing with a ridge that would bend with the zig-zag. Initially I was pretty pleased with this change, but as I got farther along, I noticed it was curling too much. For the mate, I am trying a second row of all purl to see if that helps. In the meantime, I am contemplating the merits of a simple crochet edging to keep it from curling.

Yarn is Austermann Step in Erde (#12). Needles are size 0 Sox Stix. Pattern is Grumperina's Jaywalkers.

Pair No. 2

I love the colorway of these, but I don't think I'll be doing plain stockinette stitch for the body of the sock again. I got bored and was tempted to not finish the second sock. I love the self striping, though. I have another sock done in self striping yarn and did the retro rib pattern from the Interweave Knits book, and it got lost in the stripe. Thus, the reason for the stockinette socks this time. And this yarn has aloe vera in it - is that typical? The yarn is super soft and feels nice, albeit a bit slippery.

I am still getting ladders where I pick up the stitches on the gussett area ... any suggestions?

Needles: Brittany DPNs size 2 (3 of them)
Yarn: Austermann Step (I think this is the name?? the label is mostly in German) in Dune (11).
Pattern: The Yarn Harlot's "sock recipe" from diynetwork.com (also handy to have the episode tivo'd and be able to watch the parts that I have trouble with!)

Blue Fleece Artist Socks

Yarn: Fleece Artist nearly solid blue
Pattern: 56 sts stockingette
Needles: 2.0 mm
Notes: forgot that basic sock size is 60 sts so these are a bit on the snug side

My first pair of the twelve is done and I've got another on the needles. I love the little push this KAL is giving me.

Slouchy Socks

Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. The SuperHero is happy with his socks -- wearing them as we speak. In fact, he took them off only to have a shower. But, I would like to get a better fit the next time. These seem a little slouchy, not very, but a little. Maybe blocking would help. I just don't want to make them bigger. So, to all of you experienced sock knitters out there, how can I maybe make these socks a bit tighter? Will or should blocking help? Thank you!!

Happy Feet

This morning, the SuperHero's socks are strategically placed in his shoes, which are strategically placed next to the bedroom door, so he couldn't miss them as he left the room.

He marched right past them and into the bathroom. He walks back into the room.

SuperHero: Whoa. (Sits on the floor. Without a word, he takes the socks from the shoes, one at a time and puts them on this feet. Then puts on his Crocs. He turns to me with a an enormous smile on his face.

SuperHero: Thanks, Mommy. This is the best day and these are the best socks EVER. (While this is not a true statement about the socks, I am the happiest Mom EVER and the socks are done.)

It was difficult to get a good photo. I am not allowed to adjust them, as there seems to be some fear that I might run off with them. So, this is the best I could get.

The yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Yarn
Colorway: Life's A Beach
Finished: April 22, 2007 at 12:30 AM
Pattern: Yankee Knitters Design: Classic Socks

Opal Sock 1 down

Well, it's taken me quite awhile, but sock 1 is done. I don't know if I'm lovin' the colors to make a mate. Plus I'm afraid that the sock won't fit the person it was gonna go to. :( The foot length is good but the leg and cuff may be a bit snug. These were gonna be a surprise but now I may have to ask her to try the sock on before I go ahead and make its twin.

Sparkle?

Here's the SIP I've been threatening to post for about two weeks now. It's like Shimmer from MagKnits, only it's a different stitch pattern repeat, and the mechanics of how it's done is different. So maybe it's just loosely based on/inspired by Shimmer? I'm not going to be making any money off the pattern, so that's what I'm saying.

ETA: I am probably going to write up the pattern, for anyone who is interested. The yarn? Scout's Swag in Strawberry Quick (She designed it for me!! YAY!) 100% Merino

One Sock Completed

I am so slow when it comes to knitting, primarily because I don't take enough time for myself or have enough, whichever the case might be. So I am excited to share the first sock of my first pair. I'm celebrating little steps here!

Jen L., Tofutsies, and other knitting stuff

Jen, you are welcome to follow me around and shop with me anytime. There is a bed waiting for you to come and visit here in Maryland. I'll take you to see Erin and we can go buy you some Tofutsies sock yarn. I got it at her local yarn store. I had read about it on the Knitty board and thought it looked really interesting. The skein I have is colorway #328, which is called Three Feet Short. It looks like you can get it online at this store; their picture seems to show the color a bit more accurately than on the SoySilk website.

At dinner last night, Erin had this book by Lucinda Guy. If you haven't seen it, GET IT, or her other book, Handknits for Kids. You will absolutely lay down and die from the cuteness.

:)

In other knitting news, I started Monica for Meredith. It is going slowly because at this point I am too sock-obsessed to contemplate other things. And I really really need to scrap today too! Off to (hopefully) get something done!

DPN fans ... what DPNs do you use?

I have Clover bamboo size 2's, and I am not loving them. My yarn store lady sold me some Brittany's today - she says they are harder wood and thinks I'll like them more.

PS: When your 2 year old wakes up before you and tries to put on his glasses, thereby mangling the crap out of them, it is a very good reason to drive to town because the glasses need fixing. And as long as you are in town, it is a very good reason to go to the yarn store. And buy the Interweave Socks book that Tracy mentioned. And some new needles. And to fondle a lot of yarn. I have my next colorway picked out but I didn't get it yet - gotta do the rainbow stripes first. :-)

PPS: Tracy - good girl, getting Erin on board! We shall take over the world! Bwahahahaha.

PPSS (??): Traci - found the band that G cleverly hid. It is Cascade Fixation. No colorway listed that I can see.

Tofutsies

I had bought a skein of this yarn a couple of weeks ago, but left it at a friend's house. I saw her last night to get it back, so this is the sock yarn that will be up next on the needles. Looking for a pattern now. I'm not crazy about the free pattern on the tofutsies site, so I need to find something else. Let me know if you have any suggestions. These socks are for me!

What's on My Needles

Hello! I just joined the KAL. I seem to be suffering from some Knitter's Attention Deficient Disorder, as I just counted and I have five different pairs of socks in progress (some many years old, oops). I am working hardest on the leftmost pair at the moment, the Jaywalker made form Austermann Step yarn. I did finish another pair of Austermann Step Jaywalkers last weekend though, so I am capable.

admin stuff

Could you post here in the comments if your name/blog address are missing from the participants list? I feel like some people got missed.

Thanks!

My very first ever pair of socks!!

Yay, me! I think I have found the beginnings of a serious addiction here. I loved doing these! They are an Ann Norling pattern that I got at my local place (which I'm not going back to because they were rude yet AGAIN). The rude yarn lady told me I'd have enough yarn for 2 socks, which I didn't (a nifty little fact I learned after making the first one). And of course, they are out of the yarn they sold me. Of course. That lonely sock was a disaster, and is going to be unraveled so I can use the yarn for something else. But I digress. :-) Anyway, I stopped at another yarn store to try to find more of the yarn that the rude store was out of and the uber helpful lady looked at my disaster sock, gave me some nice tips and suggestions, and told me to try elasticized yarn for my first pair. So I picked out some elasticized yarn (Crystal Palace, I think? My Griffin-monster "organized" my yarn for me and the label is MIA) and this is what I got - yay! Can you tell I'm stoked? I've made my boys look at my feet a half dozen times already. Noah (my 6 yr old) was impressed that both socks were the same height. Of course, they are probably all just happy that I have 2 matching socks on and am not wearing the single knitted sock with whatever else I happen to grab out of the drawer.

I have the Sensational Socks book reserved at the library, so I'm excited to get it and start my next pair.

SuperHero Socks

Hi, my name is Trina (GoldieLocs) and I'm new to this KAL. In fact, this is my very first KAL and I'm so excited. I am in the process of knitting my second pair of socks ever, but the first pair for this KAL! They are for my four-year-old son, who I refer to as The SuperHero online. They are knit with Cherry Tree Hill yarn in Life's a Beach colorway. He chose it himself. I'm a part-time SAHM, which means I work in the evenings and home during the day. I'm an adjunct professor at a university nearby and teach in the evenings. I keep thinking my responsibilities must surely be the reason why I knit so slowly. I cannot imagine anyone finishing 52 socks in 52 weeks, though I think it's awesome. I may just be the slow-pokiest slow-poke around. Hi everyone!

In Progress Sock

Here is my next sock. I rewarded myself for doing something I didn't want to do yesterday by allowing myself a stretch of uninterrupted knitting time in the afternoon. :) The pattern calls for the leg to be 8" long, but I think I'm going to start the heel when I get to six.

Jen L., thanks for the compliments on my colorway choice for my last sock. I'll pass the kind words along to Madelyn, who totally picked that yarn. She was with me when I got the yarn for my first sock ever and she wanted me to get that yarn, but I chose another colorway that I thought was a pretty muted woodsy color, but actually knitted up like mud. So, next time I listened to her. :)

I like this pattern (from the Interweave Favorite Socks book), but I think it would actually look better in a solid color. The stitches kind of get lost in this variegated yarn (from Oldfield Creek Sock & Yarn). I also made a mistake and got the 100% wool instead of the superwash stuff and it is a bit fuzzier than I like. But overall, I think they will turn out ok :)

dude--this is 52 sock territory.

I cast this on yesterday...and am turning the heel now. I can't believe how fast this sock is flying--there's nothin' slow poke about this one! ;) The yarn is Socks that Rock in Scottish Highlands...this is my first time using DPNs. :D I'm using the Lantern Moon Sock Stix, and at first I wasn't sure how I liked them (they are a lot slower than addi turbo circs) but now I'm in love with the way they feel in my hands. So soft.

ETA: the DPNs are size 2.

My First Slow Poke Sock :)

Socks: Crossover Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Wool in the Woods Cherub in H2O colorway
Knitted cuff down on 5 dpns, size 2 (yarn calls for size 3 but I like the fabric better with 2s)
Model: My daughter, Madelyn. Her first socks were a disaster, so she moved to the front of the line for another pair.

Next up: Socks for my husband. Diagonal Rib from the Interweave Favorite Socks book. I got the yarn from an ebay seller called Oldfield Sock and Yarn and it is in a denim colorway.

Good Morning

Just wanted to say hi and introduce myself. My name is Ansley, I have a 12-month old so knitting is sporadic at best, which of course makes this the perfect KAL for me! I'm in the Rockin' Sock Club, and I'm determined to knit each one of the socks, plus I have a few designs rattling around in my head. I'm currently working on a modified Shimmer in Scout's Swag Strawberry Quick. For some reason I keep thinking the pattern is called "Sparkle", so that's what this sock is going to be called. I'll (hopefully) have pictures up on my blog later.
I look forward to knitting socks with everyone!

1 down. 11 to go...

The stupid pointy toe, short-row-heels-that-almost-killed me, ran-out-of-yarn-so-they're-way-shorter-than-I-like-handknit-socks-to-be socks are finished. I am so psyched to have these behind me. Actually, now that they're on my feet I'm really enjoying them, but I didn't enjoy knitting them. Kinda a disappointment all the way around.

I had to knit them on #3s (I would have preferred #2s) because I knew I wouldn't have enough yarn. I used Mountain Goat from Mountain Colors (unknown colorway--the skein was mis-marked), and the garter stitch rib pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks. As it turns out I'm not so crazy about the garter stitch rib...I think I would have preferred regular ribs.

Umm...could I complain about these any more? :P

Here's a photo of my feet modeling them. It's a tough colorway to photograph, but I think that first photo captures it best. You should know that my feet aren't really fat. Dunno what is up with my photography skills today. ;)

But they're done. Wahoo! It's on to my next pair now...I'm actually thinking of trying a plain stockinette pair. I'm using some variegated yarn from Socks that Rock, and I always like the way the variegated yarn looks in stockinette on the sole of my socks. We'll see...I'm off to swatch it.

Right-size socks

These are pretty much the right size, and coming along. I decided, when I had to start the socks over, to go with a different color and different pattern. So now they're reddish and I'm using BK's Fleurette lace pattern.

Finished Socks

I finally finished these socks last night - the pattern is Knitty's Pomatomus and the yarn is from angoravalley.com (lacewing sock - 100% superwash merino, color citrus). I started out on size 1 needles but had to rip them out and move up to size 2 because they were too tight. They took me 3+ weeks, which is about the quickest I've ever made a pair of socks. This pattern was really fun - clear, easy to follow and just a little challenging. I will probably be buying more of Cookie A's patterns soon. Now I have to go check my stash and decide what socks to make next.

Another button

Feel free to edit this and put it all in one post. I can't seem to edit the other button post.

a button!

I decided I didn't want to wait for a button anymore, so here is my knitting turtle version. Go button crazy! :)

Slow Poke is Better than a Poke in the Eye

especially with a DPN.

Hi, all. Online I go by the name Poppins, but people who know me in real life like to call me either Goddess or The Source of All Joy. ;)

I want to have knit 10 pairs of socks for me as well as a few pairs for gifts over the next year or so, so this KAL is a great fit. I like my socks simple for the most part - stockingette - so that I can knit them while watching tv or when I'm out and about. Socks are usually my mellow project on the needles. But I've got an itch to try a bunch of new techniques as well, so we'll see.

Right now I've got a blue Fleece Artist yarn on the needle, working it's way to becoming a sock. It's pretty but not that facinating so I haven't gotten around to taking a picture of it yet.

Thanks for starting this KAL.

I'm not a Sasquatch.

That's probably a good thing, but after knitting another couple of inches of sock, I had to admit they were of Sasquatch-esque proportions, but girly enough with the pattern that my husband wouldn't wear them. So, I started over from scratch, this time taking seriously the fact that socks stretch.

Intro for Jen

Hi! I'm a new knitter. I started a couple of months ago, and like Tracy, I'm a wee bit OCD when it comes to hobbies. I have 3 kids: Noah (6), Griffin (just turned 2) and Quinn (3.5 months). Quinn is a girl, by the way. The name can be either. :)

I am working on my first pair of socks. I think I'm slow at the learning process ... and I'm clueless about so many things. I don't know squat about colorways or yarns or patterns. I am sort of learning as I go. The process is the good part for me - sort of like yoga without all the tight clothes. Anyway, I bought an Ann Norling pattern at my local yarn shop (I guess that's LYS? I keep telling the yarn store people that I speak scrapbooking, not knitting). And I bought some pretty yarn. And I asked if the two would work together and the yarn chick said yes. So there you go. I am using size 2 dpns, and the socks are worked from the top down. I have the first one about 75% done. I will take a picture and post it when I get a chance. I have also made a couple of baby hats, a little wrap around knit dress, a skirt for my baby girl (that is too big so I'm working on a second one in the same yarn), and a pair of knit pants that ended up too short but are still wearable.

Oh - I should also mention I'm married, right? :-) Bob is too funny. He had to go into the yarn store with me the other night because I forgot my purse at home. And he started picking up all sort of books and samples and now has a list of things he wants me to make for him. Very supportive, that one! And he overestimates my abilities.

I'm glad Traci set this up - I can't wait to see everyone's stuff!

Okay, socks for this month...

Alright, so I'm starting a fresh pair for this month. Very simple (or so I hope) garter rib stitch socks. That's it, I'm keeping it simple and hopefully I'll finish them up and gift them to someone.

Info: Opal sock yarn
CO: 64 stitches
Plan to make it to fit a woman's shoe size 7-9, depending on who the recipient will be.

I hope being apart of this KAL will make me accountable for them so I'll actually have them done by the end of the month. Seeing as how I tend to procrastinate if no one pushes me. But I need the push, I want to knit many, many socks this year. :)

heels turned, smooth sailing now.

I almost had a nervous breakdown, but the heels are finally done on my I-now-hate-them-so-much-I'll-never-want-to-wear-them socks.

Have any of you tried the short row method from SKS/MSKS? I might be missing something here, but isn't it horrible trying to purl three stitches together through their back loops? I ended up not using her method and trying the short row heel technique I linked in the "technique" sidebar...but I don't think I even did that one correctly. They've beat me, though--they're good enough and I'm pressing on. :P I can't wait to get back to my regularly scheduled top-down socks!

As for our KAL button, it's coming soon. DH got distracted with other more pressing things...like killing all the monsters in World of Warcraft.

Intro for Tracy

Hello! Not only am I a slow sock knitter, I'm slow to post to blogs when I join :) My name is Tracy and I've been knitting since the beginning of January. True to my personality and my relationship to my hobbies, I've quickly became obsessed. I've knitted 3.5 pairs of socks so far and have several more planned, although I'm beginning to think about trying to knit larger projects and the socks may be put aside.

I have two daughters, Madelyn (8) and Meredith (6) and they are the recipients of most of my knits. Madelyn and I actually learned to knit together as we took a class at our local LYS. She and her sister are working on dish clothes right now for Mother's Day presents for their grandmas. I live outside of Baltimore, Maryland and am looking forward to attending Maryland Sheep and Wool this year!

I knit socks cuff down on metal dpns. I suppose I should learn some new methods, but I don't feel like I've perfected this one yet!

The photo is my daughter Meredith modeling her Jaywalkers knit in Lornas Laces Rainbow colorway. Note the large amount of pooling and the fact that I must knit incredibly tightly as she can barely get the things on. Sigh.

Looking forward to participating here and getting to know you all!

Rachel's Intro

Hi, my name is Rachel. I'm a working Mom with a wonderful DH and two lovely daughters (ages 11 and 13). My Grandmother taught me how to knit when I was about 10 years old. I remember making a "pair" of mittens that ended up being two totally different sizes. After that, I didn't knit at all until about 2 years ago when my daughter asked me to teach her how to knit. In the process of refreshing my memory and teaching her, I became totally addicted. I have accumulated quite a lot of sock yarn, and I'm sure this KAL will be a fun way to help me use some of it up. I'd also like to try some different techniques, such as toe-up and socks on circulars. Right now I'm working on Pomatomus from Knitty, and they are turning out really nice. I'm working almost to the heel of sock #2, so I should be done soon.

Intro and WIP

Hi! I'm Lori. I've been knitting for a while (on and off for about ten years) but just recently got interested in making socks, after they seemed like a good solution for plane and vacation knitting. I made one pair of worsted weight, plain stockinette, top-down socks, and figure this is a good way to get inspired to do more. I'm a part-time writing teacher and mom to an almost 3-year-old, who told me before I ever knit a sock that he wants to knit socks when he grows up.

I like trying new things so on the pair I'm working on now I'm trying all sorts of new things. I'm knitting them two-at-a-time on circular needles from the toe up, and I'm going to incorporate the openwork diamond pattern from BW's first pattern treasury. We'll see. I may need some moral support. Here's what I've got so far. I was able to do the cast on and get all of the toe increases done, so now I'm ready to work on the foot. They're big, but they're going to be for around-the-house wear rather than going into socks, so bigger is better than smaller.


I'd like to knit a pair of socks for my son, maybe one for my husband, and mostly a bunch of sport- or DK-weight wool socks for me to wear around the house and in bed, because I'm always cold, so my feet are always cold. I look forward to seeing what you all are working on!

Jennie says Hi!

This is the first actual KAL I've ever joined. I'm a newbie knitter and pretty darn slow. This looks like something I can actually accomplish, or at least try. I've been working on socks for my dear BF for oh lets say over 3 months now. I get easily distracted. lol. Can't wait to see everyone awesome works!
(Psst, Traci, I tried to just put this in the intro, but for some reason I don't have the option to edit that post.)

Sockies

Here's my first sock of the KAL, which I actually finished last week. I still need to make the mate.

















The pattern is Pomatomus from Knitty, and the yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Seduction in Puck's Mischief. I. Love. This. Sock. So. Much. It's seriously just the best sock I've ever knit.

Next up...















Bayerische by Eunny Jang in Ruby Sapphire Luster Sock.

joining the round

One of the things I'm looking forward to about this KAL is sharing tips/techniques. I'll occasionally start "technique" posts, and we can discuss them by adding comments to the post. If you have a technique you'd like to discuss, just start a post about it! :)

This post's topic: joining the round.

I have joined the round by doing nothing; swapping the last stitch over the first stitch; and casting on one extra stitch, then knitting this together with the first stitch.

Casting on one extra stitch and then knitting it together with the first cast on stitch is my favorite method...mostly because I knit fairly tightly, so I find swapping the last over the first pretty difficult.

How about you?

Socks in Progress...

Along with introductions, I thought we should start sharing what's currently on the needles!

These are my two-at-a-time socks that I'm making from Mountain Colors Mountain Goat yarn in an unknown colorway. I picked the garter rib stitch from Sensational Knitted Socks and am following the toe-up pattern from More Sensational knitted socks (that's one of my favorite parts about the books--you can pick a stitch from either book and plug it into the instructions in MSKS). So far, so good. I've done another couple inches since I took this photo--I'm nearing the heel.

It's my first short-row heel, so we'll see how long the "so far, so good" progress holds out!

What are you guys working on?

A little more about the rules (or a little less)

The "rules" for this KAL are really pretty much non-existent. I wanted this to be a really easy thing to fit into our lives. No competitions, no pressure, no "rules." Any socks you have on the needles right now count to total (unless you don't want them to), any type of socks count (unless you don't want them to)...in short, I thought this would be a great casual place to get to know a few fellow sock knitters better, encourage each other to make 12 pairs this year, and share photos, tips, and favorite patterns/yarn!

Dixie's intro

Hello, my name is Dixie and I'm a sockoholic.

I'm really exited about this KAL. I'm not typically a KAL joiner, but I couldn't resist when I saw this on Knittyboard.

Right now I'm knitting my second Pomatomus in a pair and I just started Bayerische from Eunny last night. I also have a plain vanilla sock in Cascade Fixation on the needles. I generally have at least 3 socks going at once, and sometimes I go a little nuts and have even more than that. Besides socks, I love to knit lace, and I also spin. You can check out what a crap photographer I am and see more of my fiber exploits at my blog.