Oct 01 2006
What You Make It
Do you want to…
- …personally challenge yourself to make as many socks as you can?
- …work through your yarn stash and rediscover the beauty of what you already have?
- …finish some socks that have lingered on the needles too long?
- …try a new technique to enhance your sock making repetoire?
- …simply enjoy the process of creating socks and sharing your passion with others from all over the world?
- …devote the month to make socks for your holiday gifts, or donate your finished socks to a certain charity?
It's all possible with Socktoberfest!
I am planning to work with some lovely yarns from the stash, and to finish up some "linger" knits that have been on the needles for too long. I am also planning to use some stash yarns to contribute socks for charity causes. I have heard about several worthy charitable organizations that can use our sock making skills. I am compiling a list with more details on the different organization, and I will publish this straight away.
In the meantime…
The lovely Yarn Pirate handpainted yarn is all balled up and ready to go. I did not waste any time, either. As soon as I did all of the math involved for the customized knee sock pattern, I started on these babies.
Look! No pooling!
I am officially calling these knee socks my "Hokusai" socks, after the amazing woodblock prints by the Japanese artist. And in some spare moments yesterday, I wound up the second ball of my Three Waters Farm handpaint for my second Lace (Not So) Knee Highs…
It's going to be a great month, my friends!
Thank you so much for joining in the festivities!
I’m so pleased to be a part of this adventure. First on my needles is a pair of not-yet-finished socks which are really trying my patience! Then, onto some Liza Souza yarn. Yippee!
Now, I just have to put down the lace shawl….
Hooray for Ocktoberfest Round Two!
Your Yarn Pirate yarn is so pretty! I am very impressed with delicate color changes. I see more sock yarn in my future! I have lots of sock projects planned for this month and even some new techniques. Thank you for the inspiration!
Love the Hokusai idea!
That yarn looks so beautiful. I’m getting tempted by all the knee highs…I don’t think I have enough yarn though. My calfs are gigantic. ;|
yeah! it begins ….
I am planning to do all of the above… finish up some, start a few, checkout old stash, go places to make sure I get new… sounds like fun all around!
I love the colors of the “Hokusai” socks. it shimmers!
Celebrate good time come on!
I was up at 2am this morning, working on my Norwegian Stockings. May they be my first FO of Socktoberfest 2006!
There will be so many socks this month…
i started my socktoberfest off by finishing one sock that’s been lingering on the needles all summer and immediately casting on for her mate. woo-hoo! i have gathered a lot of lovely yarn over the past few months and i am looking forward to making plans for it and knitting some of it up! indeed i am an enthusiastic, nay ZEALOUS, socktoberist.
I did NOT set my alarm for 12:01 a.m. to start socktoberfest with a bang, but it would have been a funny thing to do nonetheless….
I am challenging myself this month and have started the ripple weave pattern from vogueknitting.
Scarey but enjoyable!
I hope I have time to do some simple socks too!
Hurrah! Socktoberfest begins!
I love the Yarn Pirate colorway, it reminds me of the ocean.
Yay for Socktoberfest! I’ll have to cast on a new pair of socks today. I haven’t had any on the needles in over a week! :-O
Ready? GO socks GO!
Thanks for starting all this!
Overhere in The Netherlands we knit “socks for shoeboxes”, its a project that a child makes a shoebox full with usefull stuff, to give it to another child who needs it. If there are European sockknitters who like to join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hugsandlovesocks/
And I’m testknitting an Entrelac sock. It’s nice but tough (I’m in the 2nd round, it will be better!)
Groeten uit Nederland.
Lovely! I especially like the brown. I just took a look at the Socktoberfest participant list: OMG!!
sarah needs to teach me how to knit!! i feel like im missing out!!
love u!
Yay! Socktoberfest is finally here! Bring on the short rows!
I finished my first socks on one circular on Wednesday so I would be ready for a new pair. This pair will be toe-up. on one circular using the latest Socks that Rock colorway, Titania. Photo on my blog later today.
Also, I am kind of a novice on my antique sock knitting machine. I will get a perfect pair of socks off the machine by month end!
I wanted to do something a little different, so will start later today. I’m teaching myself 2 socks on 2 circulars, have wound up my Autumn-hued Cabin Cove yarn, and plan to design as I go, a Fall-theme sock. Wish me luck, guys!
Woot Woot! If I can get into my blog I’m posting something for you……I don’t have the patience to wait until you get it!
So practice up on those kneesocks!
xo
The yarn is beautiful! I love the colorway you’re using! I look forward to reading about your Socktoberfest experience. I’m not an experienced enough sock knitter to dive into something like that. Maybe next year!
Yay! Hopefully this will inspire me to clear up my needles and get those two pesky pairs finished!
Give it up, socktoberfest!! I will let my excitement supercede the fact that I totally can’t beleive it’s October already. It’s going to take a lot of will power not to just start knitting with all of my pretty yarns.
And so it starts!! I finished up a pair of socks on Friday and finished up a few other projects so I could cast on today for some socks for the kidlets.
I LOVE seeing all the beautiful sock patterns and yarns people use. Sock knitting ROCKS!
I love this no-pressure event! In honor of Socktoberfest 2006 I will drop the gift knitting and whip up a pair of socks for myself. I’m really looking forward to my cool new Pomatomuses (pomatomice? pomatomi?)!
Socktober is here already and you sure hit the ground running with some beautiful yarns. Surely there is dent in your stash by now;)
I’m going to try not to set a lot of goals for myself for the month – just to enjoy knitting socks. That said, I DO want to knit myself a pair of house socks from some Silky Wool I dyed that SHOULD be self-striping…
Yeah, Socktoberfest!
It’s hurting me but I’ve put down the Irish Hiking Scarf that I was enjoying. It hurts my hands to go back and forth between the size 8 and size 1 needles.
Just in time for Socktoberfest I received my package from my Chocolate Swap partner and received two skeins of Lorna’s Laces in Chocolate. This is just the color I needed to go with the new brown pants I bought. I’ve decided that my goal is to knit two patterns from books I already own using yarn I already own.
I’m going to make the Columbine Peaks pattern in Socks Soar on 2 Circs. I’ve had the book forever and it taught me how to knit socks on 2 circs which is the method I almost always use but I’ve never knit one of the patterns. I loaned my book to a friend but she has promised to return it at 2 today. I’ve got the cuff knit and waiting. She better show up with my book.
Yay! Happy Socktoberfest!
Those sock yarns are making drool and want to buy more sock yarn. Even if more Koigu I just ordered were just delivered. Sigh…we can never have enough sock yarn!!! Thanks for initiating Socktoberfest…I look forward to it and finishing two pairs as I have SSS right now.
Happy Weekend!
I’m a relatively recent sock addict, constantly ogling all the sexy sock patterns, totally and passionately enamored of a few patterns I’ve worshipped longingly from afar for several months. I’ve done a fair bit of lace work in tops but nothing fancy in the sock department yet. So far all my socks have been plain stockinette or ribbed. So I set my personal Socktoberfest challenge: this month I am planning to make a pair of Pomatomus and a pair of Baudelaire, as well as finishing the mates to all of my sad lonely sock singles.
I am hooked on the toe-up approach; either on dpns or the magic loop, various provisional cast-ons, short-row or increased, but I always go for the toe-up: I just love the way the toe box looks and feels and also I don’t have to worry about how much yarn I have, I just start at the toe and knit until it’s done (because Koigu is a terrible thing to waste). The lovely Pomatomus is knitted top-down. So it looks like I’m going to have to convert this pattern to a toe-up direction. Aaack! I’m pretty confident juggling sweater patterns, but I don’t really think in “sock” yet, so I’m not all that eager to reverse the pattern direction myself. Hmmm… I think I’ll be getting some good old-fashioned advice for this one.
So glad Socktoberfest has started. I cast on today for socks for my SIL’s birthday. Am using Dancing Feet by Joslyn’s Fiber Farm, Ocean colorway, size 1 DPNs. Can’t wait to see everyone else’s socks and FO’s. Away we go!
Sue J.
Hip hip hooray!
october is my busiest month with my pottery business, (leaf season, and thinking ahead to holidays) but i’m planning to finish up the two different socks that need mates. then I hope to swatch some of the yarn I’ve been dyeing. I’m hoping to match my socks to my pots!
i love your naming of socks – can’t wait to see the finished ‘hokusai knee highs.’ and i’m ready to start for socktoberfest!
Hooray! Pass the needles and the drinks and let the festivities begin!
I’ve cast on a new pair of lace socks last night in a pretty violet for myself, and I’m hoping to knit up 3 pairs of socks for my nephews!
I finished my Lombard street socks and have some plain jane type socks on the needles. My major goal is to work through my stash….only so I can buy more.
Your Yarn Pirate sock yarn is so pretty.
The day is finally here and I couldn’t be more excited! I started the day getting my sock yarn out and casting on the amount of stitches I needed to finish a pair of little girls socks. Have to tell you, I was very tempted to work on my socks as church but resisted the urge. I thought my pastor would not look very pleasently on that adventure.
Good Luck and Happy Knitting to those of you out there who are participating in this wonderful event!
love that yarn pirate! now, i’m not a sock knitter, but i might try to finish a pair that has been languishing on my needles…
I love the new sock yarn. The colors are gorgeous!
I started my first pair of socks for Socktoberfest today!
Nooooo! My addi turbo “1′s turned up missing, arrrgh!
I am going to knit my first pair of socks ever. I am inspired by all of you experts with challenging patterns. I just finished turning the heel and am almost 1/2 way done with the gussets on sock number one. It has been a fun thing to learn and with all the wonderful sock yarn out there, I can see myself becoming an addict. Now if I could just figure out how to make the button work on my blog!!!
YAY! I love socks — your YArn Pirate yarn is gorgeous! On the needles I have my first pair of Jaywalkers that I am desperate to finish, I have to finish a sock for my daughter, finish designing a sock for my site/hand-painted yarn, and i hope to bang out one more design this month and get working on a second pair of BBS for Socks for Soldiers. Think I have enough planned??
Thanks for hosting this! You just mght keep me motivated enough to get MOST of this done! ~Heather
The Hokusai yarn is so yummy. I finished a pair of socks already: grafted the toe last night! They’re sexy. My boyfriend won’t wear them in public, though, because they’re so light blue and girly. =D He wore them around his dorm though, for it a bit. It was cute.
I want knee socks too.
Love the blue/brown handpainted yarn. I haven’t taken the plunge to knit knee socks yet–can’t wait to see how they turn out for you!
Thanks for hosting Socktoberfest!
Have a great week Lolly!
I finished my first pair ever yesterday and now have reloaded for pair #2.
Yup, I’m addicted!
I seriously need personal consultation regarding sock weight vs. needle size vs. required cast-on stitches…so I’ll be surfing A LOT!
Thanks Lolly!
http://quiltingfitzy.blogspot.com/
I love the Yarn Pirate yarn too!
I cast on last night for a pair of socks for my dad – 80 stitches in Lorna’s Laces Pewter. That’s a lot of stitches!!! My first time knitting with size 1 needles … this will be a much-needed source of support.
Thanks for hosting!
Hallo liebe Lolly,
it is amazing how I can relate to some things you post…I totally agree with your take on Hokusai. He is one of my Mom’s favourite artist, and I have a soft spot for his woodblock prints, too.
Can’t wait how the kneehighs will turn out!
love the color!
and it’s time for me to finish up my 2 pairs of socks and get the ball rollin!
I can’t wait!!! I need a new “umph” for my sock knitting and this is it! I vow to knit from my stash and try to knit the patterns I’ve been pining over for so long!
The knee highs are great!!!!
Hokusai! I know ALL about Hokusai these days, thanks to my fabby visit to the Smithsonian this spring when I got to meet YOU at Politics and Prose.
Congratulations on Socktoberfest–I’m feeling a little socky myself.
I’ve posted my first Socktoberfest efforts on my blog
My goals:
*Stretch knitting know-how beyond basic socks.
*Use up yarn stash. (so I can buy BETTER yarn!)
*Finish previous socks underway. CHECK!! (now 2 more are started)
Got off to a good start thanks to Amazing Lace (first ever YO’s to make holes on purpose!) and have just finished a pair “I designed” using Barbara Walker’s book 1.
What are the rules for naming a design – I didn’t make up the stitches – just decided where to put them?! How do you credit stitches used in a “stitch book”?
Looking for advice on stitch patterns translated to socks – knitting in the round. Visit my blog if you have answers to the Multiple of 6 PLUS 3 thing.
Keep the plus 3 or leave it out when casting on?!
Very excited about Socktoberfect and the progress I have made in the last two days on my Fleece Artist ‘Unst’ socks. They’re going to be gorgeous, and definitely completed during the month of Socktober!
My first Socktober socks are posted on by blog…. They are made for my one-year-old son.
I am looking forward to my first socktober fest. My goal is to finish my Ireland socks and hopefully try out my trekking.
Wow, that blue yarn up top is just luscious. I am getting a late start, but hoping to finish at least one pair. If I am super industrious the next couple weeks, maybe I’ll end up with more!