Everything is new at the beginning of the year…resolutions, intentions, diets, and yarn & fiber clubs. In rapid succession, I heard about at least 2 to 4 sock/yarn clubs starting back up, all with different “hooks” to encourage you to sign up ASAP. My knee-jerk reaction? “Who the heck can afford THAT?”
The husbeast has since reminded me that if it was something I *really* wanted, I could probably afford the Rockin’ Sock Club, but I still have trouble wrapping my brain around that. I’m still not used to ordering sock yarn by mail from the US. I’m the kind of girl who goes to the yarn store once a month…sometimes twice, if I’m hitting different stores for different wares.
People do their own virtual sock clubs and Knitalongs all the time. Last year, one notable knitter very publicly showed off her monthly projects, which she had decided and packaged ahead of time. There are groups on Ravelry devoted to sock KALs, most notably Sock Knitters Anonymous (SKA). I figured that I would do a “sock club of my very own”, but on further thought, figured that I wouldn’t wait until the end to announce what I had done, offering tantalizing glimpses throughout the month. No…I figured I’d let everyone else know what I’m working on right up front so that you could knit along if you so choose.
I won’t be sending out sock yarn, or candy, or little treats via mail. I figure that you’re all big boys and girls and can decide on those for yourself. Plus, that’s a lot of quarters to plug into the little machines at the grocery store! Not worth the postage, methinks…
The Scoop:
You choose the yarn, I choose the pattern! I’ll give you at least two week’s warning prior to month-end so that you can make a trip to the yarn store if necessary.
At the beginning of the month, I’ll post up the link to the new pattern. I will make sure that it’s easy to find…on the sidebar of the website, in twitter, and on the Ravelry group.
All patterns will be freely available at the time of the KAL, whether it is a pattern that someone has graciously made freely available through Ravelry, or whether it is a pattern that I have designed myself. I’m hoping to choose a wide enough variety that you could use some of the socks for Christmas or Birthday presents, if that’s something you do.
If you’d like to submit a pattern for consideration in this year’s sock club (or next year, if we get that far!), please send me a message through Ravelry. I’m pretty easy to find, if you spell “Maire” correctly (lol!)
If we’re on a month where the designated sock is one of my own design, I may just knit something commercially available while the rest of you pump up my project count. I hope to design at least three socks this year, so that would mean I’d be knitting those in advance…
When you’re done, post up your pictures on the Ravelry board! I’d love to see all of them!
The socks you dubbed the “Black Hole Socks” are wonderfully warm on a cold day and fit like a dream. The gals at the office wanted to know where I got studded socks (biker?). I pointed out that they weren’t studs but beads I guess the way the light hits them makes them look like studs to others. Anyway they were impressed and wanted to know where I got them. A Christmas present from my knitter daughter who I think would have impressed her Granny a lot. Keep up the good work. You are away ahead of me. Love Mom
Aw, thanks Mum! Part of the reason I went back & made them longer was because I had a feeling that you would get a kick out of them…you seem to enjoy seeing me try different techniques & I thought you’d like the beadwork.
They’re still nowhere near your level of beading (I should retrieve my mukluks sometime), but they’re pretty 🙂