31 May 2008

oopsies. MUST STOP

OK so I realized I had made a HUGE blunder right this second. ITS NOT THE FIRST YET!! silly me getting ahead of myself! So I've stopped the socks! I only got two rows past the cast on but if I have to frog them all the way I'll do it! I hope this doesnt disqualify me!. eeee how embarrasing!! ha ha ha!. ok so I'll be staying up until midnight now to re-cast on these socks or continue them they way they are. oopsie daisies!

YAY! IT STARTS!!

WOW. I am So excited to start this! I cast on my first pair this morning! plain socks, yes, I decided that I'm going to do socks in all sizes first ( nail down my xmas list HA two birds with one stone! hee hee hee) and then I'm going to focus on making different sock patterns and such. The yarn I'm using is all going to be hand dyed ( hopefully if my budget can handle it). I decided I'm going to do this to show support for my fellow indie dyers! I'll also "cheat" and use my own hand dyed yarn that ends up being bum ( knots and such) skiens that I cant sell. Sometimes I sell them at a discount but this time I'll keep them mostly for myself to knit for the plunge.

On another note-I checked out Tag galaxy ( the link is in a post somewhere here and I suck at linking things) IT IS TOTALLY WICKED!! I love the site. type in ravelry you will get awesome results!
Here we go head first into the water! YAY!

Sitting ready.........needles in hand

I soooo want to cast on tonight even though it's only the 31st.....can I? can I? huh? huh?? OK, I'll wait patiently Mom. I have my yarn and needles ready to go, the first pair I'm going to do is a basic stockinette stitch with a picot cast on. It's a wool/bamboo combination. It feels deliciously luxurious and should be a good weight for summer.

Have you guys checked out Tag Galaxy? It is so cool. When you first get on the website, it asks for a tag search and if you input Ravelry, you will get some amazing photos. Take a look at it but prepared to spend some time on it, it sucks you in and won't let you go.

Good luck to all of you in this huge challenge.

Liana in Tennessee (tnknitter on Ravelry)

MEMO from your Moderator: Countdown!

Hey there, kiddos!

Sign-ups end & "The Plunge" begins in approx. 8 and 1/2 hours (12 midnight EDT)...

Are your needles & skeins at the ready?!

e.

30 May 2008

Sigh...

I couldn't help myself. My first order from The Loopy Ewe.

$82 worth.

Dream in Color Smooshy in Summer Sky
JKnits in Eureka - I think this will be Rivendell
Noro in S164
ShiBuiKnits in Breeze - and this might be Francie

29 May 2008

WOOHOO!

Well, the countdown has begun! I have my yarn and pattern already picked out! I am getting so darn antsy!!! I am using Jojo's wool in pink that I bought on eBay. The pattern is the Snowflake Lace Socks. Looks like a SUPER easy knit! We'll see though!

3 days till take-off!

I am looking forward to taking the Plunge.

I can’t do plans when knitting, it utterly defeats the purpose for me and I get all stressed out and my sock mojo goes away. My only goal is to knit away on whatever socks strike my fancy, while resting assured that I am not alone in my insanity. When my sanity is questioned I can point out those crazy 52 Plungers who have knit more socks, own more stash, and basically make me look like an underachiever.

And what is up with all the sock yarn sales? I am on a budget, people! It is diabolical to time sock yarn sales to coincide with the starting date of the best excuse ever for sock yarn stashing.

LauraB – clinging to her sock yarn budget by a fraying thread

27 May 2008

On Your Mark...

Get Set....

Almost time. I've got lots of sock yarn and lots of patterns. I'll be casting on one of my current KAL group socks on June 1 - lots socks will be counting double, or even triple this year. So many sock groups!

No sorting or planning ahead for me. Usually as I knit on one sock I dream of the next sock(s) I'll work on - if I'm lucky I actually finish the current one before beginning the next. However, more often than not I end up casting on for multiple socks before finishing the first pair. Eventually they do all become pairs and that's all that counts!

Good luck everyone and have fun....

26 May 2008

I can't wait to begin

Its almost time to cast on. I don't know which of my yarns I'm going to use, I'm not for sure if my needles are empty, which pattern to use I don't know. To many choices and not a lot of time. I still have to finish the sock I'm working on before I can start. At least I have just under a week to get myself organized. So off I go to finish up my socks and somehow get organized.
Happily knitting socks, Bye.

Nervous, But Ready

I can't believe I signed up for this...

This is what has been going through my head for about 3 weeks now. I have never completed a pair of socks in a week, let alone 52 in 52 weeks! I may actually make it though with a trial run this week with a pair that I am making for my dad. So far I am on schedule. However, I am also on vacation... meaning I have more time to knit than I usually do.

I know that this is a personal challenge though and that there are no punishments for not finishing a pair each week, but still a little intimidated. I am taking this opportunity, not only to increase my speed at knitting, but also to explore new patterns.

I love all of the ideas that I have seen so far about gathering patterns and creating a bag for each week. I may do that with a couple, but for the most part I am a "must see to do" person... out of sight, out of mind. ;D I have a HUGE basket filled with nothing but sock yarn that is just calling my name. I keep going in and picking up skeins and imaging what I can make with them. I always get excited about this challenge whenever I do that.

I think for the most part I am ready, just a little nervous about keeping up...

25 May 2008

Counting the Dats

Well, it is either six or seven days till it starts, do you know where your yarn, dpn, and circular are?

Sorting and Gathering

Okay, today's the day. I have loaded my queue on Ravelry with sock patterns, jotted down a few more, and unpacked as many boxes as I can stand in my new apartment. (I hate moving!!) More importantly, I have dug down to the yarn stash boxes. So I'm going to go through my sock yarn and match it up with patterns, and put them together. I'm considering someone else's suggestion of putting yarn and pattern in paper bags and then picking a new one when it's time to start a new pair. Sort of like my own surprise sock club. I think I might mark the bags with some code to indicate the relative difficulty of the pattern though. Some weeks you just need mindless knitting, other weeks you can tackle something more complicated. Maybe a one through four star code, one being easy and mindless, four being "turn the TV off and concentrate." Now if I could just find the paper bags...

24 May 2008

Gearing up!!

Although I did go to the Great Lakes Fiber Fest with sock yarn in mind and I came home with none. Lots of other goodies instead, but no sock yarn. Whoops! Just means I will have to get some somewhere else. Oh darn!

I'm going to work with these


The big plastic containers hold my yarn stash. Most of it is sock yarn, and my goal for plunge is to knit socks from stash until I run out. (Since I'm not renewing my sock club, I will be able to purchase yarn for a few pairs but not many...)

I haven't decided yet which will be my first pair. Probably Nancy Bush's New England socks from Knitting on the Road in white Regia Silk, but my mind changes almost daily. Rather than finishing one pair in a week, I'm trying to finish four pairs in a month. Simple stockinette stitch socks take about four days but patterned socks aren't as quick to knit.

To even things out (and it will be needed, because I have two Tsock Tsarina kits waiting!) I'm going to knit socks for my children.

Hanne
Väkerrellen

23 May 2008

Certifiable

As in certifiably crazy. To have joined.

I think my first pair will be some toe ups in panda cotton, a pattern that I am designing. Anklets, but I will test knit for a US size 10 women's.

AmyJ (in Ohio)

Just testing the waters...

... to make sure that I've signed up/logged in and all correctly. 

=M=


Hello out there!

I am here! I don't know about you all, but I can't wait for the Plunge to begin!

Kelly

Thanks

Okay I understand now and am able to post.
Can hardly wait to get started. Welcome everyone and I know this is going to be lots of fun.
Everybody decided what they are going to make.
I will start with a few socks out of Panda Cotton for my future little grandson.
Also want to make some of Momma Monkey sock patterns.
Just love all the detailed socks.
Hugs and blessings for a wonderful weekend
Annette2u

Another First Timer

Well, this is my first time doing this as well, can't wait to start, all ready have my patterns all lined up and ready to go. Hope everyone has a great time.

Hiya All!

Hey all! This is my 1st ever sock plunge, heck, KAL, but I am very excited about it! I just hope I can keep up! Good luck to all of you!!!

Getting ready...

It's been fun reading everyone else's intro, so it's time that I put mine up too. I didn't do the 52 Pair Plunge last year because I didn't think that was possible. I now know that it is after last year's summer of socks. I have some sock patterns queued already, but I'm planning on branching out even more this year and designing a few. I spent yesterday looking through all of my stitch pattern books. I can't wait to see all of the great socks from everyone throughout the next year.

Jeannie

This is definitely going to be a challenge for me

Hello everyone! After reading all about Sock Plunge and Sockapaloozas and Secret Pal exchanges for the past two years, I figured it was time for me to join in the fun. I am new at blogging and but did participate in Sockapalooza 4 last year. I vow to do my best to finish as many socks as possible! I certainly have enough sock yarn already in my stash. My LYS closed up in April and marked all yarn 50% so I stocked up!

22 May 2008

Thanks for letting me be part of this

Wow I am finally in and maybe have to spend more time understanding how to post.
I am on my 43 and 44 th pairs of socks since the end of August 2007.
So don't think I will have a problem making the 52 quota.
Also going to have a new grandson the beginning of Sept.
So need to knit lots of baby COTTON socks so I am told.
MY DIL says she wants all the baby things in cotton so will have to find more cotton sock yarns suitable for the new baby.
My other grandkids are just happy to have homemade socks.
They are looking for them already when I visit.
I am a 66 year old grandmother of 3 right now. A beautiful grandaughter who is 10 next month.
My other two grandsons are 11 and 12. So will be nice for us to have a little one to hold again as the older children are pass that already. They sure do grow up fast.
Hugs and blessings everyone to a wonderful knitting experience.
Annette2u

I have my doubts

Do to the fact that I only seem to be able to complete one pair a month so far I have my doubts that I'll get up to the pair a week that this challenge expects but I might as well try. Good luck to everyone. I'm looking forward to a lot of knitting this year and seeing some wonderful socks. Happy Knitting, Alice in the Heartland

Woo Hoo! Let's Get This Party Started! :)

I must be totally crazy and mad to try this but I'm going to. I love to knit socks but still consider myself a beginner. Hoping to learn a lot from all of you out there that have been doing it longer than myself. Can't wait to get started!

Kim
The Misplaced Midwesterner

DPN's are ready to go!

This is my first year to participate in the 52 Pair Plunge and I'm so excited. My friends do think I'm nuts....at least until I told them all they need to do is buy good sock yarn I'll make them a pair too. My ulterior motive is to not break my budget while still getting to knit with decent yarns ::grin:: I am so glad we get to use socks in progress toward the 52 or I'd be in trouble.

Yeah!

Hey everyone!!! I'm super excited to start the plunge! I love knitting socks, but I'm horrible inefficient, so I'm hoping this will kick my butt into gear. I'm hoping to have a whole sock "wardrobe" for myself at the end. But first.........I have to finish my shawl to wear to my husband's fancy awards dinner in two weeks! Yikes!

Ready and waiting

I'm all set to start, yarn & needles at the ready and desperate to knit socks, I decided to have a break from them when I signed on for this but my fingers are getting twitchy, roll on 1st June!

So excited!

This is my first time participating in the plunge and I can't wait to get started! It's really been enabling me to buy more sock yarn (3 skeins are currently on their way to my hot little hands) and I've been queuing up patterns on Ravelry like a madwoman. Yay socks!

Plunging in

So, this is my first ever sock challenge. May as well jump right into the deep end, huh? Oh, and by the way, how many people from last year managed to knit 52 pairs? And did the 52PP actually kill anyone? :-) Any resultant insane asylum commitments from last year's group?

I pretty much knit only one pair of socks at a time, both socks at once, so I never have an unfinished pair stuck somewhere in limbo. Right now, I have a pair on the needles which I'm designing for a pattern. I'm knitting from Panda Silk, which I've never used before. Another inch and I'll be ready to work the heel on this pair of toe-up socks.

Along with the goal of knitting 52 pairs of socks during the Plunge, I've set myself the task of seeing how many of the pairs I'll be designing myself. I've been in quite a sock designing mode of late, and have been keeping myself and my test knitter busy. Seems like I tend to birth sock design ideas in pairs. Too bad I can't grow another pair of arms to go with. :-)


So, I'm looking forward to this challenge, and my hope is that I can keep focused and remember that the best way to knit 52 pairs of socks is simply to put my head down, grab the needles, and go at it one pair at a time and not overwhelm myself with the idea of all those future socks!

Happy knitting to all the Plungers! (wow, that sounds oddly like some sort of bathroom humor, doesn't it?)

Terry
(TerryRoss on Ravelry)

Hello!

This is my first time doing the plunge. I'm really looking forwards to doing it!!! Everyone I've told about the plunge thinks I'm insane but I bet they are just jealous! Knitting socks is my sanity saver. I am getting ready by petting all my sock yarn :) , I made a notebook of different patterns with yarn weight and the source of pattern for easy reference. I know when I look for a pattern either online or in my books I get distracted and then overwhelmed and that takes time out for knitting.

All relatives will be recieving socks this year!! And my 4 yr. old son has been demanding some socks of his own. Those will go quicker and maybe he will recieve most of the socks I knit this year!

Can't wait to get started and see everyone's socks!
Good luck,
Sara (gtteknochik)

Ready, set ...

HELLO! I'm excited about this. So excited that I started finishing up some long-time UFO socks - not a particularly good strategy I fear. Any way, I'm really glad to be here and raring to go.

The first two weeks of June shall be the Fortnight of Baby Socks! I can hardly wait.

Cheers to all,

Bea

onestitchatatime

Hello Everyone

I must be mad but I'm going for it again this time. I only managed 23 pairs last time. I did ok until September when life and work got in the way of sock knitting. Hoping I'll manage it this time.

Good luck everyone!

AngieLou

EXCITEMENT!!

I am so excited!! I have a lot planned, some cool ideas and if things work out at my lys(they wanna do a sock war!!) then I will not only be doing baby socks but also at least one pair of adult sized socks.
YAY!!!

It works, I'm in!

Hi all! I'm really excited to take on this challenge. I am preparing my queue on Ravelry, and my stash. Unfortunately, I have a Lizard Ridge afghan on the needles that I need to finish before we start!! Think I can make it? I have about 15 squares done, on my way to 25.

Just FYI, Sonny and Shear is having a 20% off yarn sale, and they have some great sock yarns. It runs thru Friday, May 23rd. Put GeorgeGaveMeYarnMoney in the coupon box when you check out.

21 May 2008

ooh me first!

hello everyone. I am so excited to be in this group.

I have 2 pair of socks on the needles right now that won't count for this -along, but hey, I can never have too many socks.

by the way, I determined today that I must really be an obsessed sock knitter, because I have begun choosing my wardrobe based on the socks I knit!

anyway, good luck everyone!

authorship invites...

Hey kiddos,
The authorship invites have been sent!!
I look forward to seeing your posts & hearing your yarns ((haha... i know, not funny))
Happy knitting (and happy blogging!)

e.