Fun
The State of the Wandering Socks Knitalong
We have learned something in the past three weeks: Knitters love making socks.
No, really—you LOVE knitting socks.
The number of socks that has been produced all over the world, in all sorts of locations and situations, is truly gobsmacking.
And they are beautiful socks. We love, of course, the ones that are popping up in every color of beautiful sock yarn that we brought into the MDK Shop. (See them all here.)
We love the ones that our stalwart MDK Knitting Getaway participants are knitting up with the sock blanks they dyed in Sewanee, Tennessee back in June.
Ann’s Shakerag sock blank is now a pair of striped socks that match. Kay’s shakerag sock blank is…
…Still a sock blank. she’ll get there!
(For more of this festival of natural pigments on human feet, check the Instagram hashtag #ShakeragSockBlank.)
We also love the socks that are taking shape from long-hoarded, deepest sock stash all across America and the planet. The self-stripers, the speckles, the sparkles—all of them, getting their moment to shine.
It’s a joy to see, and a joy to knit with you all. The MDK Lounge has turned into a regular Sock University, buzzing with energy and enthusiasm for sock knitting. If you crave a good wallow in the best that sock-knitting has to offer, spend a moment with the Instagram hashtag #MDKwanderingsocks.
All this beauty makes it very hard on us each Friday, when it comes to choosing the winner of our weekly prize. But we do the best we can. We make the tough call, and get back to our sock knitting.
Knit on, brave sock wanderers! Keep digging out the good yarns and turning them into stacks of socks. You are going to be glad you have them when gift-giving time is nigh. And you might win a juicy prize!
Love the pictures. GO CUBS!!!!
So fun to see all this! Currently into making stuffies but socks are definitely in my future!
I should finally get started. That’s what I bought those DPNs for.
Are the socks knitted from the pictured and painted sock blank? I always wondered what would come out of a blank painted with circles of color.
I am on sock two of pair #1! Toe up, all over seersucker pattern. It’s beautiful! I didn’t think I could do it, but I breezed right thru the second heel, and thought, “oh, this is pretty easy.”
Out of curiosity…where are the weekly winners announced? Is it at the end of August? Or did I miss something?
Encouragement needed! I have a copy of M-D Field Guide 11, a skein of Lichen and Lace, a #1 circular needle and a lot of enthusiasm for knitting socks. I’m terrified of double pointed needles! I’ve used them a little with success but much clumsiness! Should I order the #2’s? Or should I use the new bendable double points? If so, what size? Also, is top down or bottom up easier for a first timer??
Any and all suggestions welcome!
Mary
No, the knitted socks are from Ann’s sock blank, which she painted in log-cabinish strips of color.
Mine is the one with circles, and I’m anticipating short single-row stripes in those sections, as the pink (cochineal) will keep getting interrupted by the yellow (persimmon). I’m going to cast on the sock blank next because curiosity is killing me.
The yellow and the gray, which is logwood.
Nice. Love natural dyes. I need to learn how to paint with them. Maybe need the natural dye extracts. I have some of these.
Easiest sock pattern in the world…..?…..any thoughts? It’s on my bucket list. TY!!
There’s a spiral tube sock pattern that has no heel. I think you can find patterns on Raveler but Here’s a free one: https://www.lamaisonrililie.com/free-no-heel-spiralsock-pattern.html
So many beautiful socks! It’s because of you, Ann and Kay, and also GG, of GGmadeit, that I finally signed up for an Instagram account so that I can see all the knitterly goings-on! I am waving to you all from over here in Summer Scarf-ville, where I expect to be until I start my own version of Holiday Knitting in August. If that seems early to some, it’s because the holiday I’m knitting for is Halloween, and the knitting is not for others, but for my own Halloween costume. I have very specific needs and multiple projects in mind. I am not a very speedy knitter, so it’s best that I get cracking before too long! Oh, and the scarf I just finished was Kate Davies’ Polkagris. It managed to be both simple and fun in the knitting, and the scarf turned out about as well as I had hoped! Next up: a feather and fan shawl that I will knit as long as the 530 yards of my cake hold out. Or if it seems long enough and/or I get bored or worried that Halloween is approaching too quickly.
I crochet tube socks – am I still welcome?
Who needs a prize, when you get to have the fun of knitting socks!
Breathtaking pictures! So fun!
I started knitting a pair of socks based on the challenge while in South Dakota last week, but forgot to take any pictures. I will post a pic once they are finished. LOVE Snippets!