Socktoberfest is Here!

I'm so shameful. Here it is, October 4, I posted on the 2nd and all I could do is whine and obsess and forget to mention Socktober fest altogether!

Well, I'm ready to Socktober Fest! Here are Lolly's questions...

When did you start making socks? After telling a overly zealous saleswoman at a LYS (quite curtly, at that) that I had no interest in doing anything in that small of a gauge (I only do large gauge!) when she gushed about Koigu and how her dream was to have a whole drawer full of Koigu socks by Christmas (hmm...this must have been Fall of 2002...). I bought my first sock pattern and Koigu KPPPM at the following Stitches West in February 2003! Shortly thereafter, the journey began!

Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? 100% self-taught; first via the Ann Norling pattern I bought at SW (basic cuff-down), then via on-line tutorials and other patterns where I learned 2 on 2 and all the details. One gal at a LYS told me she taught herself Magic Loop by looking at the cover of the Magic Loop book and said it was very instinctual. I looked at the cover and did the same.

What was your first pair? Ann Norling basic in Koigu PPPM. How have they "held up" over time? They are still worn by me and are wonderfully soft.

What would you have done differently? I was told by a woman at Foxy Knits (at SW; they sell only Koigu)that though the yarn called for size 3 needles, she preferred knitting her socks on size 2 1/2. Me being 'so smart' decided on my first sock that since: 1)I had gone down a 1/2 needle size already and 2) I have chubby, wide feet...that I should not decrease down to my original 64 stitches and instead only go down to 66 or 68...! Needless to say, my "intellegence" resulted in my first sock being a bit too loose. Luckily, I decided to knit my second sock properly, rather than have both too wide...So one sock is larger than the other!

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? Definitely Socks that Rock (STR)! Also, "Seduction", which (like STR)is another Blue Moon Fiber Arts yarn, only a merino/tencel blend. Lovely to work with, looks wonderful and washed up well...but, IMHO, at around $32 a skein (vs. $19 for STR), too luxurious to again use for socks! Love Fleece Artist Merino sock and was pleasantly surprised at how nice the Jawoll felt to knit with! Also love Zara and Print 2000 for heavier wt. socks! Washes up like a dream!

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? Haven't tried crochet yet, and don't really much have the desire to. I mostly prefer DPNs, but will use whatever needles are around and do own the tiny sized circs, too. HATE 2 on 2 circs-just don't like having to keep untwisting the two strands of yarn!

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?) So far, I definitely lean towards flap.

How many pairs have you made? 13 pair that I can recall, and have around 3-5 singles that I can think of.

And here is my extra comment...
What am I currently doing for Socktoberfest? Well, at this point, I thought it would be good to try and finish at least one single sock to make a complete pair. Second, I was inspired by the Extreme Knitting article in Knitty and will attempt 2 pairs of toddler socks (if I am able to master this Double Knitting technique) to donate to CIC or some other charity.

This is as far as I've gotten...Just figuring out the cast-on took a bit of time for me! YIKES! Let's see if I can even get this monster joined!

Now to join in the round...