Help me choose a pattern . . .

I'm pretty sure that I've picked out my yarn:

It's Sundara Yarn it's Caribbean over Light Blue fingering weight. I'm leaning towards a twisted stitch pattern, here are some I'm considering:

1 & 2: From Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road: Conwy or Canal du Midi (also lovely in green here).

3: Bavarian Rockstar, also here.

4: Bavarian Twisted Stitch socks (on the Knitpicks site) from Cat Bordhi's Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles.

If anyone has feedback about these options, or similar alternatives, please let me know. The Canal du Midi is the front-runner, but I do waver when I look at other options! More lengthy reasoning for these choices (and another choice that I've pretty much ruled out) can be found on my blog. Thanks!

Last Year's Socks

Hey all!

Since we're all on the subject of socks and sockapalooza, I wanted to share the socks I made for last year's event.

Entries with details on the socks can be found here and here. The stitch pattern is a simple two row stitch pattern, which can also be found in Vogue Stitchionary, Vol. 1 under the name "small herringbone rib."

Details on the stitch pattern used can be found here, or if you would like a more explicitly written pattern, you can check out this blog.

Over the past year, I've made the socks in several different yarns and colors. This one is my favorite pair, using Koigu:

And here is another pair I made using a striped Regia yarn.

I have unfinished pairs of socks in this stitch pattern throughout my house...

This is one of my favorite patterns because it works with any type of yarn - solid, varigated, or striped - and it's a very simple, elegant pattern. You can also easily adjust your gauge depending on the yarn thickness. The visual interest is there and knitting it up is a lot less boring than just a 2x2 rib. The fit is snug due to the stitch pattern and the way it's worked like ribbing. I'm sure if you just try it, you'll like it a lot, too!

Also see the entry on the socks my sock pal made for me! They were made using the Elfine pattern (I think it's listed in the sidebar). That is all. Carry on...

Yarn - Check! Pattern - Check! Ready Steady KNIT!

Found the sock to knit and the yarn (although I can't remember if I have this one or the lagoon colourway... anyways it's blue). The pattern I don't actually have - it's a Sockmadness sock, but I know the lace from Barbara Walker's Second Treasury - tilting ladders - and I love what the designer has done with the the twist up the heel flap. I'm going to knit it toe up with a gusset and flap. I think it will have good give and be comfy. And I hope the colourway works well with it! I haven't heard back from my secret pal (spoilee) yet, I think she might be on hols. Hopefully I will get an email back from her soon as I have lots of questions to ask! I have alot of KIPs on the needles, but I know they won't keep me from casting on for this!

As for my own secret pal - drop me a line! I'd be thrilled to hear from you! In the meanwhile am having alot of fun reading through the entries and visiting blogs.

Missmalice

Bakerloo?

I've been interested in making the Bakerloo socks from the July 2006 Magknits. I love its novel construction. I'm a sucker for anything built sideways it seems. Has anyone made up a pair? I'd love to know if there are any caveats I should be aware of before plunging ahead and putting one on the needles.

Thankfully, I just finished a couple pairs of socks, so more of my sock needles are free again for this.

Seanna Lea

Sleepless nights

Children are odd , first they wake up their parents in the middle of the night and then they just fall asleep without any problem. ( sometimes it goes with husbands too) Well that was off the topic..
Socks.. I have been thinking of them.. and I think I have found THE PATTERN . ( sorry in finnish only, and its a free finnish knitting magazine online) So one problem solved, but the next one is worse .. The YARN and of course THE Colour. Too many hard decisions to make over somebody.
Next few days maybe I'll be surfing on online stores , looking for yarn.. and I think there will be more than one skein to order . My husband has already been planning to use my yarn tash as an insulation material, to our new home ( to build an house , thats a long project..)
Already I'm planning a shopalong with fellow finnish knitters to buy knitting needles, and perhaps few skeins are in list too :D

Have a great time, and be careful there
Yours
Muoriska

welcome!

Welcome to the home of sockapalooza four! Blogger cannot, it turns out, handle a blogging community this large, so we'll probably end up using this blog much less than I had imagined. Certainly those of you without blogs should be able to use it to post your progress but those of you with your own blog may find it easier just to post updates there. I will continue to use this blog to share info about sockapalooza. Once the usage dies down, those of you who have had problems posting may find it worth trying again. And for all of us, my techguys have worked out an awesome system for staying in touch with each other and following everyone's progress. Info coming soon!

We will be posting our updates here this time. Everyone has now been sent a Blogger invite to join this blog. If you have a problem with your invite or didn't receive one let me know (alison AT knitsmiths DOT us) and I'll resend it. Follow the instructions in the invite and then start posting! (Never used Blogger before? Here's Blogger Help and Dummies Guide to Blogger.

You can write full posts here or just refer folks over to updates on your own blog. Link to your flickr or Photobucket progress pics too. Use the labels provided at the end of the post so we can keep track of progress updates and finished sock posts, etc.