Gearing Up for SM8

It is almost time for Sock Madness 8 to get under way. We were given our materials list the first week of February, giving us ample time to acquire some yarn, buttons, chocolate, cardboard, ruler, and drinking vessel. Some of the supplies are matter of course, but some of them are a bit puzzling.

Since then we've seen teaser photos coming out, in no particular order. It would spoil the surprise if we new which teaser we'd be knitting in what order. In the past they've been quite sneaky. The mods will post pictures of the inside of a test knit, or upside down, or a real close up of a gusset stitch to try and throw everyone off the trail.

It's always fun to see people speculate on what a pattern might be based on these clues, between the pictures and the materials list. The forum is full of lovely and bright people. And sometimes silly youtube videos about llamas.

I'll post the 8 teaser pictures from this year below a cut.

Today is the cut off for signups. If you've been on the fence then I think you should sign up and go for it. Every year there are new people and they always seem to have a great experience. For details you'll need a Ravelry account, and this is the Forum for our crazy group. This post will tell you who to email and what information they'd like from you.

Now we wait....

SM7 - Round 4

Sock Madness 7 round 4 was the pattern High Button Socks and my project page is here. In case it isn't obvious from the name, there were buttons on these socks, and they're completely functional too. The leg of the sock was knit back and forth, rather than in the round.

SM7 - Round 3

Sock Madness7 Round 3 had a really interesting construction, both on the sides of the foot and underneath, on the sole. It also involved a new stitch for the bind off that tripped a few people up. The pattern was Greenhouse Socks and my project page is here.

SM7 - Round 2

Sock Madness 7 Round 2 was quite the color work trick, but the result is pretty amazing. Using short rows Flying Dutchman creates the image of a sail boat on ocean waves. My project page is here.

SM7 - Round 1

We're getting close to the end of this trip down memory lane! Today we start Sock Madness 7, which was last year's competition (2013). The first pattern of the year was Sockdolager and you can find my project page here. The self-striping yarn just worked perfectly with this pattern, and it was fun to knit too. The best combination.

SM 6 - Round 5

That's right, Sock Madness 6 was the year I made it through round 5 for the first time! The pattern Roosimine was another new set of techniques based on an Estonian knitting technique. I modified the pattern to use two contrast colors instead of one. You can find my project page here.

SM 6 - Round 4

Sock Madness 6 round 4 is a pattern that looks more complicated that it was. The pattern is Mosaica and my project page is here. They might be a hassle to do, but I love how striped soles look.