the blue blog archives: tuesday is knitalong day

Alright, hopeful sockapal-2-zers, this is your 24 hour warning! Get your foot measurements and sock preferences together and get ready to sign up. My tech guys (hubby and my master webmaster) are hard at work getting an automated sign-up system all set up. Tomorrow, I'll tell you where to go to sign-up and you'll need to have all your info ready to enter. Here's what I'll need:

- BASIC INFO: name, email address, blog address, mailing address (don't worry, I won't be sharing your email or mailing addresses with anyone but your sock pal)
- GROUP INFO: do you want to be in the beginner group? are you willing to ship overseas?
- FOOT AND SOCK INFO: foot measurement from heel to tip of big toe AND foot circumference measured at the ball of the foot as in the image below, plus any other measurements or info that your pal needs to make socks fit your feet

Also include any of the following sock details that are important to you:
fiber preferences - got allergies? prefer summer socks?
color preferences - solids/variegated colors? specific colors you hate?
design preferences - do you like crazy socks? lacy socks? prefer calf length/ankle length?

Include whatever you think your pal should know. If you're up for anything, just say that and your pal can have fun with your socks!

Anyone new to the Sockapalooza, here's some info to catch you up on what it's all about. I'll collect names, addresses, and sock preferences from lots of people (probably about 200). Then, I'll assign each person another person to knit a pair of socks for. So someone will be given your info and will knit a pair of socks for you and you'll be given someone else's info and be knitting socks for them, the person you're knitting for will be knitting socks for another person, and so on, and so on..... We'll all start knitting around mid-June and will send our socks out mid-September, that way everyone should receive their socks around the same time. And remember, it's a secret! Don't tell your sock pal you are knitting for them! It'll be much more fun if it remains a surprise.

[Added: Oh, and there are two groups, a beginners group and a non-beginners group. If you've successfully made socks before, you're not a beginner. Beginners are those who really haven't made socks before. I really wanted beginners to be able to participate too, but to be fair, I think it's best for them to swap their "first try" socks with each other. I think most of the beginners in the last round had a blast learning how to knit socks and receiving a pair from a pal who also just learned. So if sock knitting is new to you but you really want to give it a try, join us!]

posted by alison at 9:29 am | in sockapaltwoza

Comments

YAY!! More sock fun. Thanks, Alison.

Posted by: Jackie at May 31, 2005 1:03 PM

Sounds fun! Thanks for setting this up :)

Posted by: Amy at May 31, 2005 1:31 PM

So excited! This auto sign-up thing sounds very high tech too. What would you suggest I do if I know I'll be moving at the end of July but I don't know my new address? If it'll be too much hassle I can sit out, but I missed the first one too.

Posted by: Vicki at May 31, 2005 1:31 PM

i am a sockaholic so this could be fun for me but i don't have a blog-can i do it anyway?

Posted by: aubyn at May 31, 2005 2:08 PM

YAY!!!

I missed out on the first one (discovered it after deadline) and am SO excited you're doing it again! I'm all about the socks right now and am venturing into more challenging patterns, so this will be perfect. ;-)

Thanks for taking it on. You're a good egg. :-)

Posted by: paula at May 31, 2005 2:25 PM

Aubyn, you don't have to have a blog. I just ask in case someone does, so their sock pal will have the address and can get to know them better. Also I can link to peoples' blogs and we can follow their progress that way. If you can take a picture of your socks in progress and send them to me by email, I'm happy to post a progress pic on the blog here for you.

Vicki, instead of your current address, why don't you submit the town, state, country of where you're moving to (some pals prefer not to ship overseas, so it'll help when matching you up if I know at least where in the world you'll be). Then there will also be a space on the sign-up form for extra comments where you can write that you'll be moving and will send a complete address later. Sound good?!

The system will be automated to cut down on my sorting and email work, but I'll still be looking over the list and will be able to correct mistakes and things, so don't worry about any special cicumstances not being understood by the computer. Just write anything special in the separate comments space and I'll find it!

Posted by: alison at May 31, 2005 2:27 PM

You're surely tempting me!!!! Thanks for taking the time to organize and set-up such a fun thing!

Posted by: Leslie at May 31, 2005 2:33 PM

WooHoo!! I've been waiting on this! I missed the sign up for the last one and I am really looking forward to this one!

Posted by: Samantha at May 31, 2005 2:41 PM

WOOOHOOO!
I feel like a kid on Christmas Eve!

Posted by: Carla at May 31, 2005 3:00 PM

lordy my heart is racing,oh brave one! I will be in for this one,see ya tommorrow

Posted by: cara at May 31, 2005 3:34 PM

now that Sockapalza got me hooked on socks, can I miss round 2? I don't think so!

Thanks for doing this .... again!

Posted by: Lu at May 31, 2005 5:04 PM

Thanks for organizing a second round! I was too busy when the first round was announced, but I feel tmuch more able to knit a fabulous pair of socks for my partner (to be)!! thanks again!

Posted by: lori at May 31, 2005 5:19 PM

I am new to this so bear with my simple questions. Is it just one pair of socks? Or is it one pair a month? This would be so much fun to do, but I am slow at making socks...

Posted by: Liz at May 31, 2005 6:11 PM

Yay! Thanks for doing this... I am definitely going to sign up!

Posted by: Dani at May 31, 2005 6:58 PM

No worries, Liz, it's just one pair in the three months - that's it. :)

Posted by: alison at May 31, 2005 11:22 PM

Alison,

Thanks for organizing round 2.

Posted by: emy at May 31, 2005 11:56 PM

Great news -- I loved Sockapalooza 1 and have been looking forward to round 2. I'm even going to set my alarm extra early -- us west coasters don't want to miss the mad rush to sign up!

Posted by: nona at June 1, 2005 12:24 AM

Thank you thank you thank you, hostess with the mostess!

Posted by: keri at June 1, 2005 12:24 AM

i hope i get my socks this time!! i can't wait for round two!

Posted by: rachel m at June 1, 2005 6:46 AM

I'm not sure which group I should sign up for. I've knit about 6 pairs of socks, but they have all been basic Yankee Knitter socks, nothing fancy. Does that make me a beginner?

Posted by: jenny at June 1, 2005 9:02 AM

Rachel, you will get your "Sockapalooza One" socks. A generous donor is knitting for you right now!!

Jenny, you don't sound like a beginner to me. Non-beginner doesn't necessarily mean that you're making fancy, complicated socks. It just means that you're sure you can make a good sock. The beginners aren't quite sure since they've most likely never done one before, so it's best if they all swap their first tries with each other. Got it?

Posted by: alison at June 1, 2005 10:00 AM

ohhh, i can't wait! I had so much fun with the first exchange and am busily planning for this one. and yes, i am willing to step in again as backup if needed!

Posted by: marti at June 1, 2005 10:07 AM

Wheeee! More socks to knit up :-)

Posted by: Kathy at June 2, 2005 10:08 PM