the blue blog archives: countdown to sockapaloooza

THIS IS YOUR 36-HOUR WARNING! Sockapaloooza sign-ups will be open all day this Tuesday, that's 12:01am - 11:59pm US Eastern Time. So stay up a bit later Monday night, or sign-up before work on Tuesday morning, or if you're in Europe, get up a little earlier on Tuesday.

I WILL POST A LINK TO THE SIGN-UP PAGE in a new post and in the sidebar just like last year. Click on the link, click to sign-up, and then fill in all your information in the spaces provided. Please read the instructions clearly and do your best to enter your info properly. Click Submit and a final screeen will appear telling you that your info was put into the database. Just to be clear, DO NOT SEND YOUR INFO TO ME IN AN EMAIL. YOU MUST SIGN-UP THROUGH THE SIGN-UP PAGE.

Again, for those new to the Sockapalooza, here's how it goes. I'll collect names, addresses, and sock preferences from lots of people. 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. And 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 February 1 and will send our socks out on May 2, that way everyone should receive their socks around the same time. And remember, it's a secret swap! Don't tell your sock pal you are knitting for them until you send off their socks to them. It'll be much more fun if it remains a surprise. (More details can be found here).

- You do not need a blog to participate. I'm happy to post progress pictures for those who don't have a blog.
- You decide if you are a beginner or not. If you've knit perfectly good socks before, there's no need to put yourself in the beginners group. If you're just getting started with sock knitting, then you probably should be in that group. You'll be exchanging with other beginners, so keep that in mind as well.
- When you are sent your pal's info, you will also be sent the name and email of the sock sister who'll be in charge of keeping up with your progress. Keep in touch with the her! Send updates of your progress, links to pictures or blog posts, and inform her of any delays or problems you might have. And be sure to let her or me know if your email address changes!

Finally, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT SIGN-UP IF YOU ARE NOT SERIOUS ABOUT PARTICIPATING IN THE KNITALONG. When you sign up, you are making a commitment to knit the socks on time, keep your sock sister updated on your progress, and send some sort of thanks to the pal who sends you socks, so they know that they have arrived. Remember, your pal is sending in their preferences, so please try your best to make socks they will enjoy. You may need to buy some new sock yarn or try out a new pattern. Try to plan the knitting so you will be done within three months, so we can all send out socks at the same time. Send in updates your sock sister so you can appear in the weekly wrap-up posts. And if you have any problems, contact us, don't just disappear!

- 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, plus any other measurements or info that your pal needs to make socks fit your feet
- PREFERENCES: Also include any of the following sock details that are important to you:
fiber preferences - got allergies? prefer wool socks?
color preferences - solids/variegated colors? specific colors you hate?
design preferences - do you like crazy socks? lacy socks? stripes or solids? 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!

posted by alison at 12:01 pm | in sockapaloooza

Comments

Get ready.......
Get set.........

Posted by: Siri at January 22, 2006 11:15 AM

Perfect! I work Monday night until 2am so I'll be popping on here before I go to bed Tuesday morning. Woo!

Posted by: peggy at January 22, 2006 11:17 AM

Is it Tuesday yet, huh, huh?

Thank you in advance on all the work you will put into this!

Posted by: karen at January 22, 2006 11:17 AM

I live in AZ. Therefore I am 2 hours behind eastern standard time. If I post at 10:01 p.m. mountain standard time which is 12:01 a.m. eastern standard time would this be considered a valid post?

Posted by: Abigail at January 22, 2006 11:20 AM

Thank you so much, I can't wait until Tuesday. This will be my first one and I am so excited. I love making socks.

Posted by: Rhonda at January 22, 2006 11:21 AM

woo hoo! can't wait. :) For sockone, I wasn't knitting socks yet! For socktwo, I was already running a crocheted sock swap. This one works out perfectly!

[I confess that every Tuesday for socktwo I would spend half of the day looking at everyone's socks in progress!]

Posted by: jess at January 22, 2006 11:33 AM

Yay!

Is there going to be a limit on number of participants? 'Cause midnight is way past my bedtime, and I'd hate to be shut out because I didn't get to the computer until 8. :-/

Posted by: Rebekkah at January 22, 2006 11:38 AM

Can't wait! And, in what seems to be perfect timing (well, perfect *late* timing), my sockpal savior socks will be mailed out tomorrow! They're drying/blocking right now, and I'll send them off in the afternoon!
And, I'm not sure if I should tell you this now or later, but I'd be happy to be a savior again, but my fingers are crossed that you won't need any! :)

Posted by: Jenn at January 22, 2006 11:42 AM

Yay! Can't wait. I had such a good time last round, and my sock pal has become a good blog friend.

I assume you've contacted the people who are going to be sock sisters? I'll reiterate my volunteering just in case.

Posted by: Ashley at January 22, 2006 11:46 AM

I'm looking forward to signing up. I seem to have missed the first two rounds, but I'm looking forward to round 3. :)

Posted by: jaya at January 22, 2006 12:52 PM

Well I'm impressed (and happy) that you want to tackle this again. My schedule has let up enough that I'll have time to participate. yipee!!

Posted by: Deb at January 22, 2006 2:54 PM

Thanks so much for organizing this Alison. I can only imagine what an incredible undertaking it is. Best to you.

Posted by: Cara at January 22, 2006 3:15 PM

Thanks so much for organizing this! I would also still like to be a sock sister if you need.

Posted by: Erica at January 22, 2006 3:30 PM

Thank you thank you thank you! I'm also signing up in advance to be a sock savior just in case anyone drops out!

Posted by: Brynne at January 22, 2006 6:14 PM

I'm out again this round. BUT I love the socka posts and updates. thanks for the offer.

Posted by: kathy b. at January 22, 2006 8:55 PM

Yay Alison! You are such a doll for doing all of this :) I love your boots too! Scott thinks they are so funky, he really wants to see them in person!

Posted by: Dani at January 22, 2006 9:14 PM

First of all, a toast to Alison for hosting sockapaloza 3!
Now, down to sock-serious stuff: Where exactly do I measure the foot circumference? Around the heel of the foot or around the highest point of the instep?

Posted by: Dorothee at January 23, 2006 6:22 AM

Yes, Abigail, as soon as it's midnight by me and I post the link, you can sign-up, whatever time it is where you are.

Ashley, I haven't contacted the sock sisters yet. I'm still picking from the huge list of volunteers. I'll send emails soon.

Dorothee, the circumference measurement is usually taken around the ball of the foot, the widest part just after the toes.

Posted by: alison at January 23, 2006 10:54 AM

I am sooo in again :)
Counting down till tomorrow am... maybe something good will come from having to be in teh office to get poked for a blood draw early tomorrow morning!

Posted by: stinkerbell at January 23, 2006 1:06 PM

I can't wait for this! I have knit a few pairs of socks before but still consider myself a beginner...my finished product almost never looks as good as other people's socks...

Posted by: liz in CT at January 23, 2006 3:17 PM

w00t! I'm waiting.....is it tomorrow yet? *looks at clock* Crud. Ten more hours. Thank you Alison *SO* much for organizing this!

Posted by: emily at January 23, 2006 5:11 PM

I just signed up. Not sure if I was the first person or not, but I live in CA which has it's timezone advantages. I'm at that awkward spot where I'm not a beginner but not an expert either.

Posted by: Fayme at January 24, 2006 2:00 AM

I just signed up for my first sockapaloooza,can't wait. Thanks Alison and volunteers.

Posted by: Michelle at January 24, 2006 3:06 AM