# KAL Poll! Please vote for a pattern!!



## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

This is it, finally.
Everyone is welcome and encouraged to vote, even if you may not be participating in the knit-along.
There are a LOT of options here, the full amount allowed for our poll format <10!>.
I hope this works out okay...it might be hard not to come out with a tie. :teehee:

Which pattern should we do as a group for our 2014 Winter Knitalong?!!

Vote today! :bowtie:


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

I have narrowed it down to 2 !! UGH !! Decisions !!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

There are two I really like, there is one that is a knee sock  that's a lot of knitting and a lot of yarn used. I forgot to look at which ones are or aren't toe up.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I think we should seriously discuss the ability to adapt patterns during this project.
Almost any sock pattern can be made from toes up or cuff down.

They can be worked on :

~dpns,
~ single circular, 
~2 circs, 
~2 socks at a time by magic loop

Probably other ways too, which are less common. 

Then there are the different types of heels you can work, both from the toes up and/or cuff down.

So many options and they are all possible with the same body of stitches on these
patterns. 

I am confident that we could do any of these patterns listed here. 
My concern with the knee highs is getting a good fit for someone you don't know, 
but I HAVE done it before. :whistlin:

So could any of you.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I agree GAM. Maybe we should allow more time with whatever pattern that is chosen, especially if it is one that is more challenging than others. We will have at least one fairly novice sock knitter joining us (yay for new sock knitters). I love that we have people not afraid to jump in feet first .


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

My experience has beenthat the group always picks the easiest pattern.
Or at least the one we THINK is going to be easiest. :hysterical:


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Okay, I voted. Picked about 4 that most appealed to me, then looked at directions, etc and chose the one that I thought most do-able for a novice (aka me, who so far does not do adjustments to patterns).


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I have ruminating to do.:cow:


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I hate these decisions. I'll be back in a bit, need to go be Winnie the Pooh, and think, think, think.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

87 views and only 4 votes so far.
And they are all votes for a different one! 
Careful deliberation indeed. 

:hysterical:


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## Lythrum (Dec 19, 2005)

Well I had to vote for my nomination.  I don't think we can lose with any of them though.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Ok, I'm in.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

wow=- some interesting sock designs out there! I voted my preference but I will likely enjoy whichever pattern the majority decides.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

Voted on my nomination, of course! I am ready to pick yarn !


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I *didn't* vote for my nomination :gasp: The one I voted for really caught my attention.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Well, which ever one wins, I have them all saved to make later!:teehee:


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I just realized, there are quite a few with lace, my personal favorite! but I don't have any solid, or even tonal sock yarn!!
Gee, I guess I'll have to go yarn shopping, bummer.....:whistlin:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Oh darn ... what a real bummer


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

ooookkkkkkk........ I voted ..... but I dont think I'll trade with anybody , because I need inventory for my new Etsy shop !


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

GAM how long are you leaving the poll open? I don't see a close date, unless you hid it in a secret message :huh:


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## Kris in MI (May 30, 2002)

Marchwind, when I view it I see in the top border that it will close 1/5/14


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

March, it says until the 5th at 12:36 pm. But to your credit, it's little bitty at the top of the poll.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Ahhhhh! I see it now. I fail to look at the title lines usually unless they are on the list of threads at the opening page of the forum :facepalm:


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

I ordered yarn ...... hee hee , DARN ! Cant wait to see these results !!


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## stef (Sep 14, 2002)

Since this is a sock thread, I'd like to ask, which you prefer: knitting from the cuff down, or the toe up? 

If you knit from the toe up is the fit still as good?


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I find the fit is just as good either way, I personally prefer toe up, as I like to try them on as I go, can't really do that top down...
I also prefer Magic Loop to DP's, I also fully intend to give that whole two at a time thing a try very soon.:goodjob:


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I prefer top-down, but that's how I was taught. I've done toe-up, I can do toe-up, if I see a pattern I really like toe-up I'll just knit it that way rather than change the pattern, but I just love top-down!


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

I prefer toe up , because I like taller socks and can get the most out of the skein that way ..... I also prefer 2 circular needles


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Top down, never tried the toe up. The heels are odd in the toe ups. And Hercsmama you can too try on your socks as you knit them if they are top down, I do it all the time.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

I love toe up because with the toe up cast on there is NO way I can get my cast on twisted. I still struggle with getting my cast on twisted when doing top down. :teehee: 

I also still prefer to use two short circulars although I might occassionally use the dpns or a Magic Loop. On two circulars, my stitches travel easier in my project bag - they can't fall off the needles. 

With DPNs, I always seem to let one stitch slide off the end of one needle and I worry when I cram them all together that they will get broken in my project/travel bag (because I have done it. :sob 

With DPNs it seems I have 6 chances (the beginning and \the end of each needle) to do an accidental YO and add myself a hole and an extra sitch. Boo.  :sob:

I kinda hate stretching my fabric out with Magic Loop but I am getting used to it. I used Magic Loop for about half of my Christmas Fruitcake Mojo Socks and that worked well but I still went back to two circulars.

I have a couple of buddies that always do TAAT (two at a time ) and I tried that - once. Made me wanna stick needles in my eyeballs. Huh-uh. Not for me. 

Any pattern can be adjusted for any technique- it becomes a matter of personal preference.

I would not say that the heels are "odd" with toe ups- they are just constructed _differently_- and I have to say, the heel in the toe up Scylla socks might be my favorite heel ever. Just perfect. YMMV


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

I am a cuff down, DPN kinda gal. I've tried toe up ... not bad, just need to find a heel I lke using that method. 

Magic circle: nope
Two circs & TAAT: want to try that again. One of my spinning students wanted to make socks. Couldn't do it to save her soul one at a time (2nd sock never matched). Two circs & TAAT & she's a sock making machine!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

ARGH! I can't see pool results on my phone! !!!


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Cyndi, so far the Waterfall socks are ahead with 5 votes.
Posieden and Cachoeira both have 3 and are tied for second.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Better start looking at yarn, I'm not going to have time o spin for this project. I hate to have to buy yarn, sort of. I like the act of buying but it irritates me that I could make it and don't.


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Going to have to hop over to the desk later today & look at waterfall again.

Paul got me sock yarn for Christmas (thanks Kelsie) so I'm good to go with that.


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

I have ordered sock yarn several times, so all I have to do is pick a color. 

I like to knit two at a time, on two sets of dpns. Haven't tried magic loop. Read through a how to and it sounded confusing.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

MamaJ. it's really not, you just have to go step by step when first learning it, I actually find it stupid easy now, and never get any laddering when working in the round. Unlike with DPN's when you can , on occasion get it.

It's a matter of casting all your stitches on a long circ, I like at least a 24, but a 32 works better, then put all the stitches in the middle of the cable, divide them in half, and pull the cable through the mid point. Now you have half of your stitches on one side of the cable, and the other half on the other. Your working yarn should be on the back needle, holding the two needle ends together pointing towards the right. 
Now, pull on the back needle so that the stitches all slide onto the cable, just pull it enough so that you can knit the first stitch on the front needle, and start knitting. As you go, you will be swapping places with the needles.
[YOUTUBE][ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IdSpc0EZpnk[/ame][/YOUTUBE]


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## Miz Mary (Feb 15, 2003)

thanks Hercsmama , I havent learned this method yet ! Do you do 2 at a time with magic loop ?


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

I haven't tried the whole two at a time thing, I'd sure like to though....


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## mamajohnson (Nov 27, 2002)

*confusion * Lol. It will take lots of YouTube time to figure it out.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

Looks like the unofficial winner is Waterfall socks!

To those of you who have knitted these socks before, is handpainted, tonal or solid the better choice for these socks?


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

I will start the official sign up (for the swap) tomorrow morning. 

Waterfall Socks it is! :dance:


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Since this is toe up I'll probably have questions about gettin the correct foot length before starting the gusset. 

Thrilled to see it has heel flap/gusset construction!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

I'd like to ask for an extended time to knit these a) because they are toe up and those of us who have never done them before may need major baby sitting or help in converting them to top down, and b) these are knit on '0's and may take forever to knit. Sme of us a super slow knitters :awh:


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Wind in Her Hair said:


> Looks like the unoficial winner is Waterfall socks!
> 
> To those of you who have knitted these socks before, is handpainted, tonal or solid the better choice for these socks?


I've never made these, but I'm an avid lace knitter, and can tell you that a good rule of thumb is the more complicated the stitch, the more simple the yarn.
With these, I think, a nice solid, or very mild tonal would probably show the lace work off the best.
Toe up isn't hard at all. Actually since you can slip them on your foot as you go, and see the fit it's alot simpler to get that heel gusset going in the right place.
I've done toe up, and top down, and find I seriously prefer toe up as to getting fit right.


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

Marchwind said:


> I'd like to ask for an extended time to knit these a) because they are toe up and those of us who have never done them before may need major baby sitting or help in converting them to top down, and b) these are knit on '0's and may take forever to knit. Sme of us a super slow knitters :awh:


 Anything else? 
How long do you want? 
You can do it Marchwind! 

The pattern repeats over 8 stitches and there is zero purling...
So, even though the needles are tiny these should be quick to knit up. 
It is mostly just plain knitting with a few k2tog then yo in every other round.
Seriously, the stitch pattern is dead simple. 

A person could easily convert them to top down by CO 64 and going straight ahead like normal.


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

GAM I don't know how long. Those of you who are super fast knitters, like you don't get it about those of us who are deadpan slow. I. Also working with an injured hand and can't knit for long periods of time. Maybe whoever I get will just have to understand they will eventually get their socks, just most likely not on time. I finally have an appointment to see a specialist the end of this month so who knows what's going to happen. I don't even know what is going on.


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

:kissy: MW. No worries, we'll get you through it.
I'm not super fast either, I just have no life right now.:teehee:
I'm also a rather experienced lace knitter, and I can tell you, this pattern is crazy easy!
A perfect choice for beginner lace people. I promise, you will have no trouble with it at all.


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## Wind in Her Hair (Jul 18, 2002)

Got my yarn all picked out (from the sock yarn store downstairs :grin: ) and ready to make into a cake, ready for knitting! Let's go! Just need to see what size socks I will be knitting!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

hercsmama said:


> Toe up isn't hard at all. Actually since you can slip them on your foot as you go, and see the fit it's alot simpler to get that heel gusset going in the right place.


We won't be making them for ourselves though. I wear an 8, what if I'm knitting for someone who wears a 6 or 9-1/2??? How do I know where to start the gusset??


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## hercsmama (Jan 15, 2004)

Best to go by foot measurement, when in doubt, not shoe size.
For the most part, you can bet that the *average* measurement will work.

For example, I wear an 8- 8.5 shoe, but my total foot measurement is 9- 9 1/2 inches. To the start of the gusset on these for me would be at about 7 - 7 1/2 inches.


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## SvenskaFlicka (Nov 2, 2011)

I have my yarn picked out too, I just need to know what color to use! I have a lot of nice colors, and it's a very slow striping fade-from-one-color-to-the-next yarn.  Mostly tonal. 

Wheee!


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## Marchwind (May 10, 2002)

Thank Hercsmama, I'm not worried about the lacy stuff it's the toe up stuff. I think I'll convert it to top down. I'll do toe up on something plain, it will be easier to learn that way I think.

SvenskaFlicka I may use that gift certificate. I'm going to go and see what you have.


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