If you are still out there and still reading this blog, please head on over to my personal blog and let me know if you’d like to have another Summer of Socks this year! And if you can, let me know if you can offer some tech help and/or blog reading help too. Any and all suggestions for improvement would be more than welcome as well. Hope to see you over there soon! 
Happy sock knitting!
While the fall does not arrive until sometime early Saturday morning, the Summer of Socks has officially come to a close. Of course this brings mixed emotions for me, but the over riding feeling is one of gratitude.
First, thank you so much to our three amazing sponsors! Tara at Blonde Chicken Boutique for the beautiful prize for the Most Socks competition, not to mention her fast help when I needed an extra prize for the two people who finished their first pair of socks first, Mama E at Mama E’s C*eye*ber Fiber Market for the beautiful Summer of Socks colorway, Polynesian Pools, and providing the winning name creator with a skein, and Allison at Simply Socks Yarn Company for providing the prize for the Vacation Socks contest. These ladies were all a pleasure to work with and their generosity made it possible to sweeten this along with some wonderful goodies. Thank you so much ladies!
Next I must thank the people that made it possible to have a centralized location for updates on what everyone was doing so we could all share in the sock making. Thanks to Miss Ewe (a.k.a. Kate) for doing what she could with her busy schedule. Many thanks to Tara and Carole for answering my call for help so quickly and so willingly. You guys were amazing and did a wonderful job! Thanks so much to Bossygirl (a.k.a. Beth) who not only wrote updates for us all with her usual wonderful sense of humor and enthusiasm, but also turned out to be my personal cheerleader and kept me sane at the moments when things got a little crazy behind the scenes. There is no possible way this along would have been nearly as successful as it was without you four ladies! I can’t thank you enough!
I’d also like to thank Abigail for coming up with the idea of a sock swap as an additional feature of this along for those who wanted to participate. I’ve heard that it has been a success and I appreciate the fact that Abigail ran this completely on her own as I was a bit overwhelmed at that point. A great idea and another fun feature! Thank you!
Most of all, I’d like to thank all of YOU who have your name listed in the sidebar. When I proposed this silly little idea of mine on my blog in May I never expected the response that I got. I even had to turn people away after the deadline! You all have made this a great experience for me in so many ways. I hope you all learned a few things, made some new friends, and most of all, had some FUN this summer with your sock knitting and crocheting! Seeing all the awesome work out there has been very inspiring to me and some of you have said the same.
While this along is over for now and many of you are turning your attention to other things, I’d encourage you to reflect back on the last three months and share your reflections with me. A few people have asked about whether or not this will happen again next year, and for now I can’t say for sure. In the meantime, I’d really like to hear your thoughts on how things went. What did you like? What didn’t you like? What could use improvement? Did you like the updates? What about the blog? Would you like to see this happen again next year? Please share your thoughts with me when you can. My one regret is that I did not manage to get around to all your blogs and at least say hello during the along. I hope to do that in the next couple of weeks and I hope that you will all stop by my personal blog from time to time and say hello too!
And finally without further ado, let’s announce the winner of the Most Socks Contest, shall we?
Can I get a drum roll please? 
The winner, with 17.25 total points is……..
Maggii of MaggiiBleu!!!
Maggii consistently wowed me with how quickly she could turn out a pair of socks using both knit and crochet! She’s definitely worked hard this summer! I hope you’ll all head over to her blog and give her a pat on the back! Maggii, please be sure to send me your snail mail and e-mail address so we can get your prizes to you. Congratulations!
Thanks again everyone! It’s been a ton of fun! See you (and 800 of our closest friends!) over at Socktoberfest!
Just a quick reminder to all of you participating in the Most Socks contest. Today is the final day to post and report your completed pairs of socks. All blog entries must be up and the appropriate e-mail in my inbox no later than midnight EST tonight! I hope you all enjoy your last day of the Summer of Socks. I’ll announce the winner and have a wrap up either Thursday or Friday. Thanks!
Here we are, the summer is nearly over and this is our last weekly update. What a fast three months it has been! There is still lots of sock making going on, so let’s get right to it!
Abigail has been busy. She’s creatively blogging (read the interview she has written with herself), enjoyed the benefits of a sock swap, done some heavy power knitting, and *oops* felted a pair of socks in the dryer (been there, done that.) Abigail, your blog is always a fun read! Take a peek at Amanda’s September socks. Ohhh! Ahhh! They are crocheted, cozy, and way cool. Love ‘em! Apparently, Friday was a good day to dye…Ann-Marie did the Kool Aid thing and has come up with some pretty yarn for more socks. Kool-Aid, the knitter’s plaything. Who’da thought? Anne-Ruth, who has been nursing her little girl back from a tonsillectomy, posted the pair of socks she made for the swap with Abigail (see above). The photo is great, and I’m sure the socks are even prettier in person. Lucky Abigail! Carie has been shopping! At last, she’s got some Lorna’s Laces sock yarn to tear into…not so common in her native UK. Have fun, Carie! Look, look, look at Catherine’s new yarn–the girl’s been busy dyeing some alpaca this week, and the results are stunning. Catherine’s truly a girl with formidable talent and creativity. Bon appetit! Danielle is en route to London–no doubt there by now–and, dedicated knitter that she is, she took some socks-in-progress with her. So do ya think she’ll get much done on it? Hmmm….stay tuned. In the midst of a dishcloth frenzy, Dee is working on some lovely socks with Colori Fortissimo yarn. The developing color pattern is awesome. Visit her Sept. 15 post to check it out. Definitely worth the trip. Elinor has published her Tye-Dye Goth Socks photos. They are great! She also reports that she’s teaching a toe-up sock class at her LYS. Pretty awesome for a high school chicky! 
Jenn N. is a woman of many talents…and many WIP’s! I love the photo of the sock pile. Anyone out there got a similar looking pile in the knitting basket? C’mon…’fess up. And, finally, I just want to say “thanks” for all the fun I’ve had keeping track of the blogs in my Summer of Socks group. You ladies rock! I’m keeping the list so I can keep visiting. (I can’t help it…I’ve bonded.) Oh, and FYI–finally updated my blog with a lot of moving news and a little knitting - kind of like my life right now. What can I say? Knowing I was updating blogs today lit a fire under me. You all inspire me! A big thanks to Jessica for putting SoS together for us this summer…it’s been a blast! xoxo–Bossygirl
Once again a big thank you goes out to Beth for her hard work on all these updates this summer! Thanks Beth!!
My group has been busy too. First, if you haven’t already, make sure you go sign up for Lolly’s Socktoberfest!! C’mon! You have over a week to recover from this along before that one starts! And on a more serious note I’d like to extend a note of sympathy to Lolly on the recent loss of her grandmother. I’m sure we’ll all be sending good thoughts and hugs your way. Karen has been making deals by trading some of her amazing homespun sock yarn for some really cool sock blockers. She’s also got another pair of socks on the way to them, her sherbert socks. They look yummy! Like a few other of our sock friends Jennifer is in training for Sock Wars! She’s finished a child’s sock (sorry Jennifer but we can only count completed pairs here!), has some really cool arrrrgyles in the works, and some Lorna’s laces “mineshaft”. She also recently completed a pair of “Taby” socks. Now that’s a busy sock knitter! Jess has managed to finish her Cedar Creek socks in a beautiful Socks that Rock colorway. They look very cozy. Katie has been really busy lately but has managed to get some sock knitting time in and is nearly finished with a beautiful pair of red Hedera socks for her sister. She may be doing some reknitting on the toes though. If you are looking for some happy, bright colored Jaywalkers, you really have to see the finished pictures on Kelly’s blog. I just think this colorway is awesome! Kristin has been making small sock-like ornaments while working on a regular sized pair toe up on two circs from the looks of things in a great Mountain Colors yarn. Very pretty! Leigh finished up a pair from the ever popular Nancy Bush’s Knitting on the Road in another very cool color combination. I think I’m having color envy tonight! Speaking of color, Lola has a couple of links to interesting sites to help with color choices. Thanks for sharing them with the rest of us! Lynne has been doing some serious finishing and has a 2 and a half great pairs for you to see! Maggie continues to be an incredible sock making machine. In the last week and a half she has finished up to pair 18 for the Summer of Socks! I can hardly believe it myself! Manda was on a finishing kick lately too and she’s done it again with her Neopolitan Socks. Very cute! If you haven’t already been there to check it out, make absolutely sure you go on over to Marisol’s blog to see her report on her weekend with Nancy Bush. What an amazing weekend she had indeed So! Jealous! As for me, I am just stitches away from finishing up my goal of 6 pairs of socks for this sockalong and hope to have the finished object post up real soon!
Next up is Carole’s group with this report:
The final week of Summer Socks is here already! From all the sock updates we’ve had I’d say everyone’s feet will be toasty warm all winter. Morgan has abandoned the idea of learning toe-up socks for some more traditional cuff-down stockinette socks. Since they are cotton they will be perfect for her climate. Pam is really enjoying her Cherry Tree Hill lace socks and she’s done some Trekking stash enhancement, too. Patti finished sock one of a beautiful stripey pair and is desperately trying to finish the second one before the Summer of Socks ends. Good luck, Patti! Paula’s Trekking sock has been hanging out with the pumpkins in her garden. She’s also started another pair of leaf-y socks, this time the pattern is called Yukon Leaves and the colors are fabulous. Renee is debating over continuing her Lozenge socks or starting over in another pattern. We’ve all been in her shoes before, why not go visit her and offer some advice? That’s all the socks news from my group. Great work, everyone!
And finally we have Tara keeping track of the end of the alphabet:
Shannon finished 2 socks, but doesn’t have a pair, she’s currently working on a second sock and her mystery sock. Stacey has picked out some new cabley sock patterns to try and is planning on dyeing some yarn. Uli finished 2 pairs of Trekking socks-so pretty! Valerie may not have sock pictures, but she has some nice sock yarn pictures! As for me, I gave into knee high mania and gave a review of some fun handpainted sock yarn.
Once again I’d like to extend a huge thank you to Tara and Carole for jumping in to help out with the last couple of updates. You two are just awesome! Thanks so much!!
So that’s it! The final update. We still have two more days to go though and I’ll be posting a reminder about the most socks competition tomorrow night, the winner and a wrap up will be up by the end of the week. See you back here real soon!
Andrea with her fabulous fishy photo!!! Congrats to Andrea!! Please send me an e-mail with your prefered e-mail address and your snail mail address so we can get you your prize from Simply Socks Yarn Company!
Thank you to everyone that entered! Your photos were all great!
Our final update will be posted very soon along with final details on the Most Socks competition. Stay tuned! Only three more days to go!
There is only about a week left for the Most Socks competition and in turn, the Summer of Socks! Here is an update on the point totals for each person. Remember that this is the number of points, not pairs of socks, that you have accumulated so far.
Jen - 3
Morgan - 2
Valerie - 2
Jodie - 2
Andrea - 5
Manda - 2
Kristin - 1
Paula - 1
Alison A. - 1
Carole - 1
Stacey - 3
Pam - 2
Karin - 10
Amy P. - 3
Michelle T. - 2
Michelle - 3.25
Anne-Ruth - 7.75
Dee - 3
Jennifer - 2.5
Maggii - 14.25!
Mintyfresh - 1
Karen S. - 0.5
Jessica (that would be me!) - 5
Wow! Now that is a lot of socks! And for a little further inspiration to keep working here is a picture of the fabulous prize the winner of this contest will be receiving from the very generous Tara at Blonde Chicken Boutique:
If you aren’t drooling, check your pulse! That’s organic cotton yarn, Banana silk yarn, organic alpaca yarn, a set of Peace Fleece knitting needles with hand painted glass beads and hand beaded stitch markers! Plus, I’ll be throwing in enough yarn for one pair of socks, which you will get to pick yourself, from a couple of different options.
Now wipe away the drool, take a deep breath, and get back to those socks everyone! And don’t forget to vote for your favorite picture in the Vacation Socks contest by Sunday!
You can now vote for the winner of the Socks on Vacation contest over in the sidebar. To see the entries, click on the link entitled “Socks on Vacation entries” in the sidebar under “Pages”. You’ll then be taken to a page where you will see all the awesome pictures that were submitted for this contest. Decide on your favorite and vote for their corresponding number in the poll in the sidebar. Remember that you may only vote once. Anyone who comes across this page may vote whether or not they are a member of this sockalong, so be sure to tell your friends! Good luck to all the participants!
And remember, voting will close at 8pm on Sept. 17th so be sure to place your vote now!
I’m very sorry that this update has taken so long to get out to you all. I hope those of you in the US had a great Labor Day weekend. Can you believe that summer is almost over? And there are only two weeks and couple of days left in the Summer of Socks?! Keep those needles and hooks going ladies! I’ll be posting pics of the yummy prize for the most socks soon as extra motivation to crank out those pairs and get more points!
A few of you have asked me about the prizes you offered to donate during initial sign-ups. I want to sincerely thank you again for the offers, but since we have had our three wonderful corporate sponsors offer up such nice prizes, we won’t need your generosity. I really appreciate the fact that so many of you were willing to contribute though! Once again the online knitting and crocheting community proves to be generous beyond expectation!
And don’t forget, you vacation contest photos need to be to me by 11pm tonight!
Without further ado, let’s see what everyone has been up to in the last couple of weeks.
Beth has managed to find time between packing boxes and purging 15 years worth of stuff to send in this report:
Abigail has finished a great pair of socks for her husband. They fit; he loves them, and says they remind him of “The Coat of Many Colors”. What a guy! Hope you’re feeling better soon, Abigail! Amanda has gotten “back on the sock wagon”, as she puts it, and recently finished a pair of crocheted socks made from Checkers yarn by KnitPicks. Very cute! (Upon checking back in before press time, I see she’s also whipped up another pair in short order. Speed Knitter!!!) Amy’s got her kiddos back in school, and says she’s going to have more blogging time. She’s got a number of WIP’s going, including socks for her niece. Pictures coming soon. If you want to see something cool, go take a peek at Andrea’s blog. She’s been requesting leftover sock yarn, and has started to make a sock yarn blanket. There’s also yet another pair of finished socks in her recent posts. Rock on, Andrea. Ann-Marie has made some little Baby Jays!!! Oh, you guys, they are sooooooo adorable! She has also finished her Kenya-inspired socks. They are from her own pattern AND made of yarn she dyed herself. They’re lovely, Ann-Marie! Anne-Ruth, probably one of our more prolific knitters, finished an adorable pair of knee socks at the end of August. They are striped with cream, chocolate, and teal (or so it seems by the photo), and look like they’ll be great in cooler weather. She has also started another pair of knee socks, and has one finished already. Can that time of year be coming already? Beverly seems to be a girl with lots going on, yarn-wise. (You go, girl!) One of her recent FO’s was her first (and maybe only, she says) pair of SoS socks, some anklets made from Cascade Fixation. Good choice, Beverly! And they are cute, cute, cute! So…you HAVE to visit Catherine’s blog and see her terrific socks made from her own pattern! Her LYS, Yarntopia, is selling the pattern as well. Congratulations, Catherine! Don’t know if she has an official name for the pattern yet…stay tuned. Danielle is trying to finish a pair of socks in the midst of a case of the crankies. (Haven’t we all been there???) Maybe the new yarn she bought and some hours of uninterrupted knitting will break her funk. Good luck, Danielle. Dee is enjoying the changing seasons (is there a difference between summer and fall in Orlando, Dee?) and getting geared up for some new KALs. In the meantime, she’s gotten another pair of socks finished for the SoS deadline. The pattern is “Melanie’s Twist” and they are made from Lorna’s Laces Yarn. They look great! Elinor has taken her honey to college, and is back home to dive into her junior year. She’s finished her Tye-Dye Goth Socks (pictures coming soon) and has started a new pair of Jaywalkers. Hope your school year is off to a good start, Elly! Go look at Erica’s Embossed Leaves socks from Interweave Knits!! They are done in Peaches and Cream by Fleece Artist Merino Sock yarn, and they are wonderful. What a talented knitter Erica is. As you may remember, her husband is serving overseas (the family is in Germany while dad is fighting.) Keep them in your thoughts, as well as two families on the base that lost soldiers over the weekend. After a flurry of sock-finishing, Jamie has finished a pair of socks with Baby Ull yarn. She is considering calling them her “Casino Socks”. They are two-toned green, and have a very cool heel. Please visit to ooh and ahh. Here’s what Jen is doing: I’m currently knitting plain socks. No special details or patterns, just plain, white, socks. Except, the yarn was designed by Adrienne Vittadini and is 100% pure silk. Yeah. I could knit with this stuff all day every day and never get tired of it. Doesn’t that sound delightful? Keep us posted, Jen! Jenn N. deserves a mental hug, especially from the teachers in the group. Her large school district has uprooted her from her class of four weeks–FOUR WEEKS!–and placed her elsewhere because of numbers. I just can’t imagine how difficult that is on so many levels. So, as Jenn says, she’s making lemonade out of those lemons…what a trooper. One way she’s coping is starting a new pair of socks. Why not? Hang in there, girlfriend. And now, on a more serious note… Carole wrote of her dad’s passing after 83 years on August 27th. She writes of the rocky relationship they had, and how there was peace between them in the end, and how life can change on a dime. Please remember Carole and her family in your prayers. In the meantime, she’s back to knitting, and has some great red socks, and another pair of striped ones going, too. They look great. And finally, B also used her blog last Monday to share some sad news. Her mother passed away a week ago, and B has written a beautiful, achingly poignant entry about their last days together, and what she would do with just 5 more minutes. Please send prayers to B and her family as well. Have a good week, everyone…remember to tell the important people in your life how much you love them.
Thanks for that report Beth. We will definitely be holding our members who need us in our thoughts.
Here’s what’s happening with my busy group:
Lolly finished up her Sleeping socks in a gorgeous colorway of Trekking yarn and with Project Spectrum winding down she is also in the home stretch of her first no-so-knee high sock in a lovely brownish red color. But the best news is that there will indeed be another Socktoberfest! So after you are all done here on the 21st, make sure you rest up for one more month of socky goodness over with Lolly! Karen has just finished up the coolest pair of socks. Not only did she knit them, but she also spun the yarn for them herself! I hope I can get that good with my spinning some day. Way to go Karen! She’s also finished a great pair of Trekking socks in the ever so famous Jaywalker pattern. And to top it all off she’s even started a pair of footies and has some other socky plans since then so definitely go check her blog out for details. But most importantly, her son has come through his recent heart surgery very well. That’s great news and we’ll continue to send good thoughts his way! Next up is Jennifer who finished up some Nancy Bush socks where she tried out two different heels. I’m glad to see someone else using their SOS time for a little experimentation! Karin has had a busy couple of weeks. She finally received her skein of Polynesian Pools that she won for coming up with the winning name (which is now sold out by the way!). She’s also managed to finish up pairs 8 and 9 putting her very close to her personal goal for this along. Now she’s started a pair of Dragon Scales. I just love the colors she uses in her socks too so do go have a look. Like many of you Keli is dealing with kids going back to school on top of all the usual life stuff. But in the meantime she’s been working diligently away on a pair of Jaywalkers in some Socks that Rock yarn. Another great Socks that Rock colorway is turning into another pair of socks over with Kelly and you really should go look. Stunning just doesn’t describe it! A lot of you have also been trekking with your socks this summer and there are some really great vacation photos over on Kristin’s blog. The one with the bear is too cute! She’s also got a couple of other cute FOs you should really see. Leigh has her little model showing off a pair of gift socks for her with a cute picot cuff edge and has started another Nancy Bush pattern (I *really* need to get that book!) in some great fall colors. Very pretty! Lola has been using some magazine patterns for her socks like her recently finished pair from the Fall 2000 Interweave Knits. She’s also pointed out that there are some serious errors in some of the latest Vogue Patterns so be sure to head over to her blog for the errata link if you are going to try those patterns out. Thanks for sharing that Lola! And just like Karen, Lola has spun her own sock yarn! Have I mentioned how jealous I am?! The ever industrious Mama-E has details of her NYC yarn crawl in a leftover hurricane that you really should read. I’m glad she didn’t let the weather rain on her parade! One of these days I really should do a NYC crawl myself since I work there after all! Meanwhile, Manda has been a finishing fiend lately! She finished up not one, but TWO pairs of socks before her September 1st deadline! You go girl! If you need a little tranquility in your life right about now, head on over to Marisol’s blog where she has some beautiful lakeside pictures of herself and her sock knitting. It just looks like such a peaceful place. Very cool. And if you thought I was jealous of Karen and Lola’s spinning, I’m *really* jealous that Marisol is off to meet the one and only Nancy Bush this weekend! How cool is that?! Speaking of meeting famous knitters, Jodi got to see the Yarn Harlot this week and also finished a great pair of Widdershins. If seeing the Harlot in person isn’t knitting inspiration, I don’t know what would be. As for me, between a lovely long weekend in Maine and trying to get back into the swing of things at work only to have *another* long weekend, I’ve got more stash acquisition going on than knitting! But I have managed to finish a pair of “CopyCat” socks up for your viewing pleasure!
As you all know, Tara and Carole were nice enough to answer my call for help this week (can you see me virtually groveling at their feet?!) Please make sure to thank them for offering to get us through to the end of the along when you can! First up is Tara’s report:
Shannon finished her son’s socks and is currently working on 3 socks! Stacey had a hard time with Conway, but found solace in Pomotomous. Sue A.’s socks are causing her real pain (be careful, Sue!) Trish may feel like a bad blogger, but she finished a Jaywalker and cast on for another sock (Pictures, Trish, we want pictures!) Uli finished her first Reptilian Lace Sock. Valerie forgot what Summer this is exactly, but returned to Hedera but had some problems. As for me, I recently cast on 2 socks and 1 pair of knee highs!
And last but not least is Carole’s report:
You all have been busy! Megan finished a pair of birthday socks in record time while Michelle reportedly finished her Ocean Socks. We’re waiting on pictures of those, though. Morgan finished a pair of Hedera socks that she claims to not like. I think you should all go tell her how fabulous they look. And she’s now busy learning new techniques like toe-up socks and Magic Loop. Go, Morgan, go! Pam has started socks for her stepmother in some gorgeous Cherry Tree Hill yarn. How come none of my step kids knit socks for me? Just saying. Paula finished a terrific pair of Opal socks that she’s been working on for over a year. Yay, Paula! To celebrate she has started a new pair of socks, also in Opal, this time called Rainbow Ripples. She’s had a few issues with these and could probably use a bit of encouragement from all of you. Renee also finished socks this week - a beautiful pair of Jaywalkers in the now-traditional Socks That Rock yarn. She’s also knitting a pair of Gentlemen’s Stockings in, of course, Socks That Rock, and the pooling is really fascinating. And Renee has been doing quite a bit of sock yarn stash enhancing. If you’re looking to see some great sock yarn, head on over there.
Once again many thanks to Tara and Carole for coming to my aid in my time of need. That’s all for now (that *is* enough isn’t it?!). Be sure to keep your eye on your RSS reader this weekend when the poll for the Vacation Socks contest will open for voting. See you then!
I just received word from Kate that due to life circumstances, she will be unable to continue writing updates for the Summer of Socks. I hope you will all join me in saying a big THANK YOU to Kate for all her hard work this summer and wishing her well.
In the meantime, if there is *anyone* out there that would be willing to take over reading and writing about what is going on with approximately one-third of our members for these last two weeks, PLEASE send me an e-mail. Thanks!
I got not one, but TWO offers for help within 10 min. of posting this! Thank you Tara and Carole!
This week’s update has been delayed. In the meantime, I have a question for all of you. Several of you have mentioned on your blogs that you will be headed to the NYS Sheep and Wool festival this fall (Oct. 21-22). Would any of you that plan on going be interested in having a brief, Summer of Socks participants meet up? I just thought it would be very nice to meet some of you (and for you to meet each other) after knitting/crocheting along for three months. Please leave a comment or send an e-mail and let me know if you are interested and which day would be better for you (I wouldn’t want to keep you from all that shopping ).
Hopefully there will be an update real soon.