Two Socks, One Week: How About These Crazy Timelines?

The first sock I knit took me 20 hours. (Admittedly, I was pretty sick at the time so let's say my brain wasn't at its best). The second took 10 hours. The third, 7 hours. And, since then, that's pretty much how long it takes me to knit one simple sock.

Fourteen hours may seem like a lot to dedicate to a project in one week, but socks are very portable. And there's a weekend built in. I tend to make one sock between Monday and Thursday and the second on the weekend. That's about 1 hour and 45 minutes of knitting on each weekday (or less, if you knit on Friday). Remember, this KAL lasts a week. Lots of daily knitting is not the new norm - unless you want it to be!

You may wonder how it is that I'm suggesting you will be just like me in this respect. And, what if this is your first sock? Should you expect it to take 20 hours??

Here's what I have to say about this:

• I'm not a fast knitter. I've said this before and it's very true. I'm simply focused. Having said this, I do my 1 hour and 45 minutes in front of the TV from 8 pm - 10 pm, which is infinitely pleasant in the beginning of the dark and cold winter.

• I've worked really hard - and over many instances of sock knitting - to produce a pattern that removes the guess work. You'll see later in the week when I upload it (ahem - that is when I figure out how to upload it. But hey, if I can write a knitting pattern, I can figure out how to upload a freakin' doc to Blogger).  I've got diagrams to show how the markers and stitches fit together. I've got colour coding. I've got little tables with tick boxes, to make sure that you know where you're at in the process with as little extra effort as possible. Of course, I aim to use very clear language and to avoid ambiguity (the bane of knitting patterns, IMO). The less you have to wonder what I'm talking about (and the KAL will also clarify many elements and provide resources), the more efficient this will be for you. Remember: I had no KAL, and the pattern I started with wasn't designed with magic loop in mind. That added to my time-challenge notably. I hope our community undertaking will facilitate things for everyone! 

I also want to reiterate that there is no prize at the end for finishing your socks in a week. Well, except for socks. The instructions will be here when you need them. The comments are open. If you would like to spend 2 weeks or a month, then go ahead. Please don't feel that you are exempt from this KAL if you like a different pace.

Having said this, you all know me well. You know that, in as much as I'm a process knitter (I love the yarn and materials and the set up is everything for me - we'll talk at length about this), I'm really a product person. I knit for the outcome. I enjoy setting myself time challenges because I'm competitive that way. I want to take a photo of finished socks and put it up and get positive feedback. I want to archive the finished project in Ravelry.

I can't tell you how enjoyable I find that element of knitting so I urge you, just for kicks - and if it suits you - to get on board with the speedy timelines. If nothing else, it will make for a fun story at a dinner party! To which, natch, you'll have to wear your socks.

Next Up: Specifics about yarn and needles. Or maybe first we have to talk about gauge. Egad, it's a web! Next up, something fascinating.