Second Sock Exchange?

[ellen_fremedon]

Hi, all! Reposting this from my own journal:

So, I have been working on these twisted rib socks since May. By which I mostly mean on the second sock, which I have had to rip out and start over twice, and now I've found a mistake which means I'll need to do it a third time. And of course I am bored and frustrated, which just makes me more likely to make mistakes. I want to move on to a new project, but I know that if I do I will never actually finish this sock. And I want to!

And I thought, this is the internet. I cannot possibly be the only person in this situation.

So-- would anyone out there like to do a second sock exchange with me? As in, I will send you my pattern, the yarn, and sock number one; you send me the same for your stalled socks, and we each swatch out the other's gauge and knit the other's second sock. Which, for each of us, will be a First Sock, and therefore exciting and new and not just a reminder of terrible knitting mistakes!

(If multiple people are interested, a round robin exchange could also be arranged.)

(Also, if you're just going to suggest I ask around on Ravelry, please don't-- I've never used it for anything but looking at patterns, and I don't want to create an identity there just for this.)

Comments

[alexbayleaf]

This is a great idea! But, since I don't suffer from second sock syndrome, it's not really for me. Still, I wish you great success :)

[liz_mo]

Same here! I just tend to have two projects at the same time, so I can switch, when I get bored ;-)

Also I live across the pond, so the shipping costs might be higher than the benefits!

But I do think it's a neat idea!

[indywind]

I would totally do that... except I don't have a second sock at present; after finishing the second of the 5-year-lace-stockings, I couldn't bring myself to contemplate sequential socks again, and steeled myself to try 2 at the same time by double-knitting (like this explanation at Knitty.com, except mine are toe-up). I'd still be willing to swap, but I'm so slow, I'm afraid I'd take way too long, and it wouldn't save any frustration.

[ellen_fremedon]

OMG, thank you for that link! All the instructions I've seen for two-at-once have been for circs; I've never seen a method for doing it with DPNs. I know how I'm doing my next socks!

[wood_elf]

This sounds greatly appealing. I'd just be concerned I'd end up with two radically different gauged socks. Maybe if first one gets sent over as a reference...

[ellen_fremedon]

Oh yeah, I assumed the first socks would have to be sent along with the yarn-- and that some swatching would be necessary.

[stasia]

One thing I do to deal with this (because oh WOW, do I have SSS), is to work both socks at the same time, on two long circulars. If you're doing them on dpns, I've seen people who work one cuff on one set, put that aside, work the second cuff on a second set of needles, work the first heel and then the second... and so on.

Personally, though, the REAL way I've dealt with the issue is that I've stopped wearing perfectly matching socks. Either I find two patterns that are similar and knit one of each, or I just ... wear two different socks. Or I make the same pattern in a different color.

I'm a bit of an unusual dresser, I admit, but most people don't notice the different socks.

Stasia