CocoaComa

Announcements | November 18, 2008
By Tina

It is the last shipment of the year. Hard to believe that a whole year has gone by. Where has the time gone? I love the fact that we can count time in the socks. We can remember seasons by what we have knit to wear on our feet or to give others to wear on their feet. We have the colors of that season and time in the club we have our patterns and designers and how we were inspired by them. This year was marked for me by dragons in January, a lucky March, May, a not so shrinking queen, July was sooo good-y, September cloned itself to distraction and November…well, we will see soon enough.

Yesterday we shipped the International kits and I have to say it is no small miracle that these have left the building. It was all looking well and good. Everything was flowing along no kinks or quirks in our way. Then a very innocent looking package arrived in the mail from that lovely notorious sock knitter, Just Jen.

click to enlargen

This is what was inside. Eeeevil Caramel Pecan Brownies

The most decadent chocolate experience most of us have ever had. You will see from the following pics that they wrought havoc here in blue moon land.

It takes a lot to bring this woman down!

What’s a dyer to do against this kind of temptation?

Oh no! They’re down. Team Blue Moon taken down and out by chocolate.

Would you like another brownie my pretty ?

Who me?

Mwwaaahaaha evil wicked brownie strikes again!

thanks Jen

Sock Knitting Survey Results

Announcements | November 10, 2008
By Tina

Finally, here are the results of the survey we started quite a while ago.They are pretty interesting. Thank you for taking the time to give us this information. We will put it to good use.

Q1 Which kinds of needles do you prefer to use when knitting socks?

And our survey said: 52% of you use circulars and 48% of you use DPNs.

Q2: What needle brand do you prefer and why?

Top 3 were Knit Picks, (circs and dpns) for their pointyness, sturdiness and unkinky cables, Addi Turbos for the smooth joins and Crystal Palace Bamboo DPN’s for their smoothness and sturdiness.

Q3: What method do you like to use?

46% use Traditional, 26% 2 circulars, 23% Magic Loop and 5% a combination.

Q4: How would you describe your knitting style/technique?

We had a lot of different answers to this question, but in the main it seems to be equally divided between Continental and English (variously described as English, American or Throwing).

Q5: What kind of pattern do you prefer?

Simple with a small bit of patterning: 18%, Complex, more challenging patterns and technique 12% and Both 70%

Q6: Toe up or Cuff down?

Toe up 34% and Cuff down 66%

Q7: What is your preferable heel type?

Heel Flap 65% and Short Row 35%

Q8: When it comes to color, do you prefer….

A small amount of color challenge 51%

Lots and lots of color changes 49%

Q9: How do you feel about pooling?

Love it! 14%

Hate it! 16%

Do not mind a bit here and there 70%

Q10: What Socks that Rock yarn weight do you prefer to use?

Lightweight 69%

Mediumweight 31%

Q11: When do you do your best knitting? (Example: on the bus on the way home from work)

Top Answers: Evening (In front of TV mostly), Weekends and Long Trips (car, plane, train)

Q12: To get the gauge that a pattern calls for do you usually have to….

use the suggested needle size: 57%

go up a needle size: 14%

go down a needle size: 29%

Q13: Would you say that it is easy for you to maintain gauge over a small project, say from sock to sock?

Overwhelmingly Yes! (almost all yes answers)

Q14: Do you know your basic gauge for socks on your favorite yarns? The theory is that if you use the yarn a lot and have a basic pattern, needle type, and size, then you should have a pretty good idea of the gauge you are going to get.

Yes: 82%

No: 18%

Q15: Why do you knit socks?

Most of you knit socks because they are “fast, fun, portable, comfy and pretty”, also because they are a quick knit, are practical and make great gifts. Many of you with big (or little) feet are liking finally having socks that fit!

Q16: What is your favorite part of sock knitting? Example: I have two favorite parts; 1. matching color to pattern. 2. The heel. I like the magic of both of these aspects of knitting socks.

Top answers to this one are: Turning the Heel and Watching the Colors Knit Up.

Q17: Do you knit the sock kits as they come?

Yes, right away: 28%

No, not ever: 14%

Depends on the yarn color: 12%

Depends on the pattern: 46%

Q18: If you are a returning sock club member, how many years have you been a member? Each year, how many of the club kits did you knit?

Many different answers to this one! Most seem to have knit an average of 2 kits per year.

Q19: What has been your favorite shipment theme-wise to date? Favorite colorway? Favorite pattern?

Colorways: Lucky, The Incredible Shrinking Violet, Lenore, Dragon Dance, Bella Coola and Firebird

Patterns: Leafling, Lenore, Serendipity, Salish Sea, Summer of Lovelace, Solstice Slip