Those Socktoberfest Questions

I decided to do the Socktoberfest questions, starting with stash questions for this week:

• Do you have certain patterns planned for some of the yarns? Do you buy yarn and then choose a pattern? I have done both. On my first socks, I picked a pattern and then used the specified yarn. I got great results that way, but now I tend to pick a yarn then find a pattern to suit it.
  

• Does a certain sock yarn you have in your stash take you back to a certain event? (where you were when you bought/received it? what was going on in your life at the time!) I don't think I have knitting socks long enough to have that experience.

And then there were last week's questions on how you got started knitting socks:

• When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? I started making socks after I bought Folk Socks by Nancy Bush. I bought the goodies and started my first pair of socks.

• What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time? My first pair were the Welsh Country Stockings from the above mentioned book. So far they have held up nicely.

• What would you have done differently? I would have knit them faster.

• What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? So far I have used Brownsheep Naturspun and Knitpick's Palette and liked them. I am going to try some other sock yarns to see how I like them.

• Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? I use 4 dpns and prefer the 4 to 5. I tried using 5 on a sweater project and they irritated me. I would rather stop and study the pattern and put the stitchess on 3 needles.

• Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?) So far, I love the slip stitch flap heel. I will be trying other styles, though.

• How many pairs have you made? I am on my third pair. I have knit socks insanely slow since I started doing socks in 2003 or 2004. (see, I don't even know when I started making socks!)

Tomorrow, I plan to have time for knitting. Besides the cake baking and decorating, and helping my littlest knitter play with her new toys, that is. And if I devote friday to knitting, I should be able to start a new pair of socks on Friday. And we all love the new project, don't we?