Sock Madness Forever!

I tried it, the Madness. And I failed. And that's okay! I might even do it again next time.

Sock Madness Forever is a group on the knitting site Ravelry (we all know and love!) for those who want to try "competitive knitting."

Sock Madness is the knitter's answer to March Madness, the infamous college basketball (did I get that right?) competition, which steals husbands, fathers and sons alike from their female counterparts every year. For the ladies--and some guys--who do not participate in M.M. and also happen to be knitters, Sock Madness is a great alternative for some fun and games, not to mention some new friends and an incredible learning opportunity.

While the group says that part of their purpose is competitive knitting--and it is, which we will get to in a minute--they are also providing a fast-paced, fun learning experience for anyone who wants to try it.  They provide challenging--and some very challenging--sock knitting projects which include unusual heels, toes, other constructions and embellishments like buttons and even, this year, zippers! For those who wants to learn, you should know that the group is full of nothing but supportive people who will embrace you--they also happen to be sharp, quick, sometimes wickedly hilarious folks with whom it would be great to just hang out with.

However, if you also think the competitive knitting part sounds awesome, then here is how it works:

The moderators of the group first provide sign ups in advance during the month of February. They provide a fun warm up pattern and some fabulous dyers even create some yarn just for the competition.

These socks have a very fun
"Fleegle Heel", though they
were designed top-down
and not toe-up, like the original.

Then there are 7 rounds of knitting. The first round is to establish skill levels and to see who belongs in what group. People are placed--and very accurately, I think--into appropriate groups and then it's on!

You never know when the rounds will start, exactly, though you may have an idea. Each round,
people are eliminated until there is one grand prize winner.

It's all very fun and for more information, lookey here.

As for me, I did the warm up round, but ran out of yarn at the end of Round --and also ran out of time! I finished my socks in another color, even though I did not make it onto a team, and now have had fun reading every one's posts and seeing the incredible ninja knitters going on and on.

Who knew a person could knit so fast? I bow the the speedy folks in eternal awe of their talents.

So no matter your preference, friendships, learning, competition, you can find it on Sock Madness.

Maybe I'll see you next year. And happy knitting :)

**Interested in the patterns?  Look here.***