The Trouble with KALs

Knit-a-Longs (KALs) are great for digging into the stash, except…well, when they’re not. I’ve been participating in Desert Vista Dyeworks’ Officially Unofficial Monthly Sock Club. Each month, participants post a picture of their yarn accompanied by a completed pair of adult-sized socks. The KAL began in January, but it wasn’t until late February when I had my first DVD skein in hand.

Given my exceedingly large supply of fingerweight yarn, it’s only logical to assume that I would have one, or two, or ten skeins of DVD, but I confess, I did not. Since the KAL is structured into four quarters, I decided to wait until April to dive in. So far, I’ve knitted Halley’s Comet, the Entertainer, and Monopoly.

Halley's Comet

The Entertainer

Monopoly

This month, I’m quite enchanted with Harold’s Purple Crayon, and I’m surprised at how fast these socks are working up.

But the irony of expanding my stash to participate in a KAL that many others are using for stashbusting is not lost on me. In fact, two other sock knitting KALs that I’m participating in – organized around the 15 projects in 2015 theme – have also led to further stash enhancement. KALs are great for promoting community around a single pattern or type of yarn. They can even stem the urge to buy more yarn since pictures of other knitters’ colorways are posted for all to see. (Didn’t buy that reverse psychology, did ya? Yeah, me neither).

But while my approach to KALs (among other yarn acquiring oddities) may have contributed to the purchase of two more baskets to contain what was already overflowing from one large – fine, three large baskets – I must say that my knitting output has also increased. While the number of sock FOs is far greater today than before I decided to play along, the proportion of completed to not-started is most certainly unequal. (Note to self: must revisit one in, one out rule). The intention behind KALs is most certainly admirable, but I seem to recall a cliché about where that road leads…. Bon tricot

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Bon Tricot

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