On The Other Foot MKAL 2018

Can you believe it has been over a year since Ann Kingstone and I ran our last joint MKAL? We have been busy designing and coordinating an new pattern for this year... On The Other Foot!

Join us for our third annual mystery knit-along (MKAL), leading you in an intrepid knitting adventure with juicy new techniques to learn, and lots of fun to be had whilst knitting a unique pair of socks.

The MKAL is designed to stretch your creativity by giving you not one, but two options for each section of the socks. We will send out a section of two great linked designs each week and the choice becomes yours. You may decide to make both socks the same, or On The Other Foot (see what we did there?), you may decide to do things differently.

This innovative MKAL will start with part one of the designs on the 9th of March, followed by Part Two on the 16th, Part Three on the 23rd, Part Four on the 30th, and Part Five on the 6th of April. The final full pattern will be revealed on the 13th of April with winners chosen and prizes announced for those who have posted pictures of their completed socks in our Ravelry group forum page. You will automatically receive an email with the pattern update on these dates to download the next section. Each part will have one option designed by myself and one option designed by Ann Kingstone. They can be mixed and matched giving you many different sock pattern options!

We will be supporting you throughout the MKAL with online video tutorials and advice on our blogs, and an online live chat each week. In our Ravelry group we will have forum threads for each update, spoiler threads and a finished sock thread as well as chat and prize giveaways. We love seeing your colour and yarn choices and sharing with you the fun of a MKAL. The last two MKAL - Neck and Neck and On The Other Hand - were great fun and we think this one will be even better!

For this MKAL you will need:

SIZE

To fit foot circumferences of up to 20½(23:25½)cm/8(9:10)“, measured around the mid-foot. After blocking the finished socks measure 17½(20:22½)cm/7(8:9)” around at the mid-foot. Foot and leg length are customisable.

MATERIALS

4ply/fingering weight yarn with approximately 400 metres/437 yards per 100g. You will need 100g of your main colour. You can work the socks entirely in one colour, however two of the ten pattern options involve one or two contrast colours. For each of these pattern options a 20g mini-skein of contrast colour will suffice.

For the prototype socks Sarah used Undercover Otter ‘Singularity’ (100% merino wool), and Ann used Eden Cottage ‘Bowland 4ply’ (100% wool).

NEEDLES AND NOTIONS

Swatch to determine what needle size you need to use to achieve the tension/gauge given below. I used 2.25mm needles (I am a loose knitter!) and Ann used 2.5mm needles. Choose the needle type and length you prefer for small diameter circular knitting.

A stitchmarker.

A cable needle. (Optional)

TENSION/GAUGE

32 stitches and 44 rounds per 10cm/4” in plain stocking stitch/stockinette, measured after blocking.

Click here to go to the Ravelry pattern page: On The Other Foot

Happy knitting! xxx

On The Other Hand MKAL

I have exciting news about my first Mystery Knit ALong (MKAL)! Over the next few weeks my friend Ann Kingstone and I will be releasing the pattern for On The Other Hand - a pair of fingerless mittens that are a mystery. Each week starting on Friday 5th February a section of the pattern will be released, until the whole pattern is released three weeks later.

What is very unusual about this MKAL is that there are two designs to choose from each week, each one by a different designer. Ann and I have been working together to come up with two great linked designs. On February 5th the cuff patterns will be delivered, then a week later the hand and thumb gusset and finally the finger and thumb cuffs. Each week you can choose to make either Ann's or my design as both will work with each other. This means you get lots of different options to choose from and it lets your creativity run wild!

The pattern is available to purchase now for £3.50 and you receive the initial information. Then each week an email will let you know that an update is available and you can download the next part. The patterns will be available to purchase after the MKAL for £4.25 so purchasing now and join in the MKAL fun for a bargain price!

The mittens use 4ply yarn in two colours. I recommend using colours to contrast well for the pattern to show at its best. The designs use 100m at most of the main colour and 90m of the contrasting colour, so it works well with 50g balls and leftovers. I am going to be joining in and making another pair with everyone and I have chosen to use some BaaRamEwe titus that I have left over from my Nórui jumper as I just love these two colours together. I might have a change and use the parkin as the main colour and the eccup as the contrasting colour.

The best thing about MKAL's though is the fun and social aspect. We have set up a Ravelry group for chatting, planning and any questions you might have about the MKAL. There is a sense of companionship and sharing that happens with MKAL's that you don't get from other pattern releases.  Please come and join us over there and let us know how you get on. You can also share on twitter and instagram with the hashtag #ontheotherhandMKAL

Throughout the MKAL Ann and I will be holding your hands with online tutorials for some of the techniques used and we will be broadcasting these live on periscope and then uploading them to youtube so you can see them if you miss the first showing. I will also post the links on my blog.

So please come and join in the fun!