Socktober: Tis the month of Knitting Socks!

It’s Socktober, you lovely makers! It’s time to look forward to making lovely socks. Not just one pair or two but as many as you can. When the pages of the calendar turn to October, the weather gets crispy cold and the leaves begin to change colors. As Fall or Autumn, as you call it, is here, it’s time to turn to cozy projects and what better than socks? All you need is colorful yarns or even leftovers from previous projects and you can turn up cozy socks for the season.

While October is traditionally associated with pumpkins, fun costumes, and the eerie fun of Halloween, “Socktober” is a simple way to make a big difference in the lives of people who are struggling. It means knitting socks for the entire month to give away to those in need of warmth and love in the coming cold season. After all, Albus Dumbledore also said, "One can never have enough socks”. And, you can also ask your family, friends and near ones whether they would want a pair of hand-knit socks and you’ll hardly hear those nos.

What is Socktober?

Socktober started as a month-long initiative to collect and donate socks to the homeless and those in need. As October marks the transition to colder months, warm socks were essential therefore crafters got together to form a grassroots movement to provide the needy with socks. Hand-knitted socks are warm, have a good fit and are perfect gifts. Over the years, more and more people got connected with the movement and began contributing toward the cause. Individually too, makers both knitters and crocheters took up as a personal challenge to make a difference.

While many makers worked with specially-bought yarn skeins many also worked with scraps or leftover yarns making Socktober ideal for stashbusting.

Why Socks?

While many of us take having warm socks for granted, they are among the most requested and least donated items at homeless shelters. Socks not only provide warmth but can also help prevent a host of medical issues. Wet or cold feet can lead to frostbite, trench foot, and an array of fungal infections, especially when there’s limited access to clean footwear.

Participating in Socktober is as easy as you’d like to make it! Here are some simple steps to get started:

Terra Sock Yarn

Collect Socks: Start by setting up a donation box at your workplace, school, or community center. Encourage colleagues, friends, and family to contribute.

Spread the Word: Share about Socktober on your social media accounts. Use hashtags like #Socktober and #WarmFeetWarmHearts to connect with a wider community.

Make It Fun: Host a sock-themed party or event! Encourage attendees to bring socks as their ticket in. You could have a fashion show, sock puppet-making sessions, or even a sock hop dance!

Beyond Socktober

While Socktober is a focused month-long initiative, the need for socks and other essentials exists year-round. Consider making this an ongoing project, perhaps rotating the focus to different items each month. Socktober is more than just a catchy name; it’s a testament to the power of community and the difference we can make when we come together.

So, this October, while you’re enjoying your pumpkin-spiced everything and planning Halloween festivities, spare a thought (and a pair of socks) for those who might be facing cold nights on the streets. Let’s warm their feet and our hearts, one sock at a time!

What you need:

Yarn – You can work with any yarn for Socktober. Sock yarns from Terra is the best bet. The fingering weight yarn is a beautiful of merino wool and polyamide. It’s warm, durable and above all it is machine washable making its care easy. Explore semisolid and variegated shades and with one skein you can easily turn up a pair of socks. You can easily carry the lightweight yarn and needles and work on socks while on the go.

For an experienced maker, the choice of yarn is not limited, you can work with Viva, a DK weight extrafine merino wool yarn or even try Bella, the worsted-weight yarn for extra warmth of soft merino wool in a slightly bulky weight.

Knitting Needles/ Crochet Hooks - Once you have the right yarn all you need are the right tools. Choose the matching knitting needle size or crochet hook size.

Pattern - Work on any easy pattern. The focus must be on providing warmth plus easy maintenance. You can work with colors to bring some joy.

Now, all that you need to is get started. The 31 days of the month is enough to turn up a few pairs of socks to be given away to those in need or pick up the pace for holiday gift making. With Symfonie yarns explore a curated collection of hand-dyed yarns.

Before you go ahead and plan Socktober, here’s something that you must go through:

https://www.symfonieyarns.com/choosing-the-perfect-sock-yarn
https://www.symfonieyarns.com/knit-your-first-pair-of-socks
https://www.symfonieyarns.com/five-sock-knitting-patterns