IT'S THE 2009 ONE-SKEIN SOCK YARN CHALLENGE

We have a Winner!

Roz Porter, of South Carolina, created an amazing pair of Beaded Bags with ONE SKEIN of Knitivity's Down Home Art Yarns SOCKS, in the Turquoise Fade colorway.

She even made a lining for this bag:

Plus had enough yarn leftover for a cell-phone bag:

PLUS, she had enough left over to make a pouch for her iPod, including a pocket for the earbuds!

The instructions were written for the LK-150 knitting machine, but can easily be adapted to hand-knitting.

If you'd like Roz's instructions for all 3 bags, you can get her PDFs FREE with your purchase of any sockyarn colorway during June 2009! Pictures of the iPod bag are in the PDFS. When your purchase is complete I will email you both pattern PDF files.

The One-Skein Challenge is completed, but here's the guidelines for it for those who are interested:

It's very simple:

• Purchase one or more skeins of Knitivity SOCKS during the month of April (smarter to order early to allow the typical 7-14 day turnaround to be sure you get your yarn by May 1).

• Design and knit a project of your own creativity using as much of that skein as you possibly can, without adding a second skein.

• Submit photos (email is fine) along with a written description of the inspiration for the project, your creative process, and whatever else you wish to share, including a written pattern or general guidelines.

• Example: "I used the Graffiti colorway to create a bookcover for my boring Sociology textbook, which includes a pocket on the spine to hold my pen and highlighter, and a flap on the front into which I can slip the backboard of a steno pad for note-taking.

• Example: "I discovered my bananas bruising too easily in the fruit bowl, so I created a hanging banana hammock."

• Photos and descriptions/patterns must be submitted by May 31, so you have at least a whole month to develop and implement your project.

Limitations:

• Yarn must be ordered during April 2009 and must be one of the hand-dyed colorways in SOCKS from Knitivity (custom colors are okay if you want -- like a special sports cap and 40-ounce beer sock for your favorite sports nut in team colors, or a picture frame cover in your pet's colorings to surround a photo of your dearly beloved animal)

• Your project CANNOT be socks! The idea is to find OTHER ways to use sock yarn. You can make garments for other parts of the body (i.e., lacy fake half sleeves worn under a sleeveless blouse, joined and held in place by hidden straps across the back), as risque as you dare (including men's or ladies undergarments), but it can also be practical for around the house, at work, the beach, or completely IMpractical but decorative, whimsical, and fun -- like a fireplace shawl to disguise the fireplace during the hot season!

• Your project CANNOT be simply knitting someone else's published pattern -- this would probably violate copyright issues, and definitely violate the spirit of individual creativity. You can be inspired by someone else's project, but if you do this you need to show the original designer's concept and show how your own creatitivity made it definitely different.

Exceptions:

• You CAN use other materials to supplement the project (like the banana hammock idea would need a wooden or metal frame to support it), but supplementary materials have to be minimal and not the main focus. Buttons, clasps, etc. are okay, either as a functional element or a minor part of the overall design. Just don't use other yarns; it has to be mostly made from 1 skein of Knitivity SOCKS

• It's okay to use stitch dictionaries to establish your stitch pattern, just be sure to give credit where due.

• It can be knit, crochet, tatted, macramé, weaving or other traditional or non-traditional fiber arts technique.

• You may submit as many projects as you like, as long as each skein has been purchased from Knitivity during April.

WINNER:

• All submissions will be posted the first week of June, along with the description. All visitors will be allowed to vote on their favorites, based on creativity, technique, innovation, and design.

• Top winner will get a new skein of Knitivity SOCKS in his or her choice of colorway.

Ideas:

Picture frames, laundry bag for the gym, doorknob cover, laptop computer sling-sack, toilet paper hide-away, hanging 3-D mobile, re-usable lunch bag, over-should water bottle sling, feather-and-fan sling for hanging plants, or whatever your heart desires!

It's all about being creative, goofy, outlandish, risque, innovate, unique, different, unusual, maybe even impractical but joyously FUN.

Questions:

I've probably left something out, so feel free to ask. All questions (and answers) will be printed here.