Sock Knitting Meme

I got randomly tagged by Sarah (she didn't even know it at the time), so here is my Sock Knitting Meme. If you haven't done it yet and you wouldn't mind, consider yourself tagged by me!

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When did you learn to knit socks? Not sure, exactly. Sometime between late 2005 and early 2006, maybe?
What's the first sock you ever knit? A plain sock, according to Ann Budd's basic pattern.

Favorite sock pattern? Um. Cuff down, definitely - other than that, it depends largely on the recipient. Plain old vanilla is really useful for Zen knitting. I prefer cables and lace to color stranding, generally, but mosaic is fun, so... I just love socks, is all!

Favorite sock yarn? DH loves the Trekking XXL - which is a great yarn for plain socks, being good looking, long wearing, easy to knit with, and comfortable to wear. I like *wearing* socks with a bit of bamboo in them. For knitting, I don't know - it depends on my mood and the sock pattern, I guess! I'm not big on unmixed cotton, though - too inelastic, tends to be problematic on my fingers after a while.

Fave needle method? For socks, dpn's, definitely.

Favorite sock needles? Oddly, my fave dpn's for socks are the cheapie Susan Bates colored aluminums - they are light, the surface doesn't degrade, and they don't bend too much. I love the feel of bamboo needles, but they tend to snap after a couple pairs, which is annoying. I think I must knit very tightly. I want to try the KnitPicks wood dpn's, see if they are any stronger than the regular wood ones...

Who do you knit socks for? I started knitting for me and a couple others, but then my DH got hooked, and now it's mostly for him. (Hi, sweetie!)

How many pairs have you knitted to date? Lots. At least 30, probably more. Unfortunately, in spite of care, they still manage to get lost in the wash or the hamper or something... so I've got several unmatched pairs. Someday I will get a sewing machine and see how handknit socks do for sock animals. (Yeah, because I don't have enough stuff that I plan to do 'someday'...)

What's on your sock knitting to-do list? For the near future: another pair for DH, since the last pair turned out to be a 'dress pair' and so is not usable for work, which he needs socks for. Currently I am needle-felting repairs on the holes in his old socks.

What kind of socks do you like to knit -

Striped? Is okay

Colorwork? Is okay

Plain stockinette? I am somewhat embarrassed to say that, going by the vast majority of socks knitted, plain stockinette must be my favorite. Socks are a great traveling/knitting in a movie theater/knitting in line/catching a few minutes here and there/etc. project, and having to keep track of a complex pattern gets in the way of much of that handiness. I enjoy something more complicated once in a while though - variety is the spice of life, after all!

Cabled? I love cabled

Lace? I love lace, esp. for summer socks

Anklets? Nope. I have longish legs, and hate having a gap between the hem of my pants and the top of my socks when I sit!

Knee socks? Not yet, but I may someday.

Solid colors? I like solid, but prefer varied colors - I love the way the Trekking XXL fades from one color to the next, and enjoy tweeded or striped or even the 'faux fair isle' yarn. I do have strong preferences about which colors I work with, though.

Bright & crazy? Sure, if the colors are right.

Faux-Fair Isle? Sure, if the colors are right (unfortunately, they mostly don't seem to be colors I like, but there are a few) - I made a really cute baby sweater/hat/socks out of faux fair isle in lovely sherbet colors, it was a lot of fun.