Do you hear that sound? That’s the sound of knitters across the world warming up their US2 / 2.75 mm circular needles/DPNs and taking inventory of their sock yarn stashes, because it’s time to announce the theme for the first colorwork sock of the 2022 Geek-A-Long!!! I agonized over all the color charts while Megan-Anne did the heavy, math-related lifting and knitting. Mabel, of course, made us coffee. She’s turning into a lovely intern.

[Mabel the Merciless modeling the Bardi Cardi designed by her mom, Megan-Anne.]

After the past two amazing years with the Eight Bit and On Board sweaters, we were at a loss. For the first time since we began the Geek-A-Long all the way back in the winter of 2013, we had no idea what we wanted to do for 2022. And then one day, as I was working on the Mermaid Warrior Socks, it hit me. SOCKS, SOCKS, AND MORE SOCKS. Five pairs of colorwork socks to be specific. And now, without further ado, I am honored to share the theme of the first pair of Geek-A-Long socks:

OREGON TRAIL

The Oregon Trail Socks are a glorious celebration of fording rivers, oxen pulling covered wagons, and dying of dysentery. The kick-off party begins next weekend when we’ll release the project sheet, complete with instructions for a coffee-cozy gauge swatch and all that other stuff you need to know like yarn requirements and such. After that, the four clues for the socks will release as follows:

1. April 3, 2022: Clue 1 of 4
2. April 10, 2022: Clue 2 of 4
3. April 17, 2022: Clue 3 of 4
4. April 24, 2022: Clue 4 of 4

So, are you ready to hitch up your oxen and knit the Oregon Trail? First you’ll need to head to the General Store and get yourself an Oregon Trail Kit!

Available with limited quantities, each Year of the Sock: Oregon Trail Kit contains two beautiful, 100 gram skeins of Lattes & Llamas Vacation Yarn in “Palpatine” and “Grassland”, hand-dyed with enough yardage for you to knit a pair of the Oregon Trail Socks; a cheeky project bag for your socks; and a set of the Coffee Queen stitch markers, hand-crafted by Megan-Anne. Get yours now, because once they’re gone, they’re gone!

I mean, you’ll definitely be able to buy the yarn from our shop as normal, you just won’t be able to get this super cool project bags or these stitch markers.

Because I know this is going to happen, let me state the (I guess, not so) obvious: The kit does NOT include the actual Oregon Trail Sock pattern. The four clues must be downloaded from our website or Ravelry as they are released. See release schedule above for dates.

Don’t want to miss any of the clue releases? Then join our mailing list!

Alright, fam. I’ll see you back here next week. We’ll talk gauge swatches, share the project sheet with you, and get you hyped up for some colorwork socks!

~Jac

If you can’t resist waiting to the get the project sheet next week before shopping for yarn and don’t want to use our gorgeous fingering weight yarn (I forgive you), you will need two sharply contrasting colorways: 100 grams/ 463 yards per hank; 200 grams/ 926 yards total.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider making a donation to Child’s Play Charity. Here is a direct link to our official donation page benefiting the charity. Please help us raise $1,000 this year. No contribution is too small! Wanna make your donation go even further? Lattes & Llamas will donate $1 for every skein of Geek-A-Long Yarn purchased.