Registration opens August 15 and closes September 3, 2026

Finish a Pair of Socks in Four Days

That second sock has been waiting a long time. Or there is no first sock yet, because the heel looks like the place where the whole thing falls apart, and it is easier to start something else.

However, four days is enough time. Four days with a clear pattern, a plan for each one, and me on the other end of a message when something looks wrong. You already know how to crochet. This is about pacing and having someone to ask.

$15 to join. Registration closes September 3. The challenge runs September 4 through 7.

Welcome to the 2026 4-Day Sock Challenge

This is for you if…

This challenge was built for these kinds of crocheters:

  1. You have never made a pair of socks, and the heel is the part that keeps you from starting. You want someone to walk you through it in real time instead of leaving you alone with a PDF.
  2. You have made socks before, and you have a drawer full of singles. Second sock syndrome is real, and a deadline fixes it faster than willpower does.
  3. You crochet comfortably, but you want to work with fingering weight yarn. Fingering weight is thinner than what you usually reach for, and you need a small hook.
  4. You want something you will actually finish, instead of one more project added to the pile.
  5. You like having people around while you work, and you want to be able to ask a question and get a real answer the same day.

What is included

The After Dark Socks pattern. A cuff down sock in fingering weight yarn, worked in two colors. A dark main color takes the cuff, heel, and toe, and a bright contrast flashes through the leg and foot. You get real color interest without following a colorwork chart. Written in four sizes, fitting actual foot circumferences from 7 inches (18 cm) to 10 inches (25.5 cm). Tech edited, with a symbol chart alongside the written instructions.

A kickoff call on Friday, September 4. We start together on Google Meet. I walk through the pattern, show you the spots people ask about most, and answer questions before you make your first stitch.

A midpoint check-in on Sunday, September 6. This is the one where we sort out heels. Bring your work and bring your questions.

Direct help from me on Discord. All four days. Post a photo of the thing that looks wrong and I will tell you what is happening in the fabric and what to do about it. This is the part that keeps people from stalling out on day two.

A prize drawing for everyone who finishes. Finish a pair by the end of day four and your name goes in the draw. Finish more than one pair and each pair is another entry. There are two prizes and two winners. One winner gets free access to Sock School 101. One winner gets a $25 gift card to my shop. I announce both live on Google Meet on Tuesday, September 8.

Everything lives in one place. When you register, you get the pattern, the call links, the Discord invitation, and the plan for each day, and it all stays there for you after the challenge ends.

Your Guide

I’m Karen Whooley

I have spent nearly three decades as a crochet designer, author, and instructor, and my work is known for being thoughtful, well-written, and easy to follow. Sock making is one of the things I teach most, including in my Sock School 101 class.

I do not hand someone a pattern and leave them to figure it out alone. I help them understand what they are doing, why it works, and how to keep growing. When you post a photo of a heel that does not look right, I am not going to tell you to be more careful. I will tell you what is actually happening in the fabric and what to do next.

I designed After Dark Socks for exactly this kind of event. The construction is clear, the contrast rounds give your hands a change of pace along the way, and every step is written so you know what to look for before you move on.

Smiling woman with red glasses and shoulder-length brown hair, arms crossed, wearing a gray T-shirt.

FAQs

No. First timers and repeat sock makers are both in this challenge, and the support is built for both. You do need to be comfortable with single crochet and double crochet, and you need to be able to work in rounds. If you can follow a written pattern, you have enough to start.

You keep the pattern, the recordings, and everything else. The prize drawing is only for finishers, but nothing else goes away. Plenty of people take five or six days, and that is still a pair of socks.

Fingering weight yarn, which is the thin weight most sock yarn comes in. You will need 300 to 600 yards in your main color depending on your size, plus a smaller amount in a contrast color. Hooks are size C/2 (2.75 mm) and size D/3 (3.25 mm). You will use both.

No. The kickoff on September 4 and the check-in on September 6 are both recorded, and the recordings go in the same place as everything else. The calls are the fastest way to get an answer, so come if you can.

Four, from small through extra large. Finished circumferences are 6.5, 7.5, 8.5, and 9.5 inches (16.5, 19, 21.5, and 24 cm), which fit actual foot circumferences from 7 inches (18 cm) up to 10 inches (25.5 cm).

Discord is a free chat app where our group talks during the challenge. You get an invitation link as soon as you register. It is where I answer questions fastest, and it takes a few minutes to set up. This is where the four days actually happen, so it is worth doing before we start.

Finish a pair of socks by the end of Monday, September 7, and post your photo in the finisher’s form. Every finished pair is one entry, so if you make two pairs, you have two entries. There are two prizes, and two names come out. One wins free access to Sock School 101. One wins a $25 gift card to my shop. I announce both live on Google Meet on Tuesday, September 8.

September 3, 2026. Registration does not reopen once the challenge starts, because the whole thing works by everybody moving through it together.

In your ThriveCart account. The pattern, the call links, the Discord invitation, and the plan for each day are all in there, and they stay there after the challenge is over. If you have never registered for my events before, an account will be created for you!

Yes. That covers the pattern, both calls, four days of help on Discord, and your spot in the prize drawing. You supply your own yarn and hooks.

In just four days you could have a pair of socks you made yourself, in colors you picked, on your own feet.

Registration is open from August 15 through September 3. The challenge runs September 4 through 7. You bring the yarn. I will bring everything else