First bag chosen

I picked a bag for the Brown Paper Bag Sock Challenge. I was crossing my fingers for something not too challenging...didn't happen. 

I pulled out my beloved skein of MissBabs Cosmic Hand Painted in the colourway Inkwell and hunted down to the bottom of the bag to see what pattern I had chosen.  It's the Victorian Birdcage by Cat Bhordi.  I have been admiring this pattern since I bought the e-book Cat's Sweet Tomato Heel.  I didn't realize that the pattern is for a DK weight yarn but lucky for me, Ms. Bhordi has thought of everything and showed a conversion from DK to fingering weight yarn so I can continue to plan to make these socks.  I still have to cake the yarn and figure out what needles to use but at least I already have an empty bag to put everything in and be ready to start on January 1st.

Am I ready? Just about.

Last night (or maybe it was the night before) I mentioned the paperbag sock challenge which is really supposed to be called the Brown Bag Sock Challenge.  I actually got 11 bags together in lovely red paper bags.  There's supposed to be a 12th but we'll see what happens.  I would like to get one more skein of self stripping and if I do, I'll probably do the other pattern I had on my list for self stripping yarn.

Inside each bag is at least 100g of sock yarn from my stash and the name of a pattern from my queue.  I don't fully know what goes with what since I put a label on the top of each bag describing if the yarn was self stripping, varigated, tonal varigated or solid.  For each pattern on my list, I noted what kind of yarn would be most suited.  Without looking in the bags, I attached a pattern that matched the label, rolled up the bag so it would hide the label and taped it shut.

Around January 1st 2015, I'm going to grab a bag, pull out the pattern and get the needle size recommended and get started on a new pair of socks.  I hope I don't get the one with Smokestack by Tanis yet.  I didn't realize until I had sealed up the bags and then went on Ravelry, I don't actually own the pattern.  Makes it kind of difficult

I so want to participate

I have been watching a new podcast for just over a month called "The Canadian Knitter Podcast".  I have been loving it.  The last episode (episode 6: "He's so ugly, He's cute"), Sarah the podcaster mentioned a Paperbag Sock challenge for 2015. 

The basic "rules" of the Paperbag Sock challenge is to create your own sock club:

1. Pick 12 skeins/balls of yarn
2. Pick 12 sock patterns
3. Pair the yarn and the patterns
4. Stick them in a paper bag
5. Pick a bag at random for the month
6. Knit the pattern with the yarn thats in the bag

Sounds simple enough right? I have attempted to do something similar many time and I think the most I've managed is about 7 or 8 for the year. I'm still narrowing down the patterns that I have 18 of so far and I have to increase the amount of yarn since I only seem to have 10 available skeins.  I have a few undyed skeins that I'll have to dye.  The plan is to match up the existing skeins with patterns and then dye the undyed skeins to "match" the patterns.

I make no promises for 2015 but I will try to make it.  Now I'm off to buy some paper bags

Thank you Crave.tv

Who knew that by having TMN/HBO on my cable package, that I automatically get Crave,tv?  And guess what the first thing I sat down to watch? Star Trek: Enterprise.  This is actually a good time to work on my Plain Ol' Strippey Socks.

It finally came! (and this was supposed to be posted on Dec 3)

New Arrivals
My new skein of Must Stash Yarn has finally arrived at my house. The Perfect Sock base in the colourway of Darkside of the Moon.  I'm pretty sure I will be making another set of vanilla toe-up socks.  It's so pretty and lovely but I can't really say much more until I actually start knitting with it.  I will resist the temptation until at the very least, I finish the vanilla socks I am currently knitting.

I ordered another bag from Stitched by JessaLu.  It's a Dr. Who Christmas special bag.  It's on its way now...or more specifically it's on its way to the country and I'm refreshing my Canada Post App every hour.

On-going projects
Plain Ol' Strippy Socks (aka: Burberry-esque socks): I am at the heel for the first sock and on my way to the heel for the second.  I'm doing an afterthought heel so once I reach to the heel for the second sock, I'll put in the waste yarn for both and move onto the legs.

Test Pattern - Stockai Cniotala: I started a text knit for a new to me designer and let me tell you, it's a lot of cables.  It will look amazing when it's done I'm sure but I already suffered a set back with my original choice of yarn.  It's a skein of Cascade Yarn Heritage in a Teal-ish colour way I got from the Romni Wools Boxing Day Sale.  I am in love with the colour but the yarn constantly yarn barfs on me.  Instead of battling the barf, I went to my stash and pulled out a skein of something else and started again however with the amount of concentration it takes to do this project it just wasn't viable this week with school, work and bus travel.  Next week, I have more time to myself and I'll put some good work towards it.

Plans for 300 yards of leftovers
I'm looking at my Kai-Mei's that I knit from Wollmeise Twin.  I love this colour.  It's a WD of Allegria.  I have enough for a pair of anklets and maybe a bit more.  I'm thinking of using some black yarn for the toe, heel and cuff and working on it toe up so I can do make them without running out of yarn.  I still want to have enough make a plushie with it.  Maybe I should make a plushe first and make the socks out of the left overs.