Year of Projects 8 - Week 2

Vanilla Ribbed Socks in Nordlys yarn

A couple of people enquired in comments last week about the 2018 Paper Bag Project mentioned in my list for Year 8, so let me explain: it's a challenge within a Ravelry Group called "Canada Let's Swap!" At the beginning of the year participants created 12 paper bags containing projects - new or unfinished - and each month we select one bag at random to complete. I fell behind so I'm still finishing up my June project and have yet to select a project for July.

My June Paper Bag contained a skein of Nordlys by Viking Yarn in a blue gradient. It's a bit of a difficult yarn to work with - single ply, lots of halo, pills easily, thick and thin in sections, very splitty, sticky, impossible to frog and easily torn - so I opted for a very simple ribbed vanilla sock loosely based on the pattern Vanilla is the New Black.

When I started these socks I planned to make them matching however I've abandoned that now. The first sock took 48 grams of 101 grams available so I really don't have any additional yardage to make that work. Besides there was a knot in the yarn resulting in a hard break in the gradation about an inch from the toe of the first sock. Matched socks are not to be! I'm at the heel of the second sock and hope to finish these by the end of the week.

Although I don't generally like to have multiple WIPs, last week's extreme heat made knitting that Nordlys yarn with sweaty fingers extra unpleasant. As an alternative I cast on Afshari using Dye-Version Stretch Bamboo Sock ... a very smooth shiny yarn that was much nicer to knit as the temperature and humidity soared. This "Tropical Sunrise" colourway is very summery and fun! The patterned section at the top of the leg of the first sock is done and now I'm trying to decide how much plain stockinette I want before starting the heel. Fingers crossed that the stretch in the yarn helps that top section stay up!

By next week I hope to make a start on my July Paper Bag and, if time allows, maybe turn the heel on my first Afshari sock. But if the weather stays as beautiful as it has been for the last couple of days, I might be spending all day outdoors in the lake or in the garden instead of knitting!


2018 Paper Bag Project - July, August, September, October, November and December

      Twisted Flower Socks - using Hikoo CoBaSi yarn in Egyptian Blue
      Feny Socks - using Lang Jawoll Superwash in turquoise and chocolate
      Double Heelix Socks - using leftovers from Feny Socks
      Pattern TBD - using unknown variegated red yarn
      Pattern TBD - using Songbird Fibers Sock in Ruby Throated Hummingbird
      Pattern TBD - using unknown variegated green yarn

Full Skeins from stash

      Somewhere Socks - using Mountain Colour mini set
      Pairfect Socks - using Regia Pairfect
      Mood - using unknown variegated blue yarn
      Kazak - using unknown tonal purple yarn
      Harris Tweed Socks - using Wollemeise self-striping green/gold/red yarn

Large (more than 50 grams) and Small (less than 50 grams) scraps from stash

      Afshari - Dye-Version Stretch Bamboo Sock yarn in Peach
      Salor - in various tan, orange and brown small scraps
      Vanilla Bean Striped Socks - in various colourful small scraps
      Squircle Socks  -  in various colourful scraps plus something neutral from large scraps
      Escape Reality Socks - in various colourful scraps plus something neutral from large scraps
      Bill Huggins - in various scraps
      Mosaic Marbles socks - using Langwoll Magic Dégradé scraps with black (or white)
      Checkbox Socks - using large scraps
      Stash Buster Spiral Socks - using various scraps in green?
      Hearty Stripey Socks - using various scraps