My November sock yarn arrived last Tuesday evening but I wasn't able to find enough light to photograph it until Thursday afternoon. Like the last shipment this yarn is a beautiful dark colour. I didn't really see the colours in it until I was pulling it out to photograph. Delicious, warm and spicy.

You'll notice I haven't told you the name of this skein and that because it's The skein with no name. In her Dyer's Notes Tina explains that she just couldn't settle on anything for this skein so she decided to open it up to the sock club. Suggestions were due on Friday and the finalists are now up. I'm having a hard time deciding which one to vote for but I think I'm leaning towards "Velvet Crush". Something about the look of my skein really makes me think of the texture of velvet.

The patterns this time around are very similar but still different enough to make deciding which one to knit difficult. First we have the Checkerboard Socks by Nancy Bush.

These socks have a checkerboard eyelet pattern on the front, tiny cables down the sides and ribbing on the back. I love the snug feel of ribbing in a sock (I'm wearing my beet socks right now and love their general stay-up-ness) but I'm not overly certain I like the idea of completely different fronts and backs. I'm also being held back by the cable, not because I don't like the look of it - it frames the checkerboard beautifully - but because I've been doing quite a bit of cabling lately and I'm not sure I really want to have to fuss with it. The texture of the checkerboard is really tempting though.

Pattern number two is the Canopy Socks by Samantha Roshak. Eyelets, eyelets, eyelets! I love the cuff on this design. It's full of eyelets but not really lacy looking (I can't really come up with a better description) and if I don't knit these socks (or even if I do) I plan to use this cuff on a pair of plain socks sometime in the future. The rest of the socks is pretty much just a plain sock with a bunch of eyelets in it but it really lets the yarn shine.

Both patterns feature a totally plain, slip-stitch heel (a texture I've never cared for) and unusual toe decreases. If I knit the Checkerboard socks I think I'll continue the ribbing right down the heel. I'm a little nervous of the new toes. I find the regular toe shaping fits me quite well but the toe of a sock is so small that I could always frog it back and reknit it if I don't like the new shaping.

This was the last shipment for the 2010 Rockin' Sock Club and Tina hid a little extra in with our yarn. These itty bitty stitch markers make me want to knit some ridiculously complicated socks just so I have an excuse to use them. Too, too cute!

Since receiving my package I've been trying to decide if I'll join the club again next year and so far I think I will. I've tried a lot of new things this year - different toes, different, heels, top down instead of toe up, at least one of these patterns involves a totally new-to-me cast-on - but the thing I've really loved was participating in the community. I've never really gotten into any groups on Ravelry but this year I've found wonderful people to talk to - both on Ravelry and in the club forums. I'm not an isolated crafter but it's a wonderful thing to talk to people and have them be just as excited as you are about heel shaping and left leaning decreases.

Oh, and inside the ball band this time:

Didn't bode well for my contest entry but that's okay. Now to finish off Rob's second bug sock so I can cast-on something new.

One of the great bonuses of being in the Rockin' Sock Club this year was a coupon for 10% off at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. It was good until December 1st and it took me most of the year to decide what I wanted to get. I finally placed my order at the beginning of November and it arrived last week. All three skeins are Socks that Rock Lightweight and intended for "hmmm ... I'd like to start some socks" moments. I can't quite bring myself to put these yarns away in the stash though. They are too pretty. I think I need to set up a yarn display spot in my studio where I can always see them. Let me introduce you:

On the left we have "Wonderful Goodness".

I couldn't resist those little splashes of colour ... can't wait to see how they knit up. This skein will be great for plain vanilla socks.

In the middle it's "Manly yes, but I like it too!"

I like to have yarns in my stash that are meant for Rob. One of my favourite things is knowing that his feet are warm because he's wearing socks I knit for him. Any major sock yarn order is going to include something manly.

And finally, on the right is "Rosemary Rocks".

This colourway just looked so dreamy and quiet. The way it feels by the ocean after a big, windy storm ... when everything has calmed down but the sun hasn't made her way out yet. I think this yarn will be for patterned socks.

Three skeins might look a bit restrained considering I had a coupon (and especially if you know that at one point there were no less than nine skeins of STR in my shopping cart) but that is because I wanted to get something extra special for one of my sisters (who, as far as I know, never reads blogs so I think I'm safe sharing this here). This sister works in a very cold office and for her birthday I wanted to make her a very cozy, very pretty scarf. She is also planning a trip to Ireland this spring so I ordered two skeins of Blue Moon's Luscious Silk in "My Wild Irish Girlie".

This yarn feels just as luscious as it sounds. I wish there was some way I could communicate that with photographs but we'll just have to wait for someone to develop squeeze-o-vision.

After some searching on Ravelry I discovered that two skeins should be just enough for a Clapotis (which I've always wanted to knit). I've got one more bit of Christmas knitting to get through and then I'll be winding these skeins into cakes and casting on. Can't wait!

I'm sitting here having a cup of tea in an attempt to warm up enough to do some sewing. It's cold here today. We've reached Winter proper* and everyone has switched into their cold weather coats. When I'm done the sewing I've got some knitting to do and I think I'll find a nice blanket to curl up under for that.

I don't seem to have any pictures of my sewing-in-progress: it's a wing front cardigan in some soft bamboo jersey that I can't wait to wear - just the sleeves left. Some of today's knitting must remain a secret for the time being - I'm getting a head start on Christmas this year - but I'm really excited to be working the toe of the first of Rob's Buggin' Out socks. This picture is from Monday when I had to stop knitting because I knew I was close to where I needed to start the toe but needed to measure Rob's feet to be sure.

I know I've got to start the second sock right away on this one. I think it's something about the cuff but I can feel second-sock-syndrom trying to edge its way in (it might have something to do with the four or five other socks I want to knit RIGHT NOW) and I don't want to let it get the upper hand.

My tea is nearly finished and both my hands and feet are warm so I'm signing off to spend some time with my sewing machine.

* temperatures are now getting below -20 Celsius, at least over night, and colder with the wind chill, and people are starting to leave off the "minus" part when they're talking about the weather. There is no way you could mistake which side of zero that number is supposed to be.