August has been busy! It’s also time to release two more patterns from last year’s sock club, featuring Metamorphosis yarn from A Verb For Keeping Warm.

Get a copy of the Velma pattern for yourself:

Is it hot enough yet? Everyone seems to have been hit with a heat wave this past week. Maybe I can help cool off with socks from last month’s sock club shipment inspired by Iceland.

As you know, I headed over to Iceland earlier this year for a trip filled with adventure, lots of sheep and wool, and wonderfully cool winds. If you’ve never been to Iceland, I can’t recommend the Knitting Iceland tours enough!

What I found astounding about Icelandic culture was the emphasis placed on design and art. Everywhere we went we were greeted with visual feasts for the eyes. Not only is the landscape amazing with glaciers, lava rock, black sand beaches, fjords, and snow capped mountains, but homes and towns were also decorated beautifully.

While this month’s designs are certainly inspired by the Icelandic ways, they aren’t a literal inspiration. I haven’t incorporated the traditional Icelandic knitting methods or yarn which would involve stranded colorwork and lopi, a very sheepy yarn. Instead, I was drawn to the iconic artworks around Reykjavik, the capital, and the bright cheerful colors.

The yarn for this month’s patterns is Plucky Knitter’s Primo Fingering, a delicious merino-cashmere-nylon blend with a tight twist, dyed a beautiful shade of blue by Sarah Dimond in Michigan. In keeping with the theme, the colorway name is Vintage Icebox which is perfect.

The first design is named Sólfar after the iconic sculpture on Reykjavik’s waterfront designed by Jón Gunnar Árnason. Sólfar translates to “sun voyager” and is a modern sculpture of a “dreamboat”, and ode to Iceland’s rich history with the sea. The curves and symmetry of the sculpture translated well into the stitches of a sock, taking on an almost floral appearance.

The second design, Reykjavik, is modeled after another iconic Icelandic landmark, the Hallgrimskirkja cathedral, which is visible from all over Reykjavik and is quite an impressive sight with such elegant lines and simplicity. I designed the socks so that when looking down at your feet, you will catch a glimpse of Icelandic architecture down to your toes. The elegant lines and textures are translated into a twisted rib and wider angled lines.

These patterns are exclusive to the Cookie A Sock Club until June 15, 2013.

It’s mid-June and that means it’s time for the release of two more patterns from last year’s sock club. Get ready for a celebration of all things orange!

For the sock patterns, I wanted one to be simple, textured, and just plain fun. That’s where Jubilee came in. The pattern pairs a variation on garter stitch with mirrored lace panels. Sounds complicated, but it’s such a simple knit that I can imagine making it over and over again. It’s a true celebration of orange-y goodness.

I’ve been really excited about the Sock Club this year, and I’m glad to finally be able to unveil the April patterns! Socktopus Sokkusu Original is one of my new favorite yarns. It’s custom-milled for my friend Alice Yu, who then dyes it in all sorts of fantastic colors. I especially like that her colors have depth  and nuance to them. The yarn has a great twist for showing off stitch patterning, the merino fibers are wonderfully soft yet durable, and Sokkusu Original is just the right density knitting up comfortably at 9 stitches per inch for socks that will last quite some time. I like that it balances a springy, soft and comfortable knitting experience with the durability of a long staple fiber and thin (but not too thin!) yet dense fabric.

This is the Nanaimo sock pattern, named after the coastal town where my mother-in-law lives. They feature a simple and cozy knit-purl pattern with left and right socks mirroring each other.

And these are Turbulence. They have lots of fancy stitch work and are also mirrored. I think they are a club favorite.

These patterns are exclusive to the Cookie A Sock Club until April 15, 2013.

Four patterns from last year’s Sock Club are now available to non-club members.

From February 2011, Ripple Leaf and Haleakala were inspired by a trip to Maui full of amazing experiences like paragliding down Haleakala (a MUST if you go). The fantasically scrummilicious String Theory Caper Sock is heaven to knit. Onto the socks.

Ripple Leaf

The Ripple Leaf pattern combines earth and sea elements reminiscent of waves and leaves. Depending on your perspective, you’ll see the ocean or forest or both. Because travel has been a large part of my life, these socks include a traveling component across the top of the foot of the sock after which they transition to stockinette. Perhaps this is my way of wishing for the simple life in the future.

Haleakala

There are two versions to this pattern – Straight Laced and Twisted. The Straight Laced pattern features a panel that continues from the top of the foot to the toe. The Twisted version has traveling ribs that begin at the heel flap and travel across the top of the foot.

And from April 2011, featuring Lorna’s Laces Solemate, are Boysenberry Yo and PB & J:

Boysenberry Yo

PB & J

The PB&J socks feature two twisted stitch cabled panels, one that reminds me of spreading peanut butter and another that looks like berries. They travel around the sock and cross over one another, but they never actually mix. My confession: I never liked peanut butter and jam together. Separately, absolutely, but never the two should mix for me.

Keep your eyes peeled in mid- June for the release of two more patterns from last year’s club: Orange Pekoe and Jubilee.

Also, we have winners from last week’s blog giveaway! Roopali wins a copy of Contemporary Irish Knits, and Barbara A wins a copy of Little Red in the City.

There was a bit of a blogging hiatus, so I have some catching up to do! Here’s another peek at the 2011 Sock Club. For the second shipment, club members received a sneak preview skein of Lorna’s Laces Solemate yarn which features a phase change material that helps regulate temperature. It’s totally space age techno stuff that’s used by NASA! The color inspiration was jam, and I think Beth got it just right. The exclusive colorway is Boysenberry Jam, and it is delicious.

The two accompanying patterns went with the jammy inspiration.

Above we have the Boysenberry Yo sock in front and the PB&J sock in the background. Every shipment includes a simple pattern for when times are rough and another pattern. The simple pattern in this case is definitely Boysenberry Yo.

A closer look at the PB&J socks from the side show the two twisted stitch panels criss-crossing over themselves. My favorite detail on the PB&J socks is at the toe.

I love how many club members are knitting the socks, chatting away in the Ravelry group, and posting photos of finished projects. Josiane (who lives in Switzerland!) knit the Boysenberry Yo socks in the club yarn:

And enjoyed them enough to knit a second pair in Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock. She’s got some Lorna’s Laces love going on here.

And here’s a look at Boysenberry Yo in even more yarns. Sarah knit them using String Theory Caper Sock yarn. I forgot to ask her if she fell in love with the yarn after the first shipment or if she already had some lying around.

And there have been some striped versions in the works. Gretchen‘s Morning Glory Yos show off the striping and the patterning beautifully.

If you didn’t get in on the fun this year, these patterns will be released in April 2012. Or you can sign up for 2012 Club announcements.

I’ll admit I’ve read enough about yarn clubs gone wrong that I was a bit nervous before starting the my own sock club. Well, there was no good reason for that. I’m only half way through the shipments, and I am having a BLAST! Here’s a look at the first club patterns which featured the fantastically cashmere-enhanced, utterly squishable String Theory Fiber Arts Caper Sock yarn in the exclusive Solas colorway.

The Haleakala pattern has two versions, a straight one that takes the lace panel straight down the foot and an angled one that shifts the gusset decreases, creating a V-shape across the top of the foot. Alice Yu aka Socktopus modeled these back in January, and I’ll be seeing her shortly in London for Knit Nation! And here’s a look at both shipment patterns, Haleakala (angled version) and Ripple Leaf.

One thing I love about the club is that there are two patterns for every shipment and one skein of yarn. Some members are using the extra pattern to work on stash yarn, so I get to see the patterns in non-club yarns too. Francoise knit these hot pink Ripple Leaf socks using Malabrigo yarn:

And Saccade knitted these Milkweed Ripple Leafs:

Both patterns will be available to non-club-members in February 2012. Want to know when sign-ups open for next year’s club? Fill out this form.