Starting Another LOSY Hat

No, not lousy hat.  LOSY, as in Left Over Sock Yarn. You use two random strands, and when you run out of one, you just pick up another and keep going. It's a great way to use up little bits of yarn, and to play with color. I have not made enough socks to ensure a great supply of leftovers, so I've had to rely on the kindness of strangers. Well, not strangers, but my fellow obsessives who meet once a week to indulge.
I seem to have lost the first LOSY, which is impossible, given the fact that I never lose anything and that it was my best favorite hat!! It has not chosen to appear in over a week, which is a very bad sign. I figured I'd start another, to force its hand, but that tactic hasn't worked yet.