autumn leaves in spring

i finally finished my embossed leaves socks! i love these socks. these are my final project for the earth segment of project spectrum, and i've loved knitting with these earthy colors these past few months.

pattern: embossed leaves, from favorite socks
yarn: socks that rock lightweight, in the beautiful oregon red clover honey colorway
needles: size 2 inox circular for magic loop
mods: i did an eye of partridge heel instead of the garter ridge heel in the pattern. this heel seems like a perfect match for the leaves pattern, and i really liked knitting it. it's just so visually pleasing and squishy/springy. pretty! i also, impulsively, decided not to do the toe in the pattern, but instead opted for a french toe (at least i think that's what i did!). i'm not really sure if this was the right decision or not, but i think it turned out ok.

this pattern knits up so fast! i knit socks slowly, and even though it still ended up taking me two months to finish these, it actually only took about two and half weeks of actual knitting time, with several weeks in between socks. not record time by any means, but fast for me. i think i definitely want to try some more lace sock patterns, and am thinking of meida's socks from the same favorite socks book next.

i'm glad to have these done and am eager to wear them. now, what to knit for air? i'm thinking more cowls!

eat your greens

hello! sorry for the long absence. i feel like i'm always saying that...maybe i should accept that i'm just a few-times-a-month blogger, huh?

anyway...here's a little something i've been working on the past week. my first attempt at gardening! i've been wanting to grow something for ages now (in fact, it's one of my goals for 2008), but we live in an apartment building that doesn't really have a yard to speak of. i've had my name on the waiting list for a p-patch plot for well over a year now as well, with no luck yet. so i figured i could wait around probably another year to get my plot, or i could just start with a little window box.

it's sad to admit, but i haven't grown anything since the little bean plants everyone does in first grade. but i grew up in phoenix, where it's not so easy to have a lush and green and fruitful garden. i attempted some basil on my patio once in college, and the plants died within a week. my mom (also from phoenix) lives here in the seattle area now too, and she has a new house, where is she is making good use of her extensive garden area this year. she said to me the other day, somewhat in awe, 'stuff just GROWS here!' i can understand her wonder at this! so i started to think that maybe i could actually have some success, despite my perceived black thumb.

so last weekend i got a window box, planted some seeds, and crossed my fingers. i've run to my kitchen window every day with the excitement of christmas morning, hoping to see some tiny green thing poking it's head out of the soil. and this weekend, my babies made their first appearance! i have since spent a lot of time looking out that window at my little sprouts, daydreaming of more window boxes, a real garden, warm soil between my fingers, and whole meals comprised of foods i had grown myself.

so these little sproutlets are not much to look at yet (so tiny!), but i guess everyone has to start small, right?

baby basil:



baby chives:



baby oregano:

may baby sweater

ok, i think this is my last green project, at least for now. but isn't it a cute one? it's elizabeth zimmermann's february baby sweater. i've wanted to make it for awhile, but didn't have any new babies to knit for, until now. luckily, my friend julia was kind enough to get pregnant (with a girl, no less!), so i got the chance. i am so smitten with this little sweater. it was a lot easier to make than i thought it would be - luckily, ravelry exists, where any questions you have about the weird, vague instructions for making the sleeves are explained. it was quick, too! i think this will be a go-to pattern for future baby girl gifts.


even before i went to buy the yarn to make it, i was picturing kind of a vintage-y color combination, and the second i saw the yarn, i knew i wanted to use it with red buttons. i think the two colors, though not a usual pairing, really work together. i love the little red apples (and you can see the trees outside my window in their reflection).

i gave this sweater to the mom-to-be at her shower yesterday, and it was well received. yay for new babies!

pattern details on ravelry (sorry, i know, that's so lazy, right?).